yurdumuz

2006-07-04T03:53:00.000-07:00

List and Pictures of the Ten People, Killed

During the Recent Antiapartheid Revolt of Azerbaijanis in Iran

According to international conventions governments and rebellions by no means can fire and kill the civilians. But unfortunately the regime of Islamic Republic of Iran following through the series of human rights violation and ignoring international laws suppressed the demonstrations of Azerbaijanis and wreaked carnage in the different cities of Azerbaijan . The 27th article of constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran says, “Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.” And also according to International Convention of Human Rights everyone has the right to hold the gathering.
In spite of the above mentioned laws and conventions, regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran used the four military forces (Army, Sipah, Basij and Police) and fired at demonstrators in Tabriz on 22nd of May, in Urmu on 23rd of May and in Naghadey and Meshkinshahr on 25th of May and killed many of the people, wanting their primary national and human rights. According to informal statistics tens of people were killed, hundreds were injured and many were arrested during this wild suppression. Because of boycotting of the news in this region and irresponsibility and insensitivity of news agencies and human rights organizations in Iran , the exact number and names of martyrs (killed people) have not been determined yet.
“Human Rights Assembly of Azerbaijan ” publishes the names of ten and pictures of nine martyrs according to reliable information, gathered from different hospitals and martyrs’ families.
Simultaneous with the first session of “Human Rights Assembly “The Informative Committee of Human Rights Assembly of Azerbaijan” publishes the names of ten and pictures of nine people and hopes that all of the defenders of human rights and adherents of democracy will hear the justice-loving voice of Azerbaijanis and help them with the fighting against apartheid and racial discrimination in Iran.
It should be mentioned that the Committee tries to publish the lists of other martyrs, injured and tortured people along with the documents as soon as possible. Therefore it is requested that anyone who has any information (including pictures, films and documents) in this connection, send it to this Committee.
List of Naghadey’s martyrs
These persons were killed by the firing of Sipah and Police forces under the command of colonel Muhibbiniya (brother of Tikab’s deputy in Parliament) on 25th of May. One of the personnel of the refrigerator room of Naghadey’s Imam Xumeyni hospital said that the number of martyrs on that day was fourteen and some of them have been transferred to Urmu’s Arifiyan hospital (owned by Sipah). However, the people listed below with their picture have been killed and buried in Naghadey.
Names from right to left:

Asgar Qasimi, Himmat Ismzada, Huseyn Fathipur, Mahammadali Jannatniya, Tovhid Azariyun
List of Tabriz ’s Martyrs
The severity of the suppression and shooting by military force on the 22nd of May shows that many people were killed in Tabriz . However, because of news boycotting and military atmosphere of the city, we could only recognize two of these martyrs:
Behruz Sabuhinijad, who was the inhabitant of Kuy-i Parvaz in Tabriz , has been killed under the severe torture and strokes. His dead body was found in Tabriz ’s Shah Gölü pool with the signs of handcuffs and torture on his hands and body. He was a known activist in the Azerbaijan National Movement in Kuy-i Parvaz district. His brother is also lost and we do not know anything about him (we could not get this martyr’s picture because regime has put his family under pressure).
Riza Miraghapur Darvish, who was an activist in Tabriz ’s Imamiya district passed away in the hospital after three days as the result of strokes and injuries.

List of Meshkinshahr’s martyrs
Calil Abidi was killed by the direct shooting of a policeman by his head during the demonstration of the 25th of May. His family is under pressure and his lawyer, Saleh Kamrani, has been put under arrest.

List of Urmu’s martyrs
Two people were killed during the demonstration on 23rd of May in Urmu:

Farzad Asadpur (age 22, student of Urmu’s Azad University )
Eivaz Saiyahi
Public Relations of Human Rights Assembly of Azerbaijan

2006-06-11T03:05:00.000-07:00

To: His Excellency Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations

His Excellency RenÃ© van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE); His Excellency George W. Bush, President of the United States; His Excellency Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Her Excellency Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; His Excellency Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia; World leaders and the Human Right Organizations.
We would like to bring to your attention the fact of the violation of ethnic and human rights of millions of Azerbaijani Turks in South Azerbaijan, Iran. Since May 22nd, millions of Azerbaijani Turks have demonstrated in the Azerbaijani cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Khoy, Maku, Sulduz (Nagadeh), Meshkin Shahr, Marand, Zanjan, etc., demanding the Iranian regime to stop the cultural and language genocide, and economic suppression against them. As the proceeding monarchy, the Islamic Republic of Iran has systematically violated the ethnic rights of Azerbaijani Turks who comprise 37.5 percent (www.ethnologue.com) of the total population of the country (estimated 30 million). The Iranian regime applies the policy of Persianization and assimilation of national minorities. As a result of this policy, Azerbaijani Turks have been denied to receive any education in their mother language. Neither are they allowed to speak their language in official circles. The provinces populated by Azerbaijani Turks are exposed to extreme economical exploitation whereby they are significantly behind than those populated by Persians. This discriminating policy forced many Azerbaijani Turks to abandon their homeland and migrate to Persian speaking provinces to find low-paying jobs. The government feels unrestrained to humiliate Azerbaijani Turks hence distorting and rejecting their culture and ethnic identity. The latest example to this was the publication of a caricature in the official newspaper Iran in which Azerbaijani Turks were openly insulted (Iran, May12, 2006). Decades of accumulated anger and frustration resulted in mass demonstrations that started on May 22, 2006. Heavy handed authority of the government turned the peaceful demonstrations into bloodshed and violence. Tens of demonstrators were shot and killed. Thousands are detained and being interrogated. Prisoners are neither allowed to see their family members nor have legal representation. Thousands more are expected to be detained (See the attached list of demonstrators killed). We have received very alarming and disturbing information according to which the regime makes the detainees to â€œadmitâ€ on TV that they were paid by foreigners (particularly the Americans) to instill chaos in the country. This is a pretext for mass executions and long-term imprisonment of well-known activists including Abbas Leysani who is one of the leading figures of the movement. We would like to urgently ask you to give due attention to this matter by helping to arrange for a fact finding commission to travel to Iran to defend and secure the international laws and human rights, to which Iran is signatory. We thank you for your attention to this matter.
Regards,
World Azerbaijani Congress, DAK South Azerbaijan Independence Party, GAIP United Azerbaijan Union (BAB) Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement, GAMOH 21 Azer Teshkilati (Europe and Canada) South Azerbaijani Television, GunAz TV World Azerbaijani confederation Azerbaijani Federation (Sweden) Azerbaijani Youth Federation Sweden, AGFI (Sweden) Swedish Azerbaijani Union Committee for the Defence of the Rights of World Azerbaijanis American Azerbaijani Cultural Society North and South Azerbaijan academic Union, GQAAB, Germany St. Petersburg Azerbaijani Society (Russia) Azerbaijan Dostlari Cemiyyeti (Holland) British Azerbaijani Community (UK) Azerbaycan Nederland Cemiyyeti (Holland) Azerbaycan Siyasi Muhacirlerin Dunya Ittifaqi (Holland) Azerbaijan Social Club (UK) Tabriz Youth Union (Iran) South Azerbaijan Student Union Turk Yukselish Teshkilati (Finland) Azerbaijan Cultural Association Northern California GAIP Urumia Qolu (Iran) Maku Young Azerbaijanis for Human rights (Iran) Azerbaijan Association of New York (USA) Chicago Azerbaijanis for Democracy (USA) Washington Azerbaijani Community (USA) California Azerbaijan Friendship Society (USA) Azad Tribun (Sweden) BayBak (Scotland) Ark Society (Sweden)

2006-06-11T02:04:00.000-07:00

LIBRARY MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA MIDDLE EAST IRAN
AI Index: MDE 13/063/2006

8 June 2006
Urgent Actions
Amnesty International's global Urgent Action network provides an effective and rapid means of preventing some of the most life-threatening human rights violations against individuals.Join the Urgent Action network

URGENT ACTION
Iran: Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture/Medical concern, Abbas Lisani (or Leysanli) (m), aged 38
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/063/200608 June 2006UA 163/06 Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture/MedicalconcernIRAN Abbas Lisani (or Leysanli) (m), aged 38, activistAbbas Lisani, a prominent activist for the rights of Iranian Azeri Turks, wasarrested on 3 June and is held at an unknown location, where he is at risk oftorture. He may require medical attention for injuries he suffered during ademonstration before he was arrested.He was arrested at his home in the north-western town of Ardebil. His wifereportedly said that more than 30 plainclothes security officials shot the lockoff their door and entered the house without showing any warrant, which isrequired by law. She said they beat Abbas Lisani in front of her and their twoyoung sons, and insulted her when she asked them not to beat him. Saying theyhad orders allowing them to shoot him, they handcuffed him and took him away.They also took two mobile phones, CDs, books and a computer.There has been unrest, sometimes violent, in the Iranian Azeri Turkishcommunity since 12 May, when the state-owned daily newspaper Iran published acartoon which many of them found offensive. The community (who sometimes callthemselves Iranian Azerbaijanis) live mainly in the north-west of the country.In cities in the region there were demonstrations, sometimes violent, whichhave reportedly led to hundreds of people being arrested (see UA 151/06, MDE13/055/2006). Some of those detained have allegedly been tortured.Publication of the newspaper was suspended on 23 May and the editor-in-chiefand the cartoonist were arrested, but despite this there was a demonstration inArdebil on 27 May. Abbas Lisani was reportedly injured during thisdemonstration, but managed to escape and went into hiding for about a week. Hewas arrested after he returned home. Before he was arrested, he told his familyand friends he would go on hunger strike if detained.Azeri sources have claimed that dozens have been killed and hundreds injured bythe security forces. On 29 May a police official acknowledged that four peoplehad been killed and 43 injured in the town of Naqada. Amnesty Internationalrecognizes that criminal damage occurred during at least some of thedemonstrations, and that governments have a right and a responsibility to bringto justice those responsible for recognizably criminal offences. However, theIranian authorities are also obliged to act in accordance with internationalhuman rights law and human rights standards, including those relating to thepolicing of demonstrations, the prohibition of torture and fair trialstandards.Abbas Lisani has been arrested several times since 1997 in connection with hispolitical activity. He has been subjected to psychological and physical torturein custody, and harassed when he is at liberty. He told Amnesty Internationalin May that the most severe torture he experienced was in June 2004, when hetook part in a sit-in protest by Azeri Turks at the Sarcheshme Mosque inArdebil. After the security forces took control of the mosque, they beat himseverely and suffocated him until he passed out. He spent a month in custody,20 days of which were in solitary confinement. He had severe injuries,including broken ribs and a broken nose, for which he was denied medicaltreatment. He went on hunger strike twice to demand medical care, but withoutsuccess. After two days in custody he was taken before Branch 7 of theRevolutionary Court in Ardebil, where the judge refused to order medicaltreatment for him and told him that the Intelligence service "should have doneworse". On release he was fined 800,000 Rials (approx US$87,000) and given asuspended sentence of 15 lashes. He is still suffering health problems causedby the torture.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONIranian Azeri Turks, at around 25-30% of the population, are the largestminority in Iran and live mainly in the north-west. Mainly Shi’a Muslims, likethe majority of the population, they are not subject to the same kinds ofdiscrimination as minorities of other religions, and are well-integrated intothe economy, but in recent years there has been a growing demand for greatercultural and linguistic rights, such as the right to be taught in Turkish. Asmall minority advocate the secession of Iranian Azerbaijani provinces andunion with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Activists who promote Azeri Turkishcultural identity are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities, whooften charge them with vaguely worded offences such as "promoting pan-Turkism".The Iranian authorities have accused outside forces, particularly the USA, ofstirring up the unrest in Iranian Azeri provinces. The USA has denied this.

