Zamaneh Media
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Vacancies
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
  • Labor Rights
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Vacancies
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
  • Labor Rights
No Result
View All Result
Zamaneh Media
No Result
View All Result

Activists Ask Europe to Prosecute Iranian Notorious Judge and Human Rights Violator

by Zamaneh Media
June 12, 2020
in Featured Items
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Activists Ask Europe to Prosecute Iranian Notorious Judge and Human Rights Violator

Exiled Iranian activists are conducting several campaigns calling on European countries to arrest and prosecute a notorious Islamic Republic judge and prosecutor who has fled his country and is now residing in Europe.

Photo of Gholamreza Mansouri taken form a video he published on 8 June 2020 from an unknown location.

Iranian officials have stated that Gholamreza Mansouri, a judge and prosecutor known for arbitrary arrest, imprisonment, torture and prosecution of journalists and activists has fled Iran and might be in Germany.
Prior to leaving his home country, Mansouri has taken over 500,000 Euros worth in bribe money – Iranian Judiciary official’s stated in court proceedings in which Mansouri is an absentee defendant.

Gholamreza Mansouri, along with more than twenty other high ranking Judiciary officials is currently being tried inside Iran on charges of financial corruption and abuse of power. The IRI Judiciary stated that Mansouri is the 9th defendant in a high profile trial in Iran involving Akbar Tabari – the Deputy Chief of the former head of Judiciary.

Sadeq Amoli Larijani is the former head of Judiciary who was rumored to be a candidate in the succession of the IRI Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. In a reshuffling of Sadeq Amoli Larijani’s office, Akbar Tabari, his Deputy Chief was arrested in June 2019 right after Ebrahim Raisi replaced Amoli Larijani.

Khamenei appointing Raisi to the chief of the Judiciary replacing Sadeq Amoli Larijani was seen as part of an ongoing but silent succession conflict. The official narrative of Judiciary under Ebrahim Raisi however, is that they are fighting corruption within the walls of this office.

Around the same time that the former Deputy Chief of the Chief of Judiciary was arrested, some persecutors and judges close to Akbar Tabari’s were also arrested, among them was Gholamreza Mansouri whose arrest warrant was issued but he was never arrested. He ended up fleeing Iran under unknown circumstances.

Mostafa Niaz Azari is another judiciary official who is being tried in absentee because he has fled Iran in the same corruption case and less is known about him and his flight.

Iranian human rights lawyers, groups and activists have organized several campaigns to have Gholamreza Mansouri arrested while he is in Europe. These campaigns are mostly related to Mansouri’s involvement with arbitrary arrest and persecution of journalists and political prisoners.

Iraj Mesdaghi is asking the Germans to arrest Gholamreza Mansouri. Photo by Pejman Akbarzadeh / PDN
Iraj Mesdaghi is asking the Germans to arrest Gholamreza Mansouri. Photo by Pejman Akbarzadeh / PDN

With Iranian officials stating that Mansouri has been residing in Germany since Aug 2019, Iraj Mesdaghi human rights activist and a former political prisoner has started a campaign as well as a petition on the platform Daadkhast, asking German Judiciary to arrest Mansouri.

The petition is addressed to Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice, Dr. Peter Frank and the Attorney General of Lower Saxony, Dr. Frank Lüttig and Mesdaghi and signatories are asking them to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of Gholamreza Mansouri.

Mesdaghi spoke to Zamaneh Media about his efforts and said that many journalists and activists have signed the petition he has initiated which now stands with 4219 signatures:

“The petition is addressed to the German judiciary officials and in the past 24 hours, a large number of journalists and human rights activists outside of Iran have signed it, demanding that Gholamreza Mansouri be prosecuted and tried.”

Mesdaghi says that Gholamreza Mansouri had come to Germany to get cancer treatment at a Hanover-based medical facility. Mina Ahadi, a human rights activist based in Hanover has already organized a local protest for Sat 13 June, to ask German authorities to look into the case of Mansouri.

Reporters without Borders (RSF also announced on 11 June 2010, that the organization has filed an action with Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor against Gholamreza Mansouri. RSF is basing its legal action on this IRI persecutor’s record of ordering the arrest of at least 20 journalists in the winter of 2013.

RFS tweets that they have taken legal action against Mansouri:

#گزارش‌گران_بدون_مرز @Rsf_inter شکایت خود را از قاضی #غلامرضا_منصوری برای سرکوب و زندانی کردن #روزنامه‌نگاران در #ایران از این میان ۲۰ تن از آن‌‌ها در بهمن و اسفند ۱۳۹۱، تسلیم دادستان فدرال آلمان کرد. دادستان نباید بگذارد او از دست عدالت فرار کند. نه به بخشودگی از مجازات. pic.twitter.com/i5vr1p1J7s

— گزارش‌‌گران بدون مرز (@RSF_persan) June 11, 2020

Many of the journalists who stood trial in Gholamreza Mansouri’s court have taken to twitter writing about their encounters with the notorious judge. Mehdi Mahdavi Azad – a journalist now working from the outside of Iran – has written that in 2009 after the IRGC intelligence forces cut him loose, Gholamreza Mansouri in the Judiciary would not let go of him. Mahdavi Azad writes on twitter:

“Gholamreza Mansouri was one of the three people who ruined my life. I don’t forget his voice saying: ‘You drew your sword against the Supreme Leader, and your spoiled blood will be spilled.'”

