Catherine Ashton Vice-President, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and

4 June 2011



Catherine Ashton
Vice-President,
High Representative
of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy
European Commission
B-1049 Brussels BELGIUM



Re: 20 June global day of action in support of political prisoners in Iran



Dear Catherine Ashton,



I’m writing to draw your attention to our global day of action to support political prisoners in Iran. The campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) is organising demonstrations in more than 40 major cities across the world on 20th June 2011 to support political prisoners in Iran. We need your support. You can support 20th June day of action by condemning the Islamic regime for serious abuse of human rights in Iran.

Since the Islamic regime of Iran took power in 1979, people in Iran have been deprived from their basic rights including their freedom of expression. Soon after the regime established its power, mass imprisonment and execution of thousands of dissident started. Since 1979, no opposition has been tolerated, and slightest resistance to the establishment has been faced with fiercest punishment. This has been the living situation in Iran for more than 30 years, and since then, the numbers of political prisoners have been on the rise; hundreds of them are in danger of being execution.



The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) would like to appeal for your support of those men and women, boys and girls, students and intellectuals who are currently being held in solitary confinement waiting for their daily dose of torture, and even their death sentence to be carried out. These prisoners have been silenced by the regime in Iran just for practising their freedom of expression.



The world should know what is happening to thousands of men and women in prisons across Iran and that the Islamic Regime is responsible for this act of crime. The only way to stop this crime is through international solidarity and a united voice.



On 20th June 2011 help us to raise the voice of political prisoners in Iran. You can support us by condemning the Islamic regime for violation of human rights and demanding the release of all political prisoners in Iran.



Sincerely yours



Shiva Mahbobi

Spokesperson

Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)

*** Similar letter sent to the following asking them to condemn the Islamic regime of Iran and to demand the release of all political prisoners:

Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Conceicao Goncalves, Human Rights Unit of European Parliament

William Hague, UK Foreign Minister

Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Foreign Minister

Uri Rosenthal, the Netherlands Foreign Minister

Jeremy Corbyn, UK-MP

John McDonnell, UK-MP

Criss Bryant-UK-MP

Amnesty International