Imprisoned Ahwazi Arab journalist Hassan Fallahiya has sent the following letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon from Evin Prison in Iran. In May,
Amnesty International declared him a "prisoner of conscience detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association" and has expressed concern that he is "at risk of torture or ill-treatment."
It appealed for his release after he was given a three year prison term for criticising the government. He has been in prison since November 2006, including a period in the notorious Section 209, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence which uses it to torture political prisoners and conduct summary killings.
Mr Ban Ki-moon
As you know,
Iran
is a country composed of many nationalities, races, religions and doctrines. The Arabs are among these nationalities, living mainly in Khuzestan and Bushehr and some other are dispersed in different regions of
Iran
.
These people, along with other Iranian nationalities such as Kurds, Baluchis and Azaris, suffer high levels of oppression and deprivation. Although Arab-populated land provides 90% of the natural sources in
Iran
, the living conditions of these people are deteriorating from even the most basic levels.
In addition to these economic problemsm, these people are forbidden to use their mother tongue in schools, government departments or any other governmental institution. The local language cannot be used in communication and the media [...]
Mr Ban Ki-moon, you are aware that Iran's nuclear dossier is in a delicate and a very critical stage, but I believe that the problems facing the nations and religious minorities and ethnic minorities in Iran and Khuzestan are more important.
In particular,
the Mandeans, the religious minority who live in Khuzestan, are suffering deprivation like their Arab compatriots in Khuzestan.
I am a Khuzestani Arab journalist detained in Evin prison in
Tehran
, who was imprisoned because I defended the Arab nation. I demand that you give more attention to the Iranian nationalities and speak up on our behalf so that the world may acknowledge the adversities we suffer
[...]
Mohammad Hassan Fallahyia
Iranian Arab journalist â Section 350 Evin prison
Labels: activism , human rights
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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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