Stop the Execution of Saeed Malekpour, Iranian-Canadian Comp Programmer, Imminent Execution!

**Update March 9, 2012**

Sister of Saeed Malekpour talks to media and says it has been 50 days and she has not heard any news of her brother and she is very worried that he will be executed at any moment:

http://www.radiozamaneh.com/english/content/malekpour-imminent-danger-execution

**Update Feb 17, 2012**

URGENT: Saeed Malekpour's execution case has been sent to the enforcement office for IMPLEMENTATION of his death sentence! This means that Saeed can be executed at any moment, in a matter of days. PLEASE DO ALL THAT YOU CAN TO HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF SAEED MALEKPOUR.

Here is a link to Urgent Action items for Saeed that take less than 1 minute to do! Please Share:

http://royahayesabz.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/urgent-action-stop-iranian-canadian-saeed-malekpours-execution-case-sent-to-implementation/

Here is a news article reporting on Saeed's case being sent for implementation:

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1132818--iran-moves-saeed-malekpour-s-death-sentence-ahead-prompting-canadian-outrage?bn=1

Amnesty's Appeal for Saeed (which will be posted soon at this link:)

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/008/2012/en

**Update Jan 30, 2012**

Saeed Malekpour's death sentence has been UPHELD and the appeal was denied in the Supreme Court. His death sentence is now IMMINENT. Please sign this petition and share with all of your friends to help save Saeed's life! Since recently last year, imminent execution sentences have been ordered to be carried out after being confirmed and upheld. His wife Fatemeh in Canada is asking for ALL of our help, please also write an email made by United 4 Iran as well:

http://united4iran.org/2012/01/take-action-web-developer-still-at-risk-of-execution/

For updates and actions for Saeed, please join "Free Saeed Malekpour" Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Free.Saeed.Malekpour

Persian listeners, video: SAEED'S SISTER TALKS TO VOA BRIEFLY ABOUT THE BRUTAL TORTURES HER BROTHER HAS ENDURED IN PRISON. VOA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9MF_1GfzY4

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Saeed Malekpour is a 35-year-old prisoner of conscience who was detained on October 4, 2008 while visiting his terminally ill father in Iran, and was charged with being involved in “internet offenses”, all of which he denies. The charges brought against Malekpour include “Taking action against national security by designing and moderating adult content websites;” “Agitation against the regime;” “Contact with foreign entities;” “Insulting the sanctity of Islam;” and “Insulting the Supreme Leader and President.” He could be charged as “Corrupter of the Earth” (Mofsed fel-Arz), a charge that is punishable by the DEATH SENTENCE. Saeed continues to deny these allegations.

Saeed graduated from Sharif University of Technology with a Metrology Engineering degree. He has worked as an expert in Iran Khodro (Iran’s biggest car manufacturer) and as an inspector in Garma Felez corporation. He has also worked for the Razi Research Centre. Last year, he was admitted to a master’s program at the University of Victoria (in the province of British Columbia, Canada). In 2004, Saeed and his wife moved to Canada, where he became a permanent resident. He began work as a freelance website developer & programmer responsible for developing only parts of websites or portions involving, for example, IT system management and system security.

While working as developer in Canada, Saeed designed a program that would allow his clients to upload pictures, and as a common courtesy in programming, included his name and info in the file. This program, Saeed’s wife – Dr. Fatimeh Eftekhari – explains, was used in an adult content website WITHOUT Saeed’s knowledge or approval. “The only recognizable name in the program was Saeed’s,” she continued, “which led to his arrest” and to the accusations claiming that Saeed was responsible for the development and administration of the website.

In an open letter, Saeed described the horrific physical and psychological tortures he endured at the hands of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard which pressured him into false confessions. Since his arrest, Saeed remains confined in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison without indictment or access to a lawyer. Saeed has spent more than 12 months in solitary confinement and denied books, newspapers, and contact with the outside world.

In a excerpt of the letter from Saeed Malekpour, you can read about the horrible events that have unfolded since his arrest by the hands of his interrogators:

"...On January 24, 2009, after being subject to severe beatings, one of the interrogators threatened to pull out my tooth with a pair of tongs. One of my tooth broke and my jaw was displaced after I was kicked in the face by him. However, the physical tortures were nothing compared to the psychological torments. I endured long solitary confinement time (totalling to more than one year) without phone calls or the possibility of visiting my loved ones, constant threats to arrest and torture my wife and family if I did not cooperate, threats to kill me. They also provided me with false news of arresting my wife. My mental health was severely threatened. I had no acces to any books or journals in the solitary cells, and at times, I would not speak to anybody for days.

Restrictions and psychological pressures on me and my family grew so much that after my father’s passing on March 16, 2009, and despite the fact that the officials were aware of his death, kept the news from me for approximately 40 days. When I had a five minute (supervised) phone call with home, I learned of my father’s death.

Masoud, one of the interrogators, burst into laughter and mocked me once he saw me crying about the news of my father’s death. Despite my pleas, they did not allow me to attend my father’s memorial service. In addition to the psychological tortures, the Revolutionary Guards interrogation team illegally, and contrary to religious principles, withdrew some funds from my credit card account. They also have my Paypal account. I am not sure what they have done with it.

Another example of psychological torture involved forcing me to perform scenarios dictated by the Revolutionary Guards interrogators in front of the camera. Although the interrogation team had promised me these films would never be aired on TV, and they would only be shown to regime officials to receive a larger budget for their “Gerdaab” project. However, I found out later on that the films were shown numerous times on state television during the seventh day funeral service for my father. This resulted in severe emotional pain for my family. My mother suffered from a heart attack after seeing my picture and false confessions on television. Some of the confession they forced me to make were so ridiculous and far-fetched that they are not even possible.

For example, they asked me to falsely confess to purchasing software from the UK and then posting on my website for sale. I was forced to add that when somebody visited my website, the software would be, without his/her knowledge, installed on their computer and would take control of their webcam, even when their webcam is turned off. Although I told them that what they were suggesting was impossible from a technological point of view, they responded that I should not concern myself with such things..."

Sources: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6160/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4449

http://www.astreetjournalist.com/2010/03/28/imprisoned-tech-expert-saeed-malekpour-writes-of-torture/

http://persian2english.com/?p=15785