Vigil held in Dublin as Amnesty calls for Bernard Phelan's release from Iranian prison
Bernard Phelan’s father Vincent Phelan with friends, family and supporters at a vigil outside the Iranian Embassy in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
A vigil has been held outside the Iranian embassy in Dublin calling for the release of Bernard Phelan, whose family have raised concerns about his health and treatment.
The vigil for Mr Phelan, organised by his family and attended by his sister Caroline and 97-year-old father Vincent, was held to mark the 178 days he has spent in prison.
People who attended the protest outside the Iranian embassy held flowers, signs and the Women, Life Freedom sign of the feminist movement in Iran.
It comes as Amnesty International called upon the Iranian authorities for the immediate release of the Irish man who they say is being “arbitrarily detained”.
The human rights organisation is working to bring home Mr Phelan, who has been detained in Mashad since his arrest in October.
The 64-year-old, with dual French and Irish citizenship, was arrested last year while working as a travel consultant in the country.
In a statement released on Thursday, Amnesty has set out several requests for the Iranian authorities pending Mr Phelan’s release.
These include immediate access to satisfactory healthcare, “including all necessary medication and treatment” and the provision of regular phone calls to his family members.
They have also asked that Mr Phelan is given access to translations, particularly of important case documents, to ensure he fully understands his rights.
Mr Phelan, who is originally from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison in relation to “providing information to an enemy country”.
Following a later court hearing, his sentence was extended to six and a half years, with no explanation as to why his sentence was increased.
His family claim that he has been charged with “providing information to an enemy country”, which Mr Phelan denies.
Speaking since his arrest, his relatives have claimed he has been denied access to a lawyer of his own choosing in Iran.
His family have expressed fears over Mr Phelan’s deteriorating mental and physical condition.
Mr Phelan’s sister Caroline Masse Phelan recently revealed her brother is "going blind" following an operation he had last summer which he received inadequate treatment for.
She also said her brother has begun to suffer from depression due to the length of time he has spent in jail, unable to see a way out.
This arose following Mr Phelan’s attempt to go on hunger strike in January in protest of his prolonged detention.
Amnesty International described Mr Phelan’s detention as “arbitrary”, due to the numerous violations of his fair trial rights.
These include “his right to access an independent lawyer of his own choosing, to adequate defence and to meaningfully challenge the legality of his detention before an independent and impartial court.”
“Bernard Phelan’s arrest took place amidst an unprecedented popular uprising in Iran against the Islamic Republic system since mid-September 2022 and with the Iranian authorities espousing an official narrative blaming foreign governments and counterrevolutionary groups from both inside and outside Iran for fomenting the nationwide protests,” the statement read.
In light of ongoing concerns regarding the Iranian authorities’ practice of using detained dual and foreign nationals as leverage, Amnesty International again urges all states whose nationals are or have been detained at any point in Iran to promptly examine whether the deprivation of liberty amounts to an act of hostage-taking, and if so, take all appropriate measures to ensure accountability.
