an appeal for the release of prisoners of opinion

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the 12th of June, thousands of Iranians took the streets in the big cities of the country despite the fact that the opposition had revoked its call to protest. According to information gathered by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Reporters Without Borders, several cities were under a de facto state of siege. A series of unprecedented repressive measures were taken to prevent the holding of any protest or demonstration. Clashes have allegedly occurred between people who marched in silence on the pavements, the forces of Bassijis and the Guardians of the Revolution. According to the police chief of Tehran "91 people were arrested and brought to justice". However, other sources reported much higher figures. Indeed, numerous testimonies have confirmed that several people were arrested and transferred to an unknown location while they were filming or taking photographs. Abdolreza Tajik, a member of the Defenders for Human Rights Center, is among the citizens who were arrested on the 12th of June. This is the third time within a year that the journalist has been arrested. He has collaborated with several Iranian publications, all of which have been suspended by the authorities (such as Bahar, Hambastegi and Shargh, respectively suspended in 2001, 2003 and 2008). Narges Mohammadi, a close associate of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, and spokeswoman of the Defenders for Human Rights Center, was arrested at her residence in the evening of the 12th of June, 2010 by agents of the Intelligence Ministry. The Attacks against the Defenders for Human Rights Center, have further intensified over the past few weeks. On the 10th of June, 2010, Shirin Ebadi officially launched the FIDH and Reporters Without Borders campaign for the release of prisoners of opinion in Iran (http://www.rsf-fidh-iran.org/). Among the first signatories of the petition are: Shirin Ebadi, Lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Architect, sculptor and Nobel Peace Laureate, Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Jean-Francois Julliard, Secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President, Karim Lahidji, FIDH vice-President and President of LDDHI, Carole Bouquet, Actress, Catherine Deneuve, Actress, Lou Doillon, Actress, Yvan Attal, Actor and Director, Francois Cluzet, Actor, Marilou Berry, Actress, Clothilde Courau, Actress, Arielle Dombasle, Actress, Macha Meril, Actress, Charlotte Rampling, Actress, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Actress and Author, Charles Berling, Actor, Jeanne Moreau, Actress and Singer, Lambert Wilson, Actor and Producer, Marie-Christine Barrault, Actress, Juliette Binoche, Actress, Jane Birkin, Actress, Dominique Blanc, Actress, Agnes Jaoui, Actress, Mika Kaurismäki, Filmmaker, Cedric Klapisch, Filmmaker, Costa-Gavras, Film Director, Arthur H, Singer, Salif Keita, Singer, Bernard Allison, Singer, Camille, Singer, Angelique Ionatos, Singer and Composer, Misia, Singer, Julia Migenes, Lyrical Singer, Vince Gill, Singer and Composer, Ahmed Essyad, Composer, Ariane Mnouchkine, Producer, Olivier Py, Playwright and Director, Jean-Michel Ribes, Director and Playwright, Patrice Chereau, Stage Director, Isabelle Autissier, Sailor, Helen Jacquier, Francoise Lalande, Painter, Ferdinando Coloretti, Painter, Christos Chomenidis, Writer, Mahmoud Hussein, Writer, Vaclav Havel, Politician, Writer and Playwright, Abdelatif Laarbi, Writer, Abdelwahab Meddeb, Writer, Daniel Soil, Writer, Nadia Benjelloun, Writer, Marjane Satrapi, Author, Denis Olivennes, CEO of Le Nouvel Observateur, Roberto Saviano,Writer and Journalist, Jean-François Kahn, Journalist, Essayist and Politician, Caroline Laurent Simon, Journalist, Mark Simon, Journalist, Jean Louis Foulquier, Radio Presenter, Michel Drucker, TV Presenter, Stephane Bern, Journalist and Radio Host, Djenane Kareh Tager, Journalist and Writer, Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, Journalist and Writer, Zhou Qing, Journalist andResearcher, Laure Adler, Journalist and Writer, Bertrand Delanoe, Mayor of Paris. This campaign has the support of the network of FIDH member organisations in the world. See all signatories: http://www.rsf-fidh-iran.org/?lang=en#p_sign