UNICEF Retirees' Letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations

UNICEF Retirees Group4Baquer

21 October 2016

To: Mr. Ban Ki Moon

Secretary General of the United Nations

Dear Sir,

We are agroup of over one hundred UNICEF retirees, former colleagues and friends ofMr. Baquer Namazi. We have been desperately concerned about his well-being ever since his arrest in February. We have now learned that both Baquer, now detained for nearly eight months, and his son, Siamak Namazi, detained since October 2015, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

After so many months of detention, our 80-year-old former colleague, already suffering from various health conditions, is apparently becoming more frail and weak with each passing day. This harsh undeserved sentence will impact Baquer as well as his family. A ten-year sentence is tantamount to life for an 80-year old man in poor health.

We are enclosing a very courageous letter from his other son, Babak Namazi, appealing to the authorities to save his father's life.

We therefore appeal to you to redouble your efforts and use all possible means to secure Baquer's speedy release.

As you know, Mr. Baquer Namazi served with competence, passion and great distinction under the UN banner , including as UNICEF Representative in Kenya, Somalia and Egypt. In Egypt, he was wounded and narrowly escaped death in a rebel attack while he and his team were visiting schools and health centers in an underserved part of the country.  The UNICEF photographer traveling with the group died in the attack.

As committed former United Nations staff members, we believe that your personal voice and intervention carry the weight of moral authority as champion of universal human rights and justice, and it will go a long way to securing Baquer Namazi’s release. We urge you therefore to make this urgent appeal on humanitarian grounds to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

With best regards

               

Thomas McDermott John Donohue Mary Racelis

     

Sheila Barry- Tacon

cc: Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director

Attachment: Statement by Babak Siamak concerning his father and brother

Attachment

18 October 2016

Statement concerning Baquer and Siamak Namazi

It is with utter shock and dismay that we have learned of the news of the unjust sentencing of my 80 year old father Baquer Namazi and my brother Siamak Namazi both Iranian Americans to 10 years in prison each. In the case of my father this is tantamount to a life sentence.

This follows one court session of a few hours for each of them. The details of the charges are unknown to us as of yet.

My father served with distinction as UNICEF’s representative in the most dangerous parts of the world and then in Iran dedicated his life and efforts to poverty alleviation and helping disaster victims. Siamak’s only crime has been to speak out against negative effects of sanctions and how sanctions prevented Iranian people’s ability to obtain medicine. It is beyond comprehension that the court and those holding our loved ones have criminalized the humanitarian efforts of my father and brother.

In the past days, a video of my brother Siamak Namazi has been posted by those holding him. It pains us immensely to see such videos which go against all principles of justice, Islamic reverence and what we would consider basic human decency. The same can be said about the articles full of fabrications and baseless accusations being posted on various websites for the past year depicting my father and brother as saboteurs and infiltrators. A one sided attack on my innocent brother and father who cannot defend themselves goes on with impunity, no accountability and against all standards of decency.

Going against the wishes of my mother, I have a duty to break our family’s silence. My father has been handed practically a death sentence and it will be a criminal act by me, his only able son, not to fight for my father’s life and freedom as well as that of my brother.

We are all extremely concerned for both their well-being and specially my father’s who at this frail age of 80 and his heart condition which, along with other ailments, threaten his life. At his age and in his condition it is highly doubtful that my father will survive any time in prison let alone a 10 year unjust prison sentence.

On behalf of my family, I call upon the authorities to immediately release Baquer Namazi, an innocent and fragile 80 year old man, and not to further jeopardize his health and wellbeing. I similarly call for the immediate release of Siamak Namazi.

I reach out to all those who care, to help save my father’s life and to free both father and son to return to the open arms of their family.

Babak Namazi

BBC Newshour interviews Richard Nephew, former senior US negotiator

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04cltlf

Son pleads for Baquer's release after sentencing

Baquer son, Babak, issued an incredibly courageous appeal for the release of his father and brother. Let's help in bringing this to the attention of as many potential influencers as possible!

Statement of Babak Namazi

 18 October 2016 

Statement concering Baquer and Siamak Namazi 

It is with utter shock and dismay that we have learned of the news of the unjust sentencing of my 80 year old father Baquer Namazi and my brother Siamak Namazi both Iranian Americans to 10 years in prison each. In the case of my father this is tantamount to a life sentence. This follows one court session of a few hours for each of them. The details of the charges are unknown to us as of yet. 

My father served with distinction as UNICEF’s representative in the most dangerous parts of the world and then in Iran dedicated his life and efforts to poverty alleviation and helping disaster victims. Siamak’s only crime has been to speak out against negative effects of sanctions and how sanctions prevented Iranian people’s ability to obtain medicine. It is beyond comprehension that the court and those holding our loved ones have criminalized the humanitarian efforts of my father and brother. 

In the past days, a video of my brother Siamak Namazi has been posted by those holding him. It pains us immensely to see such videos which go against all principles of justice, Islamic reverence and what we would consider basic human decency. The same can be said about the articles full of fabrications and baseless accusations being posted on various websites for the past year depicting my father and brother as saboteurs and infiltrators. A one sided attack on my innocent brother and father who cannot defend themselves goes on with impunity, no accountability and against all standards of decency. 

Going against the wishes of my mother, I have a duty to break our family’s silence. My father has been handed practically a death sentence and it will be a criminal act by me, his only able son, not to fight for my father’s life and freedom as well as that of my brother. 

We are all extremely concerned for both their well-being and specially my father’s who at this frail age of 80 and his heart condition which, along with other ailments, threaten his life. At his age and in his condition it is highly doubtful that my father will survive any time in prison let alone a 10 year unjust prison sentence. 

On behalf of my family, I call upon the authorities to immediately release Baquer Namazi, an innocent and fragile 80 year old man, and not to further jeopardize his health and wellbeing. I similarly call for the immediate release of Siamak Namazi. 

I reach out to all those who care, to help save my father’s life and to free both father and son to return to the open arms of their family. 

Babak Namazi 

Mogadishu - October 1987

I first met Baquer in October 1987 when I arrived in Mogadishu, Somalia.  I was the incoming UNICEF Representative.  He was the outgoing, and had been recently transferred to Nairobi as Representative for Kenya.  Baquer had stayed on until my arrival in order to be able personally to take me around to meet all the ministers and other senior counterparts in government.  Such an opportunity is rare in handovers of UN missions, so it was kind of him to wait for me, despite needing to get on to his new post.

I remember several of our meetings with ministers.  In each, the theme quickly turned to services for women and children in nomadic families - how they remained out of  reach for the meager health and education services the government offered in cities.  Children of nomads were Baquer’s passion.  He talked about them constantly, and about the need to provide equal opportunities for both rural and urban children.  

We had only a few days together.  When Baquer departed, however, he left behind a wide group of staff both in government and in international agencies energized by his focus on the nomads and all who lay beyond the reach of services.  

That smile

It's over thirty years since I saw Baquer last, given that we had both been posted away from HQ since.   Whenever I try to visualize him, I see that broad smile.   An outgoing, friendly guy, passionately engaged with UNICEF's work, strongly committed to the marginalized.  At that time, he had a special concern for children in nomadic communities.