Farhad Meysami

Farhad Meysami (born November 17, 1969) is an Iranian human rights activist.

Background

Farhad Meysami graduated from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and opted for a career in high school education. He later established a publishing company, Andisheh-Sazan, which grew in the late 1990s.[1][2] Andisheh-Sazan was particularly known to high schoolers for its test preparation books published for the Iranian university entrance exam (also known as Konkour). At the peak of its growth, Meysami shut down the company and engaged in human rights activism in Iran.[2] He was arrested on July 31, 2018, and has gone on a hunger strike since August 1, 2018.[3]

Detention and hunger strike
Pin-back buttons that have been "confiscated" from Meysami's library, with a Persian text on them reading "I do no agree with the compulsory hijab".

Meysami was arrested at his personal library and transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison in Tehran.[3] He went on a hunger strike on August 1 to protest against "unjustified accusations, the illegal procedure following his detention, and denial of his right to access an independent lawyer".[4][5] He was not able to publicly announce his hunger strike before the 19th day of his strike, as he was being held in solitary confinement until that day.[5] The allegation brought against Meysami is acting against the national security,[6] a rather common accusation against political and civil rights activists in Iran. Apparently, Meysami's support for the “Girls of Enghelab Street”—a series of protests against compulsory hijab in Iran— is being used to corroborate the charges against him. To provide the material evidence for the accusation the security forces have confiscated pin-back buttons from his library in Tehran. The pin-back buttons have “I do not agree with compulsory hijab” marked on them in Persian.[6][3][5][7][8]

Reza Khandan, a friend of Meysami's who had several phone conversations with him after his detention, published the following lines on his Facebook on behalf of Meysami, explaining the reasons behind his hunger strike:[9]

My hunger strike is out of respect for my own dignity and the dignity of those who have been detained on baseless accusations; those who are being interrogated while they have no access to a proper and legitimate legal representation. I will not, under any conditions, succumb to the demands of this illegal procedure.

Denial of the right to access a lawyer

Meysami was denied access to an independent lawyer. Arash Keikhosravi, an Iranian lawyer, was barred from registering as his lawyer due to the section 48 of the recently amended the Criminal Procedure Code.[5] Many Iranian prisoners have been affected by Section 48, including the prominent lawyer and human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh.[10] Section 48 states that those accused of national-security crimes must choose their lawyer from a single list of 20 lawyers picked by the head of the judicial system of Iran.[11] Human rights organizations have argued that it means there are only a few government picked lawyers who are allowed to represent political prisoners at court. This new policy gives further license to infringe on the rights of defendants.[3][12]

Hunger strike of Nasrin Sotoudeh

On the 25th day Meysami's hunger strike, his imprisoned friend and human rights activist, Nasrin Sotoudeh, went on hunger strike to support Meysami. Reza Khandan, husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh, published her open letter about the reasons behind her strike on his Facebook page:[13]

Dear fellow citizens,

After having arrested myself two months ago, the agents of the ministry of the national security have now arrested our fellow citizen Dr. FarhadMeysami. Furthermore, they have searched my house as well as myrelatives’ and friends’ houses, seeking to “discover” andconfiscate badges opposing the compulsory hijab.[…] Until now, none of my correspondence with the authorities has lead toany results. Therefore, I see no other option than entering on hungerstrike from August 25th to protest against the arrest of and judicialpressure on my friends and family.

In hope of the establishment of law and justice in our dear country, Iran.

International Call

On 24 October 2018, Amnesty International called on Iran to release Farhad Meysami immediately and unconditionally. Amnesty confirmed that he is being held in the medical clinic at Evin prison in Tehran against his will to pressure him into ending his hunger strike.[14]

Late November 2018, a group of UN human rights experts including Javid Rehman U.N. Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and four others experts concern about Meysami's situation who has been on hunger strike since August.[15]

References
  1. "فرهاد میثمی، فعال مدنی و ناشر کتاب‌های کنکور بازداشت شد « سایت خبری تحلیلی کلمه". www.kaleme.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  2. "ماموران وزارت اطلاعات دنبال پیکسل‌های اعتراض به حجاب اجباری می‌گردند". IranWire | خانه. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  3. "Heavy Charges Against a Civil Activist for Protesting Compulsory Hijab". www.iranhr.net. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  4. "Reza Khandan". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  5. "Imprisoned Civil Rights Activist Farhad Meysami on Hunger Strike". Hrana - News Agancy. 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  6. "AmnestyInternational on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  7. "Mother of Detained Activist Hears Her Son Being Beaten Over the Phone – Center for Human Rights in Iran". iranhumanrights.org. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  8. "Heavy Charges Against a Civil Activist for Protesting Compulsory Hijab". Iran HRM. 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  9. "Reza Khandan". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  10. "Nasrin Sotoudeh's open letter on her refusal to attend court". NCRI Women's Committee. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  11. "Want to Choose Your Lawyer? Good Luck in Iran". Human Rights Watch. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  12. "Lowering The Bar: Tehran 'White List' Excludes Most Lawyers From Politically Charged Cases". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  13. "نسرین ستوده، وکیل زندانی، دست به اعتصاب غذا زد". صدای آمریکا (in Persian). Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  14. "Iranian prisoner of conscience pressured to end his hunger strike". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  15. UN Experts Call On Iran To Guarantee Rights Of Detained Activists
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