5th Annual KSU Conference on Peace and religion
Democratization and Secularization in Iran:
The Plight of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Cleric
Manda Zand Ervin, President, Alliance of Iranian Women Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi, a 50-year-old Shi’a cleric, is currently imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran for his peaceful religious opinions. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience. His supporters are seeking his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and his release from prison.
Ayatollah Boroujerdi advocates the removal of religion from the political basis of the Iranian state. He was arrested at his home in Tehran on 8 October 2006 along with more than 300 of his followers, during violent clashes with security forces. He and 17 followers were initially sentenced to death, but the death sentences were later dropped. On 13 August 2007 he was sentenced to serve one year in prison in Tehran, followed by ten years in prison in another part of the country. In addition to his sentence of 11 years' imprisonment, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was also defrocked (banned from wearing his clerical robes and thereby from practicing his clerical duties), and his house and all his belongings were confiscated. In this session, his supporters will share information on his cause and his current situation.