AI Index: MDE 13/063/2006

8 June 2006

2006-06-09T01:55:00.001-07:00

Say (No.):333 / 2006
Tarix (Date): 8 June 2006
Amnesty International, London
CC High Commiserate of Human Rights, Geneva

Dear Mrs. Harrison

Re FROM THE MOUNTING REPRESSION TO FORCED TELEVISIONCONFESSIONS UNDER DURESS

You have now witnessed the brutal repression of the innocent nation of Southern Azerbaijan proclaiming justice for Azerbaijanis. The regime in Tehran is acting in anger by continuing its assault on our unarmed civilians. The outcome is that our compatriots have suffered the loss of life in tens, injuries in hundreds and detention and torture in thousands. According to our confirmed information 400 Azerbaijani youths are under detention by an individual called “Elai”, who is a judge in Erdebil and uses a Mosque as his makeshift detention centre. Naturally, it is an impossible task to compile a full list of the casualties and the victims of these sustained assaults for being shrouded in disinformation facilitated by their iron-fist policies. Thus, we are obliged to compile the list, even if not in full, so that they are documented in your archives and in time, and hopefully soon, they will be taken as responsible for their actions in international courts of law. Part of the list is given below.

Those Paid the Ultimate Price by Losing their Lives while under Assault:
Vehid Bavemiya (Tebriz)
Cemshid Zencani (Tebriz)
Xelil Ufiqi (Tebriz)
Vehid Azeri pur (Sulduz)
Huseyn Fethi pur (Sulduz)
Himmet Ismi zade (Sulduz)
Elil Abbasi (Sulduz)
Esger Qasimi (Sulduz)
Ibrahim Azər pur (Sulduz)
Ferzad Esed pur (Urmu)
Elirza Quli pur (Sulduz)
Esger Shikari (Sulduz)
Tovhid Zaman pur ( Sulduz)
Riza mir Agha pur Dervishi ( Tebriz)

My biggest concern is to save the life of those under torture and precisely for this reason I would like to provide you with the translation of the statement by ASMEK and duly remind you, your duty of care for playing your role in saving their life, some of whom may be at the brink of death.

Southern Azerbaijanis known to be subjected to torture:
Mr. Abbas Lisani is protesting against savage tortures that he was subjected to by undergoing hunger strike while in detention. He was arrested by Intelligence agents. We have made numerous representations for this honourable person and you have campaigned for him on a number of occasions.
The engineer, Mr Qulam Rza Emani is protesting against torture that he is being subjected to in the prison in Tebriz by the only defence he has: hunger strike. As a result, he is extremely weakened. You have the file for this young engineer, who suffered four years of imprisonment a few years back.
We wrote to you in our previous letter about Mr. Davud Meqami who suffered extreme torture and therefore transferred to a secure unit in Khomeyni Hospital in the Mughan Region of Southern Azerbaijan.
Hebib Purveli lost conscienceness under torture and was transferred to a secure unit in Shoheda Hospital in Tebriz and under control of security agents.
Mrs. Hejer Sultani was arrested in the city Kerej near Tehran and was transferred to Evin Prison. She is known to be at the brink of death for both being subjected to torture and for undergoing hunger strike.
Mr. Sirus Huseyn zade was arrested in Kerej and was transferred to Evin Prison and his condition is similar to that of Mrs. Hejer Sultani.
We have been reporting to you on the veterans of our national movement including musicians, writers, poets and other distinguished representatives of our culture and fine arts. Their grave conditions are reported to us in various reports. These prisoners of conscience are abused by way of forced television confessions under duress but at least we learn in this way that they are alive.

We are persistently requesting you once again to play your role in creating an effective front against these savage assaults to save the life of innocent political prisoners.

Yours Sincerely,

Boyuk Resuloglu

For and on behalf of
The Committee for the Defence of the Rights of the World Azerbaijanis

The Translation of the first document by ASMEK on 2 June 2006

According to the news received from Tebriz, it is evident that that a number of prisoners detained during the recent mass protests were subjected to violence and beating up by Intelligence agents. Among those subjected to torture are a pilot and a student who suffered internal bleeding and were subsequently maimed. The young student, who had suffered a savage torture, was forced to confess under duress in front of camera. He was ordered to confirm an evidently fictitious communication with America. A number of others were subjected to physical violence and after being arrested they were transferred to a makeshift prison in Tebriz.

Also, the families of the five other renowned political prisoners have expressed their concern regarding their loved ones under detention. These detainees are from the South Azerbaijani city of Maragha but are detained in the capital city of Tebriz. Hamid Yegane pur, one of these five detainees, is known to suffer from heart problems. He is a student and our reliable sources confirm that under his heart condition he was transferred to high security special wing of the prison for locking up dangerous criminals and culprits. The other student from these 5 detainees is Yashar Hekkak pur Maraghi, in the bankrupt wingof the prison. The other three detainees are locked up in quarantine unit of the prison. Their names are Davud Ezim zade, a teacher; Elirza Heqqi and Mejid Pejuhi fam, a university professor. Although the families have been asked to bear the burden of bail for the freedom of their loved ones but this has turned out to be another empty promise. The bail set for Yashar Hekkak pur is 20 million Tumen and 10 million Tumen for the others. They have even not been tried yet.

Heyder Shadi, a university professor and a distinguished Azerbaijani writer is still jailed in Evin Prison.

Once again, the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners of (Southern) Azerbaijan expresses own anxiety against the torture and illegal behaviour inflicted to our people. We hope that these heinous acts will be opposed by organisations defending human rights and by media informing the public opinion.

Friday 2 June 2006

The Translation of the second document by ASMEK on 4 June 2006

According to the news received by the Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners in (Southern) Azerbaijan, many people from the citizens of (Southern) Azerbaijan are detained in different prisons of Azerbaijan and Tehran and are illegally held there.

A dreadful atmosphere of fear and coercion have engulfed (Southern) Azerbaijan and the ongoing large scale detentions are so widespread that it is difficult to compile accurately the lists of the victims and casualties.

The names of 77 persons under detention include:

Tebriz:
Hesen Heregli (Demirchi, musicologist by profession),
Chingiz Bekhtaver including three members of his family,
Eli Hamid Iman,
Menuchehr Ezizi,
Qulam Rza Emani,
Hemid pur Veli,
Abbas pur Ezheri (an activist of the movement of Fighting Moslems),
Hesen Haji Eyyubi (Erk),
Heyder Emioghlu,
Ehmed Rzai,
Hashim Mirzade,
Seid Bidokht,
Seid Mehemmedi,
Mehemmed Nejefi

Tehran
15 Eli Envari,
16 Mejid Huseyni,
17 Heyder Shadi (University lecturer),
18 Mehdi Ehmedi,
19 Isa Berfi,
20 Mrs. Nida Muradi

Urmu
21 Mejid Makui,
22 Ibrahim Dehqan,
23 Rza Heyderi,
24 Huseyn Turk,
25 Kerim Huseyn pur,
26 Yusuf Seyyidi,
27 Mehran Tebrizi (the director of Nevid-Azerbaijan), and
28 Ibrahim Reshidi.

Erdebil
29 Rza Kazimi (journalist),
30 Vehid Dergahi (the chief editor of Avaye-Erdebil),
31 Eli Nezeri, (the chief editor of the weekly Araz),
32 Vedud Esedi (the leader of the Islamic Society of Open University in Erdebil),
33 Eli Babai,
34 Huseyn Kheyyati,
35 Ferid Ebdulelizade,
36 Edalet Abbasi,
37 Rehim Qulami,
38 Shapur Nusret pur,
39 Eyvaz Ibad pur (the chief editor of weekly Yarpaq),
40 Mehemmed Yusufi,
41 Araz Qafarzade,
42 Abbas Lisani (also known as Leysanli),
43 Yusuf Elizade,
44 Behzad Khisrovani
45 Qasim Qaribi

Meshgin-sheher (Khiyov in Azerbaijani)
46 Erdelan Envari,
47 Esed Yaqubi,
48 Eyrej Muezzin zade,
49 Jelil Muqeddesi,
50 Ferhad Servnaz

Parsabad (Mughan-sheher in Azerbaijani)
51 Davud Meqami

Maku (Maki in Azerbaijani)
52 Shehram Pasha pur,
53 Mohsin Huseyn zade

Merend
54 Oruj Emiri (journalist),
55 Emin Movehhidi,
56 Selman Ebazeri,
57 Sheji,
58 Davud Shir-del,
59 Qoja zade,
60 Huseyn Zadegan

Maragha
61 Hamid Yegane pur,
62 Yashar Hekkak pur Maraghi,
63 Davud Ezim zade,
64 Mejid Pejuhi fam (University professor),
65 Elirza Heqqi

Miyandoab (Qoshachay in Azerbaijani)
66 Jelal Kud-elilu,
67 Mohsun Feramerzi,
68 Ehed Jiddi,
69 Mehdi Bazmani,
70 Shahrukh Feramerzi,
71 Emir Agha zade,
72 Emir Seqefi,
73 Veli Zohrabi,
74 Behbud Qulu zade,
75 Eli Razi,
76 Semsam Mehemmid vesh,
77 Hatem Rustemi

Furthermore according to authentic information, the conditions of many of the detainees are extremely concerning for suffering torture and these include: Hemid Pur-Veli, Davud Meqami, Sheji.

The Committee for Defending Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan (ASMEK) insistently requests all the authorities and organisations concerned with human rights to show more sensitivity to the events going on in (Southern) Azerbaijan.

Sunday, 4 June 2006

Hoping for the freedom of all prisoners of consciences and political prisoners

The Committee for the Defence of Political Prisoners of (Southern) Azerbaijan

Say (No.):332/ 2006
Tarix (Date): 7 June 2006

Amnesty International, London
CC High Commiserate of Human Rights, Geneva

Dear Mrs. Harrison

Re FEAR FOR HEALTH OF MR. HESEN AZERBAIJAN AND
MAKSHIF DETENTION CENTRE IN ERDEBIL

We have written to you regarding Mr. Hesen Azerbaycan (Azerbaijan), (also known as Hesen Demirchi) that he was detained by Iranian authorities purely for his musical activities – see our letter Ref. 327 on 28 May 2006. We cannot emphasise sufficiently that the life of this 65 year old veteran of music is devoted to the music of Southern Azerbaijan and he is suffering from severe heart problems.

We have just received accurate information that Mr. Hesen Azerbaijan’s heart was infected in the prison and according to the information released from the hospital of the prison the severity of the risk to his life is high. We have no doubt that hundreds are undergoing similar conditions and the authorities are bearing the responsibility for all these deliberate acts. We therefore request you to campaign for this distinguished fellow human being, as you can play a definitive role in saving his life.

