Take Action! Urge Iran to Condemn Religious Ruling to Kill Rapper
A death ruling has been issued for Iranian rapper Shahin Najafi by grand ayatollahs Safi Golpaygani and Naser Makarem Shirazi in response to Najafi’s song “Naghi” – the name of Shi’ite Islam’s 10th imam. Conservative clerics and Shia websites have called for Najafi’s killing, even offering a $100,000 reward for carrying it out. Najafi, 31, a popular Iranian musician who resides in Germany, has told reporters that he fears for his life. The issuing of fatwas by Iranian clerics has in the past yielded deadly results.
Under current laws in Iran, being labeled an “apostate” is punishable by death by the judiciary. Iranian religious leaders also issue fatwas outside the legal parameters of the law. Article 6 and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, protect the right to life and freedom of expression. These international legal provisions obligate the Government of Iran to ensure that individuals within its territory do not incite murder with impunity.
Express your concern directly to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, Iran’s Judiciary Chief. Send a letter urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to condemn the fatwa that clerics have issued against Najafi and to outlaw the issuing of death rulings by religious leaders.
Iranians Demand P5+1 Focus on Human Rights
On Saturday, April 14, 2012, talks between Iran and the P5+1 resumed in Istanbul, Turkey behind closed doors. The Iranian people have been excluded from the debate on the international negotiations with their country through brutal repression by their government. Iranians gathered in Istanbul on the occasion of the P5+1 meeting to give voice to millions in Iran who have been imprisoned and silenced. Here is what they had to say to the world.
Action to Demand Release of Seven Baha’i Leaders Unjustly Imprisoned
Seven leaders of the Baha’i community have to date spent 10,000 total days behind bars in Iran solely on the basis of their faith. United4Iran joins the Baha’i International Community in raising awareness about their unjust imprisonment and urging their immediate release. We are urging you now to continue to ask for their unconditional release. An online letter can be found and customized here.
Stencil in Solidarity with Human Rights in Iran!
فارسی Beginning April 1, 2012 – the Facebook group Mad Graffiti Week Iran is calling on everyone to stencil in honor of political prisoners. Inspired by and with the support of Egyptian Mad Graffiti Week, the call is for everyone to draw for the human rights movement in Iran, for freedom for political prisoners, for an [...]
Take Action: Web Developer’s Execution Sentence Confirmed
Take action! Send a letter for Saeed Malekpour, who was detained in October 2008 and sentenced to death in December 2010 without having had regular access to a lawyer or the resources with which to defend himself. He was arrested after returning to Iran to see his terminally ill father on the false allegation of “developing an adult website.” Never has any proof been presented that Mr. Malekpour is associated in anyway with the website.
AIUSA Blog: Here We Go Again – Iran Condemns Yet Another “Spy”
Posted by: Elise Auerbach January 10, 2012 at 2:21 PM From AIUSA: By now I can write the script in my sleep: Foreign citizen (but usually Iranian in origin) picked up and slapped into detention; family told to be quiet about it and things will “go well”; implausible televised confession to acts of espionage or involvement [...]
Urge Iran’s Parliament to Reject Anti-Human Rights Penal Code
Bill Defies International Community and Iran’s Own Commitments فارسی The UN Secretary General, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, the UN General Assembly, and the UN Human Rights Council have repeatedly called on Iran to revise its penal code to adhere to international human rights standards. In February 2010, [...]
Leave a Birthday Message for Imprisoned Student Activist Zia Nabavi
Amnesty International (AI) often marks significant days, such as birthdays, for various detained activists. As student activist Zia Nabavi spends another birthday in prison, we urge you to read and share AI’s blog post and encourage you to leave your own birthday message for Zia Nabavi in the comments section. U4I will collect and print all the [...]
