Free Abolfazl (Pouria) Shahpari, Member of the Iran Zoroastrian Committee
- Target:
- Ahmed Shaheed, UN, UNHCHR, State Department, EU, Navi Pillay, Ban Ki-Moon, European Parliament
- Region:
- GLOBAL
- Website:
- iranbriefing.net
In late August, 2011 Abolfazl (Pouria) Shahpari, Zoroastrian citizen and member of the Iran Zoroastrian Committee, was summoned to Evin Prison in order to serve his 2.5 year prison sentence.
In February of 2009, Pouria Shahpari was arrested along with his brother Dariush Shahpari by the Intelligence Ministry. They were transferred to Ward 240 of Evin Prison.
According to the Human Rights House of Iran, his charges included anti-regime propaganda, gathering and conspiracy, insulting the Supreme Leader, membership in the Iran Zoroastrian Committee, and blasphemy by propaganda for Zoroastrianism.
He was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison and 74 lashes. The appeals court upheld the sentence.
He has been transferred to Evin Prison in order to serve his sentence. His brother in law, Mohsen(Bahman) Sadeghi Nour is currently held in Ward 350 of Evin prison and the execution branch of Evin Prison has told him that the prison sentence will be carried out for his brother Mohammad Javad (Dariush) Shahpari in the next a few days.
His mother had a heart attack in 2009 after the raid on her house and the arrest of her family members including her husband Abbas Shahpari, her sons Pouria, Jafar and Dariush and her only daughter Negar Shahpari along with her son in law Bahman Sadeghipour.
Mohsen Sadeghipor is the founder of Iran Zoroastrian Committee and was transferred to prison in July in order to serve his 4.5 year prison sentence.
Furthermore, Mojtaba Ahmadi, Mohsen’s cousin, who has been sentenced to 6 years in prison is serving his sentence since May of 2010 without furlough and prison visits. Ahmadi has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for blasphemy and 3 years of imprisonment for gathering, conspiracy and engaging in propaganda which adds up to a total of 6 years.
WHEREAS: Abolfazl (Pouria) Shahpari is a prisoner of conscience who is in prison solely for pursuing peaceful activities involving the practice of his Zoroastrian faith as well as civic activism;
AND WHEREAS: His arrest, sentence and continued imprisonment is therefore illegal under Article 18, Section 1, and Article 19, Sections 1 and 2, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as Article 24 of the Iranian Consitution;
THEREFORE: We the undersigned demand that all levels of the international community bring ALL PRESSURE to bear on the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Shahpari, rescind his conviction and withdraw all charges brought illegally against him.
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The Free Abolfazl (Pouria) Shahpari, Member of the Iran Zoroastrian Committee petition to Ahmed Shaheed, UN, UNHCHR, State Department, EU, Navi Pillay, Ban Ki-Moon, European Parliament was written by John S. Burke and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.