Free 5 Ahwazi Political Prisoners

the Islamic Republic Supreme Court confirmed the death sentences of five Arab Ahwazi activists who were co-founders or active members of scientific – cultural institute of Al-Hiwar, who are allegedly accused of combating against God (Muharebeh).

Muhammadali Omouri (Fisheries engineer and school teacher), Hadi Rashedi (holds a MS degree in applied chemistry and chemistry high-school teacher), Hashem Shabani (Arab literature teacher and MA degree student in Political Sciences at Ahwaz University), Seyyed Jaber Alboshoka (holds an associate degree in computer sciences and is a private in the military), Seyyed Mokhtar Alboshoka (works at a stone mining company), from among the founders and active members of Al-Hiwar, are accused of combatting against God, proceeding with armed activities and threatening national security. They are sentenced to death by hanging, while they explicitly announced, in several hearings, that they remained under months of severe torture, were obliged to falsely confess to armed activities and attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Al-Hiwar means dialogue. The institute was inspired by the policies of President Khatami’s government to promote a “Dialogue among Civilizations” and was registered by the National Youth Organization. The institute organizes events for the Arab youth of Ramshir (Khalafabad), including a number of conferences, poetry recital gatherings, and educational and art classes, all in the Arabic language. The activities of this institute were pronounced as illegal after an upsurge in the presence of security forces in the Khuzestan province following the widespread demonstrations in April 2005 in protest against discriminations imposed on Arab ethnic groups. In addition, the founders, members and others involved with the institute were also threatened. Around twenty active members of the institute were arrested in February 2011 and kept in secret detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence in Ahwaz. For a number of months, the authorities applied severe mental and physical tortures on the detainees with the sole purpose of forcing them to falsely confess to armed activities.

A member of Al-Hiwar institue, who was among those arrested, told Justice for Iran, “I was beaten with a cable; I think it was a cable, because my eyes were blindfolded. I would hear screams of others while passing through the hallway to go to the bathroom. The sound of the voices was familiar to me. I heard, for instance, Hade Rashedi. Just imagine! Hadi Rashedi, with his fragile and weak body, suffering from heart rheumatism, how long could he possibly endure such torture? The prison authorities mistreated prisoners in such a manner that one would not do to wild animals. The mental torture started as soon as we were detained. I was asked to confess that Al-Hiwar, had some connection with the political groups abroad, received foreign aid, whether monetary or weaponry, intended to overthrow the regime, and spied for foreign countries. But we maintain no relationship with any party or organization, not even those within Iran!”

Prior to the hearings and their sentences, Press TV, the English-speaking network of the Islamic Republic of Iran, broadcast the forced confessions of Hadi Rashedi and Hashem Shabani, two members of the Al-Hiwar Institute in a program entitled “Al-Ahwazi terrorist group in Iran”. Despite the fact that Iranian laws prohibit the display of images and names of defendants in the media prior to confirmation of sentence, as well as accusation against those charged, while in custody and without access to the media, which violates their right to respond to accusations, in this program, Hadi Rashedi was identified as the person in charge of the military branch of Al-Muqavamat ash-Sha’bieh (Popular Resistance).

It should be noted Mr. Ezzatullah Zarghami, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which Press TV is a branch of, has been subjected to human rights sanctions by the EU, due to producing and later broadcasting forced confessions and hearings of political prisoners.

Finally, in June 2012, Seyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi, the judge at branch two of Ahwaz revolutionary court issued a bill of indictment for 13 detainees of Al-Hiwar, five of whom were sentenced to death. He failed to carry out an investigation around the claims of the defendants that the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in secret detention centres had tortured them. The verdict was issued in spite of the fact that the defendants had no access to their counsel before the hearing. As a matter of fact, not only the defendants of this file were deprived of a fair trial and the right to appeal, but also the security agents in charge of torturing them to extract forced confessions enjoyed absolute impunity.

One of the relatives of the defendants of this file, whom due to security reasons does not wish to be identified, told Justice for Iran ‘we went to see the judge in charge of this file; but he said he had no choice; if he could he would have instantly acquit them; but it is the Ministry of Intelligence that determines the verdicts.’

While the process involving the review of files through branches of the Supreme Court is lengthy and can take up to a number of years, in this case, the verdict of the lower court referred on 7 November 2012 was urgently reviewed by the Supreme Court’s branch 32, and verified in less than two months.

