Death Sentences Issued to Five More Ahwazis

Iran Human Rights — Only two week after the execution of four Ahwazi Arab activists, news of new death sentences against Ahwazi Arab political prisoners has created concern among the human rights community. This time, the possible victims of the Iranian regime’s execution machine are five political and civil activists from the city of Khalafabad (a.k.a. Ramshir) in the province of Khuzestan (southwestern Iran).

According to the latest reports, Judge Seyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi from branch 2 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court has notified the lawyers and family members of five Ahwazi Arab activists about their death sentences. These activists are: Mohammad Ali Amouri, Hadi Rashedi, Hashem Sha’bani, and two brothers by the names of Seyed Mokhtar Albooshooke and Seyed Jaber Albooshooke.

Mohammad Ali Amouri is a cultural activist and the editor in chief of Altaras, a student publication at the Isfahan University of Technology. Hashem Sha’bani is a teacher at numerous high schools in the city of Khalfieh. Hadi Rashedi and the two brothers (Mokhtar and Jaber) were condemned to death based on the charges of "Acting against national security" and "Moharebeh" (enmity against God).

According to reports, there are more civil activists held in Iranian detention centers who are serving long prison sentences. For example, Abdolrahman Asakare is a chemistry teacher and a high school principal sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Earlier this week Iran Human Rights (IHR) together with 14 other human rights NGOs published a statement condemning execution of the Ahwazi Arabs and urging the United Nations to act in order to stop the Iranian authority’s execution machine.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, said recently about the new execution sentences: "The Iranian authorities are trying to crack down on dissent among Ahwazi Arabs by physically eliminating the activists. The world must not let that happen."