Kavous Seyyed Emami

Kavuos Seyyed Emami is an environmental activist, a Doctor in Sociology and a Professor at Emam Sadegh University. He was arrested during the round-up of environmental activists in January 2018. He subsequently passed away under suspicious circumstances in Evin Prison. The Iranian regime has declared the cause of his of death to be suicide.

• <coverage-outsourcing id='20975'> Several environmental activists were arrested around this time, and transferred to Ward 2A of Evin prison. Kavous Seyyed Emami, Taher Ghadirian, Sam Rajabi, Houman Jokar, Morad Tahbaz, Amirhossein Khaleghi, Niloufar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani, Hassan Ragh, Aref Zare, Mohammad Zare, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Morteza Arianejad, Alireza Farhadzadeh and Mohammad Saleh Ahmadi are among those arrested in relation to this case, by the IRGC Department of Intelligence. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20985'> Kavous Seyyed Emami died under suspicious circumstances around this time at Evin prison. Ramin Seyyed Emami, Kavous Seyyed Emami’s son, declared on Twitter that his mother was informed of her husband’s death upon being called to the courthouse. According to the statement put out by Ramin Seyyed Emami six days after the event, the widow, Ms. Mombeyni, was subjected to three hours of interrogation, after which the authorities obtained a written commitment from her not to communicate with any media outlets, which if disobeyed would result in her own arrest. Judicial and Security authorities, including the Tehran chief prosecutor, the spokesperson and head of the judiciary, declared the cause of death to be suicide. This is a claim that has been repeated by such authorities in recent months when it comes to similar incidents of death under custody. Sina Ghanbari and Vahid Heydari were arrested during the December 2017 protests and died while in prison. The cause of death for these two individuals has also been cited by the authorities as ‘suicide.’ </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21005'> Keyhan London reports that the residences of members of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Persian Heritage and Wildlife Preservation were "searched and ransacked, with computers and telecommunication devices being confiscated. The homes of their friends and relatives were also subjected to search." </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21056'> Reports have noted the arrest of Kaveh Madani, deputy of the Department of Environment in Iran. In a Twitter message, Member of Parliament, Mahmoud Sadeghi, stated that Isa Kalantari, Head of the Department of Environment- having been in touch with him- has confirmed reports of Kaveh Madani’s arrest. On the following day, Kaveh Madani, without directly mentioning reports of his arrest, in a short video on Instagram, expressed hope that the problem facing “the real friends of the environment may be solved," “justice may be served” and “transparency may be achieved.” Mentioning that he is now able to return to work, he showed optimism towards “narrow mindedness being dispelled, activists, supporters of the environment, and those waiting to hear from loved ones being put at ease, and the truth being recovered as soon as possible.” In addition to this, he noted that except for Instagram, he does not have access to his other social media accounts due to them having been suspended. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21003'> Amnesty International has issued a statement requesting Seyyed Emami’s body so that there can be an autopsy. This organization has called the Iranian authorities’ refusal to allow further research into the “highly suspicious” death of Seyyed Emami an “intentional effort” to hide evidence of torture and possible homicide. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20984'> According to ISNA, the Tehran prosecutor, in addition to posing the charge of “espionage” through “collecting systematic data in the areas of missiles and defense,” has also accused them of “pursuing a three-pronged project in assisting the CIA and MUSAD in researching environmental data, infiltrating the Iranian Scientific Community, and gathering classified information from secret national sites including missile bases. It is claimed that the accused were ‘seeking to complete a joint mission along with the CIA and MUSAD in order to create various environmental crises in the country. Furthermore, ISNA has accused members of the Institute for Persian Heritage and Wildlife Preservation of ‘strategically placing cameras under the guise of observing environmental patterns, for the purpose of monitoring national missile activities, which would then be recorded and sent to foreign agents.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21022'> Fars News Agency has published an interview with Kamran Seyyed Emami, Kavous Seyyed Emami’s brother. His brother states that him "and Kavous’s spouse were both able to see his dead body, which showed no marks other than those of strangulation from hanging.” At the same time, Ramin Seyyed Emami, Kavous Seyyed Emami’s son, has issued a declaration on his blog whereby he claims to be the only person to have seen footage of his father’s death and none of his uncles have seen the footage or have given any media interviews. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21004'> Christia Freeland, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has issued a statement expressing her concern over the circumstances of Mr. Seyyed Emami’s arrest and subsequent death. In this statement, it is noted that “a Canadian has lost his life. We expect that the Iranian government make available to us the necessary information and answers in regards to the circumstances leading to this tragedy.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21021'> The state television in Iran, through broadcasting a film titled “Prohibited Zone,” accused Mr. Seyyed Emami of “Espionage, hosting an American CIA officer, and planning to cause drought and famine in Iran.” It is claimed in this film that the cameras carried by Mr. Seyyed Emami and other environmental activists to identify rare animal species were used to record footage of “Missile Sites” in Iran. It is also claimed that several homes in the Darous Area in Tehran were at Seyyed Emami's disposal and they were connected to each other through their basements, and he and those around him have bought these homes to escape in case of a security risk. Arash Keykhosravi, in a conversation with Jamaran website, found it "strange" to conclude "spying" from these homes belonging to the Seyyed Emami family (three brothers and one sister) and their connected basements which have been deliberately built that way to connect the family’s houses. