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Iranian political prisoners demand the world's attention |
Moezzi has faced repression from the Islamic Republic since its earliest days. He spent years in prison in the 1980's for his affiliation with the Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (PMOI/MEK).
He served two more years, beginning in 2008, for having visited his two daughters residing in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. He has arrested again in 2011, seven months after his latest release, because he had attended the funeral of a fellow political prisoner, another MEK activist who had died because authorities denied him access to life-saving medical treatment.
Over the course of Moezzi’s long history as a prisoner of conscience, he has faced many different forms of pressure, including the arbitrary and unlawful extension of his most recent prison term beyond its specified four years.
This presents a challenge because it is more difficult to rally people around a cause that they cannot see with their own eyes. These atrocities must not be allowed to continue in the shadows.
This is the challenge that must be overcome; it simply requires serious commitment, and a broad-based campaign that encompasses much more of the international community and media. World powers must take an interest in this case, and in the overall plight of Iranian prisoners of conscience.
This imperative is actually underscored by the recent successes of Iran’s domestic activists, particularly in the Sadeghi case.
If the global community remains silent, it is sending the clear message to the Iranian regime that it can get away with such crimes with impunity. That is a message we must not condone with our silence.
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