[Manub]

Hello,

I am a french guy which is an activist of the peak oil in France.

I receive the newsletter of Mr BAKHTIARI esch month at the 15th of the month.

So, I receive the latter yesterday. In this newsletter, he revealed that he can’t come for the workshop in Lisbon because the UE had refused him the visa by the protuguese authority.

Mr Bakhtiari has a important background and he is a respected guy. The decision is not motivated. Forces in UE have decided he is PERSON NON GRATA.

It is a very grave attack against the freedom to move and to enter inside the UE.

UE is now like a blaukhaus.

But the most dramatic is that he tells me in a email that his life is in danger in Iran.

We MUST AND WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PROTECT HIM BY OUR ACTION, BY THE MEDIATISATION, BY EVERY THING WHICH PROTECT HIS LIFE !!!

He is the only analyst of ASPO, of my knowledge which come from Middle East and the information he knows is very important for us. His thoughts is very precious.

I propose to launch a campaign for the protection of Mr Bakhtiari.

Here is his internet site : www.samsambakhtiari.com
I propose to send him some messages for him by email : [email protected]

I reproduce his professional background from his site :

1971 : Officially employed by the National Iranian Oil Company;
1971-1973: NIOC Research Centre, Project Engineer for development of catalysts, pilot plant design and the bench scale production of 'single cell proteins'.
1974-1977: National Petrochemical Company (NPC), Project Engineer in NPC Projects Evaluation Department. 2000-2001: NIOC Corporate Planning Directorate, Senior Expert attached to the Deputy-Director's Office.
1977-1978: National Petrochemical Company (NPC), Planner in NPC Corporate Planning Division.
1978-1984: National Petrochemical Company (NPC), Senior Planner in NPC Corporate Planning Division.
1985-1986: NIOC Research Centre, Head of several departments (Catalyst Dept., Pilot Plants Dept. and Design Dept.).
1987-1989: NIOC Research Centre, Deputy-Director in charge of Special Projects.
1990-1995: NIOC Corporate Planning Directorate, Senior Expert in Technology and Development; Senior Project Assayer; Coordinator of NIOC's international seminars in Iran; Secretary of several internal technical committees.
1996-1998: NIOC Corporate Planning Directorate, Senior Expert in Technology and Environmental Affairs.
1999 : A one-year mission to the Iranian Petroleum Institute; managing editor of "The Journal of the Iranian Petroleum Institute" (JIPI).
2001-2002: NIOC Corporate Planning Directorate, Senior Expert attached to the Director's Office.
2003-2004: NIOC Corporate Planning Directorate,Senior Expert.
2005 : NIOC, Senior Expert, no position.

For the person who want to launch the campaign with me, send me a message at : [email protected]

Thank you.

[julianj]

Dr Baktiari is known and respected here -he's in our experts panel.

I cannot see any reason why he should not be granted an EU Visa.

Something smells a bit here.

I think we should contact ASPO to get them to put pressure on the Portugese authorities - as a recognised scientific expert Dr Baktiari should receive a visa. I'm mailing them now.

[killJOY]

What a sad, sad commentary.

As Simmons has noted, Bakhtiari is a "lovely person."

[Free]

This is scandalous! Did he try to get a visa through other channels, like for example a normal business visa, or a visa to visit? I think all he would need for this is a plausible invitation. Also did he try to get a visa from another country within EU? Sometimes in the EU-beaurocracy the left hand doesn't know what the right hand does.

Is it even possible that the EU overrides a country's visa and declares a persona non grata? I never heard of such an incident before... And if so, there have to be legal procedures which can be fought. Maybe he can appeal to the European Court? And if indeed his life is threatened in Iran he could seek asylum, it is not possible to declare him persona non grata then!

[julianj]

CLARIFICATION:

I just got a mail from Kjell Alkett. Dr Bakhtiari has been denied a visa to leave Iran by the Iranian Govt

So it's not the EU/UE we have to worry about.

Its Iran.

I find this a worrying development, both for what he might say in Lisbon (or rather has been censored from saying), and also his own safety in Iran.

I think we should sign a petition email to the Iranian Govt demanding that as a respected expert he should get a visa to go to this international conference.

ASPO also have their own plans about this, it seems, but I feel we should do something independently.

What about contacting Amnesty International?

I think its important that we show he has friends and supporters in the West who will make a fuss if he suddenly gets arrested.

What does everybody think?

Or should we mail the Iranian embassy in each of our countries?

[scmayo]

If anyone is thinking of writing to the Iranian Govt or to their local embassies it might be worth bearing in mind Amnesty's guidelines for writing these types of letters (and don't forget to mention if you have a personal/professional connection with Bakhtiari). The guidelines below assuming your writing about a prisoner but I think most of them would still apply in this case:

Amnesty Letter writing guide
There are a few simple rules:

Sample letters
1. Always be polite. This rule is essential and invariable. Your aim is to help a prisoner, not to relieve your own feelings. Governments don't respond to abusive or condemnatory letters (however well deserved).

2. Always write your letters on the basis that the government concerned is open to reason and discussion.

3. It is important where possible to stress a country's reputation for moderation and justice, to show respect for its constitution and judicial procedures, and to demonstrate an understanding of current difficulties. This will give more scope to point out ways in which the human rights situation can be improved.

