Detention of Ramtin Movassagh, a student living in Tehran, and ignorance of his whereabouts

Human Rights in Iran – Sunday, July 5, 2020 / Following a raid on the residence of Ramtin Movassagh, an Economy Student at Shahid Beheshti University, he was arrested by Revolutionary Guards intelligence agents and taken to an unknown location.

According to Human Rights in Iran, following an attack by IRGC intelligence agents on Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the residence of Ramtin Movassagh, an Economy student at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, he was arrested and transferred to an undisclosed location.

Speaking to the reporter of Human Rights in Iran, a well-informed source said: “Ramtin Movassagh, an Economy student at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, was arrested on Saturday, July 4, 2020, at his private residence by Revolutionary Guards intelligence agents. The family of Ramtin Movassagh said that despite the follow-ups, their child was not in Evin Prison and they were unaware of his whereabouts.”

Arrest of persons without recognizing the charges at the time of arrest and impossibility of access to a lawyer for the accused are among the violations of international human rights instruments, Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted on December 16,1966.
Also the individuals’ right to a fair trial is one of the inalienable rights accentuated in Article 10 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In most cases, the extrajudicial and arbitrary detention of citizens and civil activists with vage 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, every 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 shall 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 the individuals’ right to a fair trial is one of the inalienable rights accentuated in Article 10 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.