January 25, 2008
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir
 
Dear President Ahmadinejad,
 
On behalf of the twenty-six thousand students at Simon Fraser
University, we are writing to
express extreme concern over the imprisonment and recent repression of
students and others in
Iran leading up to and since National Students’ Day.
 
We are deeply concerned with reports that the arrested students have
been subjected to torture
and cruel treatment, and are alarmed to hear that at least two prisoners
have died in custody. We
have also heard reports that the students are facing charges that have
been fabricated to give the appearance of legitimacy. In addition, many
students have yet to be in contact
with their families and are facing detention for exercising a simple
human right: the freedom of
expression and opinion.
 
We believe that all states should, at a minimum, honour The United
Nations Declaration of Human Rights. It states that all persons shall
have the right to freedom of expression as well as the right to
peacefully assemble. The detention of students and other political
prisoners in Iran is a severe violation of their human rights, and one
that students in
Canada do not take lightly.
 
We are appalled by the actions of the Iranian government. We urge you to
immediately and unconditionally release all students recently arrested
and other political
prisoners currently held in custody, and ensure their safe return to
their families. In addition, we
urge the Iranian government to act in accordance with international law
by taking measures to
protect the human rights of all its citizens.
 
Sincerely,
 
The Advocacy Committee of the Simon Fraser Student Society,
Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, BC
 
cc. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
 
--
 
Amy Fox
 
External Relations Officer, Simon Fraser Student Society
 
MBC 2220, Simon Fraser University
 
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6
 
phone: 778-782-6564
 
fax: 778-782-5843
 
email: ero@sfss.ca
 
www.sfss.ca