Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called on the Iranian government to free human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi, who has been campaigning against the death penalty in his country.
The New York-based rights group also called on Iran to drop what it called politically motivated charges against the prisoner.
Baghi, who heads the Committee for the Defense of Prisoners' Rights and has already served several jail terms in Iran, was arrested Sunday in Iran and charged with spreading propaganda and publishing secret documents, his lawyer said.
According to the charges, Baghi obtained secret information from prisoners detained in security prisons and then disseminated this information during seminars organized by his group, the lawyer said.
A former journalist, Baghi over the last months has publicly protested against the wave of hangings, many in public, that have swept Iran as part of a campaign by the authorities they say is aimed at improving security in society.
"The Iranian government should applaud Baghi for his efforts on behalf of prisoners' rights, not arrest him," said a statement by Joe Stork, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
In 2005 Baghi was awarded a prize for human rights by France for his work campaigning against the death penalty.
link: the raw story
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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