The Iranian regime has executed three Ahwazi Arab political prisoners just days after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, visited Iran.
The three men - Abdulreza Nawaseri (pictured), Mohammad Ali Sawari and Jaffar Sawari - were hanged on charges of preaching Wahabbism and bombing the Zergan oilfields in 2005. They denied the charges in a one-day trial in which they were not given adequate legal representation. Their lawyers complained they were not given time to read their clients' files or meet their clients. The regime has not provided any evidence to substantiate its claims.
Abdulreza Nawaseri, aged 32, was the brother of Mehdi Nawaseri, who was hanged in public in Ahwaz City in March 2006 . He was arrested in 2000 and then sentenced to 35 years in prison. He was in prison at the time of the bomb attacks in Zergan.
Brothers Mohammad Ali Sawari and Jaffar Sawari had been in prison since 2005, along with a third brother, Hamzah Sawari. They were initially accused of attempting to convert Ahwazi Arabs to Sunnism, but they were later blamed for the Zergan oilfield attacks. No evidence has been produced to substantiate the government's charges. Mohammad Ali Sawari is a 37 year old teacher, married with five children.
Following the executions, some Ahwazi Arabs held spontaneous anti-government demonstrations in the streets of Ahwaz. The authorities reportedly fired on the crowds to subdue them. Initial reports suggested that one person has been killed and 20 have been wounded.
Daniel Brett, Chairman of the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, said: "The Iranian government is not only executing innocent men, it is killing entire families in its attempt to terrorise the Ahwazi Arab people. We know that the entire family of Ahwazi psychologist Dr Awdeh Afrawi have been executed, murdered or imprisoned; Dr Afrawi himself is currently dying in prison. All five sons of tribal leader Hajji Salem Bawi have been sentenced to long prison terms or execution (pictured). Zamel Bawi could be the next Ahwazi Arab to face execution. The wives and children of some executed Ahwazi Arabs have also been imprisoned, including pregnant women and babies.
"The regime is collectively punishing Ahwazi Arabs as part of a broader programme of ethnic cleansing of this indigenous ethnic group. This policy of collective punishment is not applied to ethnic Persians.
"The Sawari and Bawi tribes appear to be key targets, due to the fact that their lands are oil-rich and members of these tribes have been heavily involved in opposition to the government's land confiscation programme and forced displacement of Arabs.
"Every Ahwazi activist is condemned as a separatist, a Wahabbi and a British or Israeli spy and is likely to be executed if arrested. It does not matter if they are accused of distributing Sunni literature or bombing oilfields, they are seen as being mohareb (at war with god) and as such can be executed under Islamic law."
Labels: death penalty
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