The Association of the Defenders of Human Rights issued...

The Association of the Defenders of Human Rights issued a statement following the confirmation of the verdict in Hashem Agajari's case at the Iranian court of the first instance in Hamedan. In a fax sent to the Iranian Students News Agency, the association stated: "In recent days, we have been hearing whispers about the renewal of the death sentence given to the university lecturer, Seyyed Hashem Agajari. The media have given this issue wide coverage. The Association of the Defenders of Human Rights has said that the people supported freedoms of expression and opinion", adding that it believed that those charged with political crimes could only be prosecuted by the Public Court and in the presence of a jury. Therefore, any other illegal action is a salient example of the violation of human rights and it condemns it.