Please do not let the Islamic Republic of Iran destroy the Evin prison, It (...) (2023)

Ms. IRINA BOKOVA Director -General UNESCO

Dear Madam,

The Islamic Republic of Iran is considering the destruction of the well-known Evin Prison and its transformation into a public park. No one would oppose it , if it were not for the fact that Evin prison is a symbol of depravation and violation of human rights through the last decades of Iranian history. From its first days in the second half of the 1960s until now, the notorious Evin Prison has been the symbol of repression of the freedom of thought and expression of the several generations of political opponents in Iran.

We have spent periods of our lives in Evin prison where we were tortured and members of our families were executed or disappeared. The prison stands for a policy of violence and evokes particularly bitter memories of tortures and mass executions in the 1980s. This place is a part of our historical memory and we want to maintain and transform it into a museum.

We, men and women who support the idea of an “Iran without prison, torture and execution”, believe that the destruction of this symbol of violence and human rights violation which aims to eliminate this memory and transform it into a public park is totally disrespectful to the victims and their families. We believe that the elimination of these memories would lead future generations to forget and repeat the great tragedy that our country has experienced.

In our struggle for truth, justice and the rule of law we wish to maintain the prison building as it, as a record of oppression .This is not merely to keep tragic memories alive which our children need to be aware of, but also to ensure that arbitrary detention, torture, execution and disappearance never happen again.

As the mourners of thousands of men and women who were executed or who disappeared in this “prison cemetery” we need to keep these memories alive, to reveal the truth about our loved ones and to put an end to this kind of oppression. To this end we need to keep this prison building so that future generations judge these kinds of policies against humanity.

We would like to request that you help us to do this for the lasting historical memory and heritage of Iranians’ common knowledge.

We would like to request you not to allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to destroy this important historical memory.

In conformity with UNESCO criterions (IV&VI) we would like to request that you consider the prison as a part of world heritage with the name of “World Memory”.

With Best Regards,

CC:

Special Rapporteur of Human Rights Council on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Special Rapporteur on the torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the United Nations

Special Rapporteur on the extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution in the United Nations

Special Rapporteur on promotion of truth, justice expiration and guarantees of non-recurrence

Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in United Nations

List of names:

