Statement of more than Four Hundreds of Iranian Scholars, Cultural and Literary Personalities and Political Activists in Iran concerning Mr. Hassan Yusefi Eshkevari’s Situation

“Is Yusefi Eshkevari a Political Pledge?”

A Prisoner of conscience, Mr. Hassan Yusefi Eshkevari, an independent writer and scholar, a political and nationalist-religious activist promoting freedom, justice and spirituality, the director of Shariati’s Cultural Research Institute and a journalist and a member of the editorial board of the Iran Farda magazine, was arrested six months ago, and he is still in detention. He was charged by the Special Court of the Clergy (SCC) with offences including “apostasy” and “being at war with God”, and was tried in a closed-door court without a jury, which is against the constitution that guarantees presence of jury in all political and press trials. His trial was behind the closed doors and every attempt was made to conceal the details of the charges. However, the details of the illegal trial were gradually revealed to the public in Iran and abroad.

Eshkevari’s charges were so harsh that his family, friends, sympathizers and all political activists for freedom and democracy expressed a great deal of concern about his situation, even some high rank members of the Special Court of the Clergy formally announced on the Iran’s state-run TV and radio their objection to some of the accusations and the procedures taken in this matter. Though the public has anticipated the correction of the proceedings by the authorities, pending situation and the continuation of his imprisonment still generates more concerns. And now it is feared that in the political power struggle and the time near the presidential elections in Iran, conservatives will benefit from Eshkevari’s condition as a political pledge against the democratization of Iran and the reforms led by President Khatami and his political affiliates.

We condemn once again the arrest, detention and trial of all writers, political activists and independent thinkers for only expressing their views and beliefs, and also announce our deep concern over the continuation of the Eshkevari’s imprisonment. We call on all humanitarians, defenders of freedom of expression in Iran and the elected representatives, both in executive and legislature bodies who vowed to implement the reform programs, as well as international community, independent and freedom-loving individuals of the world to voice their concerns and objections to Eshkevari’s conditions and call for his release.

We believe it is the humanitarian as well as the legal obligations of President Khatami and the reformist members of the parliament to take immediate actions to prevent the wilful, illegal and oppressive conducts of the Judiciary power and particularly the Special Court of the Clergy against Iranian thinkers, Journalists, and independent religious scholar and clerics such as Mr. Yusefi Eshkevari. We hold the authorities, with regard to their responsibilities, accountable for the safety and health of Mr. Yusefi Eshkevari and all other prisoners of conscience including students, journalists and political activists.

March 2001

[List of Signatories]:

