Dear PEN Canada members, today PEN Canada has sent out the following letter of appeal to various government officials, and to the PEN Canada members on our Rapid Action Network. However, as this concerns the death of a Canadian journalist, I am sending the appeal to you as well (I apologise for any cross-postings).

Also, this is to notify you that there will be Candle Vigil for Zahra Kazemi on Wednesday, July 16 at 8:00p.m. in Mel Lastman Square in Toronto, Ontario. It is being organised by a number of organisations including: Iran Star, Shahrvand and Journalists in Exile.

Past PEN Canada President, Reza Baraheni will be speaking at the event. For more information please call CJFE (416)515-9622.

yours truly,
Julie Payne
July 14, 2003

His Excellency Hojjatoleslam Sayed Mohammad Khatami
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
c/o The Presidency
Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Dear President Khatami
PEN Canada, the Canadian centre of the worldwide writers’ organisation, International PEN is shocked at the news of the death of Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-born Canadian photojournalist who was on duty taking pictures of the families of prisoners arrested in recent peaceful demonstrations of university students in Iran. Many believe that she sustained a brain haemorrhage as result of beatings whilst in police custody.
PEN Canada is also extremely concerned by reports that in spite of your instructions to four of your ministers to investigate the matter, the body of Zahra Kazemi may have been transferred to Shiraz for burial. If so, we demand that the body of the late Canadian journalist be exhumed and transferred to Canada for autopsy and burial. This, we understand is the wish of her son, Stephan Hachemi who is Canadian.
On behalf of the more than 750 Canadian poets, novelists, essayists and journalists and other members of PEN Canada, we demand a full, independent and transparent investigation into the death of Zahra Kazemi, and that the findings of the investigation are made public, so that those responsible are brought to justice. PEN Canada also urges the Iranian authorities to take serious measures to ensure that all those detained in Iran are treated humanely and fairly, and that any instances of ill-treatment in custody are fully investigated so that those responsible may be held to account.
We request a response to our concerns and look forward to receiving this as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Haroon Siddiqui
President