Let us add that according to the reliable information received from inside Erdebil, approximately 400 persons are suffering detention for taking part in the peaceful mass protests for demanding the national rights of Southern Azerbaijanis. An individual judge called “Elai” is responsible for this operation and detaining such a large number of people in a makeshift prison. No one has been acknowledged with the reasons for their detention. Many of these detainees are young and their ages are in their late teens. We sincerely believe that there is a strong case here to campaign for their release as an _expression of your humanitarian mission.

Yours Sincerely,

Boyuk Resuloglu

For and on behalf of
The Committee for the Defence of the Rights of the World Azerbaijanis

2006-06-09T01:55:00.000-07:00

2006-05-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/045/2006
03 May 2006

UA 115/06 Arbitrary arrest/ incommunicado detention/ fear for torture and ill-treatment/ possible prisoner of conscience

IRAN Saleh Malla Abbasi (m) aged 32, agricultural engineer

Saleh Malla Abbasi is being held in incommunicado detention, where he is at risk of torture and ill-treatment. He is a possible prisoner of conscience, who may be detained solely on account of his peaceful activism for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority in Iran.

Saleh Malla Abbasi, an activist for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority community in Iran, who is married with two daughters, was arrested on 17 April at his home in the city of Ahar in Azerbaijan province. Police from the Ministry of Intelligence reportedly entered the family house from the front and the back door simultaneously. Saleh Malla Abbasi’s wife and two daughters were ordered not to move while the house was thoroughly searched. The family’s computer, satellite dish, and Turkish language books and CDs were confiscated. The police also took their personal telephone and address book, and a Turkish calendar that was hanging on the wall. The police reportedly remarked that the calendar proved that the family are “pan-Turks”. They searched through the family photo albums, and took some of the photos with them. They then arrested Saleh Malla Abbasi.

Following his arrest, Saleh Malla Abbasi's whereabouts were unknown. After two days, he was able to call his wife, and informed her that he was being transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in the city of Tabriz. His family have had no contact from him since, and he has not had access to a lawyer. Saleh Malla Abbasi had reportedly requested that no-one should try to look for him, or they too risked arrest. It is feared that he is being subject to torture and ill-treatment in detention.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Iranian Azeri Turks, who are mainly Shi’a Muslims, are the largest minority in Iran, believed to constitute between 25-30 per cent of the population. They are located mainly in the north and north-west of Iran. As Shi’a, they are not subject to the same kinds of discrimination as minorities of other religions, and are well-integrated into the economy, but there is a growing demand for greater cultural and linguistic rights, including implementation of their constitutional right to education through the medium of Turkish. A small minority advocate secession of Iranian Azerbaijan from the Islamic Republic of Iran and union with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Those who seek to promote Azeri Turkish cultural identity are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities, who often accuse them of vague charges such as "promoting pan-Turkism".

At the end of June 2005, scores of Iranian Azeri Turks participating in an annual cultural gathering at Babek Castle in Kalayber were arrested. At least 21 were later sentenced to prison terms of between three months and one year, some of which were suspended, reportedly after conviction of charges such as "spreading propaganda against the system" and "establishing organizations against the system". Some were also banned from entering Kalayber for a period of 10 years. On 30 March 2006, Azeri activists Ebrahim Rashidi and Maharam Kamrani, who is the brother of Human Rights Defender Saleh Kamrani, were arrested. They were released on bail on 18 April, and are due to be tried on the charge of “acting against national security”. (See UA 86/06, MDE 13/043/2006, 2 May 2006 and follow up)

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:
- expressing concern for the safety of Saleh Malla Abbasi who is reportedly held in incommunicado detention at detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in city of Tabriz;
- calling for him to be given immediate access to a lawyer of his choice and his family;
- seeking assurances that he are not being tortured or ill-treated in detention;
- expressing concern that Saleh Malla Abbasi appears to have been detained solely in connection with his peaceful activities for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority community;
- calling on the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally unless he is to be promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence.

APPEALS TO:
Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Information
Second Negarestan Street
Pasdaran Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: iranprobe@iranprobe.com
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via Judiciary website at Iranjudiciary.org/feedback_en.html
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 251 774 2228 (mark "FAO the Office of His Excellency, Ayatollah al Udhma Khamenei")
Email: info@leader.ir or istiftaa@wilayah.org

and diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 15 June 2006.

2006-05-21T02:50:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/047/2006
05 May 2006

UA 120/06 Arbitrary arrest/ incommunicado detention/ torture and ill-treatment

IRAN Mostafa Evezpoor (m), aged 25, member of the Azeri Turk minority community

Mostafa Evezpoor is detained incommunicado, at an undisclosed location which is believed to be a detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Tabriz. It is feared that he is being tortured.

According to reports, Mostafa Evezpoor was arrested at his home in the city of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, on 6 April with his 16-year-old brother Morteza. Their younger 14-year-old brother, Mohammad Reza, had been arrested earlier that day by officials from the Ministry of Intelligence, while writing the following slogan on the wall: “I am a Turk and my language is Turkish”. He was taken to a Ministry of Intelligence facility called Bagh Shomal, where he was allegedly severely beaten.

That night, at around midnight, around 15 officials from the Ministry of Intelligence came to the Evezpoor family home. They reportedly did not have an entry or an arrest warrant. Nonetheless, they searched the house, and confiscated some Azeri-Turkish language books, newsletters, posters, CDs, DVDs- reportedly of the three brothers at nationalist events with other Azeri Turk activists, and also some photos and a telephone book belonging to Mostafa. Mostafa and Morteza were then arrested.

Mohammad Reza and Morteza were detained for three days before being released. During this time, Mohammad Reza was allegedly tortured, including being suspended by his feet for 24 hours, and given no food or water, or allowed to use a toilet.

Mostafa Evezpoor remains in detention. His location has not been disclosed to his family, who have not had access to him. They managed to catch a brief glimpse of him on 9 April, three days after his arrest, when he was apparently brought before a court. It is believed that he is detained at a detention facility of the Ministry of Intelligence in Tabriz. He has had no access to a lawyer, and it is feared that he is being tortured in detention.

Amnesty International believes that Mostafa Evezpoor may be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely on account of his peaceful activism for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority in Iran. If this is the case, he should be immediately and unconditionally released. Otherwise, he should be promptly charged with a recognisably criminal offence and given a prompt and fair trial.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Iranian Azeri Turks, who are mainly Shi’a Muslims, are the largest minority in Iran, believed to constitute between 25-30 per cent of the population. They are located mainly in the north and north-west of Iran. As Shi’a, they are not subject to the same kinds of discrimination as minorities of other religions, and are well-integrated into the economy, but there is a growing demand for greater cultural and linguistic rights, including implementation of their constitutional right to education through the medium of Turkish. A small minority advocate secession of Iranian Azerbaijan from the Islamic Republic of Iran and union with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Those who seek to promote Azeri Turkish cultural identity are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities, who often accuse them of vague charges such as "promoting pan-Turkism".

At the end of June 2005, scores of Iranian Azeri Turks participating in an annual cultural gathering at Babek Castle in Kalayber were arrested. At least 21 were later sentenced to prison terms of between three months and one year, some of which were suspended, reportedly after conviction of charges such as "spreading propaganda against the system" and "establishing organizations against the system". Some were also banned from entering Kalayber for a period of 10 years. On 30 March 2006, Azeri activists Ebrahim Rashidi and Maharam Kamrani, who is the brother of lawyer and Human Rights Defender Saleh Kamrani, were arrested. They were released on bail on 18 April, and are due to be tried on the charge of “acting against national security”. (See UA 86/06, MDE 13/043/2006, 2 May 2006 and follow up). Azeri activist Saleh Malla Abbasi is detained incommunicado at a detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in Tabriz, following his arrest on 17 April 2006 (See UA 115/06, MDE 13/045/2006, 3 May 2006).

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:
- expressing concern for the safety of Mostafa Evezpoor, who is being held in incommunicado detention, reportedly at detention facility run by the Ministry of Intelligence in city of Tabriz;
- calling for him to be given immediate access to a lawyer of his choice and his family;
- expressing concern that Mostafa Evezpoor’s fourteen-year-old brother, who was arrested on the same day as his brother, was allegedly tortured in detention and seeking assurances that Mostafa Evezpoor is not being tortured or ill-treated in detention;
- reminding the authorities that Iran is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states that “No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman and or degrading treatment”, and calling for an investigation into all allegations of torture, with those found responsible brought to justice in fair trials;
- expressing concern that Mostafa Evezpoor appears to have been detained solely in connection with his peaceful activities for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority community;
- calling on the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally unless he is to be promptly charged with a recognizably criminal offence and given a prompt and fair trial.

APPEALS TO:
Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Information
Second Negarestan Street
Pasdaran Avenue
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: iranprobe@iranprobe.com
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via Judiciary website at Iranjudiciary.org/feedback_en.html
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@leader.ir or istiftaa@wilayah.org

and diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 16 June 2006.

2006-04-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/039/2002
12 April 2006
UA 86/06 Incommunicado detention/ Fear of torture and ill-treatment/ Possible prisoners of conscience
IRAN Maharam Kamrani, (m) medical doctor and editor
Ebrahim Rashidi (m), engineer
The two men named above are held in incommunicado detention, where they are at risk of torture and ill-treatment. They are possible prisoners of conscience, who may be detained solely on account of their peaceful activism for the rights of the Azeri Turk minority community in Iran.
Maharam Kamrani is a medical doctor and has been editor of Oyanish journal (meaning 'awakening' in Turkish) since he was a student. He was previously been arrested in June 2005 along with his brother Saleh Kamrani who is a lawyer and Human Rights Defender (HRD). Both were detained for three days before being released without charge. Ebrahim Rashidi was the publisher of another activist journal called Bakush, which was subsequently closed by the authorities.
Maharam Kamrani and Ebrahim Rashidi were arrested at one o'clock in the morning at a bus station in the city of Ahar in Azerbaijan province on 30 March. The day before, they along with other Azeri Turk activists had contacted the authorities in order to obtain a permit to hold a commemorative event on 31 March, which was denied. After they failed to return home, the men's families tried to find them. Intelligence agency officials (Ettelaat) confirmed that they had detained the men. Maharam Kamrani's younger brother Arsalan was ordered to attend the Intelligence agency office to present his brother's birth certificate. He too was arrested before being released on 31 March.
Saleh Kamrani presented himself at the Intelligence Agency office and submitted a visitation request and written request to represent his brother and Ebrahim Rashidi. He was threatened with imprisonment if he pursued his requests. Two other Azeri activists, Asgar Nouri and Jaber Mosavi, who went to the office of the Intelligence agency to enquire about Maharam Kamrani and Ebrahim Rashidi whereabouts were also arrested, but have since been released.
Maharam Kamrani and Ebrahim Rashidi have not had access to their family or lawyer since their arrest. The families have visited their place of detention on a daily basis asking to see them, but have been repeatedly threatened with arrest. On one occasion, Arsalan Kamrani caught a brief glimpse of the men in the courtyard, as they were being transferred to another detention facility. The men were chained together and handcuffed. On or around 2 April, the men were reportedly transferred from Ahar to Tabriz, to another detention facility run by the Intelligence agency. It is believed that they have not been charged.