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='20986'> Ramin Seyyed Emami has stated on his blog that he has seen the footage of his father’s last moments alive, but the manner in which it was filmed does not give any definite answers about the cause of his death. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21006'> Payam Derafshan and Arash Keikhosravi, the lawyers representing the Seyyed Emami family, have issued a declaration that they will seek legal action against representatives of a television program which accused the arrested environmental activists of “espionage.” The lawyers take issue with the fact that this “short, insulting, destructive, and suspicious” film was shown on the same night as Mr. Seyyed Emami’s burial ceremony. The act has been called an “invasion of his family’s sentiments,” which has emotionally wounded the Iranian public. The lawyers have accused the film-makers of trying to “tarnish the image of a beloved national figure” by “resorting to illegal tactics and using private family footage of the deceased.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21052'> In an interview with the Center for Human Rights in Iran, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Shirin Ebadi, while remaining hopeful that light will be shed on the circumstances of Seyyed Emami’s death, said that the committee appointed by the President to look into the death won’t be of much effect due to the lack of Judicial independence. With respect to the accusations of espionage against Mr. Emami from the highest levels of the judiciary, she said that “under the law, there is no right to disclose a person’s name when they have not been publicly tried and convicted. By having done so, the prosecutor is himself guilty of a crime and needs to be investigated.” </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21055'> Four UN Human Rights experts have issued a statement calling for the immediate release and withdrawal of criminal charges against Iranian environmental activists. In this statement, while expressing concern over the targeting of such activists by security officials, they have called these arrests ‘inexcusable’, deeming suggestions of connection between environmental protection efforts and crimes such as ‘espionage’ and ‘acting against the state’ ’to be “hard to fathom.” Furthermore, they have called the “flimsy” accusations against Kavous Seyyed Emami to be part of a “foul, disturbing” game, thereby asking Iranian officials for an impartial and effective investigation into the death of Mr. Seyyed Emami. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21213'> Security agents prevented the departure of Kavous Seyyed Emami's wife from Iran. Ramin and Mehran Seyyed Emami, sons of Kavous Seyyed Emami, announced this news after leaving Iran for Canada and called the purpose of confiscating the passport and preventing the departure of Ms. Mombeini a "pressure tactic" to silence her children in Canada. Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian foreign minister, wrote on her Twitter account: > We were outraged to learn that their (Ramin and Mehran Seyyed Emami) mother, Maryam Mombeini, Mr. Seyyed-Emami’s widow, was barred from leaving Iran. We call on the government of Iran to immediately give Maryam Mombeini, a Canadian citizen, the freedom to return home." Saham News, quoting the letter given to the media by Ramin Seyyed Emami after boarding the plane, wrote that the Seyyed Emami family has been in "constant intimidation" since the announcement of the death of Kavous Seyyed Emami. "In the aftermath of constant harassment and threats, our family has decided to leave Iran for our own security and go to Vancouver to begin a quiet life again," he said in the letter. He added that he and his brother have always been "under surveillance and that many of their valuable assets, such as the documents of their house, were seized by the security guards. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21339'> Radio Farda reported that the children of Kavous Seyyed Emami have asked Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to put pressure on the government of Tehran to let their mother leave Iran. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21759'> In an interview with HRANA News Agency, Payam Derafshan, the lawyer of Kavous Seyyed Emami's case, said that after visiting the criminal prosecutor's office, he wasn't given a chance to read the case or watch the videos of Kavous Seyyed Emami's interrogations. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21747'> Tehran's prosecutor repeated the espionage charges and claimed that environmental activists were covers to get around the country's intelligence. He said "In one of the defendants' remarks, it is revealed that he was trained abroad and traveled to the country and carried out similar actions in the foreign sphere. One of the defendants received monthly salaries, had a secure computer, reported on a monthly basis and would go to the embassy related to the service in London or other countries, and had exchanged information." Jafari Dolatabadi also made a claim about Kaveh Madani, a former deputy of the environmental organization: > If people prefer to escape, this is due to the importance of preliminary investigations in the case, and if today we read on some sites that the deputy has left the country, it goes back to the investigation, because some defendants have realized that we are approaching them. Now, if someone has left the country, they will finally return. