Monthly Report of Association for Defense of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran(ADAPP)– January 2010
The systematic violation of human rights of Azerbaijanis within Iran continued through January 2010. Azerbaijani supporters of Tractor football club were under pressure, activists publishing and distributing posters of the club in Turkish were detained. Jail sentences were issued against Azerbaijani activists, arbitrary detention of activists, and long term temporary detentions were applied as in previous months. The detainees are deprived of their fundamental rights of access to a lawyer or visits from their families during detentions.
Detention of Azerbaijani supporters of Tractor football club
“Tiractor Football Club” soccer games have been transformed into the focal point of expressing the national demands of Azerbaijanis. The tens of thousands of supporters, carrying signs in Azerbaijani Turkish calling for linguistic and ethnic rights, chant slogans like “long live Azerbaijan”, and “Schooling in Turkish”.
Security forces have limited linguistic rights expression by using tactics such as body searches when entering to the sport stadiums and confiscating signs or any other item written in Azerbaijani Turkish.
Security forces also arrested makers of the Tractor Fan Club posters, which were allowed to be published by club and government authorities during past two months. Some printing and distribution offices for the posters as well as shops selling them were shut down.
Abdollah Sadughi, an Azerbaijani journalist and a member of Goal, Corner and Khos Khabar sport journals was arrested by Tabriz intelligence office agents on January 18, 2010. The agents arrested him and his brother after stopping their car. His brother Hossein Sadughi was released on bail after some hours but Abdollah Sadughi is still in detention.
Abdollah Sadughi was publishing and distributing posters in Azerbaijani Turkish after receiving permission from the government.
Mohammad Alimoradi, an Azerbaijani activist, was also arrested by security forces on January 23, 2010 in Tabriz for publishing Tractor Football Club posters. He was released on bail after one day of detention, but he was reportedly tortured and subjected to other ill-treatments.
Azerbaijani cultural activist Alireza Hosseinzade was arrested in Tabriz and his shop was searched by security forces. He was released on bail after one day of detention. He was detained for publishing and distributing Tractor football club posters.
Tabriz police forces arrested Ali Afiyet, the supervisor of the Afiyet printing office in Tabriz along with other managers in the office. Afiyet was released after 10 days of detention on bail. The printing office which was also closed down has been reopened.
The security forces also arrested Davud Shiri, who has a shop selling electronic goods. His shop was closed down after his detention and the computer and some Tractor Football Club posters were taken. Shiri was released after one day of detention on bail, but his shop remains closed by authorities.
Azerbaijani activists are faced by jail sentences
Ali Bikas, an Azerbaijani political activist and a member of Islamic Iran’s Azerbaijanis Association who was arrested on Jun 15, 2009 is still in prison. He was tried and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and four lashes. Bikas was accused of “crimes against national security”, “propaganda against the regime” and also “swaying of public opinion.” The claims are based on his interview with foreign media and his presence in streets on Jun 15 after the latest presidential election in Iran.
Bikas’s lawyer opposed the issued verdict against his client and his file has been sent to appellate court.
Bikas is a Ph.D. student of history and is the spokesman of the Islamic Iran’s Azerbaijanis Association He was an active participant in Mir Hossein Mousavi’s recent election campaign. He withdrew from his position after an internet video was released in which former Iranian President Khatami ridiculed Iranian Azerbaijanis. He was further compelled to write articles condemning Khatemis racist action. Khatami was an ardent supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi during the election.
Yashar Hakkakpur, a human rights activist, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and 50 lashes. He was charged with allegedly publishing and distributing false information, insulting the IRI by sending news to foreign countries, and participating in a meeting in which Azerbaijani poets were present to commemorate the 21 Azer in Zanjan University. He had been previously sentenced to six months of imprisonment on charges of propaganda against the regime.
Hakkakpour, a student at the time, was detained on January 21, 2006 by Maraghe intelligence office agents and was released on bail of 800 million rials ($80,000).
Hakkakpur believes that the verdicts are issued against his activities in defense of Azerbaijani human rights and also his student activities such as publishing student journals Qiziluzen and Zangan Sozleri.
