Category: Ethnic Minorities

Three Kurdish Political Prisoners Still on Hunger Strike: Day 24

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Ethnic Minorities
Anvar Khezri, Davood Abdullahi, Kamran Shakhi, Ramzan Ahmadkamal, Seyed Ebrahim Seyedi

HRANA News Agency – On Sunday, June 26, 2011, three Kurdish political prisoners entered their 24th day of hunger strike in Rajai-Shahr Prison.However, prison officials refuse to pay any attention to these prisoners’ demands and have failed to take the necessary steps to meet their needs to end this hunger strike.

According to a report by Kaleme News, three Kurdish political prisoner, Anvar Khezri, Kamran Shakhi and Seyed Ebrahim Seyedi, in protest to being locked up amongst ordinary criminals such as rapists, murderers and drug traffickers have been on hunger strike for 24 days.Meanwhile, prison officials remain indifferent towards these Kurdish activists and refuse to transfer them to the political prisoners’ cell block.
Anvar Khezri, Kamran Shakhi and Seyed Ebrahim Seyedi have been illegally transferred from Ward 350 of Evin Prison to Rajai-Shahr Prison in violation of their basic rights.While ordinary prisoners only spend one day in the quarantine ward of Rajai-Shahr Prison in order to determine whether they are addicted to narcotics or not, these three political prisoners spent 50 days in the same ward which lacks basic health and sanitary conditions.After this time, they were transferred to Ward 6 of Rajai-Shahr Prison instead of the political prisoners’ cell block.
Ramzan Ahmadkamal, Davood Abdullahi and Ramzan Saeedi are three other Kurdish political prisoners that are currently locked up amongst inmates convicted of violent crimes and also prisoners with dangerous communicable diseases.According to the principles governing the separation of prisoners based on their crimes, these three individuals must also be kept in the cell block allocated to inmates arrested for political reasons.
Anvar Khezri, Kamran Shakhi and Seyed Ebrahim Seyedi have demanded to be transferred to the political prisoners’ ward in Rajai-Shahr Prison.Otherwise, they will continue their hunger strike indefinitely.
 

Azarbaijani Civic Activist Hossein Mohammadi Alvar Arrested

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Ethnic Minorities
Hossein Mohammadi Alvar

HRANA – On May 4th, Tabriz intelligent agents arrested Hossein Mohammadi Alvar, a civil rights activist in Azerbaijan and a fan of Tractor Sazi F.C.
According to Savalan Sesi, a few hours after a phone call between this Azeri civil rights activist and the chairman of Tractor Sazi F.C., Tabriz intelligent agents went to Mr. Mohammadi’s father’s house and detained Mr. Mohammadi without an arrest warrant. They also confiscated his computer, books, and personal belongings.
His arrest took place shortly after his phone conversation with the chairman of Tractor Sazi F.C., in which Mr. Mohammadi requested a lawful action about an incident that occurred in a recent soccer game between Tractor Sazi and Sanat Mes Kerman. In that game, 13,000 Persian fans of Sanat Mes Kerman chanted racist slogans against Tractor Sazi team and Azeris, and Mr. Mohammadi demanded Tractor Sazi F.C. to peruse this incident through the Football Federation of Iran.
Furthermore, according to family members of Mr. Mohammadi, he called his home on May 8th and told his family that he has been kept in solitary confinement in Tabriz Intelligence Service.
Before this, Mr. Mohammadi was arrested on April 2nd while attending a gathering in support of Lake Urmia and was release on bail.
 

Prison Sentence for a Teacher in Kurdistan

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Ethnic Minorities
Mohammad Moniri

HRANA News Agency – Mohammad Moniri, a teacher from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province, has been found guilty by Saqqez’s Revolutionary Court and sentenced to serve prison time.

In an interview with Mukrian news Agency, Mohammad Moniri’s attorney confirmed the news of this conviction and said, “The first branch of the Revolutionary Court in Saqqez found my client guilty of cooperating with the opposition groups and propaganda against the regime and sentenced him to five years in prison.The Appeals Court in Kurdistan then reduced this ruling to six months.”
On June 19, 2011, Mohammad Moniri reported to Saqqez Central Prison to begin serving his sentence.Mohammad Moniri was arrested last year but after a while, he was released on bail.
 

Kurdish Cleric Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

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Ethnic Minorities
Khalil Bahramian, Mamosta Sedigh Hasani

HRANA News Agency – Mamosta Sedigh Hasani has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by the first branch of the Revolutionary Court in Saghez, Kurdistan Province.

In an interview with Mukrian News Agency, Khalil Bahramian, Mamosta Sedigh Hasani’s attorney, reported the news of the verdict and stated, “Mamosta Hasani was arrested a while ago in Saghez and has been sentenced by this city’s Revolutionary Court to 14 years in prison on charges of collaborating with the opposition parties and concealing a weapon.”

Khalil Bahramian added, “As the attorney handling this case, I have objected to the court’s ruling, and the case has been referred to the Kurdistan’s Appeals Court.In the briefing submitted to the appeals court, I have stated that facts of this case together with legal reasoning don’t support the verdict.The truth is that Mamosta Sedigh Hasani was easily deceived by another individual whose party affiliations were not known by my client.This person placed a gun with two rounds of clips in my client’s barn in the village where Mamosta Sedigh Hasani lives.This weapon has neither been fired nor are any bullets missing from either clip.”

At the end, Khalil Bahramian mentioned, “The second reason for the appeal is that my client has no connections or party affiliations with the opposition groups.He is merely a farmer and a cleric.Perhaps the only charge against him could be the concealment of a weapon.For this crime, the punishment is light and doesn’t exceed one year in prison.”

