Kourosh Niknam must be released from prison

2 December 2002

Minoo Homily, the International Federation of Iranian Refugees - Toronto Branch Director went to visit Kourosh Niknam (Ghobanali Mazraekar) in Mill Brook prison in Toronto on November 2, 2002. Before fleeing to Canada, Kourosh spent two years in Adelabad prison in Shiraz, in the south of Iran. He was severely tortured by the regime. Upon his release, he was forced to flee the Islamic regime and seek political asylum in Canada in August 2001. Instead of being recognised as a refugee, Kourosh was arrested at the airport and imprisoned. He has been in prison for the last 16 months and is being kept in solitary confinement under very harsh and squalid conditions!

Kourosh was a member of the People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) many years ago, but he soon resigned from that organisation and joined the Worker-communist Party of Iran. Because of his former affiliation with the PMOI, the Canadian authorities are denying his right to asylum since that government sees the PMOI as a 'terrorist' organisation. In fact, it is the Islamic regime of Iran, which the Canadian government has close relations with, that is a terrorist regime. The Canadian government's labelling of an Iranian opposition group, whatever our position on that organisation may be, as 'terrorist' only further helps the Islamic regime.

Kourosh must be immediately released from prison and have the right to seek and enjoy asylum. He has a well-founded fear of persecution and cannot be refouled to Iran. The International Federation of Iranian Refugees holds the Canadian government accountable for his life and safety.