Raise Your Voice for the Brave Defenders of Freedom

The execution of Habibollah Latifi, a male member of the Kurdish minority in Iran, was postponed on 26 December 2010, just hours before it was scheduled to take place. Over 20 people were arrested at his house later that day. 10 remained detained as of 6 January and may be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Persian2English, The execution of Habibollah Latifi, an industrial engineering student at Ilam University, was not carried out on 26 December 2010, as scheduled. He was convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God), a vaguely-worded charge which can carry the death penalty, in connection with his membership of and alleged activities on behalf of the Kurdish Independent Life Party (PJAK), a proscribed armed group. Members of his family and civil society activists from Sanandaj had gathered outside the city’s prison to protest against the execution when, in the early hours of 26 December, a prison official announced it would not take place. No date has been fixed for the execution to go ahead and Amnesty International believes that Habibollah Latifi remains at risk of execution.

Following the postponement of the execution, family members and activists gathered at the Latifi household, when up to 50 members of the security forces raided the house and arrested seven members of the Latifi family, along with around 17 others. By 30 December 2010, the members of his family had been released on bail of around 220 million Iranian rials or around 21,000 US dollars, each. On 6 January 2011, an NGO activist and a journalist were also released, but 10 of those arrested at the Latifi household remained in detention. Amnesty International fears they may face torture or other ill-treatment while in detention.