Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Vice-President of the European Commission
Paris, le 06/01/2023
Subject: Islamic Republic of Iran’s Physical threats and threats of imprisonment of family members of Iranian-European dual citizens in order to suppress support of Iranian people in protesting for democracy in Iran by utilizing the freedom of expression and assembly in European cities.
Dear High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Mr. Borrell,
First and foremost, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your support of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement which is a path toward democracy and to put an end to repression in Iran.
I would like to draw your attention to the precarious situation of members of the Iran Hamava Association (official journal number: W751205277) in France and Europe.
The Iranian movement “Woman Life Freedom,” born following the death of Mahsa-Jina Amini, has largely mobilized the Iranian diaspora throughout the world and particularly in France. Demonstrations and other actions in support of this movement have multiplied, and in recent weeks several members of our association have received explicit threats from the intelligence services of the Islamic Republic to stop their political opposition activities on French soil and also in other European countries where they have residency.
To date, members of the HamAva association who have been contacted by Revolutionary Guards or members of the government are:
- M.K,….,
- M.I,…,
- S.I,…,
- S.M,…,
- Z.R,…,
- A.I …,
- S.G …,
Our members are EU citizens who are political activists or political refugees in seeking democracy in Iran whose families are in Iran. And the regime is putting pressure on the their families in Iran by threatening them with imprisonment.
For your complete information and as an example of the methods used by the regime of the Islamic Republic, we will briefly explain to you the experience of Ms. Massi Kamari, a political refugee in Paris, and her family, who reside in Iran.
Ms. Kamari had been receiving phone calls for several days. Suspecting that they were probably malicious, she did not answer them. On January 2, 2023, in Tehran, the Revolutionary Guards summoned Mrs. Kamari’s mother, brutalized her, and confiscated her cell phone so they could call Ms. Kamari in Paris. Thinking it was her mother, she answered the call on January 3, 2023. Fortunately, Ms. Kamari recorded the telephone exchange, of which you will find a transcription in French and English attached to this letter. transcription-jan2023-fr-eng
In this telephone conversation, the Revolutionary Guard openly blackmails Ms. Kamari, ordering her to stop her political activities if she does not want her family in Iran to be imprisoned or brutalized. This is one example among many. Many people in France and more generally in Europe are threatened by the representatives of the Islamic Republic for their completely legal political opposition activities in democratic countries. It is a way to gag the opposition outside Iran by threatening their families back home.
More specifically, with regard to the HamAva association, since strengthening its collaboration with political opponents inside Iran, the regime has stepped up its repression against the families of its members who are still in Iran. They are subject to increasing pressure, threats, and harassment. The evidence documents of this harassment will be sent to the fact-finding mission to investigate “alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that started on September 16, 2022” of the Council of the United Nations Human Rights.
Mr. Borrell, given the seriousness of the situation, I allow myself to request a firm intervention from Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Police of EU with the Islamic Republic so that this regime ceases its pressures and threats against the diaspora and their families.
We are at your disposal for any additional information that you deem useful to have.
Please accept the expression of my highest gratitude for your support on this very important matter.
For Association HamAva
Source Photo: source: Anadolu Agency
