Global InformationAhmad Batebi information
Ahmad Batebi | |
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| Born | July 25, 1977 Shiraz, Iran |
| Known for | Imprisonment after July 1999 Iranian Student Protests |
Ahmad Batebi (Persian: احمد باطبی; born July 25, 1977) is an Iranian activist who was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. During his studies at the University of Tehran he gained international fame for his appearance on the July 17, 1999, cover of The Economist magazine, holding up a shirt splattered with the blood of a fellow protester.[1]
The photo, which has been called "an icon for Iran's student reform movement",[citation needed] was taken during the Iranian Student Protests in July 1999 in Tehran. Following its publishing, Batebi was arrested, tried in closed-door proceedings, found guilty of "creating street unrest",[1] and sentenced to death.
This was reduced to 15 years after domestic and international outcry.[1][2] Less well-known are persistent reports of torture and ill-treatment of Batebi in prison and his resulting poor physical and mental health.[1][3] While temporarily released from prison to receive medical attention, Batebi was assisted by the KDPI, to flee Iran for Iraq. He finally entered the United States on June 24, 2008, on humanitarian parole.[4] He was then granted asylum status by the United States government.[5]
- ^ a b c d Silent no more from the July 10, 2008, edition of The Economist
- ^ Molavi, Afshin, The Soul of Iran, Norton, 2005, p.208
- ^ IRAN Ahmad Batebi (m) aged 28, former student activist from Amnesty International
- ^ "Dissident’s Tale of Epic Escape From Iran Grip", By Scott Shane and Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, July 13, 2008.
- ^ "Iranian Student Movement Activist Describes Prison Torture and Abuse Archived 2008-07-10 at the Wayback Machine" from Voice of America