A British Peer Calls for Clemency as Iran Prepares Public Execution of Five Arabs

Lord Hylton has joined Amnesty International's Urgent Appeal and send messages of appeal for clemency for five Ahwazi Arabs awaiting public executions after Court of Appeal and The Supreme Court of Iran approved of the sentencing.

Amnesty International on 8 Mrach 2012  appealed to Iran not to  carry out the executions and to commute the death sentences of  five Ahwazis "including three brothers, their cousin and another man are at imminent risk of execution in public , after their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court. The sentences may be intended to deter Ahwazi Arabs in Iran from demonstrating on the 15 April anniversary of protests held in 2005 .

The three brothers, Abd al-R ahman Heidari , Taha Heidari and Jamshi d Heidari, their cousin Ma nsour Heidari and Amir Muawi (or Mo ’av i ) were arrested in April 2011 in Ahwaz, during unrest taking place across Iran’s south-western Khuzestan [Arabistan] province. Since their arrest, their whereabouts have not been disclosed to their families. On or around 5 March 2012, Ministry of Intelligence officials informed their families that the Supreme Court had upheld death sentences against the five men, after they were convicted of the killing of at least one individual, said to be a law enforcement official, on 15 April 2011. The Ministry of Intelligence also told the men's relatives that they would be executed in public “in the next few days”. It is not known when their initial trials took place or if they had any legal representation. ”Confessions” extracted under duress are frequently accepted as evidence before courts in Iran" Amnesty International said.