Although the Kurdish journalists Hasanpour & Butimar are in critical health condition, they have decided to continue  their hunger strike.

 Iran: New Information About Hasanpour & Butimar

Defend International

Oslo // Journalists Adnan Hasanpour and Abdel Wahd Butimar, who have been on a hunger strike for 28 days to demand their release, are refusing medication and their health is deteriorating rapidly.

Hasanpoor and Butimar went on a hunger strike on July 24 demanding the Iranian authorities to respect their right to freedom of expression and drop the death penalties they had received on July 17, 2007. According to the Iranian Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj their writings were aimed to “topple the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Iran’s Constitution guarantees freedom of belief; however restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of information, expression and association in Iranian law go beyond both the Iranian Constitution and international human rights treaties to which Iran is a state party.

Defend International received a report from DI Defenders in Iran outlining that their hunger strike will continue; they are refusing to end it. The two journalists are actively protesting against the inhumane sentences and reportedly objecting the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment they have been subjected to.

Today three men were executed in Iran and many others like Hasanpour and Butimar are waiting to be executed. Therefore, Defend International calls on the authorities to respect their rights and agree to save their lives immediately. We have launched a campaign calling to halt execution as it is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and violation of the right to life. Our members and supporters are sending appeals to the Iranian authorities to save the life of Hasanpour and Butimar.

Please support our campaign here.