Professional background:
Author, translator, and attorney Dr. Nasser Zarafshan is a member of the Iranian Writers' Association Kanoon and a distinguished member of the Iranian Bar Association. His numerous translations and articles have appeared in important periodicals in Iran. He has also acted as the legal representative of two of the families of Iranian writers who were assassinated in November 1998 in what came to be known in Iran as the 'serial murders' case. The murdered journalists included Majid Charif, an editorialist with the monthly Iran é Farda, writer-journalists Mohamad Mokhtari and Mohamad Jafar Pouyandeh, and a couple, Darioush and Parvaneh Forouhar, who were freedom of expression activists. It is reported that Zarafshan has been extremely critical of the shortcomings in the official investigation into these murders.

Case history:
Zarafshan was arrested by members of the Judicial Organization of Armed Forces (JOAF) in October 2000 after giving a speech in the city of Chiraz in which he stated that the intelligence services had murdered five Iranian intellectuals in 1998 in Tehran. He was initially charged with publishing information about the assassinations, imprisoned in December 2000, and was released after a month pending trial. In February 2002 he was tried in a military court behind closed doors with his lawyer present; the presiding judge was a prosecutor with the JOAF. While in detention, Zarafshan's office was reportedly searched, and weapons and alcohol were allegedly found. He was sentenced on March 19, 2002 to five years' imprisonment (2 years for disseminating state secrets, 3 for the possession of firearms) and 70 lashes for the possession of alcohol. Zarafshan denies the firearms and alcohol charges and claims these were planted in his office by the authorities.

On April 6, 2002, Zarafshan reportedly told the Iranian Students News Agency that he would appeal against his sentence and request a retrial. However, on July 16, 2002 an appeals court upheld his sentence and Zarafshan was again arrested on August 7 shortly after leaving his home.

Current status:
Iranian judicial organizations have so far failed to explain why Zarafshan, a civilian, was brought before the JOAF, the purpose of which is to try members of the armed forces and Revolutionary Guards for violations of the military code. It is reported that the Chair of the Iranian Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights has protested against the use of a military court in these circumstances, branding it "unconstitutional."

Zarafshan has reportedly appealed to the Supreme Court and is currently awaiting a decision, which, according to information as of October 2002, should be imminent. He is also reportedly undergoing medical examinations to ascertain whether he is healthy enough to face the flogging sentence.

PEN considers the actions against Nasser Zarafshan to be in retribution for his criticism of the official investigation carried out into the 'serial murders' of 1998 and as a means of silencing others who seek the truth behind the killings. PEN calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

Please write a polite letter on your personal or institutional letterhead requesting that Nasser Zarafshan be released - or copy the one below - and mail to His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei (postage 80¢) and to the Iranian Interests Section (postage 37¢).

Cc:
Iranian Interests Section
c/o Embassy of Pakistan to the United States
2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20007