British Foreign Minister Condemns the Deaths of Ahwazi Arab Prisoners In Custody

Alistair Burt British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister said he was deeply concerned by reports of violence against Ahwazis in towns of Hamidideh, Shush and Ahwaz and death of two young  men in custody.

Below are excerpts of his letter to Dr. Caroline Lucas, British MP: 


"I am deeply concerned by the continuing reports of violence against protesters in the towns  of  Hamidiya, Shush and Ahwaz including disturbing reports of the torture and the death of two young men in custody. this is grossly hypocritical when Iran claims to supports protests elsewhere in the region. Government officials raised our concerns about the protests in Ahwaz with Iranian Charge' d' Affairs in London in April last year and with the ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran. We are working to corroborate reports coming from Khuzestan [Arabistan] of the death of Ahwazi prisoners in custody. If true, Theses are extremely concerning and I condemn them in the strongest possible terms. 


... Despite the violent attacks on the British Embassy in Tehran on 29 November, British representative remain in contact with Iranian representatives and the British Government will continue to work with EU partners and the UN on human rights issues such as those affecting Iranian Arabs... the British government will continue to urge Iran respect the full and equal rights of its people, regardless of their faith of ethnicity, in line with its its international obligations."


EAHRO expresses its deepest gratitude to Dr. Lucas for her support and concerns about the plight of Ahwazis. 


In 2006 Dr. Lucas in a letter to UN general secretary  demanded UN to halt Iran’s ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ Executions.


In another letter to Ferrero Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy European Commission, she called for investigation on Iran's severe human rights abuses against Ahwazis.