URGENT ACTION
kurdish man faces execution on 11 november

Ehsan (Esma’il) Fattahian, a male member of Iran’s Kurdish minority, is scheduled to be executed in the province of Kordestan, northwestern Iran, on 11 November. Two other Iranian Kurdish men are also feared to be at imminent risk of execution, possibly in reprisal for a spate of assassinations and attempted assassinations of officials which took place in September.
Ehsan (Esma’il) Fattahian’s lawyer has been summoned to attend his execution on 11 November at the prison in the city of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kordestan. Ehsan Fattahian was detained some time between April and August 2008. Reports suggest that he may have been tortured in detention. Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment to be served in exile, after a trial in which he was denied access to a lawyer. Both Ehsan Fattahian and the prosecutor appealed against this verdict, and in January 2009 Branch 4 of the Kordestan Appeal Court overturned the initial verdict. Instead he was sentenced to death for “enmity against God” in connection with his membership of an illegal armed opposition group - believed to be the the Kurdistan Independent Life Party (PJAK. This new sentence is believed to have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Two other men, Habibollah Latifi, arrested in October 2007, and Sherko Moarefi, detained in October 2008, remain on death row in Sanandaj prison. Fears were raised that all three were at imminent risk of execution after a judge in Sanandaj received orders in October to carry out the executions of these Kurdish prisoners.

The Iranian authorities have a history of executing political prisoners when the authorities believe that crimes have been committed by people from the same group.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to halt the execution of Ehsan (Esma’il) Fattahian on 11 November;
Urging them to commute his death sentence along with those of Habibollah Latifi and Sherko Moarefi;
Expressing concern that Ehsan Fatahian was reportedly tortured and was sentenced to death after an appeal after an unfair trial;
Urging the authorities to impose an immediate and comprehensive moratorium on executions, as a first step towards ending the use of this punishment.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 11 NOVEMBER 2009 TO:
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx 1st starred box: your given name; 2sd starred box: your family name; 3rd: your email address
Salutation: Your Excellency

Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter (Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:
Governor of Kordestan Province
Esmail Najjar
Email: In Persian and Kurdish, send via feedback form on the website: http://www.ostan-kd.ir/Default.aspx?tabId=150&cv=4@0_1 In English, French or other languages, use the feedback form on the website: http://en.ostan-kd.ir/Default.aspx?TabID=59
Salutation: Dear Gove