Two Azerbaijani Activists Arrested in Eslamshahr
12 June 2009
Azerbaijani activists Behnam Sheykhi and Mahmud Ojaghli were detained on June 9, 2009 by Tehran Ministry of Intelligence (Ettelaat) officers in Eslamshahr and then transferred to an Ettelaat detention facility.
Behnam Sheykhi was arrested for spraypainting slogans that read "Azerbaijanis Demand the Application of Articles 15 and 19,” on the walls of various buildings, including those of the Musavi campaign headquarters in Eslamshahr. The slogan refers to the articles in the Iranian Constitution that guarantee equal rights and liguisitic freedom, which Musavi has thus far promised to implement.
According to Sheykhi’s family, after learning of his activity, Ettelaat officers of Tehran called Sheykhi on June 9 and summoned him to the Ettelaat office in Vali-Asr Street. Sheykhi, however, refused and demanded a written summons signed and stamped by a judge. After the phone call, the intelligence officers then went to Sheykhi's shop to arrest him. When his brother Heyder Sheykhi demanded they show him a warrant, he and Behnam were severly beaten. Behnam Beykhi was then taken into Ettelaat custody.
In the hayday, Mahmud Ojaghli, an Azerbaijani rights activist, videotaped the assault. He too was beaten and arrested.
Sheykhi's family members reported that Sheykhi called them on June 11 and claimed that Ettelaat officers wanted to confiscate his laptop and the stencil that Sheykhi was using to paint the slogans. He told them to hand the items over should intelligence officers come to his home.
Behnam Sheykhi was arrested once before on November 13, 2008 during a Sattar Khan Remembrance Day ceremony and released on bail the next day.
İn recent years, Azerbaijani activists have become more outspoken in demanding the implementation of articles 15 and 19 of the Iranian Constitution and many have been arrested for this cause.
Detention of Protesters Against Khatami Continue in Iranian Azerbaijan
12 June 2009
Tens of Azerbaijani activists are still in custody after more than two weeks of detention by Iranian intelligence officials.
Activists were arrested after publicly protesting a video that emerged on the internet showing former President Mohammad Khatami insulting ethnic Azerbaijanis. In the backlash, hundreds of Azerbaijani student activists poured into the streets to demand a formal apology from Khatami.
Scores more were arrested on May 22 and 25 during speeches by Presidential hopeful Mir-Hossein Musavi in Bagh Shomal Stadium in Tabriz. Iranian security officers attacked and injured many protesters who were chanting Azerbaijani language rights slogans and also criticizing Khatami.
University professor Alireza Farshi, Ferdin Muradpur, Mortaza Muradpur, Hakam Muradpur, Ali Eslami, Asghar Chamani, Mohsen Golestan, Sejjad Gharabaghli, Tabriz University student Arash Asheghi, Armin Shakeran Vahi, Ali Sadeghi, Ali İraj, and Rasul and Naser Badali are among those who remain imprisoned.
In a statement made by Ali Sima Didar, the spouse of detained activist Ali Reza Farshi, it was announced that little information is known about Farshi’s health. She has received only one phone call from him after 18 days in prison. Farshi’s lawyer Abbas Jamali reports that that Judge Hashemzade, who is responsible for Farshi’s file, will not allow him to contact Farshi.
Another Azerbaijani activist, Fardin Muradpur who was among those wounded and arrested in Tabriz, is reportedly in grave health.
Recently, Amnesty International published an article about the human rights situation in Iran in the run-up to the presidential election. The article stated that more than 15 activists were wounded and arrested in Tabriz while many others were captured in Urmia and Meshkinshahr.
Amnesty
International's
Report:
http://www.amnesty.
org/en/library/
asset/MDE13/
053/2009/
en/4e086bc7-
ca74-4200-
ac60-fd6cd1f0b08
1/mde130532009en
.html
For more information
contact:
Fakhteh Zamani -
President, Association
for Defense of
Azerbaijani Political
Prisoners in Iran -
ADAPP
+1-604-677-2524
info.adapp@gmail. com
www.adapp.info