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Iran: Stop the execution of Abdolreza Ghanbari (teacher sentenced to death)
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1299Abdolreza Ghanbari, a 44-year-old lecturer of Payam e Nour University, was arrested at his home in Pakdasht on 4 January 2010. He was charged with Moharebeh (enmity towards God) for receiving unsolicited emails from an armed opposition group, to which he does not belong. While in detention at the notorious Evin Prison, Prof. Ghanbari was interrogated for 25 days in a row and forced to confess under duress to unproven charges.
Nasrin Sotoudeh was his lawyer until he was himself condemned to a six year sentence in Evin prison for "propaganda against the regime" and "acting against national security". In 2007, Prof. Ghanbari had already been detained for 120 days and sentenced to a six-month suspension from teaching and exiled from Sari to Pakdasht. Prof. Ghanbari has no known political connections. He was previously involved in teacher union activities until his union ITTA was dissolved in 2007.
Prof. Ghanbari's death sentence has been confirmed by Tehran's Appeal Court, Branch 36 in April 2010. He has since been waiting on death row. A request for pardon was rejected on February 28 by the Commission of Justice in Tehran. It means that authorities are allowed to proceed with the execution. The Education International calls on the Iranian authorities to stay the execution of Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari and revoke the death sentence; to drop all charges against all detained trade unionists and release them immediately; to comply with the international labour standards and respect the rights of Iranian workers to freedom of association, assembly and expression.
Can you sign and share the petition? An earlier article about this teacher's case: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/03/abdolreza-ghanbari-another-ashura-day-protester-receives-the-death-sentence/
Two Iranian political prisoners, Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Alizamani, were executed on 28 January 2010 without their lawyers’ or their families’ knowledge about the execution time, deeply wounding public confidence.
Ashura, which is the holiest religious day in Iran, turned into one of the bloodiest days of the year on 27 December 2009; at least seven protesters were killed and hundreds were arrested. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi has also said that 250 people detained during Ashura protests have been issued indictments and many of them have already been tried.
Alireza Ghanbari is 42 years old and is from the poverty-stricken area of Ghiamdasht in Varamin. Ghanbari is a teacher and it is said that his only “crime” has been to participate in the public protests of Ashura and chanting slogans against Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. After his arrest on Ashura, he was detained at the “2-A” Security Ward, related to IRGC’s Intelligence unit.
He was tried on 30 January 2010 without his family’s knowledge and without the right to select an attorney or to meet with his family. In his trial court, presided by Judge Salavati, he admitted to participating in the Ashura protests and other matters. A person who follows Ghanbari’s case closely told the Campaign that Ghanbari’s confessions have been extracted under pressure and torture. He has been denied the right to an attorney and has recently been transferred to Evin Prison’s General Ward.
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As much as I complain about what happens in the US, working to change the system under this kind of repression is unthinkable. 
