Rooz (R): Based on your familiarity with Hassanpour and Boutimar, what areas were they active in?
Roya Toloui (RT): Mr. Boutimar is known in Kurdistan as a civil society activist concerned about preserving Marivan town’s environment. Our friends in that town confirm that he was very active in pursuing issues related to the environment. In some instances, when there were fires in the city, he would put his life in danger trying to fight the fire even in areas suspected of having land mines. Besides, he has a very young wife of 17-years who is now very disturbed about his condition. We look at Mr. Adnan Hassanpour as a brother, and my children call him uncle. I have known him for years, and our relations have been at the family level. His writings were mostly about social issues, human and women’s rights. Occasionally he would also write political commentary.
R: Is it true that he was a member of a separatist group?
RT: Absolutely not. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime uses such accusations to separate civil society activists in Kurdistan from other activists across Iran. The government is trying to prevent Kurdish activists from establishing connections with other activists across the country.
R: In your opinion, why would a death sentence be passed for someone who works on such humanitarian issues?
RT: The government presents varying accusations against us, civil society activists in Kurdistan, whenever it is displeased with what we are doing. These are excuses that are used against all of us Kurdish activists who are arrested.
R: What are the consequences of such sentences again Kurdish civil society activists on the Kurdish people?
RT: The regime is currently facing a peaceful civil society movement, and is unable to do anything other than associating these movements to armed groups and movements. This is the way it tries to frighten the Kurdish civil movement, which is the same thing it is doing to the student movement. That’s why it has arrested these two individuals and convicted them. There is also pressure on these two individuals to extract confessions by force. I guess so, because they suddenly disappeared after their sentences were announced. No one even knows where they are being kept right now. I think they are under pressure to confess, to be part of the project that is similar to the implemented on Mrs. Esfandiari. These sentences are not fair or right. I know Mr. Hassanpour personally, and I believe not only that he should not receive such a sentence, but that he should not be arrested at all. As his sister has said, his only weapon is his pen. Connecting Kurdish activists to separatist movements is a charge they bring forth against all of us. It is a contradiction that the Islamic Republic must respond to.
