Open letter to
Ms Carol Bellamy, Executive Director
of the United Nations Children’s Fund
Dear Ms Carol Bellamy,
While welcoming the efforts of your office and yourself
in saving the lives of 7000 children, victims of the recent catastrophe in Bam,
who have lost their parents, we would like to draw your attention to a new
development affecting these children.
According to Mr. Chamani, head of the Islamic Social Welfare, the authority for
transferring the parenting responsibility and adoption lies with
the office of the public prosecutor. Furthermore, in an interview with the
Sharq daily newspaper, Nabyollah Eshghie, the chief executive of the
family division of the Islamic government has stated: "In some instances
it has been noticed that children have been sold or been taken to hospitals to
have their
kidneys removed after placement."
As you probably know, according to the official government newspapers in Iran,
between 500 and 2000 children have been abducted, sexually abused and their body
organs removed and sold.
Children First holds the leaders of the Islamic Republic and in particular
the offices of the social welfare and the Sepah-e-Pasdaran (Islamic Guards
Corps)
responsible for this human tragedy. They must be held accountable.
Children First, international campaign for children's rights, calls on all
humanitarian, human rights, progressive and children foundations and
organisations to take direct and independent actions
to safeguard the welfare of these child victims of this massive human
tragedy. The Islamic regime and its social welfare organisations must be
forced to locate all children how have lost their guardians and publish a
complete list of them and hand it over to international organisations.
We urge UNICEF to support our campaign in finding these children, prepare a
complete list of them and provide resources to rescue them from further abuse,
brutal treatment and devastation that they are suffering.
We are certain that you, like us, agree that these children deserve the best
care and affection, especially after what they have gone through.
Seavash Modarresi
Head of Children First -
For further information please contact:
siamodaresi@aol.de
childrenfirst@pathcom.com
www.childrenfirstinternational.org
Tel: 0049 (0) 172 38 46 925
Tel: 0044 (0) 794 74 30763