Yashar Hakkakpur was a member of the board of the Islamic Association of Zenjan University, director-in-chief of student journal Heyme, and editor-in-chief of student journals Qiziluzen and Zangan Sozleri. He was also responsible for the NGO Azerbaijan’s Children Home in Maraghe. He now is living in Turkey and is a spokesman for the Association for the Defense of Azerbaijanis political prisoners in Iran (ADAPP).
Azerbaijani activists tried
Iran authorities banned using the colors and cultural symbols of Azerbaijan in advertisements, logos and ceremonies. Those who do are arrested and mistreated by authorities. Iran’s government has put limits on forming Azerbaijani NGO’s.
Behbud Gholizade, an Azerbaijani cultural activist and the director of Yasil Mountaineering Group was tried on January 16, 2010 in Miyandoab (Qosacay). He was subsequently released on bail. The group was banned by Miyandoab sport and physical training office because of group’s activity on ethnic rights. The group was an NGO which held activities advocating the preservation of natural environments and also in introducing Azerbaijani culture to youth.
The authorities also demanded that a photography shop owned by Gholizade remove anything in his store using colors or symbols of Azerbaijan. The shop owner will be tried and charged with managing Yasil Mountaineering Group and pan-Turkism only for use of such symbols in his shop.
Last summer, widespread protests were orchestrated throughout cities and universities of Azerbaijan in response to an internet video which showed Mohammad Khatemi, an ex-president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, making a racially-motivated joke and insulting the national integrity of Azerbaijanis.
In
a presidential campaign speech by Mousavi in Tabriz on May 25, 2009, security
forces attacked the participants who were chanting slogans in condemning
Khatemi’s racist action and demanding human rights for Azerbaijanis. Some
activists were detained during the speech.
Ali Imani, an Azerbaijani student activist along with Azerbaijani cultural activists Jahanbakhs and Nader Bakhtavarz were tried on January 19, and 20, 2010. The activists were arrested during Mousavi’s Tabriz speech by security forces and were released on bail to be tried later.
They are being charged with “violation of the public order” by chanting Azerbaijanis ethnic and linguistic rights slogans and condemning Khatemi’s racist joke. The trial was not public. Reportedly, the activists were tortured and subjected to other ill-treatments and were not allowed to access a lawyer during detention.
The trial of Jamshid Zarei, Vahid Sheykhbaghlu, and Nima Puryaghub took place on January 4, 2010 in Tabriz. The Azerbaijani activists are charged with “violation of public order.” The trial was not public.
Zarei and Sheykhbaghlu were arrested when participating in a meeting in front of Tabriz University and were released after 9, and 49 (respectively) days of detention on bail to be tried later. Prior, they also were charged with movement against national security and were acquitted.
Azerbaijani activists released from prison
Ebrahim Asmani, Ebrahim Farajzade and Mohammadreza Yusefi, Azerbaijani activists in Tabriz who were arrested during funeral ceremony of Changiz Bakhtavar (an Azerbaijani prominent activist in Tabriz), were released after 26 days of detention on bail of 300 million rial ($30,000) to tried later. They were arrested and charged with propaganda against regime, membership in illegal groups and also movement against national security by participating in a funeral ceremony.
Prior Mehdi, Majid, and Nasib Javadpur, who were arrested at the same ceremony, were also released on bail. During this funeral ceremony many were arbitrarily arrested, severely beaten and pepper sprayed by security agents.
Hushang Rezayi, director of “Parlak Dan Uludz”, a non-governmental cultural center in Tabriz were released after 20 days of detention on bail of 300 million rial ($30,000). He was arrested in his work place by Tabriz intelligence office agents on December 29, 2009.
The cultural center actively works on Azerbaijani Turkish education and research in the field of Azerbaijani language. The building of the organization was searched by agents and the center was closed down. All books and articles existing in the center were confiscated by security forces.
Majid Makui, an Azerbaijani student activist at Esfahan Malekashtar University, was conditionally released from Tabriz prison after serving his jail term in December 24, 2009.
Makui was arrested on August 31, 2008, along with eight other student activists, and was released on bail to be tried later. Later, Makui was tried and sentenced to one year of imprisonment and two years of suspended imprisonment on February 2009. He was charged with participation in establishing of illegal groups in order to violate national security and propaganda against regime by moderating AZOH (Azerbaijan Student Movement) blog.