Judge Farajullahi, head of branch 32, and his two consultants, Judge Qaemmaqami and Judge Lutfi, also confirmed sentences for other members of the Al-Hiwar Institute. For instance, defendant, Rahman Asakereh, a graduate in chemistry and a principal at a high school in Ramshir (Khalafabad), was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in exiled to Khurasan Province.

Judge Farajullahi, head of branch 32 of Supreme Court, holds a doctorate degree in criminal law and criminology but has a notorious reputation for confirming death sentences of political prisoners. He has confirmed the death sentences of several Iranians including Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari, the Internet activists who are currently detained at Evin.

Justice for Iran re-emphasizes the demands set forth in its previous statements, that all authorities responsible for violation of the basic rights of Arabs active in achieving their ethnic identity, specially:

- Judge Seyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi: head of branch 2 of the Islamic revolutionary court of Ahwaz, should be held accountable for the crimes of torturing political prisoners, failing to observe the standards set for fair trials and issuing the recent death sentences for five members of scientific – cultural institute of Al-Hiwar as well as heavy sentences for seven more members,

- Muhammad Sarafraz: head of Press TV network, responsible for broadcasting forced confessions of political prisoners, including the Arab activists who are members of Al-Hiwar Institute;

Moreover, Justice for Iran requests that the European Union include the name of Judge Reza Farajullahi, the head of Supreme Court’s branch 32, in the list of human rights sanctions, for confirming the death sentences of five members of Al-Hiwar.

Finally, Justice for Iran requests from a number of UN Special Rapporteurs, particularly the special rapporteur for torture, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Special Rapporteur on the independence of the judges and lawyers, and also the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, to take every step necessary to facilitate the commute of the death sentences issued for the members of Al-Hiwar and to ensure of the judicial verification of allegations of torture and holding accountable the authorities in charge of torture with intent to extract forced confessions from the imprisoned members of Al-Hiwar.

معلمان بی گناه ما را از اعدام نجات دهید!
نویسنده : نه به اعدام - ساعت ۱٢:۳٢ ‎ب.ظ روز ۱۳٩۱/۱٠/۳٠

نامه سرگشاده دانش آموزان دبیرستانهای خلفیه ( رامشیر ) به فعالین حقوق بشر

باعرض سلام
مکتوب ذیل شرح مختصری از محنت معلمان دربند ماست که مظلومانه به اعدام محکوم شده اند . شاید برما خرده بگیرید که ما دانش آموزان در اثر احساسات خودجوش با نوشتن این نامه ودرخواست ازشما برای توقف اعدام معلمان عزیزمان وارد مسائلى شده ایم که خارج از حوزه و محیط آموزشى ماست. اما شما بخوبی مطلع هستید که علم و تکنولوژی دنیای امروزى بشریت را تبدیل به یک دهکده جهانى کرده است و اخبار ظلم و ستم و حوادث مختلف در جاى جاى نقاط جهان توسط رسانه هاى اجتماعى منتشر مى شود.

ما دانش آموزان عرب شهر خلفیه ( رامشیر ) علی رغم فقر و محرومیت و تبعیض همانند هم سن وسالهای خود در شهرهای مرفه وارد دانشگاهها و عرصه هاى علمى و فرهنکى شده و از مسائل روز از آگاهى نسبى برخوردار هستیم . ما مى دانیم که صدور احکام اعدام براى این معلمان دلسوز و هدف از زمینه سازی و تبلیغات منفى براى توجیه اعدام آنان از سوى دشمنان ملت عرب و شووینیستهاى محلى بوده است . آنانى که چشم دیدن فعالیت و عملکرد این معلمان براى احقاق حقوق مردم مظلوم عرب را ندارند زیرا که آنها جهت بیشرفت و ارتقاى سطح علمى دانش آموزان عرب از هیج کوششى دریغ نکرده اند و با مال و جان و وقت و زحمات خود براى خدمت به دانش آموزان فقیر و تهى دست عرب خدمت کرده اند.

