The Iranian judiciary has officially informed the families of 5 Arab detainees in Ahwaz, southern Iran of the death sentences given to their son’s. The men on death row will be hanged in public during the coming days. Amongst them are three brothers; Abdulrahman, Taha and Jamshid Haidari. Amir Maaoui, a cousin of the brothers and Mansoor Heidari are also to be executed. The men were apparently arrested on fabricated charges. They are accused of planning the assassination of an Iranian security officer and injuring another during the Ahwazi uprising that sparked protests amongst the ethnic Arab population in April 2011, in the predominantly Arab town of Al Malashiya. Albeit these strong accusations, their parents insist that they had been made to falsely confess to crimes whilst under torture.
Ahwazi Human Rights resources state that “the families of the defendants were informed that the Court of Appeal and The Supreme Court of Iran approved of the sentencing”.
Ahwazi Human Rights resources state that “the families of the defendants were informed that the Court of Appeal and The Supreme Court of Iran approved of the sentencing”.
The European Ahwazi Human Rights Organisation claims that these executions are an act of revenge against those that took part in the Ahwazi Arab uprising one year ago. It was on the 15th of April that the Ahwazi people took to the streets demanding their human rights and freedoms. Amnesty International noted that the protests marked the sixth anniversary of an uprising staged on 15 April 2005 when "dozens were killed and scores, if not hundreds, arrested during and following the demonstrations. That event sparked off a cycle of violence in the province, with fatal bomb attacks, followed by further arrests, unfair trials and at least 15 executions."
“We fear the same brutality against protestors and their families this time around, stated Amjad Taha, the Head of the Foreign Relations Office for EAHRO . “And as the anniversary of 15th April draws near, we can only expect the worst”.
As Iran’s ethnic cleansing program continues, the Ahwazi Arabs face rife discrimination and fresh threats. According to Amnesty International, “49 members of the Ahwazi Arab minority have been arrested in 2012 alone, in at least three cities in the south-western province of [Arabistan]. With thousands more in prisons and many more fearing for their lives, the Iranian regime shows no mercy. In an attempt to further its “Persianization” program of the area, speaking in native Arabic is banned, naming your child with an Arabic name can have you imprisoned and names of Arab towns and tribes have been changed into Persian.
Sumaiya Farooq
Member of the EAHRO
I do believe that God is merciful and compassionate and that even those killed will be blessed by God (paradise heaven and eternal life? YES!) But for us still on the earth, we must show mercy and compassion, especially to those that every one else hates and condemns, for what good is it to show mercy and compassion only to those who do not need it? No mercy or compassion was shown to the poor Ahwazi boys Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni; no one tried to help them or save them, but I know that God did save them, because this is what only God can do. In this God show true mercy and true compassion and completely defeats evil and the devil. This makes me to say truly "Allahu Akbar!!!"
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