Alireza Nouri, literary activist summoned to serve his prison sentence

Human Rights in Iran – Tuesday, 23rd June 2020 / Branch 5 of the Public and Prosecutor’s Office in Hamadan telephone summoned Alireza Nouri, a poet and a member of the Iranian Writer’s Association for execution of his prison sentence.

According to Human Rights in Iran quoting from the Iranian Writer’s Association, on Monday, noon, 22nd June 2020, Alireza Nouri, a poet, literary activist and a member of the Iranian Writer’s Association received a call from branch 5 of the Public and Prosecutor’s Office in Hamadan (a province situated in the center of western Iran) in order to begin his prison sentence.

As reported, Alireza Nouri was given only 1 day in the received telephone call to report at branch 5 of the Enforcement of Sentences to endure his 2 years of imprisonment.

In June 2017, branch 104 of the Criminal Court of Hamadan convicted Alireza Nouri of insulting the Islamic sanctities and sentenced him to 2 years in prison. This case was upheld in October 2017 after being referred to the Hamadan Court of Appeals.

Alireza Nouri’s citation of the court to explain the accusation of insulting the sacred was some of the poems of this literary activist that were published on social networks and cyberspace. Following a summons and the interrogation process and being charged, this case was filed against this literary activist in September 2016 by a branch in the Public and Prosecutor’s Office in Hamadan.

Following a summons and the interrogation process that led to his conviction, the case was filed against this literary activist in September 2016 by a branch of the Public and Prosecutor’s Office in Hamadan.

In most cases, the extrajudicial and arbitrary detention of citizens and civil activists with vague and trumped-up accusations is in the line of suppression of Freedom of Expression and opinion, which in International Instrument of Human Rights, in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted on December 16th 1966, there is emphasis on not suppressing of the individuals because of Freedom of Expression and opinion. Regarding the Principle of Freedom of Expression, each individual has the right to express his/her opinions and viewpoints in any way possible, without considering border restrictions.

Article 5 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that the accused should be informed of the charges and provided access to a lawyer as soon as possible. Other defensive rights are mentioned in law, but extrajudicial actions taken by the security services violate the laws that they themselves drafted and claim to be enforced.

Also individuals have the right to access a fair trial by an impartial tribunal, as enshrined in International Human Rights Instruments, as well as Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 14 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).