Letter From Sakineh’s Attorney Mohammad Mostafaei To His Wife And Daughter

Aug 4, 2010

Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners (a link to the original Farsi-language article is below)

Mohammad Mostafaei’s letter to his wife and daughter.

Mohammad Mostafaei, the prominent human rights lawyer who is currently pursued by the authorities and expected to end up in prison in a  fate  similar to that of  his brave colleague Mohammad Oliaye-Far, on the day of his daughter’s birthday wrote the following letter to Parmida and her mother Fereshteh whose birthday is also coming up.

Dear Fereshteh and darling Parmida,
Happy Birthday to both of you…

Seven years ago today, 10th of Mordad (Aug 1), my dear Parmida was born to a sweet mother who is in prison today for no crime of her own. Parmida is very lonely today. Neither mom nor dad are with her to wish her a happy birthday. We were planning to have a birthday party for her, with all her friends invited … we were planning to tell her how much we love her and wish her a happy birthday … but what happened? Her mother, unjustly and totally without legal grounds, got arrested and taken as a hostage. And worse yet, her uncle and grandfather too were arrested. My Parmida is so lonely today. What has she done to deserve the sorrow of missing both her parents? She has not seen her mother in one week– a mother who has spent nearly all her time and energy focusing on taking care of her child,  taking her to music lessons, to exercise, to English class. Today Parmida cannot hear her mother calling out her name, or her father wishing her a happy birthday.

Is this the justice of a country’s judiciary who claims to be a pillar of Islam, to break up a family like this? Taking a mother away from her child and unjustly sending her to prison? I ask you, would you accept this happening to you? I wish you would at least consider her release for one day to wish her only child a happy birthday. It’s been one week and Fereshteh has only been allowed to speak with her own mother once and has not given any information about her condition or her surroundings. Is this what you call humanity? Who would accept such  treatment for a mother?

Get over yourselves; call forth your conscience. Do not let the curse of a mother follow you, don’t torment a young child by keeping her away from her mother. Please don’t let my little girl suffer as she does, in the void left by the absence of her mother and father. You are depriving Parmida from the nurturing of her mother that she so needs. Please, let this mother take her child to her bosom. I swear, in the seven years of Parmida’s life her mother has never taken her eyes off of her. She has dedicated herself completely to her child’s best possible upbringing. She has never for a moment neglected or hesitated to love her child, but today you are depriving this child of that love, by keeping her innocent mother in jail. I swear to God that unjustly separating a mother from her child, in order to trap another person, is an unforgivable sin. If you are not afraid of justice in this world, be very afraid of the Judgment Day! Free Parmida’s mother!

I have said before and say again that she is innocent. I emphasize that Fereshteh Halimi and her brother have no information about my whereabouts or about the 2nd of Khordad. It is only too clear that they have been taken as hostages…

My darling Parmida,

Every time I look at the beautiful drawing that you made for me, I cry! I can’t wait to see you. I want to see you soon and take you to the playground in the park. Happy Birthday and I wish you all the best. I promise you that all the doors are open for you and that you will have the brightest of futures. I kiss you and your dear mom, both. May God be with you both. Mom’s birthday is coming up in 3 days. I wish her a happy birthday, too. Your mother has tolerated my absence for the last 10 years so that I could help the innocent, the needy and all those unjustly sentenced to death by execution, hanging or stoning. I ask you, too, to please tolerate our absence today…

My dearest Fereshteh and Parmida, I wish you a happy birthday and kiss you both…

***

(The photo shows Human Rights Lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei and his wife, Fereshteh Halimi)

Source: CNN iReport (posted by Utkanos)