Piran Azad/ Sohila Azadbakht / Mohammad Azadgar(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Rasul Azarnoosh(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Ebrahim Avokh(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Parvin Ebrahimzadeh(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Bagher Ebrahimzadeh(Political prisoner of the 70s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Mastoureh Ahmadzadeh(Political prisoner of the 70s; Family of the executed of the 70s and 80s )/ Nahid Ahmadi/ Feriedoon Ahmadi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Mohammad Ahmadian(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Zardosht Ahmadi Ragheb(human rights activist)/ Mahmud Akhavan(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ / Youssef Ardalan(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s)/ Shahrzad Arshadi(photographer and documentary maker)/ Mansur Osanlo(Labor rights activist; Political prisoner of the 2000s)/ Forough Asadpour(Political prisoner of the 80s; Researcher )/ Mohammad Tofigh Asadi(Social activist)/ Mohammad Reza Eskandari(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Elahe Eslami/ Farid Ashkan /Hushang Eshraghi(Political prisoner of the 70s and 80s )/ Mehrnush Ashtarani(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Taybeh Asgharzadeh/ Leila Aslan/ Amir Hushang Atiabi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mohammad Azami(Political prisoner of the 70s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Ali Afshari(Journalist; Political prisoner of the 90s)/ Eghbal Eghbali/ Reza Akrami(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Nassrin Almasi(Editor of Shahrvand newspaper)/ Mehrdad Amiri(Political prisoner of the 80s)/Assieh Amini(Journalist)/ Bahman Amini(Political prisoner of the 70s; Head of Khavaran publisher)/ Hadi Aminiyan(Political prisoner of the 70s and 80s) / Irandokht Ansari(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Hossein Anvar Haghighi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Azian Izadfar(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Asghar Izadi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/Shohreh Badie(Family of the political murder “ Mykonos-Berlin)/ Mehrdad Baran(Artist and Musician)/ Peivand Bashkandi(Detainee of 2009)/ Ahmad Batebi(Political prisoner of the 90s and 2000s)/ Khossro Bagherpour(Poet)/ Arjang Bamshad(Political activist)/ Saleh Bakhtiyar/ Abass Bakhtiyari(Political prisoner of the 80s; Head of the Culture-local Pouya Paris)/ Monireh Baradaran(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Ali Borzu(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Asghar Borzu(Human rights activist)/ Katayon Baghaii(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Yadi Baladi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Sharifeh Banihashem(Author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Farhad Bukaii(Detainee of 1980)/ Faramarz Bahar/ Amir Hossein Behbudi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Azam Bahrami(Detainee of 2000)/ Reza Behrang/ Mansoureh Behkis (Family of the executed of the 80s; Active member of “Mothers of Khavaran”)/ Jafar Behkish(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Akram Beeranvand(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Bahram Beegdeli(Doctor; Human rights activist)/ Meesagh Parssa / Rouya Pazouki/ Fereshteh Panah/ Leili Panahi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Hassan Pouya(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Fouad Taban(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Fatemeh(Ferdoss) Tajdeeni(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Hojat Taghipour Fard(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mitra Tahami /Mohammad Tam(Political prisoner of the 70s)/Azizeh Tataii / Fariba Sabet(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Khosro Tajrobeh Kar(human rights activist)/ Mihan Jazani(Family of the executed of the 70s)/ Babak Jazani(Family of the executed of the 70s)/ Hassan Jafari(Family of the executed of the 70s)/ Reza Jafari(Artist of theatre)/ Bati Jafari/ Amir Javaheri Langroudi(Political activist)/ Sussan Joshani/ Jelveh Javaheri(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Fatemeh Jokar(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Nasser Johari(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Golroch Jahangiri (Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Shahin Chitssaz(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Vida Hajebi Tabrizi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Parvaneh(Fatemeh) Hajiloo(Political prisoner of the 80s; Detainee of 2009)/ Manijeh Habashi/ Nasser Hejazi/ Hassan Hessam( poet; Political prisoner of the 70s and 1980)/ Rakhshandeh Hosseinpour(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Maryam Hosseinkhah( Journalist; Detainee of 2007)/ Mohsen Hakimi(translator)/ Mahnaz Hydari(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Nahid Husseini( women rights activist)/ Ebrahim Halmipour(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Tahereh Hojati/ Galavij Hydari/ Nassim Khaksar(author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Javad Khorami( human rights activist)/ Tahereh Khorami(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Zakieh Khosroshahi(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Yavar Khosroshahi(Detainee of 2003)/ Reza Khandan Mahabadi( author; member of Iranian Writers Association; Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Essmail Khoii( poet; detainee of 1970)/ Faramarz Dadgar(social activist)/ Madjid Darabeygi(Political prisoner of the 70s and 80s)/ Marzieh Danesh/ Abass Daneshvar(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Arta Davari ( painter; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hossein Daryani(Artist of theatre)/ Saman Douri / Hossein Doulatabadi(author)/ Zohreh Dehghan / Farideh Dizaji(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Farzaneh Raji(author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Manoucher Radin(Artist of theatre)/ Manoucher Rassta(Political prisoner of the 80s; political activist)/ Ahmad Rafat( Journalist)/ Hassan Rahi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Maryam Rahmani/ Anahita Rahmani(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s ) / Taghi Rahmani(Political prisoner of the 80s; 90s; 2000s)/ Nasser Rahmaninejad(Artist of theatre; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Nasser Rahimkhani(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Javad Rahimzadeh Oskui(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Ali Rahimi/ Iren Rezazadeh (Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Fatemeh Rezaii( human rights activist)/ Shahram Rafizadeh(poet; journalist; Political prisoner of the 2000s) / Mansour Rafiei / Farhmand Rokni(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s) / Taghi Roozbeh(Political prisoner of the 60s) / Mihan Rusta(Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Heideh Ravesh(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Said Rahnema(university professor-Canada)/ Fariborz Raisdana(economist; member of Iranian Writers Association; Political prisoner of the 2000s)/ Sima Riahi/ Nasser Zarafshan(jurist; member of Iranian Writers Association; Political prisoner of the 2000s)/ Mina Zarin(Political prisoner of the 80s)/Fakhri Zereshkei (Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Sassan Setorg/ Shekoofeh Sakhi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Ardalan Sarfaraz (poet and Musician)/ Nima Sarvestani( film maker; Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Fatemeh Saidi”Madar Shaigan” (Political prisoner of the 70s; Family of the executed of the 70s )/ Said Sakaki (Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hedayat Soltanzadeh(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s; Family of the executed of the 80s ) / Nassrin Salmani Mozafar(Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Azadeh