Adeeb Barumand, Legha Ardelan, Manucher Ehteshami, Saeed Alagha, Fareedun Aghasy, Ahmad Aghaee, Mostafa Akhlaghy, Abas Amirentezam, Elahe Amirentezam, Hassan Arbabi, Mohammad Abualhasani, Mahmud Amirahmady, Mohammad Emamy,Masood Aghaee, Hamid Ehrary, Azam Akbarzadeh, Khosru Azarbaeejani, AhmadrezaAhmadi, Alirreza Akbarzadegan, Hosain Arabi, Abualgasem Irani, HadiAhtezazi, Abas Abuzari, naser Aamely, Naser Ahmadzadeh, Masood Ayatollazadeh,naser Ashkeaneh, Farshid Afshar, Farhad Amirebraheemi, Bamdad Arfezadeh,Azareen, Anayetollah Ahmadi, Hassan Slami, Hosain Ebraheemzadeh,GholamaliAhmadAreanfard,Mansoor Eftekhari, Daher Ahmadzadeh, Baroomand, AbualfazlBazargan, Mohammad Bostenager, Parveez Babaee, Simin Bahbahani, DavadHarmidas Bavand, Mansoor Babaee, MohammadHossain Baniasedi, Mohammad Bahzadi,Safa Betaraf, Parvin Bakhteearinjad (Alijani), Mohammadnooyad Bazargan, AmenehBadli, Ali Akbar Biakie, Ali Ashraf Baniamerian, Morteza Badiee, ArbarBadiezadegan, Rahmatalah Baraani, Alinaghi Biatie, Bahram Biatie, Rahim Banaie, Hossain Bahdor, Habibalah Payman, Mahmood Pieshabin, Mohammad Pedram,Khosro Parsa, Abas Poorazharie, Aziez Poorhamied, Masood Pedram, MajiedPayman, Kieavash Parsa, Hassan Parsa, Zabieh Alah Poorfar, Esmaiel Babaie,Gholam Abas Tavasolie, Rahim Torabie Nejad, Hadi Tafgachie, Abas Tagdenie, Nahid Tavasolie, Mostafa Tanha, Derachshandeh Telmorain, Naser Takmil Homayun, Nasralah Tavakolie, Ahmad Tanoorie, Mohammad Hosain Tankaboni,Alireza Saghfie, Magied Jaberie, Syed Mohammad Mehdi Gafarie, Hosain Gafarie,Aliakbar Galali, Nasralah Jamshidie, Kamal Naseraldin Kalaegh, DehghanHaeriezadeh, Habibnia, Abolfazl Hakimie, Masood Hegazie, Hegazie, HosainHaririe, Mohammadreza Hatam Sanie, Hosain Haghshenas, Hamid Hadicie, AliHadicie, Teha Hegazie, Reza Hamsie, Anvar Khameie, Reza Khandan Mahabadie, Heshmatalah Khazodie, Seyed Amir Khoram, Seyed Hosain Khatiebie, Gholamhosain Khayer, Mohammad Khalilnia, Hassan Khoramshahie, Hosain Khashayardoost, Hooshang Kheiranoish, Akbar Kharazie, Eisa Khandan, Gholamreza Khoshkhalgh, Gafar Khaef, Khaliel Khalielpoor, Ebrahim Khodadadie, Ebrahim Khoshsierat,Aliashghar Khatieb, Rasool Dadmehr, Aliashraf Darvieshiean, Mahmood Delasaie,Mohammad Dadiezadeh, Habib (...), Saeed Doroodie, Mehdie Didiezadeh, Mohammadreza Didiezadeh, Manoochehr Davar Panah, Parviz Dabirie, Abas Daneshvar, Ebrahim Donyavie, Hosainali Zolfagharie, Fariborz Raeesdana, Hosain Razie, Javad Rahbarinia, Mohammadgavad Rajaeian, Abdolah Radnia, Bahman Rezakhanie, Hosain Rafee, Gholamreza Rahim, Taghie Rahmani, Reza Raees Tossie, Alireza Rajaei, Ahmad Rezaie, Farzaneh Roostaie, Asghar Rezaie, Abdolah Rahimi, Majid Rezaei, Mohsen Rafatiean, Mansoor Rasoolie, Mohammad Sadegh Rasoolie, Javad Rahiemeean, Amir Rezaei, Manoochehr Rafiee, Rashidie, Safealeh Resaie, Hosain Zadiesa, Koroosh Zalem, Naser Zarafshan, Mahmood Zandian, Seyed Mogtaba Zamani Sani, Jamal Zerehsaz, Mohammad Ebrahim Zamanie, Mehdi Zamanie, Yadolah Sahabie, Khosro Safe, Ahmad Saee, Seyed Sagadie, Faraydoon Sahabie, Mohsen Sazgara, Mohammadali Safarie, Mansoor Sahabie, Pieraj Salamat, Hossain Sadat Goosheia, Hosain Soliemanie, Nabiealah Soltani, Hosain Sakakie, Alireza Saiekhanie, Khosro Saeedif, Reza Salmani, Ahmad Sepehrie, Nasrin Satoodeh, Ahmad Sarvarie, Mohammad Hassan Samie, Aliakbar Sargamie, Gafar Saiedzadeh, Alinagh Soozanie, Haleh Sahabie, Hamed Sahabie, Gholamreza Salar Behzadie, Hosain Shah