4. [Not applicable here]

5. Never use political jargon. Don't give the impression that you are writing because you are ideologically or politically opposed to the government in question. It is far more effective to stress the fact that your concern for human rights is not politically based in any way, but in keeping with basic principles of international law.

6. If appropriate, please explain who you are and what you do. Some of our sample letters (below) do this. This indicates that the letter is genuine, and also shows that people from varying walks of life are following events in the country concerned.

7. If you have any special interest or link with the country, it is a good idea to mention this in your letter. For instance, you may have visited it or studied its history.

See http://www.amnesty.org/campaign/letter-guide.html for the original version together with some example letters


Sherry

[julianj]

Thanks Sherry for that welcome advice.

I'm in two minds about writing to the embassy, because Dr B, as far as I know, is not under arrest, simply been denied a visa to go, which seems outrageous to me, but I don't want to inflame whatever animosity there is in the Iranian govt towards him.

And obviously time is short because the Lisbon conference starts soon.

[Barbara]

Ali Bakhtiari already knew this some months ago: he told me in a letter he expected not to be able to leave Iran again (or at least before the approaching war...).

Sadly, I think our letters will get no results.

[Madpaddy]

My friend who is an Iranian national studying in University in ireland returned recently from a vacation to Iran and he says that the majority of people there think that a war with the US is now inevitable. Even those opposed to the government in Iran are ready to oppose the US.

I'm still digging my bunker.

[JLK]

I can't understand why Iran wouldn't let him travel, unless they are opposed to spreading the word on Peak Oil for some reason.

[Licho]

Manuk, AFAIK there is no such thing as EU visa anyway. It depends on each country's visa policy. Especial countries not in shenghen treaty have each vary different policies regarding visa.

[Manub]

He confirm me that he can't quit his country and that the danger is woolly and not very "affirmatif".

I am sorry for the false info about UE but the fact push to understand this interpretation.

I am ok to launch a campaign with the help of Amnesty, if it is possible, against iranian authority, in the rules of Amnesty.

I think the main thing that we can do now is to make understand the iranian government that there are some people all around the world who watch and be careful at Mr bakhtiari. All that is doing against him will be known by a certain of persons in the world.

The contribution about the rules of Amnesty is very useful. thank you.
We try to launch a campaign in France.

manub

[julianj]

JLK:

I can't understand why Iran wouldn't let him travel, unless they are opposed to spreading the word on Peak Oil for some reason.

That was my thought immediately I read this thread. I've just faxed the Iranian Embassy in London: Iran Embassy Homepage It has links to various other Iranian embassies. This is what I wrote:
The Ambassador
Iranian Embassy UK 17.5.05
RE: Dr A.M. Samsam Bakhtiari
Dear Sir,
Dr A.M. Samsam Bakhtiari is a distinguished member of the Iranian Oil Industry, with over 30 years experience. He is often invited to speak about oil matters internationally. He was due to attend the Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (www.aspo.net) in Lisbon this month.

I am writing to you to express my disquiet that he has been denied a visa by the Iranian Government and not been allowed to travel from Iran to the conference. I am member of two organisations one based in the UK (www.powerswitch.org) and one in the US (www.peakoil.com) where we have a considerable interest in matters relating to oil. Dr Bakhtiari’s writings on the subject are of great interest to us and we regularly publish them on those sites.

It is a great pity that such a distinguished member of your country is not allowed to travel to share the benefits of his great knowledge and experience with people from all over the world. I feel it reflects rather badly on your country; I hope that you can convey this to the requisite department in Iran and this ill-advised decision can be reversed.

As a UK citizen with international interests, I have many contacts with politicians here, and I try to keep them informed of developments of interest. I have therefore a concern for the relationship between the UK and Iran. I hope it continues to be a positive one.

(yours etc etc signature)
* * *
Like Manub I wanted to get across the idea that Dr B has plenty of friends in the rest of the world who will kick up a fuss if anything happens to him.

[OilsNotWell]

If one carefully reads Dr. Bahktiari's posts here on peakoil.com, it is possible to 'read between the lines' and perhaps understand why this is happening.

[julianj]

Thanks Oilsnotwell.

I'd read Barbara's excellent interview, but not the follow up questions. It does seem that Dr Bakhtiari is isolated in Iran in terms of his pronouncements, and peculiar commitment to honesty and truth

I do encourage people to write letters to their embassies to let them know that outsiders are keeping a benevolent eye on him. It's not much but I am sure that repressive authorities think twice about doing things if they fear bad publicity in the West, particularly as Iran needs the EU.

[Whitecrab]

Are you all sure Dr. Bahktiari wants the help, and possible attention it might bring?

[OilsNotWell]

Are you all sure Dr. Bahktiari wants the help, and possible attention it might bring?

This is something very important to think about...

[MrPC]

How about a videoconference? Presumably they have more than one decent internet provider in Iran, and a few projectors available in Lisbon.

[lexicon]

Is this the same man Ruppert refers to as the "Prophet Ali" in Crossing the Rubicon? What an outrage! Of course, it doesn't really surprise me that Iran would try to censor him. He seemed like a real straight shooter when I saw him in The End of Suburbia at the Paris 2003 ASPO conference saying the peak would come between 2005 and 2007.

[eastbay]

It's normal for a country expecting war to impose travel restrictions. This could indicate the degree to which Iranian authorities expect a military action by the USA in the near term.

A video link seems like a reasonable.

EastBay