- URGENT ACTION!! Two Iranian Dervish Activists On Prison Hunger Strike 75+ Days--How YOU Can Help!
- URGENT ACTION! Iranian Political Prisoner Dr Khazali On Hunger Strike, Near DEATH--How YOU Can Help
- THEY WILL NOT BE SILENCED: 213 IRANIAN JOURNALISTS, ACTIVISTS ISSUE PUBLIC APPEAL ABOUT MASS ARREST OF JOURNALISTS
- URGENT ACTION! Iran To Execute 11 Ahead Of European Parliament VIsit--How YOU Can Help!
- URGENT ACTION! GRAVELY ILL JAILED IRANIAN BLOGGER HOSSEIN MALEKI ON HUNGER STRIKE! HOW YOU CAN HELP!
URGENT ACTION!! UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PhD STUDENT SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN IRAN--HOW YOU CAN HELP!
University of Texas PhD student Omid Kokabee has been sentenced to ten years in prison by the Islamic Republic regime in Iran! Charged with "espionage" for Israel, he was detained and interrogated for fifteen months before being convicted in a Stalinist-style show trial presided over by the infamous Judge Salavati (aka "Judge Death"). This show trial was dubbed by Salavati as the “Trial of those accused of cooperation with Mossad in Israel." In fact, Omid Kokabee was singled out for such a harsh sentence for two reasons. One, he had rebuffed efforts by the Islamic Republic's notorious and feared Revolutionary Guards to recruit him . Secondly, he refused to cooperate with his interrogators and did not dutifully play the role of the "repentant confessor" during the sham of a trial.
The following four actions are intended to give YOU a voice in the campaign to redress this intolerable travesty of justice and to secure the release of Omid Kokabee!
1. PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION TO FREE OMID:
***************************************************************************************
2. TWEET STORM-- Tweet this petition to its intended targets around the world, included leaders of the global community and the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Suggested list of tweets:
@unrightswire 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@ohchr 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@Europarl_EN 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@Europarl 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@StateDept 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@European_Union 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@hrc 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@MartinSchulz 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@whitehouse 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@khamenei_ir 1,090+ signatures on petition to free Omid Kokabi, Univ of Texas grad sentenced to 10 years in #Iran http://bit.ly/IZku20
@khamenei_ir The image & legitimacy of Islamic Republic r weakened by imprisonment of Omid Kokabee. FREE OMID! http://bit.ly/IZku20 #iran
@khamenei_ir FREE OMID KOKABEE! HE IS INNOCENT AND THE WORLD IS WATCHING!! http://bit.ly/IZku20#iran#iranelection #humanrights
@khamenei_ir If we can't trust IR 2 honor #HumanRights treaties how can we trust it with #NonProliferation? FREE OMID http://bit.ly/IZku20
@whitehouse @unrightswire DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@MartinSchulz @unrightswire DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@unrightswire @unrightswire DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@ohchr @unrightswire DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@Europarl DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@European_Union DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
@Europarl_EN DEMAND that #Iran free post doctoral grad Omid Kokabee. He is a prisoner of conscience not a "spy" http://bit.ly/IZku20
**************************************************************************************
3. Email this petition to intended targets among the leadership of the international community. Suggested Title: "URGENT!! PETITION TO FREE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PhD STUDENT OMID KOKABEE, SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS ON FALSE CHARGES IN IRAN!"
Please send the below letter to the following email addresses, and any others you can think of:
sr-iran@ohchr.org; nahmed@ohchr.org; srhumanrights@gmail.com; president@whitehouse.gov; secretary@state.gov; usa@un.int; ecu@un.org; catherine.ashton@ec.europa.eu; npillay@ohchr.org; urgent-action@ohchr.org; rc.office.iran@undp.org; inquiries@un.org; info_leader@leader.ir; sg@un.org; info@ihrc.org; nils.muiznieks@coe.int; commissioner@coe.int; viviane.reding@ec.europa.eu
THE LETTER:
Esteemed Leaders of the International Community,
I am writing to direct your attention to the growing number of signatures on the petition addressed to you demanding that you act FORCEFULLYand bring all pressure to bear upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to unconditionally release University of Texas PhD graduate Omid Kokabee, who has been sentenced to ten years in prison on trumped-up "espionage" charges. Rather than being a spy for Israel, as was alleged in his Stalinist-style show trial presided over by the infamous Judge Salavati, he is in fact only "guilty" of REFUSING to spy...For the Islamic Republic's dread Revolutionary Guards!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 1,090+ SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION DEMANDING FREEDOM FOR OMID KOKABEE:
CLICK HERE TO READY THE BODY OF THE PETITION, WHICH IS ADDRESSED TO YOU AND DEMANDS THAT YOU ACT NOW FOR OMID'S FREEDOM:
BACKGROUND ON THIS CASE:
After fifteen months in temporary detention, University of Texas PhD student, Omid Kokabi was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of cooperation with an enemy state, by Judge Salavati in a show trial labeled “Trial of those accused of cooperation with Mossad in Israel”.
On Sunday May 13, trial was held for 15 defendants charged with espionage in the court room of Judge Salavati. This trial was reported and covered in the pro government media, including Seda va Sima (TV) as the trial of Israeli spies.
