Persuaded that Omid Kokabee has been jailed and convicted because of his refusal to work on military projects, Amnesty International has called for his release as a “Prisoner of Conscience.” CCS renews its call for release of the Iranian graduate student at Texas University/Austin, whose espionage trial lacked due process and whose violation of human rights has been of concern to students and scientists around the world.
Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o H.E. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017November 22, 2013
Your Excellency:
We are an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world. We are writing to you in concern for Omid Kokabee.
Kokabee, a native of Iran, is currently enrolled as a graduate student in optics at Texas University, Austin. He has been imprisoned in Evin Prison since January of 2011 and was convicted of espionage in 2012 after a trial severely lacking due process. We are writing, as we had before, to respectfully request President Rouhani to release this young scientist so that Kokabee can continue and complete his studies. Kokabee is an exceptionally promising student in his field: he achieved one of the highest scores for the university entrance exam across Iran and was selected among a group of top students to meet with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in 2000.
According to Kokabee, his imprisonment and convictions are based solely on his refusal to participate in military nuclear projects. After investigating these claims, Amnesty International has found them to be credible and has on November 19, 2013, named Kokabee a “prisoner of conscience.” Kokabee is also the recipient of the American Physical Association’s Sakharov Prize in human rights for courage in refusing to work on projects that he thought were harmful to humanity.
This case has been of great concern, not only to Kokabee’s fellow students and to science organizations around the world, but to many Iranian students studying in the United States, who fear similar consequences when they return to their homes in Iran. Releasing Kokabee so that he could complete his studies would enable him to contribute to Iran in the future, as well as a way to remedy a violation of his human rights.
Sincerely,
Eugene Chudnovsky
Alexander Greer
Joel Lebowitz
Walter Reich
Paul PlotzCo-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Copies to:
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khemenei
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of IranForeign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
C/o H.E. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10017Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Bagh-e Melli, Tehran, Islamic Republic of IranMinister of Science, Research and Technology Jaafar Towfiqi
www.msrt.irThe Hon. Samantha Power
US Permanent Representative to the UN
799 United Nations Plaza
New York NY 10017Secretary John F. Kerry
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC 20520
Related articles
- Iran: Physicist Omid Kokabee Must Be Released (freeomid.org)
- DOCUMENT – IRAN: PHYSICIST OMID KOKABEE MUST BE RELEASED (amnesty.org)
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