Faraz Zehtab, Aydin Khajeyi, and Ehsan Najafi Nasab who were released several months ago were also given the same charges. Amnesty International issued urgent actions on November 21, October 23, and September 23, 2008 condemning the detention of the student activists called for the unconditional release of all students.
21 Azer refers to the date December 12, 1945, at which time the Azerbaijani-Turkish language regained its official status and once again became the official language of Azerbaijan. Every year, the people of Azerbaijan throughout the cities celebrate its anniversary by giving Azerbaijani-Turkish books as presents, distributing leaflets and making fireworks to commemorate the year that the Azerbaijani language became the official language of their homeland. Iranian authorities arbitrarily prevent any celebration in a heavy-handed manner every year around 21 Azer day.
Said Chalabiyani, Azerbaijani cultural activist and director of the “Varliq Childrens Poem Reciting Group” who was arrested on December 10, 2009 in Tabriz, was released on bail of 200 million rial ($20,000) after 24 days of detention. His trial is scheduled for a later date. He is charged with movement against national security by organizing private ceremonies.
The activist was arrested at the home of one of the Azerbaijani activists during a private celebration of 21 Azer. Although the ceremony was a cultural ceremony with poem readings and Azerbaijani music performances, the security forces attacked the guests spraying pepper gas and beating participants. Security forces confiscated the IDs of participants.
Reza Gordani, Jamil Tasujiyan, and Bahram Bahmani were released on bail on December 22, 2009.
Long term arbitrary detentions
Iran authorities detain Azerbaijani political and cultural activists arbitrarily for long periods of time and deprive them from their fundamental rights of access to a lawyer or visits from their family.
Hadi Mortaza Selab, the director-in-chief of “Dan Ulduz” student journal at Esfahan Technical University; music teacher Ali Tahamtan; and Reza Abri and Yghub Vujudi, cultural activists who were arrested during Changiz Bakhtavar funeral ceremony on December 29, 2009 are still detained. The reason of their detention is propaganda against regime and membership in illegal groups and movement against national security by participating in funeral ceremony.
Azerbaijani poem books are banned
Pressure on Azerbaijani poets and writers is an old story in Iran which started from Pahlavi era. It reached a peak in 1946 in which the government burned hundreds of thousands of books in Tabriz. Such pressure has not decreased since the 1979 Revolution. Iranian authorities have banned books written in Azerbaijani Turkish.
“Elimde Elli Barmaq” by Negar Khiyavi, “Su Piciltisi” by Malihe Azizpur, and “Bahar Gelmedi” by Saman Hasanzade, which are poems published in Republic of Azerbaijan, were confiscated by Astara border intelligence agents when entering Iran on January 15, 2010.
Iran authorities do not accept the application for publishing books in Azerbaijani Turkish and some books are waiting for acceptance for more than five years. In Qom, authorities did not accept the publication of “El Edebiyati” and a poem book by Ali Seyfi
Monthly Report of Association for Defense of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAPP)– December 2009
The systematic violation of human rights of Azerbaijanis within Iran continued during December 2009. The death of Changiz Bakhtavar under suspicious circumstances reverberated memories of similar suspicious deaths of Azerbaijani activists in Iran in years past. The detention and interrogation of Azerbaijani activists in November 2009 escalated as they coincided particularly with the anniversaries of “21 Azer.” The month of December saw more gross human rights violations such as restraining cultural activities, issuing more arbitrary detention orders against Azerbaijani activists and depriving Azerbaijanis from the right to assemble and the right to free expression.
Death of Changiz Bakhtavar, under Suspicious Circumstances
Changiz Bakhtavar, a renowned Azerbaijani activist, was found dead at his workplace by his colleagues on December 27, 2009. His colleagues at Tabriz Power Station discovered his body a few hours after death in his office.
Bakhtavar’s family stresses that the victim had no known health problems and underlines suspicious behavior by the Iranian security agents.
Security agents were pressing the Bakhtavar family for a rapid burial, else they had warned that the victim’s corpse would have been disappeared and buried in an unmarked grave without the family’s information.
