In an Urgent Action published at the weekend, Amnesty criticised the incommunicado detention of leading members of an influential Ahwazi Arab family, whose cases were recently publicised by the British Ahwazi Friendship Society .
The men were recently arrested in a campaign of intimidation and repression by the Iranian regime in response to recent anti-government mass protests in Khuzestan province, which is the homeland of the Ahwazi Arabs. They are all related to Hajj Salem Bawi, an Ahwazi Arab tribal leader and a businessman who runs a number of computer stores in Ahwaz.
The men were arrested on 11 August and are being held incommunicado at unknown locations. It is likely that they are being tortured while under interrogation. They have been accused of having contact with dissident groups operating outside Iran, but have not been charged in relation to the pre-election June bombings in Ahwaz and this month's attacks on oil facilities.
Members of the Bawi family current under arrest are:
Mohsen Bawi, IT consultant.
Imad Bawi, a law student at the Lebanese University of Beirut, who has been banned from returning to Lebanon.
Zamel Bawi, a businessman who owns shops in Ahwaz.
Hani Bawi, a student at the University of Ahvaz.
Moslem Bawi, a student.
Asad Bawi, a businessman.
To view the Amnesty International Urgent Action, click here .
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keywords: ahvaz ahwaz ahwazi arabistan khuzestan khuzistan khuzestani arab arabistan iran iranian human rights security oil news ahmadinejad ethnic cleansing
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