Mahdavi Azad talks about showing Mansouri bruises attained during arrest and imprisonment and Mansouri saying that he deserved the physical violence he endured.

Kaveh Mousavi – human rights lawyer and Justice for Iran, human rights organization, have asked anyone with information that can incriminate or lead to the prosecution of Mansouri to contact them.

After the news of the judiciary corruption trials in Iran went viral, Gholamreza Mansouri published a video of himself on social media on 8 June 2020. In this video, he states that he has left Iran to receive medical treatment and he plans to return.

Mansouri states in the video that he “will never turn his back against the Islamic Republic of Iran and IRI’s leader.” He explains that after he left Iran to receive medical treatment, the borders of the country closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He pledges his devotions to IRI and states that he plans to return to Iran upon the opening of borders.

Iran borders are not exactly closed because of COVID-19 related restrictions and there is regular weekly air traffic between Iran and some major European cities. Iranian citizens are also allowed to return home if they are traveling outside of Iran. Gholamhossein Esmaili – a spokesperson for the IRI Judiciary, has welcomed Mansouri’s gesture asking him to come back and stand trial.

The current whereabouts of Mansouri are unknown. Iranian media have reported that he has entered Europe on a multiple entry Schengen area visa through Italy.

To Sign Iraj Mesdaghi’s petition go to Daadkhast:

قاضی منصوری باید در آلمان مورد تعقیب قضایی قرار گیرد

 

 

Tags: arrested journalistsGholamreza Mansourihuman rights in IranImpunityIraj Mesdaghi

Related Posts

Russia Ukraine war and wheat export crisis - photo: Shutterstock
Featured Items

After the Grain Deal, Cluster Munitions: On the Russian-Ukraine War

July 29, 2023
Abdollah Ganji (right) and Seyyed Nezamoldin Mousavi  (left) beside Javan Daily's banner - Photo: Fars
Featured Items

The IRGC’s Media Trifecta Part 2: Javan Daily

July 23, 2023
Candidate of the far-right party VOX Santiago Abascal gestures after delivering a speech during the campaign closing rally in Madrid on July 21, 2023 ahead of the July 23 general election. Spain votes July 23 on whether to hand Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a fresh four-year mandate or to bring back the right, and its far-right ally, as polls suggest. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
Featured Items

Spain’s Upcoming General Election and the Far-Right’s Post-Franco Francoism

July 22, 2023
The Iranian Interests of Chinese Energy Giants, Part 1: CNPC
Featured Items

How China Managed Its First Big Iran Oil Deal Through Offshore Businesses

May 17, 2023
"Election" by Musa Keklik, Turkish Cartoonist - Source: Cartoonmovement.com
Cartoon

Cartoon of the Week: Turkish Elections, a Blow to the Power of the Palace-makers?

May 11, 2023
The Iranian Interests of Chinese Energy Giants, Part 1: CNPC
Featured Items

The Iranian Interests of Chinese Energy Giants, Part 2: Sinopec

May 6, 2023

RSS Iran in Other Media

  • Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 ISIS-linked ... - Al Arabiya English September 24, 2023
  • Iran's football chief says frozen assets in FIFA, AFC amount to over ... - Xinhua September 24, 2023
  • Iran demands Sweden act against Koran burnings, free prisoner - South China Morning Post September 24, 2023
  • Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 people, Tasnim reports - Reuters September 24, 2023
  • Iran Says It Defuses 30 Bombs in Tehran - Tasnim - U.S. News & World Report September 24, 2023
  • Iran ready to expand co-op with ISO: ISIRI head - Tehran Times September 24, 2023
  • West's feminist 'violence' won't find way in Iran: President Raeisi's wife - Press TV September 24, 2023
  • Iran ready for 'comprehensive partnership' with Saudi Arabia: FM - The Cradle September 24, 2023
  • Iran Handball Downs Mongolia at Asian Games - Tasnim News Agency September 24, 2023
  • Iran Grants Iraq Few Days to Relocate Kurdish Fighters - Asharq Al-awsat - English September 24, 2023
  • Inside Iran's 'war of attrition' on journalists - Middle East Eye September 24, 2023
  • Iran poses an existential threat to the West - The Telegraph September 24, 2023
  • Female Protesters' Eyes Systematically Targeted: Rights Group - ایران اینترنشنال September 24, 2023
  • 'Robots can help issue a fatwa': Iran's clerics look to harness AI - Financial Times September 24, 2023
  • Iran accuses Netanyahu of 'Iranophobia' after UN speech - Arutz Sheva September 24, 2023
  • Germany Investigates Companies After Iran International Report ... - ایران اینترنشنال September 23, 2023
  • Iran, Maldives resume diplomatic ties after 7 years - Xinhua September 23, 2023
  • US Urges Gulf Unity for Peace in Yemen, Curbing Iran's Clout - Bloomberg September 23, 2023
  • Iranian Academics Debate Society's Turmoil: Fever Or Infection? - ایران اینترنشنال September 23, 2023
  • Mass Replacement Of School Principals In Iran Sparks Controversy - ایران اینترنشنال September 23, 2023
Zamaneh Media

© 2020 Zamaneh Media

More information

  • Sponsors
  • Donate
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Legal

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Vacancies
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
  • Labor Rights

© 2020 Zamaneh Media