Eight of these defendants were imprisoned for months prior to this trial. In the courtroom, some of the defendants accepted their charges and even thanked the Intelligence Ministry for arresting them. But Omid Kokabi refused to say anything in court, therefore was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Sharif University in Tehran, Omid Kokabi went to Europe and the United States for further education where he enrolled in a PhD program from the University of Texas in the U.S.
In recent years, he had been approached a number of times by Iran’s nuclear program and by universities affiliated with IRGC to cooperate and work with them but he had always refused their offer.
During his incarceration and interrogations they tried to force him to cooperate and work with them by putting pressure on him and his family but Kokabi refused and said it would always be an honor to serve his country through academic activities but has no interest in working on military projects.
During his fifteen months of incarceration, many domestic and foreign scientific organizations and scientists voiced their support for this 30 year old scientist and had asked for his release from prison. Included in this group were a number of Nobel Physics Prize winners who wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei asking for the release of Kokabi. Also among them were international science Olympiads and winners of dozens of scientific societies including the Society of the IEEE.
Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran also voiced concern about Omid Kokabi’s situation in his report.
Source: Kalameh
THE PETITION:
to receive urgently needed medical care for the torture wounds inflicted by prison authorities.
AGAIN, THE LINK TO THE PETITION:
LINK TO THE PETITION'S SIGNATURE PAGE
Sincerely,
***
END OF LETTER
***
***********************************************************************************
4. SEND THE BELOW LETTER TO OFFICIALS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, INCLUDING SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEI. SUGGESTED HEADING: "URGENT!!! FREE PhD STUDENT OMID KOKABEE, UNJUSTLY CHARGED AND WRONGLY CONVICTED!!"
Your Excellency,
I am writing to direct your attention to the growing number of signatures on the petition addressed to you demanding that the Islamic Republic immediately and unconditionally release University of Texas PhD student Omid Kokabee, who has been sentenced to ten years in prison on trumped-up "espionage" charges. Please understand that the international community has been watching this case very closely, and it is understood that the Stalinist-style show trial presided over by the infamous Judge Salavati was a travesty of justice.
Therefore, the international community recognizes Omid Kokabee as a prisoner of conscience and his continued imprison will cause untold damage to the image, and indeed the legitimacy, of the Islamic Republic in the eyes of the global community. Unavoidably, the question arises: if the Islamic Republic cannot be trusted to honor its human rights obligations under international treaties and covenants, how can it be trusted to honor its commitments in other areas of pressing urgency such as nonproliferation? Thus it is easy to see the damage done to the interests of Iran.
With this in mind, I respectfully call your attention to the facts of this case, as well as the growing number of signatures gathered from around the world on the petition demanding Omid Kokabee's freedom:
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 1,090+ SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION DEMANDING FREEDOM FOR OMID KOKABEE:
http://bit.ly/IZku20
CLICK HERE TO READY THE BODY OF THE PETITION, WHICH IS ADDRESSED TO YOU AND DEMANDS THAT YOU ACT NOW FOR OMID'S FREEDOM:
http://bit.ly/IZku20
BACKGROUND ON THIS CASE:
After fifteen months in temporary detention, University of Texas PhDstudent Omid Kokabi was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of cooperation with an enemy state, by Judge Salavati in a show trial labeled “Trial of those accused of cooperation with Mossad in Israel”.
On Sunday May 13, trial was held for 15 defendants charged with espionage in the court room of Judge Salavati. This trial was reported and covered in the pro government media, including Seda va Sima (TV) as the trial of Israeli spies.
Eight of these defendants were imprisoned for months prior to this trial. In the courtroom, some of the defendants accepted their charges and even thanked the Intelligence Ministry for arresting them. But Omid Kokabi refused to say anything in court, therefore was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Sharif University in Tehran, Omid Kokabi went to Europe and the United States for further education where he enrolled in a PhD program from University of Texas in the U.S.
In recent years, he had been approached a number of times by Iran’s nuclear program and by universities affiliated with IRGC to cooperate and work with them but he had always refused their offer.
During his incarceration and interrogations they tried to force him to cooperate and work with them by putting pressure on him and his family but Kokabi refused and said it would always be an honor to serve his country through academic activities but has no interest in working on military projects.
During his fifteen months of incarceration, many domestic and foreign scientific organizations and scientists voiced their support for this 30 year old scientist and had asked for his release from prison. Included in this group were a number of Nobel Physics Prize winners who wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei asking for the release of Kokabi. Also among them were international science Olympiads and winners of dozens of scientific societies including the Society of the IEEE.
Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran also voiced concern about Omid Kokabi’s situation in his report.
Source: Kalameh
THE PETITION:
to receive urgently needed medical care for the torture wounds inflicted by prison authorities.
AGAIN, THE LINK TO THE PETITION:
http://bit.ly/IZku20
LINK TO THE PETITION'S SIGNATURE PAGE
http://bit.ly/IZku20
Sincerely,
***
END OF LETTER
***
What do you think of this story?
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.
© 2013 Cable News Network. 
Comments