Balochistan Peoples Parties Appeal To Stop Arrest, Killing And Execution Of Baloch In Iran

On the 14th of May After people gathered to protest the arrest of a Baloch religious activist, Mr. Abdulghafar Naghshbandi, the security forces fired towards the crowd, as the result of direct firing one individual, Jan Mohammad Dehghani was killed and some other peoples were injured. After the security forces used live ammunitions against peaceful protester the demonstration grow in the strength and were joined by people from the neighboring towns and villages, there were similar demonstrations in other regions like Jakigwar and Parood.

Many people were arrested during and after these demonstrations, this means in Iran that the life of these people are in danger, after any kind of demonstration regime often mass arrest and executes people in bogus charges.

We appeal to international human right organization, democratic countries to pressures the Iranian government to stop unlawful arrest, killing and executions of these people in Balochistan.



Background:

Since early March 2012 until 14 May Iranian security forces have intensified their policy of unlawful arrest, only from Sarbaaz district more than 15 people have been arrested, some of the people whom have been arrested in this district are:



1- MolawiFatehMohamadNaghshbandi, 55 years old arrestedin Rask
2- AbdulghafarNaghshbandi, arrested on 14 May, 2012, in Rask
3- MolawiAbdolaheMolazadeh 48 years old arrested in Parood
4- HamedMolazadeh 23 years old arrested in Zahidan
5- HabibalrahmanMolazadeh 29 years old arrested in Zahidan
6- NezamodinMolazadeh 18 years old arrested in Zahidan
7- JaberMolazadeh 22 years old arrested in Hiet
8- MalekMohamadAbadian 50 years old arrested in Hiet
9- AbdolhadiAbadian 20 years old arrested in Hiet
10- JavadAbadian 18 years old arrested in Hiet
11- FoaadAbadian 17 years old arrested in Hiet

These people have been arrested and charged from being supporter of armed groups, to Spying for foreign countries to planning to assassinate nuclear scientist. All these charges are in similar situation have been used to sentence people to death in close short court sessions.

According to online Kayhannews newspaper which is political organ of the conservative function of the establishment two persons referred as J. A. and M. A. have confessed being involved in the assassination of Molavi Janguzahi's [1]. It is widely known such confession in Iran are being elicited under torture and can be used for sentencing the prisoners to death.
In a similar event after a demonstration in May 2009 in Zahidan people were arrested during that demonstration and were quickly trialed without access to defense lawyer and accused of "Mohabareh" (enmity against God) were executed some of these executed 19 people were already in prison, for other charges and could not have been in the demonstration.

According to Amnesty International even before summer's 2009 unrest, "there were signs that President Ahmadinejad's government was increasingly using the death penalty as a way of stemming unrest in areas with large ethnic minorities. Bomb attacks in the predominantly Arab province of Khuzestan and ethnic Baluch areas of Sistan-Baluchistan province in recent years were followed by a wave of often public executions. Some of the condemned men were shown on state television making "confessions" that are believed to have been extracted from them under torture or other duress."[2]



Extra-Judicial Killings in Balochistan

Extra-judicial killings have been a characteristic of Iranian state policy in ethnic minority regions, especially in Balochistan, Kurdistan and the Arab Ahwaz region. This was clearly stated by the head of Mersad, a paramilitary, who said: "We have not been given orders to arrest and hand over those who carry weapons. On the basis of a directive we have received, we will execute any bandits, wherever we capture them (Ettela'at, 25 February 1998)".[3]

In the recent years, especially in the recent months, extra judicial and target killing of Baloch people have increased in Balochistan, by Iranian regimes different, security forces:

 1- On the 6th May 2012 a car carrying Mr Mohammad Nahim Talatof, Mr Muslim Talatof, and Yahah Baramazahi were fired on an attempt of target killing all the passengers were killed.

2- Sardar Heydar Barahuie, was assassinated in the City of Khash on the 2 April 2012. He was a prominent independent minded Baloch tribal leader.

3- On 27th February again Iranian security forces Mersad paramilitary group fired on a care which had left a small village called Pishamag, Mersad a paramilitary group which has order to kill, fires toward the car two women were killed. People in the village protested but authority gave no answer to their demand to arrest the killer.

4- On 21 February Mersad Paramilitary groups surrounded and attacked Gisk village in Lashar district, in which three person of same family were killed more than 10 more people were wounded.

5- On 26th January 6 Baloch nomads were killed in their way back from Chahbhar after they have sold their Camel in the market, they were fired at and killed by Revolutionary Guards patrol. In the news they said those people have crossed border from Balochistan in Pakistan, therefore they have been fired at. All of those people were Baloch from Balochistan in Iran.

6- Mulavi Mustafa Junguzahi was assassinated on 22 December 2011, and assailant escaped from crime scene. Before his killing he has criticized regime economic policy in the region which has led to worsening situation of traders in the border region.


ACTION REQUESTED

Based on the above, and on behalf of the Baloch people in Iran, BPP urges you to:

1- Raise with the Tehran authorities the issue of the current critical situation of the Baloch people and other minorities in Iran who continue to see their basic human rights violated.

2- Call upon the Tehran authorities to immediately investigate the extrajudicial killings of civilian Baloch and other minorities living in Iran; and to take immediate measures to ensure that the enforced displacement of the Baloch people is halted.

3- It should free all political prisoners and people who have in any case committed crime under the countries law should be given a fair, free and open trial and access to defense lawyer.


Balochistan Peoples Party

16 May 2012


[1] http://khabarfarsi.com/ext/2591153
[2] Amnesty International Report, March 2010: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/iran-executions-send-chilling-message-2010-03-30
http://khabarfarsi.com/ext/2591153
[3] United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Fiftieth session, 24 August 1998, quote of a Mersad commander in its declaration on Iran in August 1998 (Ettela'at, 25 February 1998), link to United Nations Report: http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/e8fd3e68a3e4b563802566880051d10e?Opendocument

 BPP