Ghazi Haidari, Ahwazi Arab Cultural Activist Prisoner, Denied Visit

EAHRO has received reports from informed sources that Ghazi Haidari, who is serving a ten-year sentence in Shiraz prison, has not been permitted a visit from his family. He was arrested in May 2009 and sentenced to 10 years in relation his cultural activities.

His family travelled more than 450 km hoping to see him for 20 minutes. But they denied permission to visit Ghazi without being given any reason.

Ghazi, an Industrial engineer, was subject to physical and psychological torture at the notorious Karoon prison and sustained two broken ribs  after secretly filmed video of four Ahwazi Arabs protesting their innocence, accusing the intelligence services of extracting confessions under torture and appealing UN intervention was smuggled out of the prison before their execution.

World Coalition Against the Death Penalty,  an alliance of more than 150 NGOs

Four Ahwazi Arab death row prisoners have been transferred to an unknown location and could be executed at any time.

Iran: The indiscriminate executions continue – The UN, EU and the International community must put the situation of the death penalty at the top of the agenda in their dialogue with Iran

While the political climate between Iran and the international community has been improving since the election of President Rouhani, and the P5+1 Group is preparing their second round of nuclear negotiations with Iran, executions continue at a higher rate than before inside the country.

Amnesty International calls for URGENT ACTION as Five Ahwazis Face Imminent Execution

"Five members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority have been sentenced to death and may be at risk of imminent execution. They were reportedly tortured. A sixth Ahwazi Arab man was sentenced to 20 years in prison. All were arrested in connection with their activities on behalf of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority and are believed to have been tried unfairly.  On 7 July 2012, Mohammad Ali Amouri, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka and his brother Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, and teachers Hashem Sha’bani Amouri, Hadi Rashidi (or Rashedi) and Rahman Asakereh were sentenced by Branch 2 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court after conviction of charges including the vaguely-worded offences of “enmity against God and corruption on earth" (moharebeh va ifsad fil-arz), “gathering and colluding against state security” and “spreading propaganda against the system”. Five received death sentences, except Rahman Asakereh who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be served in internal exile. Two of the men were shown on a government television channel before the trial “confessing” to the allegations. The men are currently held in Karoun prison in the city of Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, and are believed to have been denied access to their lawyers and families. All six were arrested at their homes in February and March 2011.