In accordance with the preliminary examinations, his death was claimed to be due to a heart attack. But the detailed autopsy report by the medical examiner is yet to be issued. His family members are pressing for a timely and authentic autopsy report.
Changiz Bakhtavar was a well known Azerbaijani activist in Tabriz. He devoted his life for upholding the national and linguistic rights of the Azerbaijanis within Iran. During past few years, he was detained and imprisoned repeatedly by security agents for his activities.
Arbitrary Detentions of Azerbaijani Activists
Following the funeral services of Changiz Bakhtavar at Maralan Cemetery of Tabriz, on December 20 2009, security agents attacked the participants using violence and teargas, during which 22 individuals were arrested.
The victims of the arrests included Ebrahim Farajzade, Hadi Mortaza Selab, Eli Tahamtan, Reza Ebri, Husheng Rezayi, Farzin Asghari, Ali Imani, Mohammadreza Yusefi, Ebrahim Asmani and three brothers, Mehdi, Majid and Nasib Javadpur. Majid, Mehdi and Nasib Javadpur and a number of other individuals were recently released, however the others still suffer detention.
During this act of arbitrary arrest, pepper teargas was sprayed to the eyes of Abbas Lisani, Hadi Hamidi Shafiq, Mohammad Tajdehi and Hossein Nasiri, who were severely beaten up by security agents.
Prior to the funeral service, security agents had threatened Abbas Lisani, a prominent Azerbaijani activist, with death. They had warned him to immediately leave Tabriz and not participate in both the funeral and memorial services.
Memorial services took place in Imam Ali Mosque at Rushdiyye Township of Tabriz, where security agents intimidated the guests by filming the participants of the memorial service and even arresting Yaghub Vujudi, an Azerbaijani activist.
Marking the 21 Azer Anniversary is an important day in Azerbaijani calendar, but Iranian authorities arbitrarily prevent any initiative in a heavy-handed manner.
21 Azer refers to the date December 12, 1945, at which time the Azerbaijani-Turkic language regained its official status and once again became the official language of Azerbaijan. Every year, the people of Azerbaijan throughout the cities celebrate its anniversary by giving books as present, distributing leaflets and making fireworks to commemorate the year that the Azerbaijani language became the official language of their homeland.
Iranian authorities arbitrarily arrested Azerbaijani activists Said Chalabiani, Reza Gordani, Jamal Tasujian, and Bahram Bahmani on December 10, 2009 at the home of one of the activists during a private celebration of 21 Azer. Of these four victims, three have been temporarily released after suffering 13 days of detention on bail of 200 million rial ($20.000). Said Chalebiani, however, is still in arbitrary detention.
The arrest was carried out by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents, who sprayed pepper spray into the eyes of the guests and confiscated the identity cards and mobile phones of more than 100 participants.
During this ceremony, “The Varliq Children Poem Reciting Group” had poetry recitations and performed Azerbaijani songs.
Others were also summoned for interrogation in one of the centers of the MOIS in Tabriz. These include Hasan Damirchi, the renowned Azerbaijani maestro, composer and performer, and Aydin Shafei and Yaghub Taghavi, who were present in the private party.
Security agents further summoned other Azerbaijani activists on December 11, 2009 in Tabriz in relation to the 21 Azer anniversary, which was planned under an official license to take place in Banafshe Hall in Tabriz. These activists included Mostafa Avazpur, Hedayet Zaker, Ahmad Valayi, Jalal Mohammadi, Mohammadreza Mohammadkhani, Ebrahim Asmani and Isa Ghorban Alizade. They were arbitrarily detained when they reported to the authorities but were released temporarily under bail after a few hours. In the following days, they were repeatedly summoned for interrogation by the Iranian MOIS.
Although the organizers of the anniversary had a formal license to commemorate the occasion of 21 Azer in Banafshe Hall, but they had to cancel it, subsequent to the detention of some of the Azerbaijani activists on 10 December 2009.
It is worth noting that that on December 12, 2009, Tabriz was under a tense atmosphere due to militarized conditions created by the security agents and establishing checkpoints at various locations in the city.
