Dr. Ahmed Shaheed
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran
c/o Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des nation
Ch-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
June, 29, 2011

Dear Dr. Shaheed,

We the undersigned, members of Iranian academics, journalists, writers, lawyers, artists and human rights activists, welcome your appointment as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran.

The systematic violations of human rights by the Islamic Republic of Iran and atrocities committed against the members of the opposition have reached an unprecedented level. The arbitrary arrests of women activists, lawyers, journalists, students, labour leaders, and human rights advocates are on the rise. The continuous hunger strikes, attempted suicides and mysterious death of prisoners in custody, and executions are indeed alarming.

The Islamic Republic’s refusal to accept your appointment and to allow your travel to Iran is meant to bloc the international scrutiny of these atrocities. We hope that under increased international pressure, the Iranian authorities are compelled to revise their decision and you, like previous UN Envoys, be able to visit Iran and Iranian prisoners and their families, as well as the families of those killed, disappeared and executed. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the large number of former political prisoners and their family members living in exile would welcome the opportunity to share with you their information and experiences of torture, rape, imprisonments and executions.

We are looking forward to the publication of your report and hope that it would shed some light on the mayhem of life and violations of human rights in Iran.

Signatures:
Family name, name, affiliation, country
Abrahamian, Ervand, City University of New York, USA
Afshari, Reza, Pace University, New York, USA.
Ahmadi, Hamid, historian, Germany
Akhavan, Payam, McGill University, Canada
Alamdari, Kazem, California State University, Northridge, USA
Almasi, Nasrin, Journalist, Canada
Amanat, Abbas, Yale University, USA
Ashouri, Daryoush, scholar/writer, France
Banuazizi, Ali, Boston College, USA
Baraheni, Reza, ret. University of Toronto, Canada
Behdad, Sohrab, Denison University, USA
Boroujerdi, Mehrzad, Syracuse University, USA
Dabashi, Hamid, Columbia University
Darvishpour, Mehrdad, Stockholm
Deraye, Minoo, York University, Canada
Ebrahimi, Hadi, journalist, Vancouver, Canada
Farahani, Fataneh, Stockholm University, Sweden
Farhang, Mansour, Bennington College, VT, USA
Fathi, Masoud, Journalist, political activist, Austria
Ghazian, Hossein, visiting scholar, Syracuse University, USA
Hassanpour, Amir, University of Toronto, Canada
Idjadi, Didier, University of Paris 13, France
Irani, Sholeh, Journalist, women rights activist, Sweden
Izadi, Kazem, former professor, university of Tehran
Jahanbegloo, Ramin, University of Toronto, Canada
Kar, Mehrangiz, Resident Fellow, Harvard University, USA
Kahnemuyipour, Arsalan, University of Toronto, Canada
Karimi-Hakkak, Ahmad, University of Maryland, USA
Karimi-Hakkak, Mahmood, Siena College, NY, USA
Keshtgar, Ali, human rights activist, France
Khaksar, Nasim. Writer, Holland
Khosrokhavar, Farhad, Science Po, Paris, France
Kian, Azadeh. Professor. University of Paris 7-Diderot, France
Lahidji, Abdol-Karim, Human Rights Lawyer, France
Mahdavi, Mojtaba, University of Alberta, Canada
Matin Daftari, Hedayat, lawyer, France
Milani, Abbas, Stanford University
Moazami, Behrooz, Loyola University New Orleans, USA
Moghissi, Haideh, York University, Canada
Mohajer, Nasser, writer, France
Mojab, Shahrzad, University of Toronto, Canada
Mojtahedi, Leila, Journalist, Canada
Mousoli Reza, Canterbury Christ Church University, England
Naeni, Ahmad, human rights activist, Canada
Naficy, Majid, Poet, USA
Nomani, Farhad, American University of Paris, France
Nooriala, Partow, Poet, Writer, California
Paivandi, Saeed, Universite Paris8
Pakdaman, Nasser, Denis Diderot University, retired, Paris France
Parsa, Misagh, Dartmouth College, USA
Parsa, Soheil, playwright/director, Toronto, Canada
Payrow Shabani, Omid, Guelph University, Canada
Pourzand, Lili, human rights activist, Canada
Rahimieh, Nasrin, University of California, Irvine, USA
Rahnema, Saeed, York University, Canada
Safavi, Mohammad, labour activist, Vancouver, Canada
Sobhani, Iradj, MD, University Paris-Est Creteil, France
Soltani, Ebrahim, Syracuse University, USA
Taban, Fuad, webmaster, Germany
Taheri, Farah, Journalist, Canada
Tohidi, Nayereh, California State University, Northridge, USA
Vahabi, Mehrdad, University of Paris 8, France
Vahabzadeh Peyman, University of Victoria, Canada
Zandi, Farrokh, York University
Zerehi, Hassan, Journalist, Canada
Ziai, Hossein, UCLA, USA