2006-04-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Dear …..

I am writing to urge you to call on the Iranian authorities to release Azerbaijani Turks who were detained in relation to the commemoration of the Azeri genocide day, on March 31st. Although some of the participants have been released, many are still detained without charge, representation, or a trial at the Tabriz, Ardabil and Ahar prisons or at the Secret police centre (Ettelaat).

On March 31st, 2006, people of South Azerbaijan in Iran gathered in the city of Tabriz to commemorate the Azeri genocide day, and to condemn the Armenian’s brutal actions against civilians of Azerbaijan of Iran and of Republic of Azerbaijan. At the beginning of this peaceful demonstration in Tabriz, Iranian police attacked the demonstrators and arrested over 400 of whom some are still imprisoned without charges.

On March 29th, Dr Meheram Kamrani and other Azeri activists, in the city of Ahar, contacted the Iranian authorities to obtain an assembly permit to commemorate the Azeri genocide day. The Assembly permit was denied and they were threatened. On March 30th, at 1:00 am, the secret police, Ettelaat, arrested Dr. Meheram Kamrani and Ibrahim Rashidi from a bus station in Ahar. Their families spent the whole night searching for them, until the next day when finally the Ettelaat admitted to having detained them. Mr. Saleh Kamrani, a known human rights lawyer, brother of Dr Kamrani, has submitted several written representation and visitation requests but he was always denied permission. Now Iranian authorities are threatening Mr. Saleh Kamrani and he could be arrested at any moment. Dr Kamrani and Mr. Rashidi have been in custody since March 30th with no visitation and no lawyer.

On March 17th, Mr. Behrouz Alizadeh was kidnapped in the city of Ardabil by the secret police, Ettelaat. He was kept by the Ettelaat for several days and was tortured. During his time in Ettelaat, Mr. Alizadeh started a hunger strike which lasted for four days. He ended his hunger strike after his transfer to Ardabil prison, but at all this time, he was denied visitation and a lawyer. He finally started another hunger strike to protest against the authority’s refusal to allow him to see his elderly mother. He is still in Ardabil prison but broke his two days hunger strike after his visitation with his mother on April 6th. He has not been charged and has not yet been allowed to have a lawyer.

For the people of Azerbaijan March 31st is synonymous with pain, sorrow, and cruelty. So, people of south Azerbaijan were planning to gather to condemn these atrocities and to pay respect to innocent lives lost in this massacre.

I urge you and your colleagues to make this a priority by putting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to free immediately these fellow citizens. I am asking you to call on the Iranian government to release these innocent victims and do everything in your power, as a defender of human rights, to free them.

Sincerely,
maral zenjani

2006-04-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Turkey pleases Iran by yanking Iranian opposition TV The New Anatolian / Ankara
Turkey pleased Iran this week by revoking the license of an opposition Iranian Azeri TV channel which had been broadcasting through a Turkish satellite.South Azerbaijan Television, GunAz-TV, a private station based in the U.S. city of Chicago, couldn't get permission to extend its broadcasting agreement with TurkSat after it ran out at the end of last month. Turkish sources confirmed to The New Anatolian that the Azeri TV channel was not given an extension, but didn't provide reasons as to why.Gunaz-TV, founded in April last year, announces on its webpage that it will struggle against "Persian chauvinism" and says it aims for a revival of the Azeri national identity.Iranian officials conveyed their uneasiness to Ankara about the channel in the last couple of months, and requested several times for the station's license to be suspended as it was "spreading secessionist propaganda."Last month the Iranian Azeri diaspora in the U.S. and Canada carried out a letter and petition campaign to urge Turkish authorities not to ban GunAz from broadcasting via Turksat. Azeris in Iran comprise approximately one-quarter of the country's population.Several Azeri groups have complained of ethnic and linguistic discrimination in Iran including banning the Azeri language in schools, harassing Azeri activists and organizers, and renaming places that originally had Azeri names.Azeri groups also claimed that a number of Azeri political activists have been jailed for advocating cultural and language rights for Iranian Azerbaijanis. The government has charged several of them with "revolting against the Islamic state."The Iranian government traditionally views Azeri nationalism as threatening, particularly since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of an independent Azerbaijan. Nationalist Azeri groups aim for a larger Azerbaijan by uniting the independent Azerbaijan in the north with what they call "South Azerbaijan" in Iran.

http://www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-4239.html

2006-04-04T02:24:00.000-07:00

Say (No.) : 317 /2006
Amnesty international Tarix (Date): 3 April 2005
London

Dear Mrs. Harrison

We informed you in our last letter that the Southern Azerbaijani clergyman, Ezimi Qedim struggling to gain justice for (Southern) Azerbaijan and undergoing tremendous hardship, was handed over to Tebriz Prison on Sunday, 26 March 2006. As you know, besides many charges, he has been sentenced for one year three month and 1 day imprisonment. It may be that the court reviewed his sentence in response to his appeal, but the outcome was a reconfirmation of the sentence and its execution by imprisonment.

We are providing you the source document issued by ASMEK together with its English translation. Hereby we are requesting you once again to react to the situation and condemn grotesque charges inflicted against this honourable clergyman as an expression of your support for human rights. We hope you will review his files with a due urgency.

Boyuk Resuloglu

Chairperson

The Committee for the Defence of the Rights of World Azerbaijanis

The English Translation of the Statement by ASMEK

Hojjet-ul-Islam Ezimi Qedim is now forced to imprisonment

The appeal court confirmed the sentence passed against the Southern Azerbaijani clergyman Hojjet-ul-Islam Ezimi Qedim and he was handed over to Tebriz Prison on Sunday, 26 March 2006. Ezimi Qedim was arrested on 05.08.2005, while taking part in the Anniversary of the Constitution Revolution at the Baqir Khan Mausoleum, but was tried by a special court for clergymen after suffering three months of imprisonment. The sentence passed by that court is now confirmed and executed comprising one year three months and one day imprisonment; he is barred for leaving the country for five years; banned against living in the provinces of Eastern Azerbaijan, Western Azerbaijan, Erdebil and the Zenjan; forbidden to make any propaganda activities in these provinces; and he is stripped for ten years of using clergy uniform. The verdict of the court is executed from this day on by the branch of the office of Justice in Tebriz. He is commencing the imprisonment term with the deduction of the three months already spent in detention.

Source Document Issued by ASMEK:

QAYNAQ MƏTN

2006-03-31T01:01:00.000-08:00

To Amnesty International, London
CC (i) The UN Committee on Human Rights, New York
(This branch of Amnesty International issued a report on 26 February 2006, which also addressed Southern Azerbaijan; Ref: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006
(ii) The UN High Commission on Human Rights, Geneva
Dear Mrs. Harrison
Re ONGOING IRANIAN REPRESSIONS IN SOUTHERN AZERBAIJAN AND OUR RESPONSE
Waves of repression against Southern Azerbaijanis have escalated drastically since the election of the last president of Iran and in particular during the last two months. Various correspondences to you in recent months bear witness to this including our letters: Ref 309/2006 on 25 January 2006, Ref. 311/2006 on 18 February 2006, Ref. 312/2006 on 04 March 2006 and Ref. 313/2006 on15 March 2006. We have also kept you informed by copying you our letters to Mr. Kofi Annan, the General Secretary of the UN, regarding the poignant state of Southern Azerbaijanis fighting for justice through democratic means despite the iron-fist policies of Iranian rule, e.g. our letters Ref. 301/2005 on 22 November 2005 and Ref. 308/2006 on 09 January 2006.
The impact of Iranian repression against Southern Azerbaijanis is escalating daily while awaiting the materialisation of a serious protest by international organisations. Victims of this repression are having extortionate bail terms imposed upon them as their only means of temporary freedom though the majority are condemned to excruciating jail terms. Journalism is also under attack and these include closing down of Shemsi Tebriz in published Tebriz and Umidi Zenjan published in Zenjan in the last 4-5 years. Others are under severe restrictions and these include daily newspapers of: Nevidi Azerbaijan published in Urmu and Araz published in Erdebil. Azerbaijani is the only language of discourse within 30 million Southern Azerbaijanis but these daily newspapers have been served with ultimatum in the course of the last two weeks.
As you know, security agents keep threatening and terrifying families through their midnight raids, interrogations, seeking confessions under duress and aggressively dealing with those resisting their arbitrary treatments. This state of terror has increased to the extent that 513 persons have raised a petition with the participation of many poets, writers, intellectuals, journalists and well known individuals. The petition is directed to the head of the Office of Justice in Tebriz, demanding the immediate halting of this ongoing inexplicable situation. We are sending this source letter to you together with its English translation including the transcription of the under-signatories. We emphasise the importance of supporting these repressed individuals.
As reflected in our letters so far, undermining the resolution of our people is the strategy pursued by the Iranian authorities by subjecting their victims to all-round assaults, shrouding their heinous acts by arbitrarily arresting thousands of people, imposing hefty bail terms or passing heavy sentences.
We are providing the list of Southern Azerbaijani prisoners of conscience trapped in prisons and insistently seek your help in saving the lives of these people by offering your support to:
Mr. Hidayet Zakir, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Javad Abbasi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Məhəmməd Fərshi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Aghazade Harayi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Ibrahim Muini, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Mehemmed Huseyn Okhtayi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Hesen Ehsani, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Emir Elevi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Behruz Elizade, Erdebil Prison
Mr. Meherrem Xoshnami, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Eyyub Rezevi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Ebulfezl Fethi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Keyvan Neimi, Tebriz Prison
Mr. Yashar Meqami Islami, Tebriz Prison
Mr- Hojjatuislam Ezimi Qedimi Tebriz prison
We shall determine and imminently provide you the names of the prisoners in Southern Azerbaijani cities of Khiyov (Meshgin-sheher) and Zenjan

I wish to add that according to our sources, one purpose behind these inhumane and illegal harsh policies is a futile preparation against the annual Babek Castle march. In spite of this, our people are preparing for this annual event on a monumental scale and we are expecting half a million people to assemble in the castle environs.
This demonstration takes place every year on the first Friday of July. Once again we request you to dispatch your envoys to take part in this Assembly and to report back on its proceedings. This would also provide an opportunity for your envoys to meet Southern Azerbaijani political prisoners. Based on contemplating their report, I am also happy to help you and contribute towards meeting a certain amount of their expenses through our Committee.
Yours Sincerely
Boyuk Resuloglu
Chairperson
The Committee for Defending the Rights of the World Azerbaijanis
-------------------------------------------------------------
Together with this letter there are 7 documents in this correspondence, as detailed below:
This letter by DunAzHAK
The English translation of the Petition in the form of Open Letter issued in Tebriz
Yashar Hekkakpur speaks out of the ordeal he suffered
The English transcription of the under-signatory names
The source document of the Petition in the form of Open Letter issued in Tebriz
The source document by Yashar Hekkakpur
The source document of the under-signatory names