Soleymani / Abass Samakar(author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Leila Seifollahi (Doktor; detainee of 2009)/ Foad Shakeri Fard(Family of the executed of the 80s )/ Mokhtar Shalalvand / Mohammed Reza Shalgoni(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s)/ Mansoureh Shojaee( women rights activist)/ Saleh Sharafi / Malihe Sharifzadeh (Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Kivan Shoaaii/ Mostafa Shafiei Sabet / Chahla Chafiq (author)/ Ahmad Shokohi (Family of the executed of the 80s) /Shahab Shokohi (Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Elahe Shokraie / Nargess Shams/ Khosro Shemirani(journalist)/ Sussan Shahbazi/ Azar Sheibani(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Zohreh Shisheh(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Banoo Saberi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Sima Sahebi(Family of the political murder 1998)/ Sorur Sahebi(Political prisoner of the 70s and 80s)/ Shadi Sadr(jurist; detainee of 2009)/ Ali Sedighi/ Nezhat Safai(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mitra Safari(political-social activist)/ Mohammad Bagher Samimi/ Raheleh Tarani(Family of the Victims 2009)/ Heshmat Tabarzadi(Political prisoner of the 90s and 2000s)/ Nina Tubani(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Raya Abassi((Political prisoner of the 80s; Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Fouzieh Abasi/ Saman Abdosi (Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Shahla Abghari(university professor; women rights activist)/ Zari Erfani(detainee 80s)/ Hassan Azizi(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s)/ Mahvash Alasvandi/ Reza Allamehzadeh( film maker; (Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Shahed Alavi/ Reza Alijani(journalist; Political prisoner of the 80s; 90s and 2000s)/ Golnaz Ghabraee(translator)/ Rahmat Gholami(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Homayon Fateh/ Mohammad Farsi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Nassrin Fani/ Reza Fani Yazdi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mehdi Fatapour(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Masoud Fathi(Political prisoner of the 70s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Zohreh Fard(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Fahimeh Farsaie(author; (Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Parastou Forouhar( Artist; Family of the political murder 1998)/ Mansour Farhang( university professor-usa)/ Monir Farhoudi (Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Siamak GHaderi(journalist; Political prisoner of the 2000 and 2010s)/ Akhtar Ghasemi(journalist)/ Farhang Ghasemi/ Azar Ghadimi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mahnaz Ghezellou(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Karim Ghassim(environmentalist; political activist)/ Haideh Ghahremani/ Roya Ghiasi/ Sona Kazemi/ Nasser Kakhsaz(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Mehrangiz Kar(jurist; detainee 2000)/ Shahnaz Kayedpour(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Kazem Kardavani(sociologist; university professor)/ Ata Karamzadeh(human rights activist)/ Behzad Karimi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Hojat Kasraian(artist)/ Sirus Kasraian/ Raaf Kaabi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Aboulghasem Kalantari/ Mehdi Kuhestaninejad(labor rights activist)/ Arash Kia/ Simak Keikavoosi/ Manijeh Gazerani(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Leila Golzar/ Nilofar Golkar/ Kouhyar Goudarzi (Political prisoner of 2009 and 2010; human rights activist)/ Shahab Labib(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Efat Mahbaz(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Kamran Matin(university professor-England) / Shahrzad Mojab(university professor-Canada)/ Mahbubeh Mojtahed(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Shiva Mahbubi(Political prisoner of the 80s; human rights activist)/ Mercedeh Mohseni( Family of the executed of the 80s; human rights activist)/ Faezeh Mohseni( Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Azar Mahloujian(translator)/ Farahnaz Mohammedi(family of the Victim 2009)/ Bahman Mohammadi Chahaki(family of the Victim 2009)/ Sepideh Majidian(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Mustafa Madani(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mohammad Javad Marashi/ Ahmad Mashuoof/ Iraj Mesdaghi(Political prisoner of the 80s; researcher)/ Abass Mazaheri(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s)/ akbar Masoumbaigi(translator; member of Iranian Writers Association; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hossein Maleki/ Masoud Memar(artist)/ Mehdi Memarpour(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mehri Memar Hosseini(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Mahmoud Memarnejad(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Khatereh Moini (Family of the executed of the 80s) / Heideh Moghissi(university professor-Canada)/ Khadijeh Moghadam(women righta activistM detainee of 2009)/ Rezvan Moghadam(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Ahmad Moghimi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Chowra Makaremi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Morteza Malek Mohammadi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Mehrangiz Maki(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mohmmad Maleki(ex- head of Tehran University; Political prisoner of the 80s and 90s)/Said Montazeri(political activist; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Omid Montazeri (Family of the executed of the 80s; detainee of 2009)/ Faezeh Monzavi(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Bijan Maneshi Roudsari(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Bahareh Maneshi Roudsari(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Esfandiar Monfaredzadeh(composer)/ Nasser Mohajer(Author)/ Shirin Mehrbod(singer; Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Nasser Mehravar(artist)/ Akbar Mirjani(Political prisoner of the 60s and 70s)/ Amir Mombini(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hadi Mirmoayedi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Ahmad Najarha(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Sohila Nasseri/ Nahid Nazemi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hassan Nayeb Hashem( human rights activist)/ Reza Nejabat(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Rouzbeh Nejabat/ Parvin Nejabat/ Fereydoun Najafi(film maker; Political prisoner of the 80s)/ / Hassan Najafi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Parichehr Nomani/ Majid Nafisi(poet; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Massoud Noghrekar(author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Hossein Naghipour(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Shahin Navai(science professor; women rights activist)/ Hamid Nowzari (head of the Association of Iranian political refuges-Berlin)/ Parviz Navidi(Political prisoner of the70s)/ Maryam Nouri(Political prisoner of the 80s; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Mohammad Reza Nikfar(researcher in philosophy)/ Amir Nilo(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Marzieh Nilo(Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Davood Nilo(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Shideh Varzegar(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Ali Sattari (Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Tonia Valioghli/ payman Vahabzadeh(university professor; Family of the executed of the 80s) / Shamsi Varzandeh(Political prisoner of the 70s) /Sadigheh Hadi(Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Jafar Yaghoobi(Political prisoner of the 80s)/ Mohsen Yalfani(author; Political prisoner of the 70s)/ Mehri Yalfani(author; Family of the executed of the 80s)/ Said Yousef(poet; Political prisoner of the 70s).