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Letter of Appeal from the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

His Excellency Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Sayed Mohammad Khatami
President of Iran
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
VIA EMAIL: khatami@president.ir


Your Excellency:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the largest organization of natural and social scientists in the United States and the world's largest federation of scientific organizations, with 131,000 individual members and 272 affiliated groups. AAAS publishes the preeminent scientific journal Science. The Association seeks to advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people. Our AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility was formed in 1976 to protect the human rights of scientists, engineers, and health professionals and to deal with issues relating to scientific freedom worldwide.

On behalf of the Committee, I am writing to express my concern about the recent death sentence of historian Dr. Hashem Aghajari. I understand that Dr. Aghajari was found guilty of apostasy in August of this year and sentenced to death earlier this month in connection to a speech he made.

I respectfully urge the government to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Hashem Aghajari as it appears that he is being persecuted for exercising his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party. I also request that, if a further retrial be deemed necessary, that it be conducted according to internationally accepted standards of fairness and openness and that Dr. Aghajari be granted unimpeded access to his lawyer. I have received reports that an operation was performed on Dr. Aghajari's leg and I request that Dr. Aghajari receive fair and adequate medical attention while in prison.

Finally, I call all members of the government and the judicial authorities to implement a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, which as cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment is prohibited under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.


Sincerely,


Carole Nagengast, Ph.D., Chair
Committee on Scientific Freedom
and Responsibility

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