CC:
News Papers: London times, Washington Post, Lomond, FAZ in Germany, Musavat, Yeni Azerbaycan, Ayna, Zaman
Radio and TV: Radio Liberty, BBC, Voice of America, Aljazeera, Radio Israel and GunAz TV
Azerbaijani website: Azad tribun, Tribun and Shamsi
DunAzHAK Representatives in the various countries

DOCUMENT 2: (See also Source: Document 5)
A Petition Describing the Protest of Hundreds of Authentic and Legal Personalities for the Defence of Civil Rights of the Nation of Azerbaijan (Southern)
This is a petition undersigned by hundreds of authentic and legal Turkic personalities as a protest and is in the defence of civil, cultural, economic and social rights of the nation of Azerbaijan (Southern). This is also a response to the inexplicable detentions conducted against activists establishing our Turkic identity, where detentions took place in the course of the last winter in cities across Azerbaijan proper e.g. Zenjan, Tebriz, Maragha, Qum, Eher, Khoy, Meshgin-sheher (Khiyov) and Erdebil.
This petition, published as an open letter to the head of the Office of Justice of the Province of Eastern Azerbaijan, expressly emphasising on illegal acts of the authorities in the cities of Maragha. The letter demands the authorities to comply with the citizens’ rights of Turkic Azerbaijanis and to stop illegal acts by judiciary offices.
Khisrov QASIMI,
An Independent Journalist from Tebriz
In the name of god
Our fight for justice starts from the Office of Justice!
Date 8 February 2006 (the day of Ashura)
Re Open Letter to
The Honourable Head of the Department of Justice of Eastern Azerbaijan
Greetings
The undersigned persons (see Document 4), as an integral part of citizen of Azerbaijan (Southern) respectfully remind you that:
According to the Constitution and other related laws, Justice Departments are responsible for the realisation of rights and the resolution of animosity and on certain times for acting proactively.
According to the 4th Program of Economical, Social and Cultural Development, the Justice system is responsible for preventing ethnic discrimination.
With reference to authentic religious books of Shia Islamic traditions, determinations of Shia Imams and legislations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we stress that the establishment of Justice is an important duty of the Islamic government in the sector of Justice.
According to the holy laws of Islam and also the Constitution, as well as international conventions relating to human rights, recognised in Item 9 of the law on civil rights, the ethnic groups are recognised as equals by law. By way of this law, these ethnic groups, Turks, Persians, Kurds, Arabs, … must enjoy equal rights related to social, economical, legal … affairs. Therefore all citizens of Iran (including Turkic speakers in Iran) are entitled to preserve and strengthen their language, culture and own identities.

Regrettably, despite existing legal frameworks, Azerbaijanis (Southern) are deprived of their rights as individuals, as an ethnic group and as a nation. There is an absence of education in our mother tongue, a failure to implement our economic rights in diverse sectors and in general an absence of a framework to confer our rights recognised by international conventions and approved by the National parliament and Islamic Councils …
A great number of individuals seeking the establishment of our rights on political, cultural, art, social and legal fronts are subjected to all sorts of judiciary repressions year after year. In general these individuals not only do not get fair trials but are subjected to further injustice by the Offices of Justice purely for the reason of seeking justice.
Trial courts are well versed in irrelevant sentences and expression including: propaganda against the order of the country; conspiring to break the internal security of the country; spying; organising illegal parties and their membership (in general these are followed by penal codes of Item 498 – 502 of the Islamic penal codes).
In addition, it is quite typical for the authorities to prevent selection of one’s own lawyer; to not conduct open and fair trials; … Other typical tactics employed include: arresting without warrant followed by physical violence; subjecting prisoners of conscience to psychological pressures including threatening family members … Upon implementing the court sentences typical injustices include: denying these political prisoners the rights appropriate to prisoners, e.g. day release, reconsideration of sentences and conditional discharge. An illustration of the above includes the case of Mr Yashar Hekkak-pur, attached as Document 3, below.
In conclusion, the undersigned persons (see Document 4) insistently demand you, as the highest organ of justice in the province, to pass appropriate orders to halt these illegal acts in the department of Justice and to remove all these breaches in justice.

DOCUMENT 3: (See also Source: Document 6)
Mr. Yashar Hekkakpur speaks out of the ordeal he suffered
Yashar Hekkakpur:
Illegal acts imposed upon me during my detention
I was arrested without warrant. When I demanded to see the order summoning me from the security agents, they bundled me into their car. When I objected to their manner of treating me and arresting me without a court order, one of the agents pressed my neck with his hands, as if strangling me and used force to suffocate me. They threatened that if I did not remain silent, they would handcuff me and using an instrument in their hand they will beat me up until I lose my consciousness.
When I was in Maragha and even when transferred to Tebriz, I was blindfolded, despite my continuous objections.
I was not taken to court for three days. It should be noted that according to the law, one cannot be detained without charge for more than 24 hours.
My objections were typically followed by the response that I could be detained as long as the authorities wished. I was told: you have learned things from these treacherous newspapers but do not forget that we can do whatever we wish.
The interrogator used foul language and insulted my system of beliefs during my detention. He attributed ongoing events to Seyyid Mohhamad Khatami and regarded people like me as infidels and deserving of death. He claimed that I was connected with America and England and that I was a spy.
The above person insisted that I was a member of evil forces and that all I read about, discuss and/or talk about are rubbish and nothing more. He stated that anyone capable of accessing the Internet is an agent of the enemy and he attributed this to the program of monitoring emails by Pentagon, who owns yahoo and each bit of information is processed by America before reaching their final destination. Thus, he regarded the act of emailing as committing to a great offence.
The interrogator kept talking about Mujahideens, mentioning that he himself had seen many of them to their execution track. He told me to repent and read the Quranic verse on repenting.
When interrogating me, he compared me with the Munafiqs (as Khomeini branded the members of the Popular Mojaheeds Organisation) and was not interested in my objections that there were nothing in common between me and them. His mind appeared set in regarding my friends and I as armed forces mobilised against the Islamic order. As he regarded himself a Hezbollah, he disregarded my opinions demanding education in Turkic Azerbaijani in our schools as conferred by Item 15 of the Constitution and felt free to insult our Turkic identity.
I was accused of things unrelated to my activities, or demands. At the detention centre of Maragha, Mr. Peyghami, a religious person, referred to the opinions of Ayatollah Hassan Beheshti claiming that Persian and Arabic were the world supreme languages. Since these were the words of this particular Ayatollah and these languages were the languages of the paradise, it was stated that our Turkic language was not of importance and could become extinct.
One of the colleagues of Peyghami, who was from Tebriz and had the pseudonym Behmeni, interrogated me on the third day. His approach was initially tough and I was threatened with long term imprisonment and torture. On realising that his threats were ineffective and in the face of my continued protestations emphasisng my legal rights, he softened somewhat and assumed pretentious friendliness. He made accusations that my cultural and social activities are incompatible with what is legally allowed. As my activities within the university are all within law, I expressed surprise when he regarded them as illegal. I gave an example regarding a complaint petition against the arbitrary behaviour of a group of security agents and emphasised our rights and the unacceptable acts of the authorities. He responded angrily that in claiming to promote culture and pledging allegiance to Azerbaijanis, we were traitors and in attending the annual Babek Castle Assembly, we were committing unholy acts and were, in consequence, dishonourable people.
My interrogator got so angry that he came out of his cell with 1.5-2 m of me; walked towards me to say: “tell your friends that we will cut their ears (i.e. punish) as and when we wish!”
Failing to get a confession, he angrily left the room saying that he is from another city, very busy and cannot stay in Maragha everyday, wishing me to remain in prison until I rot.
After three days from my detention at 23.00 nighttime, I was informed that the Judge has arrived to explain my accusations to me. They took me to the interrogation room of the detention centre of the security office. The judge asked me the meaning of the term “Southern Azerbaijan” and I furnished him with some information and who uses this term. The Judge after a few questions regarding the student journal of Zenjan Sozleri and various news websites, he explained the charge against insulting to the “religious guardianship” (Vilayet Feqih) by referring to a news item appeared in a website.
With the information that I have on the Internet websites, I tried to convince the judge that I only refer to these sites to read them and I have no connection with that particular website. However, he said that apparently I have their password and type directly their news items and the insult to religious guardianship and the recorded article was apparently my doing.
I was really shocked of his accusations. On the second round he explained my accusations by accusing me of spying and spreading propaganda against the regime and in favour of forces rejecting the regime. My efforts were in vain that I was only active in the University of Zenjan on student affairs and (despite being from Maragha) was not active in Maragha; adding that my student activities were all within legal framework and within the university; our activities were evaluated by authorities within the university. He refused to accept my explanations and was adamant that our little groups are engaged in illegal activities to destabilize the country under the name of Green Azerbaijan and The House of Azerbaijanis.
As I was only active in the House of Azerbaijanis of the university in cultural and social aspects with an official licence issued by the National Organisation for Youth, I considered the accusations irrelevant (I guess a spy would not be fired with such as a scale of accusations). Thus I was stunned and by way of protest to these arbitrary accusations, I resorted to hunger strike.
An interesting point was that after ending the interrogation, we were ordered to sign a number of documents at 3.45 in the morning. These were describing my transfer (Yashar Hekkakpur) and Davud Ezimzade to the department of Justice. However, I noted the need to record the time, the place and date and this upset them. After this, I also signed the minutes of the meeting that was compiled by the judge describing my detention until the second notice, where he had left blank the specific data on the date of detention and release.
After 8 days, I and my friend Ezimzade were transferred to security offices in Tebriz. The following day we were interrogated in a dark room with no air conditioning and one felt suffocated. In spite of my interrogations running into some 70 pages in Maragha, I was interrogated again in Tebriz with the log running into some 60 pages. I was under both psychological and physical pressure (the physical pressure was exacerbated by my hunger strike). Their interrogations (4 hours in the morning and 6 hours in the afternoon) took place in that dark room and outside these hours I was being transferred to a dark room. During all 9 days that I was interrogated, I was blindfolded during the interrogation times and the transfers to the interrogation room in the Department of Intelligence (Ittilaat or Ettelaat). Haji Murtuza, the leader of the interrogation team, told me that they have obtained orders from the Judge to detain us for one month, adding that the Judge obeys their instructions and it is easier than “drinking water” to extend the detention period for another month.
Besides interrogations, every day I had the allowance of fresh air but this was in a back yard 3m by 3m and like a castle it had 8m high walls and naturally it was semi-dark and very boring. Also here I had the opportunity for my line thought of contemplating the accusations, including antirevolutionary, branding my university and intellectual activities as terrorist or destabilizing the country (where any such activity should be evaluated by the university); I was very concerned and my morale was undermined when accused of connecting me to America and England; I was frequently compared with Munafiqs, or “we could easily imprison you for 10 years or more for these accusations.”
They regarded me and people like me as betrayers and foreign agents. At the end we were told the only way to our freedom is by signing what they want. As we were not in a good psychological and physical duress we gave in to write false statements tantamount to the following “the articles in Zenjan Sozleri are all false and illegal and I have distribution this periodical outside the university and take responsibility for these.”
I was under pressure in the detention centre to call my family and call them to keep silence about my detention. Also I was asked to call S. Metinpur (a friend of mine in Zenjan) and inform him that if my arrest is aired internationally including my arrest and detention and my fathers interview with foreign radios, then this will be reflected on my file and my sentences will be harsher. Also my family may face with appropriate hardships.
For the first time, I saw the Judge and observed severe accusations against me. As I do not understand law much, I demanded to have a lawyer of my confidence, and I stated that I do not know my rights and the accusations are undue and severe. The Judge said no lawyer is necessary.
Also, when I saw the Judge in the second round in Maragha, I described him that I was under psychological and physical duress and suffered a box on ear by Mr. Peyghami, the interrogator of Maragha. The Judge reminded me of charges against insults to the foundations of the country and angrily dismissed me saying in anger go away.
I was transferred from Tebriz to Maragha Prison and I was still in the detention period and after tracing my fingers for the second time I was dispatched to the prison, first quarantined and then placed in the Youth sector of the prison. I was mixed with general prisoners including murderers, thieves and charlatans. I also penetrated their thoughts by sharing my views with them.
One day later, a clergyman, who was in charge of the cultural unit of the prison, was promoting a poetry session in front of the prison Mosque. I recited here a poem by Bulud Qarachurlu titled “But I do claim to be from a superior race …”.
The clergyman was cynical of my recited poem and said that religion is superior to everything including language. As I never take language second to religion, I therefore defended my thoughts. This provoked the clergyman (Mr. Pashai who is from the Southern Azerbaijani city of Maki) and threatened me to be transferred to Section 1 of the prison, allocated to dangerous prisoners and full of drugs, drug-dealers and swindlers. I was eventually transferred there and naturally I said do whatever you wish.
This situation continued for one month, after which I was set free having met a hefty bail of amounting 800,000,000 riyal (approximately $100,000).

