[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Oppenheimer]

Raid on Iran dissident's lawyer
By Pam O'Toole
BBC News



Ganji was jailed for linking senior officials to the murder of dissidents
Human rights activists have told the BBC that officials have raided the home of a lawyer representing Iran's best-known political prisoner.
His client, journalist Akbar Ganji, is reported to be gravely ill after 48 days on hunger strike.

Mr Ganji was jailed five years ago for linking senior Iranian officials to the murders of prominent intellectuals.

His hunger strike is aimed at achieving his unconditional release. His wife says he is "fighting with death".

Lawyer Abdul Fatah Soltani telephoned a colleague to say officials from the hardline Tehran prosecutor's office had arrived at his home bearing a search warrant.

Mr Soltani was out of the house at the time. The colleague, Mohammad Saifzadeh, says he does not know his current whereabouts.

Rallying point

It is unusual for officials to raid the homes of prominent lawyers in Iran.

But this is an unusual case. Mr Ganji, whose family say has lost more than 25kg (55lb) in weight during his hunger strike, has become a rallying point for reformist politicians, students and human rights activists.

He remains defiant. On Thursday, in an open letter, he called on Iran's powerful Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to step down.

Ayatollah Khamenei, he said, should answer this question - how could this be done in a peaceful way?

There have been calls for Mr Ganji's release from around the world, including from US President George W Bush.

Iran's outgoing President, Mohammad Khatami, has called for him to be given parole.

Iran's hardline judiciary has denied that Mr Ganji is on hunger strike, saying he has been hospitalised for a knee injury and is in good condition.

Officials said his friends were welcome to visit him in hospital.

But a delegation of students and political activists who made a determined effort to do so told the BBC that they were turned away by security officials at the hospital.

[Rasker]

Payvand's Iran News ...
http://www.payvand.com/news/05/jul/1258.html

7/30/05
Center for Advocates of Human Rights protests to Iran's Judiciary for arrest warrant against lawyer
Tehran, July 30, IRNA-Center for Advocates of Human Rights on Saturday protested to the Judiciary against arrest warrant the body issued for lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani.

Soltani is one of the founders of the Center for Advocates of Human Rights and has undertaken the duty of defense lawyer for journalist Akbar Ganji and photojournalist Zahra Kazemi who died in custody in 2003.

The Center said in a statement that according to respective law only the Lawyers Disciplinary Court is entitled to issue arrest warrant against the lawyers.

"The Center for Advocates of Human Rights is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) advocating human rights in accordance with its charter," the statement said.

"Policemen with arrest warrant confiscated several documents from Soltani's house without writing a list of what they took with them," said the statement.

"The Judiciary's action is in contravention of Article 6 of the Law concerning independence of lawyers passed by legislature in 1955." "According to Article 14 of the law, any allegation against lawyers should be examined by Lawyers Disciplinary Court and Article 5 of the Law specified that only the Disciplinary Court of the Lawyers is entitled to issue any arrest warrant against lawyers," the statement said.

The Center said that the Judiciary has committed illegal action by issuing arrest warrant against the lawyer.

Lawyer Soltani forwarded an open complaint to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi for violation of respective law about procedure of issuing arrest warrant against lawyers and asked for a probe by the Judiciary chief.

Meanwhile, he has gone on sit-in protest against confiscation of documents and breaking into his house.

He said that policemen broke drawers of wardrobe and took with them several tapes, documents and other materials disrupting his household appliances.

Soltani said that he thinks the action has been taken against him for his duty as defense lawyer adding that he would continue sit-in protest until the Judiciary chief clarify the situation.

IRNA reporter asked Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad about the arrest warrant, he said that the matter is under investigation.
_________________
The Sun Is Rising In The West!Soon It Will Shine on All of Iran!

[Oppenheimer]

Dear Rasker,

Seems if anyone had any illusions about the "rule of law" applying in the IRI, it just got trashed, by a rude awakening.