The sport matches of “Tiraxtor (Tractor) Football Team” have been transformed into the focal point of expressing the national demands of Azerbaijanis. The supporters of this team orchestrate slogans such as “Long live Azerbaijan”, “Schooling in Azerbaijani Turkish”, and etc. Security agents prevent this popular movement using all sorts of tactics including unnecessary body searches when entering to the sport stadiums, confiscating their slogans normally painted over cloth material. Security agents also prevent the supporters to take in any messages written in Azerbaijani Turkic to any stadium.
Yunes Noruzi, Vahid Manafi and a few other supporters of the Tiraxtor football team of Tabriz were arrested on December 4, 2009 during the match with Saba Team of Qom. They were released after 2 days of detention in intelligence offices in Tabriz after giving assurances.
The above named individuals were arrested for carrying a poster promoting the expressions of: “Azerbaijan’s Barcelona: Tiraxtor, Tiraxtor,” and “long live Azerbaijan.”
The arrested individuals were detained by security agents in Tabriz and severely beaten up.
Further to the above, Hamid Khatare, an accountancy student and a supporter of the Tiraxtor team was arrested on December 23, 2009 by the security agents at Ekbatan stadium of Tehran but released after a day of detention. Khatare’s arrest took place at a match with the Railway team of Tehran. Security agents arrested Khatare when doing body searches of the participants entering the stadium, during which he was found carrying slogans demanding for national and linguistic rights and protesting against discriminating Azerbaijanis.
Also, a group of supporters were chanting slogans related to linguistic, national and humanitarian rights when walking in a street towards the Ekbatan stadium. This peaceful walk was interrupted by the attacking Antiriot Guard units, who threw teargases to the people, resorted to violence and detained a number of individuals. There is no information on the detainees.
Security agents also prevented the supporters of the Tiraxtor team and prevented any fan taking the logos of their favorite team written in Azerbaijani Turkish to the stadium.
Finally, a music teacher from the Republic of Azerbaijan has been detained by Iranian authorities. This teacher was engaged in teaching music and forming a local musical orchestra group in a border city between the Azerbaijani province of Ardebil and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The identity of this individual has not been identified by the Iranian authorities but according to a report by the IRNA News Agency, the accused is a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan and according to this news source. The accused was engaged in spreading foreign culture by teaching Azerbaijani music and forming an Azerbaijani Orchestra Group in Iranian Azerbaijan.
The embassy and consular offices of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Iran have acknowledged their lack of any official information from this detention.
Over the past years, Iranian suppressions in Azerbaijani provinces, particularly on cultural matters have intensified. Iranian government labels native Azerbaijani language, music, culture and traditions as foreign and resorts to violence against any attempt to restore the Azerbaijan culture in Azerbaijani provinces.
Inflicting Violence against Peaceful Azerbaijani Activists
The Iranian government obstructs the commemoration of dissident clergies including the famed Ayatollah Montazeri. Security agents prevented Montazeri’s commemoration service on December 24, 2009 in Seyyed Mosque, in the Azerbaijani province of Zanjan.
Security agents attacked and wounded a number of individuals gathered in front of the mosque, as they were already prevented from entering to the Mosque. As a result of this attack, Rauf Taheri was severely beaten up and wounded. He is a political activist of Azerbaijan and brother-in-law of Said Matinpur, the renowned Azerbaijani human right defender and journalist.
Two citizens of Zanjan who wanted to take part in the commemoration were arrested and released after a few hours.
Years back, Ayatollah Shariatmadari, one of the supreme ayatollahs and an Azerbaijani by nationality, was subjected to severe pressure and suffered from detention in due course. He promoted some sort of autonomy to ethnic regions and argued against theocracy. Iranian authorities executed a large number of his followers in 1979, banished others to exile and imprisoned many more. Iranian authorities also prevented the commemoration services when this Ayatollah met his death.
Released Prisoners of Conscience
Ehsan Nejefi-neseb, an Azerbaijani student activist of the Tabriz University, was released from Tabriz prison on December 22, 2009 after suffering the core days of imprisonment but subject to a conditional pardon.
This student activist was sentenced on February 8, 2009 by Revolutionary Court in Tabriz. The sentence was initially for 2 years, however it was suspended.
Najafinasab was detained together with seven other activists in early summer 2008 but was released temporarily after three months of detention under bail.