DOCUMENT 4: (See also Source: Document 7)
Transcription of Under-signatories
The undersigned individuals:
1 Yashar Ibrahimi-zade 2 Mrs. Solmaz Ibrahim-zade 3 Mrs. Elman Ibrahimi
4 Pedram Ibrahimi 5 Hesen Ibrahimi 6 Qafar Ibrahimi
6 Meherrem Ibrahimi 7 Huseyn Ejr-khah 8 Hesen Ejr-khah
9 Semed Ehedi-vend 10 Oruj Ehmed-pur 11 Nasir Ehmedi
12 Yunis Zare’un 13 Behnam Ustad Abbasli 14 Mehemmed Esedi
15 Mehdi Esedi 16 Aydin Eslan Oghlu 17 Huseyn Ismaili
18 Rehber Ismaili 19 Sehend Efshari 20 Huseyn Iqbali Koyij
21 Ebulfezl Ekberi 22 Eli Ekremi 23 Mensur Imami
24 Qulamrza Emani Qaraguni 25 Araz Enveri 26 Seid Enveri
27 Kerim Ehemmi 28 Araz Abadi 29 Yusuf Abadi-khah
30 Mehemmed Atesh-Efruz Hokmabad 31 Yunis Aramish
32 Rza Aghai 33 Murad Agha-pur 34 Aghshin Aghai
35 Abdulla Al-javanan 36 Kerim Amaqli 37 Mrs. Nahid Babazade
38 Ferid Baqirzade 39 Ehed Baqiri 40 Mrs. Re’na Bavili
41 Mrs. Nida Bavili 42 Mehemmed Bayrami 43 Atabek Bekhtever
44 Babek Bekhtever 45 Jahanbekhsh Bekhtever 46 Chingiz Bekhtever
47 Ibrahim Bedeli 48 Hesen Bedeli 49 Abdulla Bedeli
50 Eli Beraderan 51 Eli Berazende 52 Sabir Berzgerzade
53 Mehemmedrza Bezzazi 54 Emir Abbas Bennai Kazimi 55 Javad Bahari Tebrizi
56 Ehmed Behrami 57 Qulameli Bibak 58 Husheng Pervay
59 Eli Pervinpur 60 Emir Penahi 61 Hemid Penahi
62 Taghi Purbaqiri 63 Elirza Purbekhsheli 64 Mrs. Semiyye Purjelili
65 Hemid Purveli 66 Eziz Purveli 67 Esger Purian
68 Aresh Pirzade 69 Mrs. Shehin Pirzade 70 Mejid Pirzade
71 Perviz Tariverdizade 72 Rustem Tari 73 Mustafa Tari
74 Altay Tebrizli 75 Eli Tebrizi 76 Resul Turkanpur
77 Taghi Tevanmend 78 Yashar Turkoghlu 79 Sevil Tirendaz
80 Seyyad Tirendaz 81 Ekber Timar 82 Mrs. Feride Jeferi
83 Araz Jeliloghlu 84 Rza Jeliloghlu 85 Sadiq Jeferi
86 Seyyad Jeferi 87 Seyyad Jeferi 88 Araz Jeliloghlu
89 Rza Jeliloghlu 90 Mehemmed Jeliloghlu 91 Behzad Jelili
92 Sina Jelili 93 Yaver Jemali 94 Nusret Jendeqi
95 Yaqub Jahangirzbade 96 Yusuf Jahangirzade 97 Huseyn jahani
98 Eli Javadpur 99 Mehdi Javadpur 100 Mehdi Javadpur
101 Mehemmedeli Javangruh 103 Rehman Chopani 104 Eyrej Haziqi
105 Javad Hebibzade 106 Ehmed Hesenpur 107 Mahmud Hesenpur
108 Resul Hesenzade 109 Mrs. Peri Hesenzade 110 Shahin Heseni
111 Muhibb-ulla Huseynzade 112 Javad Huseynzade 113 Huseyn Huseynzade
114 Siyamek Huseynelizade 115 Umid Huseyni 116 Nurullah Huseynian
117 Ehmed Nusreti 118 Elesger Hezreti 119 Leyla Heyderi
120 Eli Khalitabadi 121 Eli Khanzade 122 Mehdi Khudadi
123 Ismayil Khudadai 124 Mehemmed Khetibi 125 Qulu Khelefi
126 Allahverdi Khelili 127 Emir Khelili 128 Jabrayil Khelili
129 Sadiq Khelil 130 Hesen Khun-Jahan 131 Huseyn Khun-Jahan
132 Ehed Khiyabani 133 Mukhtar Khiyabani 134 Kerim Kheyberi
135 Aytan Donmez 136 Settar Dadkhah 137 Eli Daghchi
138 Araz Danishver 139 Boyuk Dani 140 Hesen Daveri
141 Heyder Daveri 142 Ufuq Derdmend 143 Babek Derdmend
144 Eli Deliri 145 Hesen Demirchi 146 Eli Dehqan
147 Rza Dehqannejad 148 Ibrahim Dehqannejad 149 Husheng Dibavend
150 Elirza Ruba’I 151 Javad Rejebzade 152 Ibrahim Restgari
153 Behram Rustemvend 154 Huseyn Rustemi 155 Mohsun Rzanur
156 Erdalan Rzai 157 Okhtay Rezevi 158 Heseni Rezevi
159 Yashar Rezevi 160 Hesen Ruhullapur 161 Haray Ruqeddi
162 Elirza Zare’ 163 Qulamrza Zare’ 164 Emir Zahid
165 Mehdi Zahid 166 Hesen Zahidi 167 Sevil Zahidi
168 Sejjad Ziyneti 169 Ehed Zini-beyli (Beyglu) 170 Aysan Salarzade
171 Elirza Serdari 172 Mrs. Arzu Serdari 173 Mrs. Sanaz Serdari
174 Dariyush Se’idi 175 Qadir Sultani 176 Eli Siyasi
177 Yusuf Eli Seyferi 178 Mrs. Arzu Shadi 179 Hemid Shafe’i
180 Sadiq Sherifi 181 Nasir Shikuhi 182 Mrs. Nahid Shikuhi
183 Yedullah Shekibi 184 Emir Shukri 185 Yusuf Shukri
186 Behzad Shehriyari 187 Yaqub Shehriyari 188 Ismayil Shixli
189 Yar-Mehemmed Sane’i 190 Yusuf Shirinpur 191 Yedulla Sahibqelem
192 Aydin Sadiqi 193 Yusuf Sadiqi 194 MehemmedRza Sadiqi
195 Yaqub Sehrai 196 Elirza Serrafi 197 Hesen Seferzade
198 Behruz Seferi 199 Meqsud Seferi 200 Mrs. Minu Seferi
201 Ibrahim Terefi 202 Resul Telai 203 Seid Telai
204 Saleh Adili 205 Hadi Adili 206 Mahmud Adili Qalibaf
207 Sabir Ali 208 Jefer Amili 209 Ekber Imadpur
210 Mrs. Ziba Ibadpur 211 Javid Ibadi 212 Khisro Ibadi
213 Araz Ibadi-nejad 214 Eli Abbaspur 215 Behzad Abbaszade
216 Mohsun Abbaszade 217 Elyar Abbasi 218 Hesen Ebdurehmani (Umudoglu)
219 Himayet Abdullah-nejad 220 Sabir Abdullahi 221 Ilyas Abdullahi
222 Taymaz Abdullahi 223 Shukrulla Abdullahi 224 Sabir Abdullahi
225 Taghi Ebdi 226 Mehemmed Ebdi 227 Mahmud Ebdi
228 Huseyn Ebdi 229 Abbas Ebdi 230 Mehemmed Ezizi
231 Eli Ezimi 232 Javad Eli Meded-nejad 233 Mehemmed Elipur
234 Hemid Elizade 235 Mehdi Elizade 236 Hebib Endelib
237 Mustafa Evezpur 238 Ayaz Qulampur 239 Babek Qulamzade
240 Mrs. Ayda Qulami 241 Abbas Qulami 242 Subhan Fethi
243 Qulamhuseyn Feridi 244 Heyder Qabil 245 Elirza Qasimpur
246 Qulamrza Qasimpur 247 Rehim Qasimi 248 Mehemmedrza Qasimi
249 Hamid Qarazad 250 Ibrahim Qurbanzade 251 Eli Qurbanzade
252 Resul Qurbani 253 Erirza Qashqayi 254 Hesen Qishlaqi
255 Hesen Qishlaqi 256 Ekber Qenberi 257 Babek Qojaoghlu
258 Ferhad Qevidel 259 Hadi Kave 260 Zulfuqar kemali
261 Ershed Kazimi 262 Evez Kazimi 263 Babek Kerimi
264 Mrs. Reyhane Kerimi 265 Semed Gulmehemmedzade 266 Seid Metinpur
267 Elirza Mohsuni 268 Jelaleddin Mehemmedpur 269 Ayet Mehemmed Jeferi
270 Aytan Mehemmedi 271 Babek Mehemmedi 272 Seyyar Mehemmedi
273 Elirza Mehemmedi 274 Nesrin Mehemmedi 275 Nevid Mehemmedi
276 Terane Mehemmedi Esl 277 Mehdi Mahmudi 278 Mrs. Arzu Mededi
279 Savalan Mededi 280 Behruz Merendi 281 Sohrab Muruvveti
282 Mehemmed Muruvveti 283 Hamid Mesudi 284 Jefer Me’teri
285 Settar Muqeddem 286 Eli Muqeddem 287 Esger Muni’
288 Ekber Muhajiri 289 Mrs. Semiyye Muhajiri 290 Esed Mehri
291 Rza Muvehhidi 292 Mir Seyid Musevi Kurdler 293 Mehemmedrza Munis
294 Mehemmed Mirzai 295 Bayram Mirzazade 296 Elirza Nasir
297 vehid Nahi 298 Ebulfezl Nesiri 299 Nasir Nezmi
300 Qadir Ne’metzade 301 Emir Nefisi 302 Ferhad Nuri
303 Mehdi Nuri 304 Yusuf Nuri 305 Selman Nevidi
306 Mohsun Hashimi 307 Babek Herekli 308 Mrs. Sona Herekli
309 Mazyar Herekli 310 Ibrahim Hummetju 311 Eli Hummeti
312 Mehdi Hummeti 313 Mehdi Vahid 314 Sirus Vehdani
315 Firuz Vehdani 316 Emir vehid 317 Saman Vehid Qurbani
318 Javad Vehidi 319 Elesger Vehidi 320 Meherrem Velipur
321 Ekber Velipur 322 Shirvan Velipur 323 Behnam Vahabpur
324 Eli Vahabpur 325 Qulamrza Vahabpur 326 Hesen Yarmez
327 ehed Yari 328 Haj-Ehmed Yari 329 Mehemmed Yegane
330 Hamid Yeganepur
Protests expressed separately by publishing organisations, foundations or social associations and individuals, a list of which is given below:
331 The Islamic Association of Zenjan University Students
332 A group of student of Tehran University
333 A group of religious students of Hemedan-Azerbaijanis
334 A group of teachers, writers and social and cultural activists of Zenjan
335 The Islamic Society of the Students of Zenjan University
336 The Central Council of the Islamic Society Of Zenjan University
337 Women’s Voice
338 The new wave Cultural and Social Centre of Zenjan University
339 The third generation Centre for Cultural and Social of Zenjan University
340 The Centre for Cultural and Social of xxx of Zenjan University
341 The Publication Centre of Zenjan University
342 The Collective of Azerbaijani Academics
343 The Peak Periodical
344 The Anima Periodical
345 The Periodical of Wet Birds
346 The Periodical Blackboard
347 The Periodical Zenjan Sozleri
348 The Periodical Sheyda
349 The Periodical Qizil Ozen
350 The Periodical Focus
351 The Periodical New Waves
352 The Periodical Sole Heritage
353 The Periodical Third generation
354 The periodical Vejin
Name added recently:
354 Murtuza Ibrahim-nejad 355 Seid Erdebili 356 vedud Esedi
357 Mrs. Jila Esedi 358 Mehemmed Islami 359 Ekber Islami
360 Hesen Esgeri 361 Esger Ekberzade 362 Siyavush Ekberzade
363 Emir Huseyn Ekberi 364 Kerim Allahverdi 365 Kerim Allahverdi
366 Ferzan Imami 367 Milad Emrai 368 Resul Umidi
369 Ehmetulla Enzelili 370 Aydin Anqoti 371 Eli Envari
372 Ekber Azad 373 Boyuk Ayetullahi 374 Eli Babai
375 Eli Babai 376 Hesen Balazade 377 Isfendyar Bavefa
378 Ebulfezl Bejani 379 Behzad Bekhtyar 380 Shehruz Bekhtyar
381 Huseyn Purbabai 382 Iman Purqasimi 383 Iman Purqasim
383 Jelal Teqevi 384 Fatime Tovhidi 385 Mohsun Tovhidi
386 Mohsun Jabbari 387 Ekber Jiddi 388 Babek Jiddi
389 Mohsun Jelali 390 Rovshen Javanshir 391 Mehemmed Javanshir
392 Dariyush Hatemi 393 Davud Huseynzade 394 Khisro Heqqi
395 Huseyn Khalkhali 396 Mahmud Khiyabani Tebrizi 397 Yusuf Dadashi
398 Sadiq Dadger 399 Suleyman Daghli 400 Ramin Dervish-nejad
401Ehmed Dildade 402 Ferhad Dunyadide 403 Nasir Devvar
404 Fershid Dilmeqani 405 Shehram Radmehr 406 Sejjad Radmehr
407 Behnam Radmehr 408 Haleh Radmehr 409 Emin Radmehr
410 Vehid reshidi 411 Elshen Reshidi 412 Ismayil Reshidi
413 Arif Reshidi 414 Vezir Reshidi 415 Ruhulla Reshidi
416 Eli Rzai 417 Ferhad Rzai 418 Nasir Rzapur
419 Khelil Rzai 420 Ferhad Rzai 421 Mohsun Refi’i
422 Fethulla Zeynebi 423 Yehya Samanli 424 Taha Seadeti
425 Adil Seadeti 426 Eli Seidi 427 Perviz Seyyai
428 Heyder Shadi 429 Ehed Sherifzade 430 Umid Shukri
431 Seljuq Shehbazi 432 Misem Sheykhi 433 Ramin Sadiq Esl
434 Eli Sadiq Berzger 435 Mehemmed Sebri 436 Ferzad Semedli
437 Esger Seyfi Jahani 438 Esger Abbaszade 439 Eli Abbasi
440 Shehnam Abbasi 441 Babek Abbasi 442 Abdulla Abbasi Javan
443 Ruhulla Abbasian 444 Ferid Ebdulelizade 445 Eli Abdullahi
446 Khisro Ebdi 447 Saleh Edl 448 Hemdulla Esgeri
449 Qurban Etai 450 Resul Elm-shahi 451 Mehdi Elevi
452 Behruz Elizade 453 Mohsun Elizade 454 vehid Elizade
456 Shehram Eyvezian 457 Yashar faiqi 458 Shehram Fettahpur
459 Feramerz fettahi 460 Ibrahim Fethi 461 Ferhad Feturechi
462 Misem fedai 463 Elirza fershi 464 Siyavush Ferhadi
465 Emin fezli 466 Tovfiq Feyzullahi 467 Mehemmedrza Qasimi
468 Ibrahim Qasimi 469 Eli-Mehemmed Qazizade 470 Ne’met Qedr-khudai
471 Arif Qaradaghli 472 Shemsi keremi 473 Eng. Hesen Kerimi
474 Atila Kishizade 475 Abbas Lisani 476 Huseyn Lisani
477 Rza Lisani 478 Eli Lisani 479 Mehdi Lisani
480 Javanshir Lisani 481 Mehemmed Lisani 482 Bijen Mujabi
483 Qudretulla Mejd 484 Mehdi Mehemmedpur 485 Mejid Mehemmedpur
486 Elirza Mehemmedi 487 Seyyad Mehemmedian 488 Resul Mukhtari
489 Bekhsheli Muradi 490 Ilqar Merendi 491 Elirza Muqeddesi
492 Sevdim Eli Musevi 493 Seid Mughanli 494 Salik Movlai
495 Mrs. Ezize Movlai 496 Seyyid mehemmed Miyanci 497 Saleh Mirkazimi
498 Ekrem nejjari 499 Seid nejjari
500 Mehemmed Nejefi Zare’ 501 Mahmud Nesiri 502 Kamal Neimi
503 Abbas neimi 504 Mehdi Neimi 505 Mehdi Novruzi
506 Elirza Nikkhah 507 Yusuf Hushyar 508 Rehim Vahidi
509 Qafar Vuqari 510 Mehemmed Yaveri 511 Leyla Yaqubi
512 Ekber Yusufi 513 Elirza Yusufi Sadat

