COMMUNICATION 1: THE CASE OF HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDER, MR. HEMID VALAYI

 Mr. Valayi was arrested on 16 July 2008 and was released temporarily on 28 July 2008 for medical treatment following physical and mental torture that he was subjected to by the Iranian authorities. The past experience shows that these temporary releases in Iran does not mean much as the victims are gagged when they are arrested once through an indefinite series of trials and detentions.

We would like to stress that in compiling this Communication, we have not consulted with Mr. Valayi, his family or his lawyer. They may raise a complaint

No: 499/2008
Date: 5 August 2008

The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva,

Please circulate this Communication to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, also this to:

• Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
• The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
• Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
• The Independent Expert on Minority Issues

CC: Mrs. Harrison, Amnesty International, London

Also: Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Server

S. Azerbaijani human right defender/lawyer: Hemid Valayi
Hemid Valayi temporarily released after being tortured

Dear sir/madam

COMMUNICATION 1: THE CASE OF HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDER, MR. HEMID VALAYI

Please find enclosed Communication 1 for the defence of human rights of Mr. Hemid Valayi, who is a Southern Azerbaijani lawyer and a human rights defender and was detained arbitrarily and tortured by Iranian authorities. The documents provided for your attention are*:

Table 1: The Communication form for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, using confirmed and published information; and

Table 2: The translation of a letter written by his father to the Iranian Minister of Justice, campaigning for justice to his son.

Mr. Valayi was arrested on 16 July 2008 and was released temporarily on 28 July 2008 for medical treatment following physical and mental torture that he was subjected to by the Iranian authorities. The past experience shows that these temporary releases in Iran does not mean much as the victims are gagged when they are arrested once through an indefinite series of trials and detentions.

We would like to stress that in compiling this Communication, we have not consulted with Mr. Valayi, his family or his lawyer. They may raise a complaint as indicated in Table 2 but our action purely stems from our duty of care. This statement is necessary to manage the risk of reprisal by the Iranian authorities.

Mr. Valayi is only one of Southern Azerbaijani students/academics who suffered an ongoing wave of repression. The reinstatement of his human rights is only possible through your campaign. Thank you in advance for your care.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Eli Tashkent
The Committee for the Defence of the Rights of World Azerbaijanis