ahwazi

To :

- The UN Human Rights Council

- The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran Dr Ahmad Shahid

- The Amnesty International

- Human Rights Watch

- Reporters without Borders

- The Arab Human Rights Organisations

- The Iranian Human Rights Organisation

- International Organisations on human rights

Four Ahwazi Arabs at risk of imminent execution

The Iranian Intelligence Service have transferred four Ahwazi Arab activists from Karoun prison to an unknown location on 3 November 2013. Ghazi Abbasi, 31, Abdul Reza Amir Khanafareh, 26, Abdul Amir Majdami, 33, and Jasem Moghadam, 28, from Falahiya (Shadegan) were previously sentenced to death by judge Ali Farhadvand, at branch one of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court on charges of "Mohareb" (enmity with God) and corruption on earth. Their families were allowed to see the prisoners prior to their transfer and this may well be the last time they see their sons before their execution. These Ahwazi Arab activists were subjected to ill-treatment and severe torture. In a leaked letter sent previously from Karoun prison the prisoners appealed to international human rights organizations to urge the Iranian authorities to quash the death sentences issued against them.

The detainees confirmed in their letter that they were subjected to physical and psychological torture in the intelligence headquarters’ prison in order to extract forced confessions that they were involved in armed activities.

The detainees spoke in their letter of their unfair trial saying: After 3 years in detention, finally the trial took place in a revolutionary court with six lawyers present and lasted for two and a half hours during which were were not allowed to defend ourselves. The court sentenced four of us to death by hanging on medieval charges of “Corruption on Earth” and “Enmity against God”.The letter continues: the sentences were passed relying on the intelligence reports and nothing was there in our interrogation statements to support the allegations and charges against us on which we were sentenced.

It added: As for the unfounded charges of “non-peaceful activities” against us, it was confirmed by arms expert Mr. Ali Metri in a report represented to the court that no bullets had been fired towards any government facility or military unit, nor any person had been killed.

“This was included in our defence lawyers’ statements, but the Iranian Intelligence service ordered a re-examination asking another weapon expert to fabricate a report so they can represent it to the court and get a conviction”.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been condemned by International organisations such Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the European and the British Parliaments, the German Foreign ministry, the British Foreign Office, and the US for the ill-treatment of Ahwazi Arabs and the harsh sentences passed against Ahwazi activists. The regime nevertheless continues its policy of arbitrary arrests and execution of cultural activists in Ahwaz region.

The Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) condemns the death sentence of these innocent cultural activists and calls upon the Islamic Republic to halt the execution immediately and release all detainees without conditions. AHRO also calls on the Islamic Republic to end the suppression of and discrimination against Ahwazi Arabs.

Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO)

3 November 2013