Date (Tarix) 3 June 2006

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ref (Muraciət): House of Commons

Mr Michael Martin

The Speaker of the House of Commons

The House of Commons

London

SW1 OAA

Dear Mr. Speaker,

Re       PEACHEFUL DEMONSTRATION OF SOUTHERN AZERBAIJANIS IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the authorities of the House of Commons for allowing us, the Southern Azerbaijanis and our sympathisers, to demonstrate peacefully in Parliament Square .

Our demonstration is to bring attention to ongoing mass protests sweeping through Southern Azerbaijan against the extremist Iranian regime whose ongoing policies include abhorrent acts such as opening fire on unarmed peaceful protestors, systematically assimilating the culture of our nation, banning our language, and arresting and torturing our poets, writers and intellectuals.

The estimates of the population of Southern Azerbaijan vary from 25 to 35 millions and therefore we constitute a substantial proportion of Iran ’s seventy million inhabitants. Our culture and ethnicity are distinctly different from the ruling Persian population. Yet there exists within Iran a two-tier society where those of non-Persian origin, such as Azerbaijanis, are not provided with equal social and economic opportunities and status. The methods employed by the authorities in response to dissent against this are singular and brutal.

In spite of this, we take great pride in stating that, we, the Azerbaijanis, have never resorted to violence or terrorism throughout our struggle for freedom from the ruling fundamentalist regimes of Iran . It is unthinkable that in this time and age, the Iranian government does not allow us the basic education in our native language or even the naming of our newborn with our traditional names.

Throughout the last century, Southern Azerbaijanis pioneered the establishment of secular and democratic governments in Iran . One of Azerbaijanis most celebrated civil movements resulted in the establishment of Iran ’s first parliamentary system and constitutional monarchy. Yet today, the Iranian government responds to our demands for human rights with bullets, mass imprisonment and torture. The most recent examples include events sweeping through Southern Azerbaijani towns and cities bearing as many as 25 losses of life, hundreds wounded and up to 3,000 detained.

We hope that by mentioning our cause in the House of Commons, you will express your moral support for our peaceful struggle to safeguard our human rights.

South Azerbaijan Campaign Group

South Azerbaijan Picket Committee

Azerbaijani Turks Community