The highest ranking Ayatollah in Iran, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri put out a statement saying that they forced confessions are wrong and not legally binding:
"With great surprise and deep sorrow, our dear and agonized nation these days is witnessing the broadcasting of the immoral, unethical and illegal forced confessions of their imprisoned loved ones who have been detained for more than forty days and some of them have even innocently reached the martyrdom.
Yours truly as mentioned in my previous messages:
These kinds of confessions and their methods that are unfortunately often used in the Islamic Republic and are obtained in illegal prisons and in absolutely unusual situations and by deceiving and threatening the prisoner and isolating and cutting him from the truth [and current events]are criminal from the religion and judiciary point of view. They totally lack any legitimacy from religion and legal point of view and are seen as a big sin and crime against the society. Those who have advised or executed or ordered such actions should be put on trial and moreover no fair court cannot and should not use these [forced] confessions and interviews to give a verdict.
It has been quoted from Imam Sadegh that Imam Ali once said: “Anybody who under threats, pressure and in prison admits to something should not be prosecuted for that”. (Vasael Al-Shia, Ketab Al-Hodood) and it has been said in another narrative that the Imam (Ali) said: “Anybody who as a result of fear or physical abuse (torture) confesses to any crime, should not be prosecuted for that”. (Da’aaem Al-Islam , Volume 2, Page 466). Based on these narratives, none of Shi’a scholars considers admission and confessions obtained under pressure, threats and unusual circumstances, even if it is against the person who is making the confession, valid and credible from religion point of view.
Above that humiliating senior figures vital for the Revolution and for the creation of the government, unjustly and based on empty accusations, is one of the greatest sins that will bring those responsible to a situation that they themselves will suffer. People will question what kind of government is this that its former high-ranked members from [previous] administrations, parliaments and etc. who have played vital roles in the creation of the government are being accused of treason.
As an advice and in the frame of the [religious principle of] “advocate righteousness and forbid evil” once again I warn the authorities and ask them to do something so that the people’s right that was denied during the [tenth presidential] election be compensated and the lost confidence be restored so that people will be satisfied; and not by suppression and imprisonment of hundreds of protestors once again commit a bad deed and imprison people and individuals who are [respected,] well-known and recognized for their services and sacrifices for the Revolution, the government and the people and each of them has been serving in sensitive responsibilities for several years and create such an environment for them that they speak against their own ideology and thoughts and in the ordered and staged trial say what the rulers want to hear and against their beliefs and ideas, and confess to treasons and crimes they have not committed and are not in their nature, and no intelligent human being will believe their confessions.
Why do they act in such a way that people compare their courts to those of Stalin, Saddam and other dictators? Why [they act] against the orders of that Imam (Ali) regarding obtaining confessions in prison, the rulers who claim to adhere to Shi’a laws and follow Imam Ali use pressure and threats? And why [by their actions] cast doubt on the real face and identity of the religion and its ruling, and taint it nationally and internationally.
Certainly doing these interviews and obtaining these untruth confessions from prisoners and
broadcasting them would not solve any of many problems of the country, but create distrust, anger and
revolt in the people. Based on the constitution this country belongs to all the people and they are entitled to peaceful gatherings, press and even radio and television to express themselves, but why radio and television are solely under control of the government? And why any peaceful gathering of people faces violence, incarceration and torture as a result?
At the end, with sympathy for the suffered families who lost their beloved youths in the events after the election and with a saddened heart once again I express my condolences and ask God blessing for them and patience for their families and immediate release for all detainees of the recent events and awareness, awakening, kindness and reservation for those responsible [for these imprisonments]."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment