Dissident journalist on hunger strike

Leading dissident journalist Akbar Ganji called upon President Mohammad Khatami on Sunday to look into his case, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported. Ganji has been on hunger strike since Thursday after alleged mistreatment during 80 days of solitary confinement, in which he claimed he was tortured by guards, forced to wear a prison uniform and denied access to his family and lawyer. Ganji published articles in several dailies, since closed down, in which he implicated certain officials in the 1998 serial murders of intellectuals and political dissidents. In addition, he was charged with gathering classified documents and insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini during the 7-8 April Berlin conference on the future of Iran’s reform movement. He is one of 17 people on trial on charges stemming from the conference, the report said.

Asked how important the Ganji case was for Iran, Saeid Neshat, a spokesman for the Organisation for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV), an NGO in Iran, told IRIN on Tuesday that the case demonstrates a changing attitude towards the judiciary with regard to public opinion in Iran. “The Iranian people are much more aware of the present situation than some years ago. This means the situation has improved,” he said. “There is a trend now for the rule of law and it is hoped this trend continues.” “We are happy that there is a trend in the judiciary to hold courts and that’s a great step towards the rule of law and transparency - it means that reformism is becoming a public demand,” he added.

A UN committee narrowly approved a resolution on Thursday expressing concern at the human rights situation in Iran and called for steps to improve it. The committee on human rights voted 58-53 to pass the resolution, while 48 countries abstained.