Qəhrəman
Azərbaycan Türk milləti:
Zərrəcə
şübhə yoxdurki,sizin dirəniş və dirçəlişiz
nəhayət öz meyvəsini vərəcək və bütün
milli hqalarımızı əldə etməyimiz üçün çox yol
qalmamışdır. Fars şovinizminin və qəddar Əhmədinəjad
siyasətinin dünya efkari umumisində ifşa edilməsi
bunun ilk addımdır.
Amnesty
international-in bugünkü bəyaniyəsi ədalət yolunda apardığımız
mübarizənin haqlılğnı, haray mən Türkəm şuarının
geçərliliyini, milli siyasi zindanilərimizin adlı-sanlı böyük
insanlar olduğunu göstərməklə çəkilən əzabların
üstünə məlhəm olmuşdur.
Haydi
irəli
Böyük
Rəsuloğlu
-----------------------------------------------
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Public Statement
AI Index:
MDE 13/074/2006 (Public)
News Service No: 168
29 June 2006
Iran: Authorities should exercise restraint in policing Babek Castle
gathering and address human rights
violations against Iranian Azeri Turks
As the
annual Babek Castle cultural gathering of Iranian Azeri Turks approaches on 30
June 2006, Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities to exercise
restraint while policing the gathering. In
addition, it is calling on the authorities urgently to address increasing
human rights violations being committed by Iranian security forces and
others against members of Irans Azeri Turkish minority (who sometimes refer
to themselves as Iranian Azerbaijanis).
The largest
ethnic minority in Iran, the Azeri Turkish community is believed to number
between 25-30 percent of the total population and is found mainly in the
north-west. Mostly Shia Muslims,
like the majority of the population, they are not subject to as much
discrimination as minorities of other religions, and are well-integrated into
the economy. In recent years, however, they have increasingly called for
greater cultural and linguistic rights, such as the right to be taught in
Turkish and to celebrate Azerbaijani culture and history at events such
as at the annual Babek Castle gathering and Constitution Day, celebrated in
October. A small minority advocate the secession of Iranian Azerbaijani
provinces and union with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Activists who promote Azeri
Turkish cultural identity are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities,
who often charge them with vaguely worded offences such as "promoting
pan-Turkism".
The annual
Babek Castle gathering has reportedly been held for the last six years at Babek
(or Bazz) castle in the town of Kalayber, north-western Iran.
Each year, thousands of Azeri Turks gather in Kalayber and walk up to the
castle to celebrate the birthday of Babek Khorramdin, who lived in the
ninth century and is regarded as a hero by Iranian Azeri Turks.
These gatherings have frequently met with repression on the part of the
Iranian authorities. In 2005, for example, scores of people were
reportedly arrested and at least 21 were sentenced to prison terms of up to one
year, though some of these were suspended.
Mass
demonstrations broke out in towns and cities in north-west Iran following the
publication on 12 May 2006 of a cartoon in the state-owned daily newspaper,
Iran, which offended many in the Azeri Turkish community.
The government suspended publication of the newspaper on 23 May
and both the editor-in-chief and cartoonist were arrested.
Protests began on a small scale mainly among Azeri Turkish students in
universities in Tehran and Tabriz, but rapidly to Azeri Turkish areas. A
huge demonstration took place in Tabriz on 22 May and further
demonstrations were held in other places in the following days. Most of these
protests were peaceful, but some ended with attacks on government buildings and
cars. Some Iranian Azeri Turkish sources have claimed these attacks were
instigated by government agents. The
Iranian government has accused the United States (US) and other outside
forces of stirring up the unrest. The US government has denied this.
The Iranian authorities reportedly used excessive force
to disperse demonstrators, including beatings and lethal gunfire.
Amnesty International has received the names of 27 people who are alleged
to have been killed, including seven in Tabriz and 14 in Naqadeh (known
as Sulduz by Iranian Azeri Turks). One, 26-year-old Jalil Abedi was reportedly
shot in the left side of his head by a member of Irans Intelligence service
in Meshkin Shahr (known as Khiyov in Azeri Turkish) during a
demonstration on 25 May, and left to die by security officials who would
not let a doctor treat him. His
family were reportedly prevented from holding his funeral in a mosque and
only a few of them were permitted to attend his burial. The Iranian authorities
have generally denied that any deaths occurred during the demonstrations,
although a police official acknowledged publicly on 29 May that four
people had been killed and 43 injured in Naqadeh.
