ON JULY 11, 2003, the Government of Iran officially announced the death of Ziba Zahra Kazemi, Canadian photojournalist. The agents of the Iranian government have beaten and tortured her, because she was faithful to the truth, because she was doing her work. The Government of Iran thus inscribed one more time its systematic violation of Human Rights in the pages of History. It shrugs its shoulders: it did it thousands of times before, and, with the almost unanimous silence of the international community, the absence of concrete measures from the Government of Canada, it continues.
Despite the unanimous protest of Ziba Kazemi’s family, her body has still not been repatriated to her home, in Montreal, Canada. As for the murderers, they’re still governing the country.

20 YEARS - 20 years of lies, hypocrisy and hatred from the part of the Canadian government, the state and the so-called elected officials. 20 years of contradiction. 20 years of perpetration of the Islamic Republic's crimes, 20 years of cover-up by the Canadian government of the odious activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It's been 20 years that I am denied Justice for my mother. She has never recognized the legitimacy of the Iranian government. She never went back to Iran after she left it in the early 70s. It is only as a professional photojournalist that she tactfully entered Iran 25 years later, like she entered many other countries prior to this reportage, in the Middle East region but also in Africa, in the Caribbean, in Central America and in Eastern Europe. In her lifetime, she visited a great number of territories documentaing everyday people and victims of war and oppression.

It's been 20 years I am living with the denial of Justice, mocked by politicians. At first it was by Prime Minister Jean Chretien who was making scandalous declarations in regards of Ziba's murder, pretending to be chocked following her illegal burial in Iran, but for personnal financial interest went to shake hands with the very same murderers and torturers he was so chocked about as soon as he left office. Then it was by Prime Minister Paul Martin, also pretending to be affected and horrified by the detailed revelations of torture when publicly reported by our witness the Dr. Aazam. He's office offered me in the name of Justice large amounts of money: under the table, from the parts of the Iranian regime. Then Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who find it reasonable to torture on certain occasion, he declares. Had selected judges that contradicted the previous ruling in my favor, ignoring their own laws and blocking me from any sort of legal actions, claiming that I wasn't "shocked" by my mother's death. My mother's death was following 72 hours of torture according to official iranian regime's reports. Specially that I had to go through every details of her torture and conditions to present the news to the public... And, now, Justin Trudeau. He was suppose to go to jail for his criminal activities. Not to mention his senior adviser who was my lawyer in the first place.

It's been now 20 years we heard the echo of the bold title making cover news all over the world: rape and torture for Ms Zahra Kazemi.

The details of an odious crime have been revealed to the Canadian public and worldwide, it happened in the most horrific context and situation, to a remarkable and sensitive citizen, an intellectual, an artist, a mother, who had devoted the last decade of her life with such magnanimity to sensibly report the lives and plight of other people living together around the planet earth.

20 years the so called government of Canada and Iran are covering-up for these attrocities, despite how clearly and precisely they were revealed. Despite the overwhelming mainstream and independant media coverage. Not only the media, also scholars have been bringing presentations to their establishment, high school's youth as well. Such governments, the Canadian government, the Iranian government, are indeed promoting and perpatrating a rape culture, where lies, violence and impunity rules.

- Stephan Kazemi

MISSION - Honor the life, art and memory of Ziba Kazemi.

Promote respect for human rights by offering an environment and a community for individuals and organizations determined to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for its crimes against Humanity.

Hold the Canadian government accountable for its blatant complicity with the Iranian government over crimes involving arbitrary detention, torture and rape. For its cover-up. For its total denial of Justice.  

The strength, the devotion and the courage of this coalition is inspired by Ziba's spirit, as well as the people from all ages and origins who have joined us demanding justice for Ziba and the multitude of victims of the Islamic Government of Iran.

Canada backs dictatorships around the globe- The Canadian government provides oppressive regime with armed-force back-up to support tyranny, from Haiti to Iran, passing by the canadian territory, war lords and torturers are provided with a fiscal heaven, with protection and other unlawful facilities, contrary to its declaration. The Canadian government works behind closed door with foreign regime officials and well known criminals to ensure common interest.

photo by Ziba Kazemi, Jerusalem, 2000