Iran: Release Azerbaijani Rights Activists on Hunger Strike

Arseh Sevom has joined a number of organizations in calling for the release of five Azerbaijani activists unfairly imprisoned. In protest of their conditions, they began a hunger strike more than four weeks ago and are currently in critical condition. They are among many others who find themselves unfairly convicted for advocating for rights often guaranteed by Iran’s own constitution.

Civil Society Declaration on Five Azerbaijani Hunger Strikers in Iran

Five Azerbaijani prisoners of conscience, being sentenced for 9 years of imprisonment for each, are continuing a hunger strike for 4th week. Their health has become critical. The court has upheld harsh sentences against these Azerbaijani activists, which are contrary to human rights norms and against section 26 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Latif Hassani, Mahmoud Fazli, ShahramRadmehr, Ayat MehrAli Bayglu, and Behboud GholiZade — leaders of the party Yeni GAMOH — began their hunger strike on July 13, 2013 in Tabriz Central Prison in protest of their unfair trial and mistreatment.

Mr. Bagherpour, the judge of the third branch of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, sentenced the political activists to nine years imprisonment on the charge of establishing an illegal group and of distributing anti-government propaganda. The sentence was approved by the court of appeals on June 9 2013. One of the activities of Yeni GAMOH was sending an open letter to UN Secretary General concerning the right of Azerbaijani children to be educated in their native language. This right is upheld by article 15 of the Iranian constitution. Despite this, the court regarded the letter as anti-government propaganda.

Twenty-six days have passed since the five started their hunger strike. On the eighth day of their hunger strike, the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office and the main prosecutor, Mr. Khalilolallahi, exiled them from Tabriz to Tehran. The executives of Evin Prison in Tehran refused to admit them because of their poor health. Finally after one day of solitary confinement in Evin Prison in Tehran, they were moved to Rajae Shahr Prison in Karaj. The five were tortured for several hours during the transport from Tabriz to Tehran in hot summer weather conditions. The hunger strikers spent a day and a half in handcuffs and shackles inside a metal van under the direct heat of the summer sun. According to reports from relatives, they were already suffering from serious illnesses from previous torture during interrogations.

The general situation of these prisoners is worsening by the day. On August 8th, Mahmoud Fazli suffered from stomach bleeding while in quarantine at Rajae Shahr prison. Their physical condition is so poor that some of them refuse to state their exact state in consideration of the concerns of their families.

This is just one example of the unjust treatment of the Azerbaijani activists. Dozens of human rights violations take place in Azerbaijan on a daily basis. Azerbaijani journalist Saeed Matinpour, for example, was sentenced to eight years of prison. After serving four years in prison, he was deprived of furlough. Shahrokh Zamani has been sentenced to long imprisonment. For his activities to protect the religious rights of the “Ahl-e Hagh” minority, Younes Aghaian has been sentenced to death. Each year hundreds of people in Azerbaijan receive unfair trials and are subject to arbitrary detention.

We, the undersigned, demand the immediate release of these prisoners. We draw the attention to their plight and of the human rights violations commonly exercised against ethnic and religious minorities. Protests against a wide variety of discrimination, including political, economic, social, and cultural rights, are brutally repressed. We demand that the international community respond to this issue. We ask the five activists, who are part of the larger worldwide movement for democracy and justice, to end their hunger strike.

08 August 2013

Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
Ahwaz Human Rights Organization (AHRO)
Arseh Sevom
Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan of Iran- Geneva (KMMK-G)
Baluchistan Human Rights Organization
Center for Supporters of Human Rights (Chaired by Mrs. Shirin Ebadi)
Centre for Combating Racism and Discrimination against Arabs in Iran (CCRDAI)
Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR)
European Ahwazi Human Rights Organization (EAHRO)
Iran Human Rights
Justice for Iran NGO
Kurdish Human Rights Association
Kurdish Human Rights Network