Two Canadians are making a plea for public assist of their efforts to avoid wasting the lives of a pair of imprisoned philanthropists who could face the demise penalty in Iran.
Farzaneh and Dr. Hamid Ghare-Hassanlou are amongst 28 individuals who could face execution in reference to the continued freedom protests within the Center Jap nation, sparked by the demise of Mahsa Amini.
The couple just lately underwent a sham trial on the cost of “spreading corruption on earth,” a obscure and sweeping cost in Iran that’s connected to crimes in opposition to nationwide safety, exercise that disrupts the general public order or financial construction of Iran, spreads lies, commits arson, and extra.
It’s a cost punishable by demise, recognized to be laid in opposition to activists and journalists.
In keeping with Dr. Hooman Hosseini Nik, a Barrie, Ont. radiologist, there isn’t a proof in opposition to the couple.
Hosseini Nik accomplished his residency with Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou on the Iran College of Medical Sciences in Tehran, and mentioned his buddy and colleague is a high-profile radiologist within the nation.
“We’re asking for a good trial by an unbiased and neutral court docket, one thing that appears unimaginable with the present justice system in Iran,” Hosseini Nik instructed World Information.
“We simply need to increase consciousness and we want world group assist to place stress on Iran — the Islamic Republic, I ought to say, not Iran — to forestall these brutalities, oppressions and injustice.”
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The Ghare-Hassanlous, a married couple, have been arrested final month after attending a ceremony marking the 40-day anniversary of the demise of protester Hadis Najafi in Karaj, west of Tehran.
Najafi, who was reportedly shot useless by safety forces, grew to become an emblem of the liberty motion after video surfaced of her tying her hair throughout an anti-regime protest on Sept. 21. It was days after Amini’s demise within the custody of Iran’s morality police for allegedly sporting her hijab too loosely.
Since then, the activist HRANA information company has mentioned some 470 protesters have been killed, together with 64 minors. At the least 18,210 demonstrators have been arrested and 61 members of Iran’s safety forces have been killed.
As of final week, the United Nations had reported greater than 300 deaths and 14,000 arrests.
Kamran Malekpour, an investigative reporter from Iran, mentioned he has been in contact with the Ghare-Hassanlous’ household in Iran and has adopted the case intently from his own residence in Metro Vancouver.
Of be aware is the quick timeframe between the couple’s arrest and a trial that might consequence of their state-sanctioned demise, he added. They have been additionally denied their alternative of lawyer and given a public defender assigned by the federal government.
“Whereas he was within the hospital, they take (Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou) to the courtroom to admit what they need, regardless that he didn’t do the confession,” mentioned Malekpour.
“The entire trial only for Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou and his spouse took few moments. It was public, however just some media who’re associated to the federal government have been current on the court docket.”
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He mentioned the couple is being tried in a gaggle of 15 individuals, a few of whom could obtain life sentences as a substitute of execution. Whereas they await information of their destiny, Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou suffers from the accidents obtained throughout or after his arrest, together with 4 damaged ribs and inner bleeding, Malekpour added.
Each he and Hosseini Nik lauded the pair’s charitable work. Collectively, they’ve constructed three colleges in underserved communities in southern Iran.
“He was a really moral {and professional} doctor, and on high of that, he was a modest particular person,” mentioned Hosseini Nik, including that he thinks in regards to the Ghare-Hassanlous evening and day.
“Residency is a kind of occasions that you simply make very, very deep friendships with individuals. I’m in Canada now for about two years, however that’s the type of friendship that stays without end.”
Malekpour is asking on the Canadian Medical Affiliation and Canadian public to “be the voice” of an harmless and beneficiant physician and his spouse, whom the Islamic Republic of Iran desires to “silence.”
Final month, the UN Human Rights Council voted to ascertain a probe into the state’s crackdown on freedom protesters. Tehran has rejected the investigation and mentioned it is not going to cooperate.
Just like the Ghare-Hassanlous, well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has additionally been charged with corruption on earth, and is among the many 28 individuals who could also be executed.
Iran has blamed international foes and their brokers for the unrest. Its judiciary chief final month ordered judges to challenge robust sentences for the “primary parts of riots.”
– with recordsdata from Reuters
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