July 2, 2009, Toronto—A group of Iranians and Canadians will cycle over 450km from Toronto to deliver a petition initiated by Amnesty International Canada to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ottawa. The petition, signed by over 3,500 supporters, calls on the authorities to respect the human rights of all Iranian citizens and for the immediate release of those arrested for expressing their critical opinions of the elections since June 12, 2009.
The signed petitioned will be delivered from Toronto to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ottawa by a group of activists by bicycle.
Departure date: Saturday, July 25, 2009, 10am
Location: Queen’s Park (Outside the Ontario Legislative Building)
Arrival date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2pm
Location: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ottawa, 245 Metcalfe St, Ottawa
see: Cycling for Human Rights in Iran for more information
9 July 2009 2:14 pm
Comment by: Zachary Kuehner
This is a great endeavour! I followed the Iranian election pretty closely and although it was difficult to make any definitive judgment about the alleged election fraud, it was clear that citizens were being denied their right to question the results.
I heard about the cycling campaign from a colleague at the University of Toronto and asked if I could participate on the first day to show my support for the cause. Whether the election results were fraudulent or not, intimidating and imprisoning peaceful protesters is wrong. As a Canadian, I'm proud to support those fighting for freedom of expression in Iran.