Two Years Too Many - the Campaign to Free Baquer Namazi

“Just wonderful, what a show of human solidarity worldwide...” wrote one member of XUNICEF, summing up the tremendous outpouring of support by retirees for freeing Baquer Namazi after two years of imprisonment in Tehran’s Evin Prison. 450 people from 35 countries participated in photos they contributed of themselves holding placards, calling for Baquer’s freedom. The Facebook postings reached 1,700 people. Fingers crossed for Baquer’s eventual freedom! 

February 22nd 2018 marked the second anniversary of the arrest and imprisonment of our colleague, Baquer Namazi. Baquer is now 81 years old and suffering from serious cardiac problems, but still facing 8 more years of his sentence for supposed espionage activities. The reality is that he and his younger son, Siamak, are simply two among the 14 dual nationals held in Iran as hostages in continuing negotiations with the US and other western countries over sanctions and nuclear issues.


For anyone not already familiar with the case, see Maggie Black’s great article Another Anniversary to Deplore published on Other News on February 22nd.

From the earliest days when we learned of his arrest, a group of former staff have campaigned for Baquer’s freedom through a campaign of appeals to Iranian officials, letters the UN Secretary General, President of the Executive Board, government officials in the countries where retirees live, press articles, and so forth. Tony Lake was deeply committed to freeing Baquer, and issued a total of five official statements of concern on behalf of UNICEF. The SG also wrote and then met with Iranian President Rouhani and other officials.

While Baquer is still not truly ‘free’, the campaign has provided a great measure of moral support to him and his family, and in particular his wife, Effie, who remains alone in Tehran in order to be able to visit her husband and son. The campaign has also helped to keep up a good level of public awareness of the case and thereby a steady drum of political support - not just in the West, but also in other countries not directly involved in the nuclear debate.


Baquer remains very ill. Prior to prison he underwent a bypass operation, and after going to prison went back to hospital for insertion of a pacemaker. After an emergency trip to hospital in January, the authorities allowed him a short furlough at home.


Following a few days at home recovering, Baquer was sent for examination by the state medical examiner to determine his fitness to return to prison. The state medical authorities recommended that he be allowed to stay at home for a minimum of three additional months. Many of us hoped that this would signal a longer parole. However, despite the recommendations of their own physicians, the government ordered Baquer back to prison two days later. He left a deeply moving letter of thanks to his colleagues for their support in the campaign for his freedom. We received the letter through his elder son in Dubai..


Ten days later Baquer suffered yet another emergency cardiac event and was again in hospital. He is now again home on furlough, and we are praying that the authorities will now leave him there. There may never be a formal parole or pardon, but more likely an unannounced de facto ‘house arrest’ - a sort of ‘decision not to decide’. While this is agonizing for Baquer and his family, it is certainly better than a return to prison.


As happened for last year’s first anniversary, Maggie Black and a small group of volunteers this year organized a photo campaign which called for UN and UNICEF former and current staff to submit photos of themselves holding placards calling for Baquer’s release.


The turn-out this year was enormous. As mentioned above, 450 retirees and their families and friends from 35 countries joined in the campaign. Many groups came together for the photos. In addition to groups from Japan, South Asia, and NY which participated last year, this year saw many new groups join from Europe, Africa, Central and South America.


See many of the photos here, or click the Facebook link shown here and above. A full set will be published sometime soon.