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<TITLE>Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Closure of ICTRC Office in Tehran - Letter for support open for signature</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Eurostile"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>Hello Philippe<BR>
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AFNET and Ouvaton support and sign the letter<BR>
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I agree with the change asked by Parminder<BR>
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</FONT></FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Arial"><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18.0px'>We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to <B>maintain the respect of their peers throughout the international community by honoring the commitments they have frequently and freely made in this regard, by abandoning further actions against ICTRC and allowing the activities to proceed.<BR>
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</H3><FONT SIZE="4"><B>We therefore call upon the Iranian authorities to honor their commitments made in various international forums, including at WSIS, with regard to freedom of expression and the rights and roles of civil society, by allowing ICTRC to carry on its lawful activities, and abandoning any further actions against them, while rescinding all earlier actions that prevent it from carry on its lawful activities. <BR>
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Esther JOLY<BR>
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Le 11/07/07 19:52, « CONGO WSIS - Philippe Dam » <wsis@ngocongo.org> a écrit :<BR>
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</FONT></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><FONT FACE="Arial">Dear all, <BR>
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A couple of months ago, I forwarded an e-mail received from our WSIS colleague Mr. Sohrab Razzaghi, announcing that the office of the NGO he is the Executive Director of was closed and sealed</FONT><FONT FACE="Eurostile"> </FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">by the Revolutionary Court without any legal justification or accusations. Apparently the situation has not evolved and that the staff was prevented to work. <BR>
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This is of particular concern for all of us because the <B>focal points for West Asia</B> <B>and the Middle East</B> within the <B>Civil Society Bureau</B> during the WSIS preparatory phase were member of the ICTRC. <BR>
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A group of NGOs have drafted a support letter regretting the closure of the ICTRC office and asking for clarification to the Iranian Authorities. <BR>
You are invited to consider signing this support letter. I particularly encourage all formerly CSB members to look into it, in support for our partners during the WSIS process.<BR>
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I’ll be happy to forward your signatures to the coordinators of this initiative.<BR>
All the best, <BR>
<BR>
Philippe<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT FACE="Arial"><B>Philippe Dam<BR>
CONGO - WSIS CS Secretariat <BR>
11, Avenue de la Paix<BR>
CH-1202 Geneva<BR>
Tel: +41 22 301 1000<BR>
Fax: +41 22 301 2000<BR>
E-mail: wsis@ngocongo.org</B></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Eurostile"> <a href="mailto:wsis@ngocongo.org"><mailto:wsis@ngocongo.org></a> <BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT FACE="Arial"><B>Website: www.ngocongo.org <blocked::<a href="http://www.ngocongo.org>">http://www.ngocongo.org></a> <BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>The Conference of NGOs (CONGO) is an international, membership association that facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and decisions. Founded in 1948, CONGO's major objective is to ensure the presence of NGOs in exchanges among the world's governments and United Nations agencies on issues of global concern. For more information see our website at www.ngocongo.org <blocked::<a href="http://www.ngocongo.org/>">http://www.ngocongo.org/></a> <BR>
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