PEN CANADA TO KEEP WATCH ON KAZEMI TRIAL

Efforts to keep freedom of expression in Iran under the Canadian spotlight are being bolstered, thanks to a coalition of non-governmental organisations, including PEN Canada. The group has launched an e-mail fundraising campaign to send a Canadian observer to Tehran to observe the trial of the man accused of murdering photographer Zahra Kazemi.

PEN Canada has established the Zahra Kazemi Justice Fund and plans to raise enough money to support the observer in Iran for three months. The Legal Resources Centre in Montreal and other organisations are collaborating on the fundraising drive.

Kazemi was murdered last July while in Iranian custody after being arrested for taking photos outside Evin Prison in Tehran. She died of a brain hemorrhage after suffering severe blows to the head. Her death sparked an international outcry and demands for her body to be returned to Canada. Iranian security agent Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi has been charged for the murder.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), another IFEX member, has also been active in calling for a full, independent inquiry into Kazemi's murder. CJFE recently honoured Kazemi with a Tara Singh Hayer Memorial Award in recognition of her commitment to press freedom (see:
www.cjfe.org).

To donate to the Zahra Kazemi Justice Fund, visit: http://www.pencanada.ca

Visit these links:

- Canadian Journalists for Free Expression: http://www.cjfe.org

- IFEX: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/221/

- CBC In-Depth Coverage of Kazemi Case: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kazemi/