Saman Rasoulpour

A day after Kurdish human rights activist Sedigh Kaboodvand suffered a mild stroke in ‎ward 8 of Evin prison in Tehran, concerns about his health heightened. Rooz talked with ‎Kaboodvand’s the defense attorney Nazar Nemat Ahmadi, the Iran desk officer at the ‎French based Reporters Without Borders Reza Moeini, Kurdish journalist and human ‎rights activist Fariba Dawoodi Mohajer, human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari, and ‎member of Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights Omid Beigzadeh ‎about Sedigh Kaboodvand’s condition and his activities. These activists expressed their ‎concern for Kaboodvand’s health and restated Kaboodvand’s positive human rights ‎activities. Read on for the details.‎

No crimes committed by Kaboodvand

Nemat Ahmadi, Kaboodvand’s attorney told Rooz, “I have studied his case. The charge ‎against him is “activities against national security” through the establishment of the ‎Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights, and the publication of ‎‎‘publication of false information’ through interviews. There are laws against the ‎publication of false information in Iran but they do not apply to what Kaboodvand had ‎done. He has the right to express his opinion. They say that he had created a small ‎organization with a computer and large brave heart to foster human love and justice. I ‎think his efforts are not only contrary to the law, but are in fact the duty of every person ‎who wants to live in a sane and healthy community.”‎

Reward rather than punishment

Reza Moeini from Reporters Without Borders said this about the way authorities treated ‎Kaboodvand: “Without any doubt the protection of a citizen’s health and life, including ‎his safety, is the prime duty of any government. This issue gain importance in view of the ‎international protocols, including the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which ‎Iran adhered in 1975. This document stresses that ‘All persons deprived of their liberty ‎shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human ‎person.’ Any action that in any way threatens the life or psychological well being of a ‎person who has been deprived of his liberty is considered torture. I would like to say ‎about Mr. Kaboodvand that I think he is the victim of a unilateral arrest decision, like ‎many others have been in the Islamic republic. His activities have not been unlawful. No ‎where in the laws of the Islamic republic are his activities which relate to peacefully ‎strive to improve the conditions of life and social conditions of citizens identified as ‎illegal. But when justice is in the hands of criminals, the innocent end up in jail. ‎Kaboodvand, Baghi and other prisoners shall continue to be deprived of their health so ‎long as the perpetrators are not held accountable. This protest is the responsibility of all ‎of us. And we should not forget that criminal acts are fed by silence.”‎

Kaboodvand’s crime: defending the rights of Kurds
Fariba Dawoodi, a human rights activist said this to Rooz: “Today there are many ‎Kurdish social activists behind bars and Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand, the founder of ‎the Kurdish Organization for Human Rights is among those who are suffering prison ‎because of their defense of violated human rights of the Kurdish people and others in ‎Iran. Human rights activists are concerned about his health and they hold the judiciary ‎and security apparatus accountable for the health of this person who was peaceful and ‎completely in a civil way active in the defense and promotion of inalienable human ‎rights. Kaboodvand suffered a stroke as he was awaiting the day of his trial and he is ‎currently in an adverse situation. His health conditions require serious and constant health ‎supervision. Prior to this too he has been suffering from other ailments which have been ‎ignored by prison officials.”‎

Human rights activists are viewed as charlatans

Osoo Saleh, a Kurdish journalist expressed her views as such: “It appears that the trial of ‎this human rights activist, who has been behind bars for 10 months now and who has ‎been transferred three times to the court, was cancelled because of several reasons: The ‎first is that the goal may be to prevent media coverage that his trial and the subsequent ‎sentence would receive. Kaboodvand is a well known human rights activist in Iran, and ‎therefore any judicial action against him will certainly bring about a wide international ‎media reaction. And because of the dire condition of human rights in Iran, such an ‎outcome would result in responses against the Islamic republic. It appears that the ‎judiciary is aware of this issue. Kaboodvand’s extensive activities that began with the ‎publication of Payam-e Mardom Kurdistan (The Voice of Kurdish People) were ‎immediately confronted by authorities. Kaboodvand continued his efforts when he ‎established the Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights.”‎

The judiciary should be more sensitive

Shiva Nazar Ahari, another human rights activist told Rooz, “What stands out in the case ‎of Mr. Kaboodvand is his lengthy temporary detention. The law that provides for a ‎maximum of 4 months of such detention and the court is responsible to facilitate the ‎conditions for the trial of the defendant as soon as possible. It is now a long time that Mr. ‎Kaboodvand is in detention and he has not been able to meet the large bail that was set ‎for his release, which is unfortunate.”‎

Kaboodvand, a unique personality

Omid Beigzadeh, a friend of Mr. Kaboodvand who is also a member of the Kurdish ‎human rights organization, said, “The continuation of Mr. Kaboodvand’s detention is in ‎fact the detention of the soul of human rights and this causes an irreparable harm to the ‎Kurdish civil society. His heart attack, despite the earlier warning about his illness has ‎caused distress and anxiety to his family members and the civil society in Kurdistan, ‎which we hope will be alleviated with his speedy release and medical care that he needs.”‎