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Alert

RSF voices concern over stalled justice in Zahra Kazemi case

(RSF/IFEX) - On 20 January 2004, RSF expressed concern over the stalled Zahra Kazemi case to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and his 15 European Union (EU) counterparts. The Iranian authorities appear to be in no hurry to see justice served, the organisation noted.

"Since the trial of the alleged killer was adjourned, there do not appear to have been any further developments in the case. The lawyers for the victim's family have not been allowed to examine the legal file so they can properly prepare their case," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. "The authorities have not fixed a date for the adjourned hearing and we do not even know if the lawyers will have an opportunity to examine the complete file," he added.

The organisation called on the foreign ministers to do everything possible to ensure the case is thoroughly investigated, justice is served and Kazemi's body is repatriated to Canada.

Kazemi's body was buried in Shiraz, southern Iran, on 22 July 2003, contrary to the wishes of her son, Stéphan Hachemi, who holds joint French and Canadian citizenship and lives in Canada. The journalist's mother, who lives in Iran, had asked that Kazemi's body be repatriated to Canada and signed a request to that effect at the Canadian embassy in Tehran. The Canadian authorities had supported the request. Despite the requests, Kazemi was hurriedly buried in Iran. Since then, calls for the body to be exhumed and repatriated to Canada have fallen on deaf ears. The journalist's mother has since said publicly that she was put under pressure to allow the burial in Iran.

RSF welcomes the Canadian government's actions, which led to a resolution at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 12 December condemning ongoing human rights violations in Iran. In accordance with the European Parliament's invitation to the Council of the EU on 15 January, the organisation strongly supports and encourages the EU to present a similar draft resolution at the next session of the UN Human Rights Commission. RSF urges the Council to vigorously condemn arbitrary detentions in Iran.

Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian journalist who lived in Canada, was arrested on 23 June while photographing families of prisoners in front of Evin prison, north of Tehran. She was beaten during her detention and died of her injuries on 10 July. After first trying to hide the cause of the journalist's death, on 16 July, the Iranian authorities admitted that she was "beaten."

Following a struggle between reformists and conservatives in Iran, who blamed each other over the journalist's death, an Iranian intelligence services agent, Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, was named as the suspected killer and arrested. His trial was adjourned on 4 November. Lawyer Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, has said she will defend the interests of Kazemi's family.