December 21, 2018
The eight environmentalists awaiting trial for espionage have been charged because they set out cameras to try to get photos of endangered animals in the wild.
Iran’s Judiciary says they were really trying to get pictures of Iranian missiles being launched. Some of the camera traps were set in Semnan province, the province where Iran’s missile launching center is located. But no one has explained how a camera set to take pictures at ground level would provide useful pictures of missile launches—or how those pictures would be better than what US spy satellites take every day of the launch center.
Prosecutor General Moham-mad Jafar Montazeri told the Tasnim news agency that the environmentalists, who were arrested in January, had been watched by the police who found they would go to “sensitive and vital locations” around the country and put their cameras in place on the pretext of watching for rare species.
He said, “Agents of influence among environmentalists were arrested and unfortunately some defended them—but documents showing their infiltration is all available.” He did not, however, make any such documents available.
It is not known what agency arrested the eight environmentalists. But it was not the Intelligence Ministry, which said in May that its investigation found the eight had not done anything illegal.
A ninth person arrested was Canadian-Iranian dual national Kavous Sayyed-Emami, 63, who died in Evin prison days after he was jailed. Evin said he committed suicide. His family and friends suspect he was murdered. His widow has been forbidden to leave Iran.
In October, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said four of the eight in jail had been charged with “corruption of earth,” a charge that carries the death penalty. He said the eight were ready to go to trial, but no trial date has been announced.
Meanwhile, environmentalists from 66 countries, including chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall, have signed a letter drafted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Addressed to the Supreme Leader, the letter said, “We stand by the innocence of the conservationists in question and urge you to call for a fair and just evaluation of the evidence, access to lawyers of their choice and a transparent trial.”
It said the use of camera traps, which are left unattended for long periods in areas endangered species are believe to use, should not fuel suspicions. “Camera traps are now a standard tool for wildlife monitoring, the letter said. “Many of us have worked in Iran in the past,” it added.
The eight accused are Morad Tahbaz, who is an Iranian-American dual citizen, Niloufar Bayani, Houman Jokar, Sepideh Kashani, Amir Hossain Khaleqi, Abdol-Reza Kuhpayeh, Taher Qadirian and Sam Rajabi.