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PALATINATE
The official student newspaper of Durham Students’ Union since 1948
Tuesday 25th January 2011 | Edition 725 www.palatinate.org.uk
PhD student sentenced to seven years in Iranian prison
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Convicted for crimes including “insulting the leader” Friends critical of university’s initial response
Students asked to vote again in NUS referendum Hannah Shaddock
Debate about whether Durham Student Union should be affiliated with the National Union of Students begins anew this week, as voting opens in the third referendum on the issue. Voting opened at 9am on Monday and closes at 5pm on Friday. The referendum is the third to be held on the issue in the last two years. The vote takes place almost exactly a year since Durham students chose to disaffiliate from the NUS in last year’s referendum, which was called after the aggressive actions of the NUS caused a debate about multiculturalism at the Durham Union Society to be cancelled. Controversy began when two executive members of the NUS sent a letter to the Union Society which seemed to threaten violence if the debate, featuring members of the British National Party, went ahead. FLICKRID: THE CBI
Daniel Johnson
Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi, a PhD student at the School of Government and International Affairs, has been sentenced to seven years in Iranian jail for “insulting the leader”, “having links with foreign elements” and taking part in protests. He was arrested and imprisoned in mid-January 2010 at Imam Khomeini International Airport, while visiting family in Iran during the Christmas holidays. It is believed that he was held in solitary confinement for 50 days after his arrest, following demonstrations in the Iranian capital. His father Hossein Abdoh-Tabrizi insists that his son is totally innocent. Speaking to the BBC’s Persian Service he said: “Ehsan is not a political person and is only a history researcher. He’s been in prison for almost a year now and I don’t [even] think anyone in the judiciary system accepts this sentence. “Our understanding is that even the persecutor and judge don’t believe this crime. “I urge authorities to investigate such issues and to disallow this magnitude of injustice.” Some friends and colleagues of Ehsan suspect that one reason for his arrest may be because his father is the manager of the banned reformist newspaper Sarmayeh. He has also been secretarygeneral of the Tehran Stock Exchange, and was reportedly a constant critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economic policies. Ehsan is currently being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison along with other political prisoners. His parents were finally allowed to visit him in prison four months after his arrest. In an official statement made on the 1 January 2011, Professor Anthony Forster, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) said: “Durham University is extremely disappointed and concerned to hear of the continued imprisonment of Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi. “Throughout Ehsan’s imprisonment we have been concerned for his health and wellbeing and remain committed to supporting his family in securing a positive outcome in his case.” In August, there were mounting concerns about the deteriorating
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NUS President Aaron Porter spoke at Sunday’s debate
contacted ITV News, notifying them of his detention in Evin prison. “Upon learning that ITV News was in the process of doing a story about Abdoh Tabrizi, Durham University threatened the ITV News. In an e-mail leaked on the 15 April 2010 between Durham University and ITV News the message stated that if ITV News covered the issue regarding Abdoh Tabrizi’s imprisonment in Evin, this would ‘endanger his life’.” According to The Guardian, up until June the university refused to even acknowledge Abdoh-Tabrizi’s arrest. “Journalists who contacted the university faced stonewalling and warnings that any publicity could endanger him.” One friend of Abdoh-Tabrizi complained to the newspaper that “those
In recognition of the high profile of the case, last year’s NUS President Wes Streeting came to Durham to personally address the issue in front of a crowd of around 300 students. Although he agreed that the NUS had made a “huge, monumental cock-up”, Streeting’s appearance did little to appease students and a petition was filed shortly afterwards which prompted the referendum. Despite the fact that a vote had already been held on the subject in November, with 80% voting in favour of affiliation with the NUS, a second referendum took place in March. 1295 students voted to leave the NUS, and 1217 voted to stay. Last year, the DSU remained neutral on the issue. This year, however, DSU President Sam Roseveare is taking a public pro-affiliation stance, speaking, along with current NUS President Aaron Porter, in favour of re-affiliation in a debate last Sunday.
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Ehsan Abdoh-Tabrizi was arrested by police whilst travelling to Tehran to visit his family in January of last year
health of Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi. Speaking at the time, Professor Forster said: “the university has become increasingly concerned about Ehsan’s well-being following reports of poor health and continued ambiguity relating to the charges that have been brought against him.”
and deteriorating health.” Professor Forster also wrote an open letter to the Iranian Ambassador in London, calling on him “to exert whatever influence you can to ensure that Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi’s case is resolved as soon as possible thereby enabling him to complete his studies after three years of hard work.” However, some friends and colleagues of Mr Abdoh-Tabrizi have been highly critical of the university’s early response to Ehsan’s arrest. On www.iranian.com, one friend and colleague wrote: “What is both disturbing and utterly shocking regarding Abdoh Tabrizi’s imprisonment is the lack of care that Durham University has Ehsan’s father, Hossein Abdoh-Tabrizi shown concerning this grave injustice He added: “the university has an that the Islamic Republic has commitobligation and a duty of care to raise ted against one of their students.” awareness of Ehsan’s imprisonment “Concerned friends and colleagues
“Our understanding is that even the persecutor and judge don’t believe this crime”