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21770'> The lawyer of Kavous Seyyed Emami's family said in an interview with Shargh Daily that him and his fellow lawyers still didn’t have access to Mr Emami’s security case, which provides the reasons for detention, documents, evidence, and forensic information. Referencing the forensic report, he mentioned that "there are some points in this case which include bruises on the body and the possibility of injections, which Mr Shahriari, the head of the 27th District of the Criminal Affairs, has returned to the forensic center to complete the information, and then the final case will be available to us." When asked about the ban set for Kavous Seyyed Emami's wife for leaving the country, he responded that, "Unfortunately, the ban issue has not been resolved yet, and we hope that this will also be resolved by authorities." </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='21778'> Nearly 800 environmental activists sent a letter to the president, asking him to urgently address the situation of detained environmental activists and pay attention to their rights as detainees. "It is astonishing that all the activities and efforts made by Iran's environmental community in the last few decades to raise public awareness and to tackle the water crisis, climate change, the destruction of biodiversity and other environmental problems that require contact with professors and foreign universities, sampling natural areas with equipment such as telephoto cameras, as well as research and executive activities in official projects approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Forestry and Rangeland Organization, or attracting funds for protective projects from the related institutions are now considered suspicious and criminal." They called on the president to create a safe environment for environmental activists, to defend the rights of the accused and to prevent the mentioning of unproved allegations in the media, and to announce the results of the four-member committee's investigation formed by the president's order to investigate the case. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='22127'> Azar Sedaghati, an environmental activist, posted on her Instagram page about 40 local residents and two rangers in Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province. She said the houses of all these people were searched and the communications devices were all seized. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='22093'> Mahmoud Sadeghi wrote on his Twitter account that during a meeting with his fellow MPs, the intelligence minister "explicitly, and documentally announced that they have not found any reason to deem the environmental activists to be spies." </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='22614'> Isa Kalantari, head of the Environmental Protection Agency said: > Based on the assessment of the four-member government's committee, environmental activists should be released. He emphasized that there is no evidence that they are spies. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='22743'> Mohammad Reza Tabesh, chairman of the environmental fraction of Parliament, said that according to experts from the Ministry of Intelligence, the case of the enviormental activists has not been spying. He also said about the condition of Kavous Seyyed Emami's wife: > We demanded thr matter to be addressed but we have not yet received a response from the relevant authorities. Also, Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, said: > The case of environmental activists will close shortly and detainees will be released </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='22812'> Katayoun Rajabi, the sister of Sam Rajabi, in an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, complained about the continued arrest of environmental activists and the lack of accountability of the judiciary and security authorities. She urged the president to address this matter. In her letter, she cites the unclear nature of the organization that arrested her brother, bringing charges by the prosecutor and the state television without holding a trial, more than two months of interrogation without legal presentation, giving promises to families for regular meetings and failure to meet these promises, failure to allow regular phone calls, the manner of the magistrate behavior and threats to execute the prisoners in the event of further follow-up and lack of accountability on the part of the officials despite the Intelligence Minister's acknowledgment that the detainees are not spies. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='23088'> Payam Derafshan, the lawyer of Kavous Seyyed Emami's family, reported that the final opinion of the Forensics on Mr Emami’s death had been announced: > Forensics reports the cause of death as choking and pressure on the neck, and in the film we were shown, the camera does not capture the part where the death took place. He added that there was bruising around his neck, according to the final Forensics report. He also pointed out, mentioning that the justice department was supposed to show them another film of how the suicide took place: > We have been following up this issue several times from the prosecutor, but so far no other film has been shown to us. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='23111'> Ramin Seyyed Emami, son of Kavous Seyyed Emami, on his Twitter account, revealed the presence of security agents in his father's house. "Now that the Iran-Portugal Match is being held, our house in Tehran has been attacked by twenty security officials," he wrote. “The agents brought six large boxes with them and brought it to our cellar basement, without letting anyone see their activities. Is this evidence not enough five months after my father's death? Are they going to leave some evidence there?" Arash Keykhosravii, the lawyer of the Seyyed Emami family, had gone to the house while the security officials were there but they did not allow him to visit the basement. In an interview with Emtedad news agency, he told reporters that the agents showed him a permit signed by Tehran's prosecutor, Jafari Dolatabadi, which allowed them to go there to make a documentary film called "Hobout” (downfall). He added that after this incident, Mrs. Mombeini, the wife of Kavous Seyyed Emami, became ill and was transferred to the hospital with an emergency vehicle. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='23321'> Payam Derafshan told IRNA: “Mehran and Ramin Seyyed Emami, as Kavous Seyyed Emami’s next of kin, have initiated an action against the producers and undertakers of “Mantaghe Mamnoo’e” through the Culture and Media justice department. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='33250'> <reference source='https://united4iran.org/en/15prisoners'> United for Iran published the fact patterns and legal analyses of Kavous Seyyed Emami's case, taking into consideration human rights and fair trial violations based on international treaties to which the IRI is a signatory. The Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has been used as the lead document for this context. United for Iran has published similar fact patterns for 14 other political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, and has called on UN institutions to use these resources to file cases and follow up on their situations </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>