Farzad Kamangar is borned in 1975. He was a teacher during 12 years in Kamiaran, a village of Eastern Kurdistan (Northwestern Iran). He is married and has children. He belonged to the Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan and to other activist associations. He wrote for the review Royan, the review of Education department of Kamiyaran and for newspapers of local Human Rights associations.

He has been arrested on August 19th 2006, by the secret services of Sine. During 4 months after his arrest, his family had no news and authorities denied to be responsible of his disappearance.

Farzad Kamangar had been in fact transfered in the 9th Prison of Evin in Tehran, a non-official center of detention of the VEVAK(Vezarat Etela’at Va Amnyate Keshvar), the Iranian services.
In a letter he secretly send out of his prison, he told how he was isolated and tortured, beaten at his first interrogatory just because he is a political activist. He should stayed also on a chair, bound during 24 hours without food nor possibility to go to the lavatory. Then he was imprisoned in a small cell, without fresh air. He could not get in touch with his family or his lawyer. He faced also psychological pressures, for example threatening against his relatives. Once, he attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself in stairs, but failed. His health was so bad that he had to be cured in a prison hospital. His lawyer tells that when he saw Farzad in their first meeting, his body was shaken, his hands were seriously burnt by boiled water. Beside, he suffers of kidney infection, and tracks of blood in his urine.

Between 2006 and 2007, he was several times transfered in Kermanshah or Sine to be interrogated and severely tortured. In Kermanshah, his cell, where he was detained in February and March 2007 measured 1m x 1m x 0.6m. He was also sexually abused in Evin, a common practice to psychologically break prisoner’s mind.

His mother and his brother were allowed to see him only seven months after his arrest. When they meet him, Iranian agents stayed all the tim with them and forbid they speak in Kurdish. Farzad Kamangar, at this time, did not know what were the charges against him.

Farzad made several hunger strikes, with other prisoners, to protest against their conditions of detention. The last month, he was in the prison of Gohardacht,www.ekurd.net when prisoners revolted. After a raid of safety services, he has been taken and led in a isolated place, with Farhad Vakili and Ali Heydaran.

****Farzad Kamangar was sentenced to death by hanging on February 2008 after a sham trial.****

In addition to opposing the death sentence, We condemns the torture of Farzad Kamangar while in detention and the subsequent denial of medical treatment. When his family was last allowed to visit him in prison, his injuries were such that he was unable to walk. We has urged the Iranian authorities to investigate the reports of torture and to ensure that, in future, no detainee is subject to torture or ill-treatment.

Please Help Us With:

1. Send an online message to to the Iranian president to appeal for a review of the case of Farzad Kamangar.

2. Write to the Iranian authorities > Your organization is invited to appeal the Iranian government to:

* review the case of Farzad Kamangar and to give further clarification about the charges against him and other teacher trade unionists currently detained;

* commute Farzad’s death sentence;

* desist from the use of torture;

* allow Farzad Kamangar to have unimpeded contact with his family and his lawyer;

* stop the harassment against the relatives of Farzad Kamangar and members of the Committee to Stop Farzad Kamangar’s Death Sentence;

* be open for a peaceful dialogue regarding the professional concerns of teachers in Iran.

Please send appeals to:

President Islamic Republic of Iran
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran 13168-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

Chief of State
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-Mail: info@leader.ir / Fax: +98-21 649 5880 (unreliable)

Minister of Justice
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of Justice
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., South of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 13168-14737
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-Mail: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir / Fax: +98-21 879 6671/640 4018 or 4019 (unreliable)

Thank you for your solidarity and ongoing support for our Iranian colleagues.

Yours faithfully,

Saeed Valadbaygi

( International Committee Against Executions)