دوسال پیش در زنگ استراحت علت نیامدن سه دبیر را از معاون دبیرستان پرسیدیم، علی رغم مطلع بودن وی ازخبر هجوم شبانه نیروهای اطلاعاتی به منازلشان وبازداشت آنان، متاسفانه موضوع را پنهان کرده،ادعای فرستادن به ماموریت ایشان نموده،طولی نکشید که در اثرانتشارخبر و زمزمه اعتراض ما دانش آموزان اداره مدرسه خبرى درباره معلمانمان را در تابلوى اعلانات مدرسه شهید مطهرى نصب کردند که مشتى از تبلیغات منفى مبنى بر ضاله بودن افکار آنان بود و با صف دادن دانش آموزان در توضیحی که خالی از تهدید نبود، سعی در توجیه بازداشت غیر قانونی و فاقد مبرر کرده،مدعی می شود که اینها از مخربین و فرقه ضاله و غیره مى باشند.

با گذشت چند هفته وبا عنایت به تجارب خود وپدرانمان از مراجعات به ادارات دولتی، خصوصا مراکز امنیتی که بنوبه شاهد برخورد مستقیم وغیر مستقیم با انگیزه ای عرب ستیزانه بوده وهستیم،سخت نگران دبیران بازداشتی شدیم.خصوصا که این عزیزان چند سال سابقه فعالیت فرهنگی وراه اندازی شبهای شعر ادبی وعربی داشته واز محبوبیت والائی درجامعه برخوردار وبارها برای تعطیل کردن چنین برنامه هائی مورد تهدید مقامات امنیتی قرار گرفته بودند.مدتی پس از بی اطلاعی کامل خانواده هایشان وما دانش آموزان از محل بازداشت(سیاه چاله های اطلاعات)نامبردگان ذیل ونظر به علم واطلاع کامل مسئولین اطلاعات ازمحبوبیت دبیران ودو جوان فعال فرهنگی وانعکاس ظلم وستم ناشی از شکنجه های غیر انسانی که بر تن وروان آن عزیزان روا داشته اند، تنها راه توجیه عمل غیر انسانی خود را در کمک گرفتن از شبکه تلویزیونی پرس تی وی (وابسته به سپاه) یافته با پوشش خبری وخیانت به امانت شغل خبرنگاری ،جنایتهای غیر انسانی مسئولین ومامورین شکنجه گررا ،با اخذاقرارات مهندسی شده تحت وحشیانه ترین شکنجه ها وبرنامه ریزی شده پخش ومنتشر کردند،تا مثل قتلهای زنجیره ای مجبور به معرفی به اصطلاح کنج اندیشان اطلاعاتی قاتل وشکنجه گر نشوندوهمزمان زمینه جنایتی دیگر(اعدام)را تدارک بینند.

پس از پخش فیلم ساختگى توسط اطلاعات (مرکزی وسپاه پاسداران)ازکانال تلویزیونی پرس تی وی که از بازداشت معلمان عرب اهوازی با اتهاماتى واهى و دروغین که همه مردم شهر را شوکه کرد و با تبلیغاتى که بوى دشمنى و عرب ستیزى آن آشکار بود و با این که آثار شکنجه های خونین برچهره این معلمان معلوم بود زمینه را براى صدور حکم اعدامشان مهیا کردند .

ما از کلیه سازمانهاى حقوق بشرى و بین المللى و آزادگان جهان درخواست انسانی برای جلوگیری از فاجعه اعدام معلمان محبوب ما از هر کوششى دریغ نکنند و تأکید میکنیم که این عزیزان از فعالان فرهنگى مسالمت جو و از معلمان دلسوز و از چهره هاى محبوب جامعه هستند .
نام و مشخصات کامل این پنج معلم عرب محکوم به اعدام :
١. هاشم شعبانی نژاد متولد ١٣۶٠ شاعر – وبلاگ نویس و دبیر أدبیات عرب و دانشجوی فوق لیسانس علوم سیاسی دانشگاه اهواز.
٢. هادی راشدی متولد ١٣۵٢ دبیر شیمی و فوق لیسانس شیمی کاربردی.
٣. محمد علی عموری نژاد متولد ١٣۵۶ وبلاگ نویس و فارغ التحصیل رشته مهندسی منابع طبیعی- شیلات و آبزیان از دانشگاه صنعتی أصفهان و فعال دانشجویی و یکی از مؤسسان نشریه دانشجویی ” التراث” بوده که در دانشگاه صنعتی اصفهان منتشر می شد.
۴. سید یابر البوشوکه متولد ١٣۶٣و برادر وى
۵. سید مختار البوشوکه متولد ١٣۶۵

عده ای از دانش آموزان دبیرستانهای خلفیه ( رامشیر )
29 دی ماه 1391
مصادف با 18/1/2013