Hundreds,
possibly thousands, of demonstrators, are reported to have been
detained, of whom Amnesty International has received the names of almost
200. On 23 June, Hojjatoleslam
Aghazadeh, Head of the Office of the Ministry of Justice in East Azerbaijan
province, told the press that some 330 people had been arrested in
Tabriz, most of whom had already been released, although as many as 85
would be tried later. He said that
20 to 25 people had been identified as playing a major role in the disturbances
and that some were Bahais, some Tudeh party members (communists) and two
had links with Israel.
While many
protestors have been released, scores are believed to remain in detention,
including Changiz Bakhtavar, Dr Ahmad Gholipour Rezaie (known as Dr Heydaroglu)
and Hassan Ali Hajabollu (known as Hassan Ark), all of whom were detained after
the Tabriz demonstration on 22 May. Hassan Damirchi, aged 65, a
businessman and a well-known musician from Tabriz (also known as Hassan
Azerbaijan) and his son Babak were arrested at home on 26 May and Gholam Reza
Amani was detained on 28 May; he is now reported to be on hunger strike.
Some or all of these may have been transferred to Evin prison in Tehran
for questioning but their current whereabouts are unclear. Some detainees
are reported to have been tortured, including Davoud Maghami, held in
Parsabad (known as Mughan in Azeri Turkish) who is said to have required
hospital treatment as a result. He has now been released.
Other prominent
Azeri Turkish activists who are reported to have been detained include
Abbas Lisani (or Leysanli), who was arrested on 3 June when he
returned home after hiding for a week following a demonstration in Ardebil in
which he was beaten by
security forces. He is reportedly
on hunger strike and his condition is causing concern.
His home telephone line has apparently been cut, possibly
to prevent his wife publicising his plight. Abbas Lisani has previously
been detained several times because of his political activities on
behalf of the Azeri Turkish community, including during or following the Babek
Castle gatherings in 2003 and 2005. He
was severely tortured during his arrest at a sit-in protest by Azeri Turks at
the Sarcheshme Mosque in Ardebil in June 2004.
In advance
of this years Babek Castle gathering, Iranian security forces are reported to
be carrying out arrests, possibly to prevent certain individuals attending. One,
Akbar Qorbani, was reportedly arrested on 26 June at his workplace in
Ardebil by unidentified men in plain clothes (lebas-e shakhsi),
having previously been threatened by such people since he took part in the demnonstration
in Ardebil.
Another, political activist Ebrahim Jafarzadeh, was reportedly
arrested on 26 June in Khoy after being summoned to an Intelligence
Ministry facility; he was released the next day.
On 27 June, Reza Abbasi, a member of ASMEK (Association for the Defence
of Azerbaijani political prisoners) and of the Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-e
Tahkim-e Vahdat), a student body, was reportedly arrested in Zenjan after he
refused to comply with a verbal summons to attend an Intelligence Ministry
facility for interrogation. On the
same day, Jahanbaksh Bekhtavar, the brother of Changiz Bekhtaver (see above) was
reportedly arrested at his home in Tabriz by Intelligence Ministry officials who
are also said to have confiscated his books and other personal belongings.
Also on 27 June, Isa Yeganeh, the managing director of the suspended
newspaper Payam-e Sulduz was reportedly arrested in Naqadeh, Sayed Mehdi
Sayedzadeh was arrested in Tabriz and at least five people released after the
May demonstrations in Miandoab were reportedly redetained.
Amnesty
International recognizes that the Iranian authorities have a right and a
responsibility to bring those suspected of criminal offences to justice. However
it is concerned that many of those detained may be prisoners of conscience,
detained solely on account of their peaceful exercise of their right to freedom
of expression and association, or on account of their peaceful political
activities on behalf of the Iranian Azeri Turkish community.
Amnesty
International is calling on the Iranian authorities to
respect international human rights
standards in relation to the policing of the Babek Castle gathering and ensure
that those responsible for law enforcement conform at all times with standards
such as the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials
release all prisoners of conscience
immediately and unconditionally. Other
detainees should be released unless they are to be charged with a recognizably
criminal offence and brought to trial promptly and fairly
grant all detainees prompt and regular
access to lawyers of their own choosing and their families and to appropriate
medical care if necessary
investigate all allegations of torture or
ill-treatment promptly and thoroughly. The methods and findings of any such
investigation should be made public. Anyone implicated in human rights
violations should be brought to justice promptly and fairly and victims of
torture and ill-treatment should be granted compensation
ensure that any trials respect, as a
minimum standard, the relevant provisions of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights
investigate all possible unlawful killings
or extra-judicial executions promptly and fairly in accordance with the UN
Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal,
Arbitrary and Summary Executions, and bring to justice, fairly and promptly, any
members of the security forces responsible for unlawful killings or other grave
violations of human rights.