The British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) has branded Iran's planned public execution of 11 Ahwazi Arabs as a "public relations disaster" for the regime.
The imminent mass executions have led to a wave of condemnation in Europe that will only build if they go ahead.
Members of the British Parliament and the European Parliament as well as international human rights organisations are mobilising against the killings, with increasing awareness of the regime's ethnic cleansing programme against the Ahwazi Arab minority.
BAFS Chairman Daniel Brett said: "Previous public executions carried out in March received little attention in the West. Perhaps the Iranian government thought it could carry out more executions without international censure. But the number due to be executed coupled with serious doubts about the trials and the arrest of lawyers for the defendants has generated considerable publicity and support for the Ahwazi rights movement.
"Iran will no doubt face condemnation from the European Parliament and this will have a major impact on the EU's dialogue with Iran if the executions go ahead. It will also damage Iran's efforts to claim leadership over the Arab world, particularly on the issue of Palestinian statehood. Killing innocent Ahwazis will reveal the regime's innate contempt for Arabs and show that its supposed solidarity with the Palestinians and Lebanese is nothing but a front for expanding its sphere of influence.
"If the regime thought that killing its opponents would kill off opposition, it is very naive. Iran's leaders have the option of cancelling the executions, annulling the verdicts and demanding a retrial that meets international standards of justice. They can also quell unrest by legalising Ahwazi Arab parties like the Lejnat Al-Wefaq (Reconciliation Committee), which was recently outlawed, and allowing them to compete in free and fair elections. An immediate halt to land confiscations is also necessary to end the continuing impoverishment of Ahwazi Arabs.
"We don't think the regime has the confidence or the strength to allow its citizens the equal social, economic and political rights and democratic freedoms they are entitled to. But they can always call their opponents' bluff and prove them wrong by cancelling the executions."
DEMONSTRATION AGAINST EXECUTIONS AND ETHNIC CLEANSING OF AHWAZI ARABS:
DATE: SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER
TIME: 1PM-3PM
PLACE:
IRANIAN EMBASSY
PRINCE'S GATE
LONDON
NEAREST TUBE: SOUTH KENSINGTON
CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
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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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