Hosainie, Taghie Shamakhie, Alahverdie Shamboorie, Mohammad Shanehchie, Javad Shanehchie, Javad Shariefedien, Ebrahim Sagerdie, Alishoga, Ahmad Shahamatdar, Masoomeh Shapoorie, Mahmood Shadded, Hassan Shahidie, Shareefie, Safdar Shahroozie, Hashem Sabaghian, Ahmad Sadr Hagseyed Gavadi, Mozafar Safarie, Kayvan Samiemie, Mehdi Saraf, Ahmad Samiemie, Seiavash Sehat, Ata Alah Sedieghian, Khaliel Senf, Farieborz Saber, Bagher Sedieniea, Manoochehr Saboonie, Aliashraf Zarghamie, Fariedoon Zarghamie, Mohammad Taherie, Amir Teyrani, Ali Tahmasbie, Mohammad Taefie, Hesamtaleghanie, Kamran Tahbaz, Asadolah Emadie, Hoshang Ashorzadeh, Reza Abed, Homa Abedie, Seyed Gafar Abaszadegan, Shahien Alavie, Saeed Ali Madadie, Mahmood Emranie, Mohammad Jafar Emadie, Hassan Arabzadeh, Araf Yadeh, Hassan Abdi, Mehdi Omrani, Seyed Hamed Alvi, Payman Arefnia, Seyed Asghar Gharavi, Masood Ghaddari, Mehdi Ghani, Ali Reza Gharavi, Saeed Ghafarzadeh, Mostafa Fazali, Mohammad Reza Farkhoei, Nasar Fareed, Hassan Fakhr Soltani, Hassan Fareed Aalam, Ghaffar..., Esmaeel Fazelpour, Hassan Farhoodinia, Arsalan Fallah, Hajjat Ansari, Amir Hossain Flamarzi, Parveez Frohar, Ali Fareed Yahyaee, Nazam Addeen Ghahari, Abbas Ghozranjami, Hojjat Gheasei, Adol Hossain Ghasami, Abbas Ghaemolsabahi, Mohammad Ghorbanpour, Mostafa Gholizadeh, Khosro Ghashghai, Baghar Ghadiriasl, Mohammad Kasraei, Naser Kamelian, Abdolkarim Kani, Abbas Kashtkaran, Tabardad Keshavarzi, Masood Kordpour, Khoro..., Bijen Golafra, Fatema Gavarai, Mohtaram Golbabaei (Eshkavari), Kaveh Gohareen, Fareidoon Golablu, Ali Asghar Golsorkhi, Abdol Reza Gorang, Mohmood Gorgeen, Masood Ladni, Hamid Lamaghi, Abdollah Lasani, Hassan Labaschi, Ali Akbar Moeenfar, Abdolfazl Mir Shams Shashani, Nazamaddeen Movaheed, Nosrat Mehgan, Seyed Hossein Mosian, Reza Mastan, Abdol Reza Hoshang Amsari, Hassan Mir Mohammad Sadeghi, Naser Mohallali, Mohammad Javad Mozaffar, Farzeen Mochber, Nasteraneh Musavi, Akbar Masum Baigi, Mostafa Mostafavi, Mohammad Melki, Mohammad Mohammadi Ardhali, Lotfallah Measami, Naser Mahabbadi, Ahmad Mehra, Seyed Javad Madershahi, Mohammad Mohammadi Gorgani, Ali Asghar Moenifar, Samad Melki, Hossein Mojtaheedi, Assad Mosavi, Mohsen Mohaghaghi, Hormoz Momayazi, Hadi Motamani, Usef Molaei, Hossein Madi, Saeed Madi, Mashallah Madihi, Marziyeh Morazi Langroodi, Ali Momeni, Ghosi Mir Mehr, Mostafa Meskeen, Gholamreza Masmooi, Faztollah Mostafavi, Kazem Mostafid, Sadegh Mosarat, Ali Asghar Maghaei, Zia Mesfah, Ahmad Masomi, Kazem Malaki, Mahdieh Mohammadi (Zaidabadi), Manocher Mohabbi, Abolfazl Mortazi Langrodi, Morteza Moghaddam, Vaheed Mirzadeh, Allahkaram Mirzai, Khosro Mansorian, Mohsen Mohsenzadeh, Jamsheed Mansourian, Manocher Malakghasami, Ali Mosavi, Minoo..., Moghaddaszadeh, Moayadzadeh, Esmaeel Nataghi, Mohammad Taghi Nakopour, Manocher Noorbakhsh, Ali Akbar Naghpour, Seyed Mehdi Nataghi, Mahmood Nakoroh, Mohsan Naraghi, Mahmood Naeempour, Fakharalsadut Noorbakhsh, Mohammad Hassan Naenian, Reza Nakhashb, Bahram Namazi, Amir Naseri, Aliakbar Noshem, Mahmood Najjar Sadaghi, Ahmad Namalzadeh, Yehya Nazari, Parviz Varjavand, Naser Vahdati, Hassan Vahdati, Hassan Vahab Aghai, Hamid Varshami, Hamid Vahdad, Parviz Homazani, Hadi Hadizadeh, Ardesheer Hoshi, Alireza Haddi, Koroush Hamakhani, Ehsan Hoshmand, Mohammad Ebrahim Yazdanian, Ebrahim Yonesi, Tahereh Yazdani Moghaddam (Brazandeh), Rahim Yavari, Mansour Yaghoti, Ebrahim Yazdi.