2006-02-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

IranNew government fails to address dire human rights situation

2.1.3 Azeri Turks
Iranian Azeri Turks, who are mainly Shi’a Muslims, are the largest minority in Iran, believed to constitute between 25-30 per cent of the population. They are located mainly in the north and north-west of Iran. As Shi’a, they are not subject to the same kinds of discrimination as minorities of other religions, and are well-integrated into the economy, but there is a growing demand for greater cultural and linguistic rights, including implementation of their constitutional right to education through the medium of Turkish. A small minority advocate secession of Iranian Azerbaijan from the Islamic Republic of Iran and union with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Those who seek to promote Azeri Turkish cultural identity are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities, who often accuse them of vague charges such as "promoting pan-Turkism".At the end of June 2005, scores of Iranian Azeri Turks participating in an annual cultural gathering at Babek Castle in Kalayber were arrested. At least 21 were later sentenced to prison terms of between three months and one year, some of which were suspended, reportedly after conviction of charges such as "spreading propaganda against the system" and "establishing organizations against the system". Some were also banned from entering Kalayber for a period of 10 years.
Abbas Lisani, an Iranian Azeri butcher previously beaten and detained in 2004, was arrested during the Babek Castle event. He was released on bail in July 2005 and was sentenced in August 2005 to one year’s imprisonment to be spent in internal exile after conviction of charges including "spreading propaganda" and "disturbing public opinion". In January 2006 he remained free on bail having appealed against his sentence.
Hojjatoleslam val Moslemin Ezimi Qedimi, an Iranian Azeri Muslim cleric from Verziqan, near the capital of Azerbaijan province, Tabriz, was arrested on 5 August 2005 in Tabriz at the mausoleum of an Azeri hero called Baghir Khan, one of the authors of Iran's 1906 Constitution, which led to the country's first elected parliament, where security forces broke up a peaceful celebration of the anniversary of the introduction of the Constitution. Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi was reportedly released on or around 24 October 2005 on bail to await trial reportedly on charges of "leading an illegal gathering at the mausoleum; giving an interview published on the Shams-e Tabriz website; giving an interview to Ana Yurdu television station; opposition to the Islamic Republic; contempt of court; aiding the setting up and distribution of the publication Rasul; and misleading young religious students in the city of Qom". On 1 January 2006, Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi was reportedly sentenced in camera, without access to a lawyer or a translator, by a branch of the Special Court for the Clergy(19) in Tabriz to one year’s imprisonment for "propagandising on behalf of groups opposing the state" and was stripped of his credentials as an Islamic scholar for ten years for "undermining the integrity of the clergy". He also received a travel ban preventing him from leaving Iran and was forbidden to return to the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardebil and Zenjan for five years. At the end of January 2006 he was believed to be free on bail pending an appeal against his sentence.
Abbas Nikravan, the Head of the Salmas Musical Association and an Azeri Turk activist was reportedly detained on 1 November 2005 while awaiting the results of his appeal to the Supreme Court against an earlier conviction to four months’ imprisonment on charges of "propagating Pan-Turkism and advocating separatism" possibly in connection with his musical work relating to Azeri music and dance. A picture of Dr Mahmoudali Chehregani(20) was also said to have been found in his home. According to reports, his case is due to appear before the Revolutionary Court in Khoy. In January 2006 he was still detained in Salmas Prison, despite an order for his release on bail of 20 million Toumans (almost US $22,000) having been issued.
Javad Abbasi, a teacher and Azeri activist from Salmas was reportedly began a six-month prison term on 22 December 2005 after being sentenced by the Revolutionary Court in Khoy apparently for "promoting separatism and connection with ‘pan-Turkic groups’". He was also reportedly charged with participation in the Babek Castle event, working to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, disturbing national security, and printing and publishing material on behalf of the Azerbaijan National Movement. His trial verdict reportedly referred to the fact that he had taught school lessons in Turkish. He is reported to need medical treatment for a throat condition.
Hedayat Zaker, a teacher and activist from Tabriz, was reportedly arrested on 24 December 2005 after having been sentenced to a prison term by the Revolutionary Court in Tabriz. He was arrested from his home one day before he was due to report for his sentence to begin, apparently because security forces feared that he would try to escape. His lawyer reportedly stated that the sentence had been confirmed by the Supreme Court, but that neither he nor Hedayat Zaker had been given a copy of the verdict.
Yashar Haqqaqpour Maraghei, a student of architecture at Zenjan University and a member of Zenjan University’s Islamic Students’ Association, was reportedly arrested in front of his father’s shop in Maragheh on 21 January 2006 by security forces who reportedly did not have an arrest warrant, and was taken to an unknown location. His family home was then said to have been searched by members of the security forces. On 2 February 2006 he was reported to have informed his family by telephone that he had been transferred to Tabriz.
Davoud Azimzadeh, a graduate of environmental sciences and a teacher from Maragheh was reportedly arrested by Intelligence Ministry officials on 23 January 2006 after having been summoned to the local Education Department. Reports have indicated he may have been arrested in connection with a series of articles he wrote about environmental pollution in Maragheh.Turkish language publications and journalists have also been subject to repression and harassment. In September 2005, "Araz", a political, cultural and historical periodical published by students at Tabriz University since 1999 in Persian and Turkish had its registration withdrawn, reportedly for having published a map of the Republic of Azerbaijan on its front cover. "Qizil Uzen", a Turkish student publication in Zenjan University run by Reyhaneh Purgeni was reportedly closed down on 30 November 2005 by the committee monitoring student publications, apparently on the grounds that it was divisive and promoted separatism. Reyhaneh Purgeni, also a member of the Islamic Students’ Association at Zenjan University, was reportedly detained on 20 January 2006 after her father received a phone call in which she was told to report to the Zenjan Intelligence Office. Marefatollah Fazli, the editor of another student publication at Zenjan University, "Zangan Sozlari", was also summoned for investigation in January 2006.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006?open&of=ENG-IRN