The charges brought against this student activist were: undermining the security in the country and propaganda against the Iranian system by managing the weblog of Azerbaijan Student Movement (AZOH).
Ali Hosseinnejad, an Azerbaijani cultural activist, was released on December 24, 2009 after suffering three months of detention in MOIS custody in the Azerbaijani cities of Urmia and Maku by meeting a bail of 2 Billion rial ($200,000).
The Azerbaijani activist was arrested at his workplace on September 26, 2009 by security agents of the Ministry of Information during a weeklong temporary release from Maku prison. He was charged for spying for Turkey.
This Azerbaijani activist was detained earlier in May 2009 and accused of promoting the participation of the people in third anniversary of the May 2006 mass protests to an offensive cartoon published in “Iran” state-run newspaper. He was arbitrarily sentenced to 8 months imprisonment and is currently serving the term.
Exerting Pressure against Azerbaijani Prisoners of Conscience in Ardabil Prison
Azerbaijani political prisoners (prisoners of conscience) Vadud Saadati, Behruz Alizade and Ali Abbasi are being held in Ardabil Prison and are being constantly harassed by prison authorities.
The head of the Ardabil prison system has ordered the internal manager of the prison to transfer troublemakers, dangerous or infected prisoners to section 7, which is allocated for political prisoners. The personnel are encouraged to use offensive languages and swear at ideas and beliefs.
Vadud Saadati was held in solitary confinement for two days on December 10, 2009 in Ardabil prison following his protest against the use of bad language by prison personnel to Azerbaijani political prisoners.
Passed Sentences
Widespread protests were orchestrated throughout cities and universities of Azerbaijan in response to a distributed film in the Internet, in which Mohammad Khatemi, an ex-president of the Islamic Republic of Iran (who also supported Mr. Mousavi as a presidential candidate of Iran), were seen to incite a racially-motivated joke, abusing the national integrity of Azerbaijanis.
In one of these orchestrated protest events on May 25, 2009, security agents viciously attacked the individuals pressing their mark in the pre-election campaign of Mr. Mousavi in Tabriz. The Iranian agents inflicted violence against the protesting individuals and rounded up many of them.
One outcome of these arrests and detentions is passing sentences of 91 days of imprisonment and 30 Acts of flogging. The sentences were passed by the Penal Court, Branch 111, Tabriz, on November 3, 2009 and the victims of these arbitrary sentences are: Abdollah Sadughi, Farid Bagherzade, Armin Shakeran Vahidi, Barat Dadgar, Babak Meynaqi (a cinematographer). All are Azerbaijani activists from Tabriz.
They were accused of citing slogans against the ex-president of Iran, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, chanting demands for the restoration of linguistic rights of Azerbaijanis and creating noise while Mir Hossain Mousavi was delivering his campaign speech in Takhti Stadium in Tabriz.
The victims were deprived of the right of access to a lawyer during their detention and trial and when in detention and were physically tortured.
Preventing Sale of Turkic Azerbaijani Books in Book Exhibitions
Tehran MOIS agents entered an exhibition of the Pinar Publication and prevented their presentation of Turkic Azerbaijani books. They forced the organizers to remove all of the books displayed in Turkic Azerbaijani.
The agents have also contacted Mrs. Sharife Jafari, the manager of the Pinar Publications, warning her of the sensitivity against Turkic Azerbaijani books displayed in those districts largely populated by Azerbaijanis. She was threatened to lose her license if any such book should be found from such bookstalls.
The reported preventive measures against the Pinar Publications took place while the publisher had all the necessary permits to sell these books, all of which were published under license by the legal Iranian authorities, known as the Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment of Iran.
Sometime ago, the Inspectorate Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment of Iran excluded the participation of the publishers of Turkic Azerbaijani books in the Urumia Exhibition (Urmia is the provincial capital of West Azerbaijan and the second largest city of Azerbaijan in Iran), where the event was organized for the country-wide participation of publishers. Azerbaijani publishers are under increasing pressure and the Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment of Iran are severely limiting the number of licenses issued for the publication in Azerbaijani-Turkic, where the publishers themselves are under risks posed by Iranian security agents.