German FM's Statement on the Status of Dervishes in Iran

Majzooban Noor - The human rights officer at the German Foreign Ministry, Mr. Markus Löning expressed concern over the health condition of the two Gonabadi Dervishes who are on hunger strike.

As 22 imprisoned Green Movement activists have issued an open letter urging them to end their refusal to eat.

The German Foreign Ministry on Thursday (28 March / 8 Farvardin) by publishing a statement reacted to the recent news about Iranian Dervishes.

Markus Löning has written: "Reports about Iran's repression of Dervishes's minority, by arrest, demolition of their worship-places, to prevent them of performing religious rites, discrimination against them, caused serious concerns.

Saleh Moradi and Kasra Nouri have began a dry hunger strike since 74 days ago in protest against the illegal imprisonment of their legal representatives, who reportedly have been put in solitary confinement.

Farhad Noori the current administrator of "Majzooban Noor" - Gonabadi Dervishes News Site -previously had told Deutsche Welle: "Imprisoned Gonabadi Dervish in Shiraz's Adel Abad prison, Kasra Nouri on the sixth day of his dry hunger strike due to extreme weakness collapsed on the 4th day of Farvardin, 1392( March 24, 2013)."

The human rights officer at the German Foreign Ministry, Markus Löning has called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect the fundamental rights of all citizens regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliations and to immediately release all prisoners who are serving a prison sentence just because of their religious orientation.

German Foreign Ministry's statement stipulates that, Islamic Republic of Iran, by persecution of religious minorities-Including Sufis/Dervishes, Baha'is or Christians -violates the basic principles of freedom of religion; the Principles such as International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been signed by Iran therefore Iran has been obliged to observe them.

Political prisoners in Ward 350 Asked Dervishes to Break Their Hunger Strike

22 Imprisoned Green Movement supporter held in Section 350 of Evin prison, have issued an open letter urging two jailed Gonabadi Dervishes in Adel Abad Prison to end their protest hunger strike.

According to Kaleme website, in a letter signed by jailed Green movement activists, noted that: "You brought oppressed Dervishes's voice to whole world by this act of sacrifice but now you have reached the stage which in, continuing your hunger strike may lead to a catastrophe while your friends will not be satisfied with that. Of course, it is obvious that you and other gonabadi Dervishes have right to request for constitute a fair trial and procedure based on justice. We hope that, authorities stop oppression and injustice against Dervishes and would recognize your legal demands, rights and also your security of citizenship by law and take legal action."

The letter's signatories urge Nouri and Moradi to end their strike as soon as possible and before the situation passes the point of no return.

It is notable that, jailed Gonabadi Dervishes in Shiraz's Adel Abad prison, Saleh Moradi and Kasra Nouri after 64 days of hunger strike on liquid diet, have started a dry hunger strike since Thursday March 21. They have gone on hunger strike to protest the illegal imprisonment of seven Gonabadi dervishes's lawyers and Majzooban Noor website managers in solitary confinement of Evin prison in the past 73 days and lack of care for their critical health conditions.

The signatures are as follows:

Mohsen Mirdamadi

Seyd Ali reza Beheshti

Seyd Ali reza Rajaee

Abdolfattah Soltani

Abdollah Momeni

Feyzollah Arabsorkhi

Amir Khosrou Dalirsani

Siyamak Ghaderi

Mohammad Amin Hadavi

Ali Reza Roushan

Masoud Sadeghi

Mohammad Hassan Yousefpour Seif

Mostafa Abdi

Ahmad Hashemi

Siavash Hatam

Hossein Zarrini

Amin Chalaki

Hamid Karvasi

Seyd Mohammad Ebrahimi

Mohammad Sadegh Rabbani Amlashi

Ali Shiati

Mehdi Tajik