2006-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Torture for support of mother tongue

Yashar Hakkakpoor Maraghi who has been arrested since Saturday by "Information Department of Maraghe"is under torture by governmental officials at the moment.
This turk activist's father visited Yashar yesterday.Yashar's father says:Yashar is in hunger strike and he has become very thin and there are some traces on his face which show he has been beated and has been tortured by officials:Mr. Hakkakpoor added:Yashar was in very bad situation and finally I wept:He added:officials did not allow us to talk with each other and they said me Yashar must speak but they did not determine in what cases Yashar must talk:
As it is clear "Information Department of Maraghe"intends to make false dossier against Yashar. They want Yahar to confess to false things but he resists.
There is not any latest news about"Davood Azimzade"who is a teacher and has been arrested by "Information Department of Maraghe"By this time,he has not been allowed to visit his lawyer or his relatives.

2006-01-25T05:50:00.001-08:00

Davood Azimzadeh,teacher of guidence school was arrested in Maraghe

Davood Azimzadeh BA of enviroment and teacher of guidence school of Maraghe was arrested by"Information Department Forces" of Maraghe on Saturday 23/1/2006.He was imprisoned immediately.
At the first Davood was called to Education office and then was arrested.His family and relatives say that after many questions ,they have known that Davood was imprisoned on charge of writing some essays on enviroment pullotion of Maraghe.
The lates news, There is not any new information about Yashar Hakkakpoor Maraghi.The only received news about Yashar is from his father.Officials of governmenthas have announced his father that his boy is in prison and under investigation,too.
Yashar's father is worried about his boy's situation in prison and says"If Yashar does not deliver two projects related to his lessons to Zanjan university by the end of 28/1/2006 he will be fired from university because he studies in the last semester.
"Reyhaneh Poorgani"was under investigation of "Information Departmernt of Zanjan about 8 hours on Saturday.She was asked not to leave Zanjan because perhaps she is asked to be investigated in "Information Department of Zanjan".
Finally,Marefatullah Fazli student of Zanjan university and editor of weekly magazine called "Zangan sozlari"was called to "information Department of Zanjan"on Tuesday 24/1/2006.
By the time,there is not any information about him.

2006-01-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

Yashar Hakkakpour Maraghi was arrested.

Today at 1:30 P.M. Yashar Hakkakpour Maraghi who is the last term student in Architecture of Zanjan University was arrested in Maraghe city and was taken to an unknown place.It is said that officials of government in "Information Deportment of Maraghe" had not any subpoena to arrest him.People say Yashar was in front of his fathers shop and his father was not in the shop when officials took him to a car by force.After that some of officials (plain clothes) raided to the house who Yashar lives in and they inspected there by force.
Mr.Hakkakpoor (father of Yashar)has said this event to one friend of Yashar when he was coming back from" Information Department of Maraghe (Eastern Azerbaijan in Iran)".He has said that officials has said that his boy will be in detention tonight.
Yashar is a member of "Islamic Association of Zanjan University".In this time that Yashar is in detention (in an unknown place),Reyhaneh poorgani,another member of "Islamic Association of Zanjan University"is under investigation in "Information Department of Zanjan".

2006-01-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

Probality nabbing an Azerbaijani girl

"Reyhaneh Poorgani"a member of Central Islamic Student Association of Zanjan University and editor of banned student magazine called "QIZIL OZAN"was threatened by "Information Department of Zanjan".
"Reyhaneh Poorgani"who spends her endsemester vacation in Salmas,announced to her friends in the Central Islamic Student Association of Zanjan University that on Wendesday 1/18/2006,that "Information Department of Salmas" has called her father up and he was asked him to take his daughter to "Information of Department of Zanjan" until Saturday 1/21/2006.Finally,that official has threatened Mr. Poorgani that if he does not pay attention to his words,certainly his daughter will be taken to "Information Department of Zanjan" by officials of Salmas by force.

2006-01-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

Javad Abbassi is sick
A Turk , Javad Abbassi who some days ago was apprehended in his homecity Khoy , East Azerbaijan on charge of activities to gain Turks rights in Iran and was tried to 6 months prison and he was taken to prison.Now , he is in a very bad and inproper.Abbassi has tyouble from his throat and needs to medical opperation from his throat.
Up to now , prison officials have not done any thing for his request.His relatives and friends are worried and anxious for him.

2006-01-13T01:50:00.000-08:00

Miss. "Reyhane Poorgani" and Mr. " Marefatollah Fazli " two principle manegers of Azerbaijani Turkish " Qizil ozan " and " Zangan sozlari " were asked to go to " Investigation office " of Zanjan .

these two students of Zanjan univercity were asked to go there without any " injustice asked paper " and they were asked to go there by force.

" Investigation office of Zanjan " called them up to go there immidiately.

these two students asked to go there while they are passing their final examination .

Miss. Poorgani and Mr. Fazli are two Turk activists who are activating in the Azerbahjan ( South Azerbaijan ) . before that , these two students were underpressure of officials of univercity .

Miss. Poorgani were asked to observation association frequently and finally her magazine was banned.

2006-01-05T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hojatalislam "Abdulaziz Azimi gadim" of Ardabil got govermental summons , when he came back Swden at 1/1/2006 and he was sent to "special court of law of the clergy" and he was tried judically by Esmaili judje and at 1/2/2006 a verdict was given to Hojataislam "Azimi gadim".It is necessary to be mentioned that this verdict was announced him orally and neither written nor a copy of verdict was given to him.After that a paper was given to Hojatialislam "Azimi gadim" to sign it but he refused to do that. Here, Hojatalislam "Azimi gadim" wanted to leave court of law but he was not allow to leave , but after 2 hours discussion , responsibles of court of law allowed him to leare there , but Hojatalislam "Azimigadim" wanted a copy of his verdict.
These matters had been written in his verdict.Based on articles of 19 , 20 , 48 and 500 and note of 18 related to Islamic punishment and article number 42 related to regulations of public prosecutors office and "special court of law the clergy" and article number48 , special court of law the clergy" gave him some accusations belowed:
First: "Violation of court of laws verdict" , he was accused to 3 months and1 day imprisonment.
Second: "On charge of activity in favour of opponent groups a opponent organizations" , one year imprisonment by considering the deys of arrest.
Third: "Aspersion of the clergy reputation" , 10 years without spirituality clothes and 5 years can not go out from country and 5 years he can not go to four provinces , Eastern Azerbaijan , Zanjan , Ardabil and Western mental Azerbaijan.He can not activate in these areas too.

Notice:
1.Twe of accusations were propounded by judge , but Hojatalislam "Azimi gadim" did not accept these
2.In Iran , judge can not say a person not to wear spirituality clothes.
3.Judge did not notice to article number 168 of constitution.
4.Lack of "jury"
5.He was not allowed to have lawyer.
6.He was not allowed to have interpreter.

2005-12-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

"Hedayat Zaker" was imprisioned

Azerbaijani activist, Hedayat Zaker from tabriz, Eastern Azerbaigan, had been sent to prision of Tabriz on December 25. Before it he was sentenced by Enghelab court law of Tabriz on charge of participitation in 58 anniversary of astablishment of "Azerbaijan national democrat"party.

His lawyer Saleh Kamrani has told in an interview that one day had remained to his verdict but on desember 24, goverment officials in Tabriz have raided to his house to arrest him and they have accused him that he had decided to escape.So, Zaker in order to prevent of hurting to his family, he decides to go to prisin soon.

Zaker is one of Azerbaijani activists in Iran who does his best to revive Azerbaijanis Culture, Economy, Social and Political issues. For instance, he tries to convince Iranian officials to accept the Turkish language is allowded to be taught in Turkish regions in Iran.

Kamrani says: The supreme court of law has confirmed his verdict to prison too, but up to now any written verdict has not been given to us.He also added that in all situations any verdict is not given to accused.

It is necessary to say that on December 20, Javad Abbassi from Khoy in wester Azerbaijan, who is a teacher, was sent to prison 6 months. In his verdict has been written "He has taught lessons in Turkish in class."

Two months ago, Abbass Nickravan from Salmas in wester Azerbaijan has been sent to prision on cherge of working on Azerbaijani music and Azerbaijani dance.His accusation are related to his artistic activities which he has official permission in these fields by government.He also is accused that had a photo of Dr. Mahmoud ali Chehregani (the leader of "GAMOH") at his home.

2005-12-24T00:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Resolute Nationalists,
Today, on December 23, 2005, one of the most honorably valiant and assiduous nationalists, an Azerbaijani patriot, Sir Javad Abasi was imprisoned in Khoy, a chauvinist prison.
Preparing for marsh in 83rd anniversary of Babak Fort, Sir Alpai, an estimable Azerbaijani, was arrested and incarcerated for six years by a fictitious prosecution in attendance of no defendant. Sir Alpai, being a teacher in a Senior School in the patriotic city of Salmas, is a great master of Kung fu as well. This brave man has two sons named Atabey and Babak. In his absence, it is incumbent on us to, unfalteringly and wholeheartedly, strive to fill his position in the battle field.
Be He and His Way Respected and Admired.
Vive Alpai the Patriot.
Vive Azerbaijan.