IRANIAN COURTS SUBSTITUTE WITCH-HUNT FOR JUSTICE
Roland Rappaport, who was delegated by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers to attend two political trials in Iran -as<an- observer, ‘returned to Paris without being able to-accomplish his mission. Matin Daftari, chairman of the Commission of Justice in the Iranian Senate, made special efforts to have Rappaport admitted to the’ courtroom but. without success.
In- “one trial: in Teheran, fifty-five young persons ; belonging to a: réligious oppositional tendency were condemned. In another trial, three socialist leaders were given prison sentences.
“In an interview’ reported: in the March 24 issue of Le Monde, Rappaport ‘said: "Although it is practically never decreed that the trials must be held behind closed doors, and although theoretically the hearings are public, no Iranian. or foreigner can attend a political trial without special authorization.
"In the case of fifty-five young ‘Moslens, I learned that they
had been arrested in October 1965, but this was not officially announced until. the eve of the trial in February 1966. The preparation of the case by the prosecution was completely secret, no attorney being granted the possibility of meeting with the defendants. The main defendant, Budjenurdi was severely tortured. The local press gave no news whatever about the course of the hearings, limiting itself to announcing the opening ofthe trial, publishing the charges and reporting the. sentences ,: one» of: which was capital punishment. fy
In the case of Khalil Maleki, Reza ‘Shaian and Ali Djan Shansi, the procedure was different. At first silence was maintained on the trial of the three socialist leaders. Then the local press suddenly began to publish long reports. But:-at the same time, the foreign correspondents who had been ‘following the trial were denied admittance.
"However," Rappaport declared, "I was able to learn that the declarations of the defendants that were published in iran, were altered, amputated, falsified."
In the opinion of the French attorney, other trials are being held in Iran in the greatest secrecy. This may be the case with Darius Forhuar, first secretary of the Melat Iran party.
"The situation of the defendants is disquieting," Rappaport said. “Some of them are held with the greatest secrecy for years. University people, members of the National. Front, a legal party, and religious organizations are being held in Borazdjan. Separated from each other, they are forced to live night and day with a _ Suara in their cell.
. A purge of the courts is underway. In the past three months, sixty-six magistrates have been suspended. More than 600 mullahs, out
of a total of 16,000 members of the clergy, are in prison. A dozen religious leaders, including Khomeini, have been taken to the frontier and exiled, although there is nothing in the law providing for such a measure. Twenty political leaders have met with the same fate.
COMMITTEE SETUP. 10: