June 25, 2002

His Excellency Hojjatoleslam Sayed Mohammad Khatami
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Excellency,

PEN Canada and PEN American Center, centers of the worldwide writers' organization, International PEN, urgently appeal to you for the release of four prominent writers, journalists and translators imprisoned in Iran simply for expressing their views.

We are gravely concerned about the cases of four Honorary Members of PEN Canada and PEN American Center. Three of these writers, Khalil Rostamkhani, Akbar Ganji, and Hojjatoleslam Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari were involved in an academic conference about Iran in April 2000. They were arrested, imprisoned and charged with such offenses as "acting against national security." Now, over two years later, all three are serving lengthy prison sentences merely for associating with colleagues abroad, and for making presentations which were later published in a book that was fully authorized by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Another Honorary Member of PEN, distinguished journalist and film critic Siamak Pourzand was abducted in November 2001 and detained for four months incommunicado. He has now been charged with espionage and threatening national security and was sentenced to eleven years in prison in May. PEN Canada protests that his trial did not meet international standards of fairness, and it is feared that Pourzand's confessions were extracted under duress. There are also grave concerns for his health as he suffers from a heart condition.

PEN Canada and PEN American Center consider the charges against Khalil Rostamkhani, Akbar Ganji, Hojjatoleslam Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari and Siamak Pourzand to be in violation of their right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iran has ratified.

We urge you to release all four writers from prison immediately and unconditionally, and that immediate medical treatment be provided as needed to Siamak Pourzand and to Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari, both of whom suffer from serious ailments.

We are also extremely concerned about reports that several of those imprisoned have been ill treated while in prison, and that trials have not been conducted according to fair standards as guaranteed in the Iranian Constitution and international treaties.

We urge the authorities to respond to these concerns.

Sincerely,