What Have They Done to Ghaziyan (The man in charge of US-Iran relation Polls)

Iranian blog, Roozonline:

It is almost three years now since Hossein Ghaziyan along with Abbas Abdi were arrested and imprisoned, having become ensnarled in one of the justice department's plots to counter the Reformist movement. A university professor and researcher, Ghaziyan shies away from the spotlight and the sensational. He has never attempted to draw attention to the mistreatment he's been subject to and until now has quietly endured unjust and illegal detention. Even when he finally spoke out a year ago in a written self-defense submitted to Iran's Supreme Court he wished to keep his case out of the public eye. Rooz Online with the publication here of a summary of Hossien Ghaziyan's self-defense makes known yet another instance of the type of illegal pressure the Iranian Justice Department places on scholars and researchers. READ MORE

Addendums to Statement of DefenseStructural Problems: Repeated Violations of Rights in Adjudication

I believe the procedures used to investigate and pursue a case take precedence over the content of a given case and that without due process it is unlikely that a case can be addressed properly. At the beginning of my statement to avoid distracting the honorable judges I did not mention certain issues that due to their nature can be politically charged or emotionally upsetting. Acts that in and of themselves would render the verdict in this case null and include the use of torture, beatings, physical and mental cruelty, threats and taunts and attempts at fabricating evidence by the presiding judge himself. I believe the greatest injustice and most significant issue in my case is not the use of torture and threats but the denial of an opportunity for self-defense and a denial of the means for mounting such a defense.

In addition, to correct these administrative issues, at least those having to do with the judge's actions and those under his supervision, necessitates discussion and action in the higher courts where I hope high ranking officials of the judiciary take upon themselves to address them, so I have refrained from discussing them in my self-defense. However, to protect equity and justice I urge them to use all resources at their disposal to investigate and resolve existing shortcomings.

Crimes Committed During Adjudication

1. Surveillance of my private life and phone tapping beginning the winter of 2001 and continuing through spring of 2002 without a warrant carried out by a team without apparent official accountability. These are the same individuals involved with my beatings and torture and who have the power to dictate the conditions and terms of my detention, and as far as I know they continue to violate the privacy of personal life. I wrote a letter of complaint to the Interior Ministry in the spring of 2001 and after investigating the matter the Ministry declared that these individuals are not officials of the government. The Ministry's ruling caused these individuals to retreat.

2. I was not notified in writing but summoned by phone to come to my office. When I arrived I was arrested without a warrant. The warrant apparently arrived an hour later written on a piece of note paper without an official seal, letterhead, date or case number and listed no reason for the arrest.

3. Having some familiarity with my rights, I objected from the beginning to the arrest and demanded to know the charges against me. I voiced my objection orally and later in writing as well. The judge and investigators tore up my written objections and never conveyed them to the appeals court.

4. I was never informed of what charges were being brought against me. The judge and interrogators began questioning me without apparently knowing themselves what information they should be looking for. They later stated I was being charged with "inciting the public to unrest." They were unwilling to give a written statement of charges or to list any supporting evidence. Later the charges of spying were levied against me and again no evidence or basis was provided for these charges.

5. I was then subjected to torture and mistreatment so that I would confess to acts I had not committed. These acts included sexual perversion, and giving false evidence to implicate members of the Reformist party or foreign governments and their embassy personnel. The treatment included:

Physical beatings and abuse while blind-folded by four or possibly five prison guards.

Being made to walk on all fours with hands tied together and blind-folded.

Being tortured for two weeks even before any charges were made including:

• beating of head against wall, repeated blows to the chest area lasting four to five minutes,
• blows to the head with fists,
• elbow and books,
• denial of permission to use restroom despite repeated requests,
• standing without sleep for three days and nights,
• denial of water for the first week after which Ramadan started.

I brought all of these events repeatedly to the attention of the judge and my interrogators verbally and in writing.

6. I was also subjected to threats and the judge's repeated insistence that I accept blame for acts I did not commit including political crimes with implication of colleagues and co-workers. Details include:

• Being told that members of my family would be arrested.
• Falsely being told that at every level the decision had been made the best solution for handling my case was to execute me.
• Being threatened with lashings and being forced to witness preparations for beatings.
• Being told that all of my private family matters would be exposed.

7. Denial of mounting a defense or access to an attorney.

8. Publication of my name and charges levied against me before a judgment was issued on all media outlets including national TV, even though I had repeated asked that my right to privacy be respected.

9. So many other violations were committed that I'm forced to make a list of some of them:

• Continued detention without charges
• Being Held in solitary confinement in a 6' × 6' prison cell not only during the questioning period but for approximately one year after my arrest.
• Being completely cut off from any kind of communication with my family: no visitation, telephone calls, letters, or messages. Nor was any news of my condition made available to my family for one stretch of 112 days and for another of 82 days during my detention in Evin prison where rules governing prisons are not observed and where I'm currently held.
• Not having access to legal books and articles to prepare a defense.
• Violation of rules governing prisons and treatment of prisoners.