Majid Tavakoli
Encyclopedia
Majid Tavakoli is a prominent student leader and political prisoner in Iran
. He is a member of the Islamic Students' Association at Tehran
's Amirkabir University of Technology
, where he studied shipbuilding. He has been arrested three times by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence — most recently on 7 December 2009, during the student protests over the disputed Presidential Election of 2009
— and is currently in prison. His arrest and imprisonment is the subject of a campaign of protest against by Iranian men photographed wearing hijab
s.
, who according to "an old allegation", dressed as a woman while escaping Iran.
In solidarity with Tavakoli, hundreds of Iranian men have posted pictures of themselves in Islamic hijab, on various websites, under the slogan, "Be a man". The campaign calls for an end to mistreatment of Iranian prisoners including Tavakoli. Some of the website's readers also call the campaign a gesture of solidarity with Iranian women who are compelled by law in Iran to wear the hijab.
.
On 17 May 2010, he began a hunger strike. On May 26 his mother joined his hunger strike in an attempt to raise awareness of his imprisonment. While on hunger strike, his health deteriorated quickly, and on the fourth day, he suffered from stomach hemorrhage and was unable to speak due to weakness and dehydration. In August 2010, he was moved to Raja'i Shahr prison
to be housed with violent offenders.
Tavakoli suffers from a respiratory condition which is reported to be worsening with his continued imprisonment.
, annually bestowed by People In Need
on people who have contributed significantly to the cause of human rights. Tavakoli was awarded beside Abdollah Momeni
, one of the student leaders from 1999 protests, which became the biggest rising since the Islamic revolution. Amnesty International
considers Tavakoli to be a prisoner of conscience
, and named him a 2011 "priority case." Human Rights Watch
has also protested Tavakoli's imprisonment.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. He is a member of the Islamic Students' Association at Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
's Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology , formerly called the Tehran Polytechnic is a public research university located in Tehran, Iran. AUT is one of the most prestigious universities and the first established technical university in Iran...
, where he studied shipbuilding. He has been arrested three times by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence — most recently on 7 December 2009, during the student protests over the disputed Presidential Election of 2009
Iranian presidential election, 2009
Iran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election...
— and is currently in prison. His arrest and imprisonment is the subject of a campaign of protest against by Iranian men photographed wearing hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
s.
2006 arrest
In 2006, he was imprisoned for 15 months for insulting religion and the country's leadership in student publications, an accusation he denies.December 2009 Arrest
Tavakoli was arrested December 7, 2009 after addressing a crowd at Amir Kabir University of Technology on National Student Day (one of many protests over the disputed June 2009 presidential election). After his arrest, semi-official new websites including Fars News and Raja News published pictures of Tavakoli dressed in women's clothing or "hijab," taken while he was in custody, claiming Tavakoli attempted to avoid arrest by dressing in "women's clothing". According to Human Rights Activists in Iran however, Eyewitnesses present at the time of his arrest "have denied all the news published by pro-Ahmadinejad media,” and stated he was forced to put on hijab security forces, to discredit and ridicule him. In their report, Fars News Agency had compared Tavakkoli to Iranian ex-President Abolhassan BanisadrAbolhassan Banisadr
Abulhassan Banisadr is an Iranian politician, economist and human rights activist who served as the first President of Iran from 4 February 1980 after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy until his impeachment on 21 June 1981 by the Parliament of Iran...
, who according to "an old allegation", dressed as a woman while escaping Iran.
In solidarity with Tavakoli, hundreds of Iranian men have posted pictures of themselves in Islamic hijab, on various websites, under the slogan, "Be a man". The campaign calls for an end to mistreatment of Iranian prisoners including Tavakoli. Some of the website's readers also call the campaign a gesture of solidarity with Iranian women who are compelled by law in Iran to wear the hijab.
Trial and imprisonment
Following a trial which he was reportedly not allowed to attend, Tavakoli was convicted of offenses which included "participating in an illegal gathering," "propaganda against the system" and "insulting officials," and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. From January to May 2010, he was held primarily in solitary confinement in Evin prisonEvin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
.
On 17 May 2010, he began a hunger strike. On May 26 his mother joined his hunger strike in an attempt to raise awareness of his imprisonment. While on hunger strike, his health deteriorated quickly, and on the fourth day, he suffered from stomach hemorrhage and was unable to speak due to weakness and dehydration. In August 2010, he was moved to Raja'i Shahr prison
Gohardasht Prison
Gohardasht Prison is a prison in Gohardasht, a town in the northern outskirt of Karaj, approximately 20 km west of Tehran and is also known as "Rajai Shahr"....
to be housed with violent offenders.
Tavakoli suffers from a respiratory condition which is reported to be worsening with his continued imprisonment.
International recognition
In 2009, Tavakoli was awarded Homo Homini AwardHomo Homini Award
The Homo Homini Award is given annually by the Czech human rights organization People in Need to "an individual in recognition of a dedication to the promotion of human rights, democracy and non-violent solutions to political conflicts"...
, annually bestowed by People In Need
People In Need (Czech Republic)
People in Need is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organization that implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects in crisis regions all over the world, while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom....
on people who have contributed significantly to the cause of human rights. Tavakoli was awarded beside Abdollah Momeni
Abdollah Momeni
Abdollah Momeni is an Iranian student leader and pro-democracy activist. He became involved in the movement in the July 1999 protests, when large numbers of students across the country protested the abolition of pro-reform newspaper Salam...
, one of the student leaders from 1999 protests, which became the biggest rising since the Islamic revolution. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
considers Tavakoli to be a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
, and named him a 2011 "priority case." Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
has also protested Tavakoli's imprisonment.
External links
- Photographs of Tavakoli in Raja News (in Persian )