Mamosta Sedigh Hasani is currently being held in Saghez’s central prison.
 

Tense Security Environment in Azerbaijan

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Ethnic Minorities
Akbar Azad, Alireza Farshi, Ayoub Shiri, Hadi Hamidi Shafiq, Ibrahim Nuri, Mehdi Derakhshan, Saeid Naimi, Siamak Koshi, Sima Derakhshan, Sima Didar

HRANA News Agency – On the eve of the fifth anniversary of protests in Azerbaijan Province, a large number of cities in this region are witnessing the presence of security forces in the streets and main squares.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), tense security environment clearly hangs over the cities of Tabriz, Ahar, Marand and Maragheh.  Eyewitnesses have reported the presence of special units and military and security forces throughout the region including town squares, streets and universities.

 

Prior to May 22, 2011 which coincides with the fifth anniversary of protests in Azerbaijan Province, law enforcement and security agents have systematically begun to arrest political and civil activists in Azerbaijan.

 

Last year, eleven activists were arrested during the same time, and each one of them was sentenced to five years in prison.  Two well-known political activists, Alireza Farshi and Sima Didar, were amongst the detainees who are currently serving their prison terms.

 

Additionally, amongst tens of activists who have been arrested and summoned to court are Ibrahim Nuri, Siamak Koshi, Saeid Naimi, Ayoub Shiri, Sima and Mehdi Derakhshan, Akbar Azad, Sima Didar, Alireza Farshi, Hadi Hamidi Shafiq.

 

As the fifth anniversary of protests in Azerbaijan approaches, security forces have attempted to confiscate satellite dishes in some of the cities.  Since this morning, access to Internet has also been interrupted.   Eye witnesses have reported to HRANA that isolated clashes in streets surrounding the University of Tabriz have occurred, and a few citizens have been arrested in the city of Tabriz.

 

Furthermore, according to an eyewitness, heavy presence of law enforcement agents are such that there are four policemen stationed in every 100 meters.  As this report was being prepared, people continue to gather in the streets.

 

Beginning on May 22, 2006, for a period of one week, various cities in Azerbaijan witnessed widespread protests and clashes in response to a newspaper article that had published an insult to Azeri citizens.  Tens of people were arrested or killed during these demonstrations.

 

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Another Kurdish Citizen Arrested in Paveh

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Ethnic Minorities
Heshmat Rezai, Pourmand Modahetnia

HRANA News Agency – Following a wave of arrests in a small border town called Navsod [Kermanshah Province], on Saturday, May 14, 2011, another Kurdish citizen was detained by Iran’s Intelligence Agency in the city of Paveh.  Prior to this arrest, many Kurdish citizens from the city of Navsod were detained since they began protesting the killing of a young man in Navsod’s Moalam Square.  The young man who was the only child in his family has been identified as Pourmand Modahetnia.  He was killed on March 22, 2011.

 

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Heshmat Rezai, Kurdish citizen from Navsod, was summoned last week by the Revolutionary Court in Paveh to face charges of disturbing the peace and public order.  On Saturday, May 14, 2011, Heshmat Rezai was detained by the intelligence agents and transferred to Kermanshah’s Diesel Abad prison.

 

It has been reported that the court in Paveh has summoned tens of citizens who protested against the killing of Pourmand Modahetnia.  When a military convoy was also dispatched to Navsod to arrest those summoned by the court, clashes occurred between people and the police.

 

Kurdish Citizens Injured and Killed in Border Regions

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Ethnic Minorities
Karvan Saidi, Masoud Nikkhah

HRANA News Agency – During the last few days, three Kurds were injured and killed when Iranian forces opened fire at them.

 

According to a report by Radio Zamaneh, on Saturday, May 14, 2011, in Chakv and Spekan regions of Sardasht [Iranian Kurdistan], the military forces shot a Kurdish citizen and injured him.  This individual has been identified to be Sargard, son of Mohammad.

 

Additionally, on the evening of Thursday, May 12, 2011, Karvan Saidi, a Kurdish citizen, was shot at and killed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard while he was driving into the city of Marivan [Kurdistan Province].  Eyewitnesses have reported that Karvan Saidi wasn’t carrying anything in his vehicle when the Revolutionary Guard opened fire at him.

 

Kurdish news sources have also reported that on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, Masoud Nikkhah, a traveling salesman at Dovlehbi border region in Marivan [Kurdistan Province], was wounded and transferred to one of the hospitals in this city.

 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, because of mine explosions in areas near towns of Marivan and Divandarh in Kurdistan Province, three Kurdish citizens were injured.  It must be noted that the majority of people who are injured and killed in the borders of Kurdistan are traveling salesmen and vendors.

A Baluchi Citizen Killed in Zahedan by IRGC

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Ethnic Minorities
Abdolmalek Rigi, Rahmak Sahrabzehi

HRANA News Agency – On Tuesday, May 10, 2010, military forces from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Camp killed Rahmak Sahrabzehi in Zahedan [Sistan and Baluchestan Province].

 

The Islamic Republic news Agency (IRNA) announced the killing of a Baluchi citizen during clashes with the Revolutionary Guard and claimed that Rahmak Sahrabzehi was a member of Jundallah [People’s Resistance Movement of Iran].

 

Quoting an informed official from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, the report added, “At 21:30pm on Tuesday, Security forces surrounded Rahmak Sahrabzehi near Shahid Chamran Street and shot him.”

 

Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of Jundallah, was executed on June 20, 2010.  It is noteworthy that during the last few years, a large number of Baluchi citizens have been charged with membership and cooperation with Jundallah and have been arrested, convicted and subsequently executed.