Zahra Kazemi: 2nd Anniversary of Her Murder's Announcement

I am writing this post in the early hours of 11 July 2005.

Two years ago, on  this date, the Islamic Republic of Iran's officials announced "the death" of Zahra Kazemi under arrest, in Evin prison.

It has been a month that I am working on a project concerning human rights in Iran and I had to familiarize myself with many cases including that of Zahra Kazemi's. Ahamadinejd's regime will inevitably have to face Zahra Kazemi's case and in its own right, I hope, will have to pay for it, if it does not rise to the cause of justice.

Zahra Kazemi was murdered in the Evin Prison of Tehran. There are hundreds of reports, longer or  shorter, about the details of her arrest in front of this Bastille of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was built under the Shah. For Zahra Kazemi's trip to Iran that ended with her murder in jail, the CBC has developed a very informative time-line. 

Saeed Mortazavi (left) is believed to be responsible for her death. Mortazavi is Tehran's Attorney General, according to some reports, Mortazavi is expected to occupy the Justice Minister position in the Cabinet of Islamic Republic's President-elect Ahamadinejad.

Mr. Ahmadinejad (right) himself  is believed to be behind the murder of Dr. Kazem Sami. Sami was the former minister of the Islamic Republic's Provisional/Interim/Transitional Government headed by Prime Minister Bazargan, a liberal-minded religious nationalist. The Provisional/Interim/Transitional Government resigned in November 1979 in protest to the take-over of the US Embassy, and hostage-taking of US diplomats by a group of militant university students; who were supported by Aytaollah Khomeini, in Tehran.

Zahra Kazemi's cause is an ever more pressing a cause in light of the very much overshadowing Ahmadinejad's presidency.

Iran's handling of the investigation into Zahra Kazemi's death - and the decision to bury Kazemi in Iran - led to negative reaction in Canada, as suggested by this political cartoon. (Patrick Corrigan/Toronto Star)