By Dr Gill Gillespie – UK Director

The Iranian Refugees Action Network is very involved in assisting Ahwazi Arab refugees when they are forced to leave Iran due to the persecution they receive there.  We therefore fully endorse the recent action and endorsement of the need to bring a case on their behalf before the UK Government (an EDM, or Early Day Motion), as well as their inclusion in a debate this week in the EU focussed on the persecution of religious and political minorities in Iran.

An organisation working very hard on their behalf, and bringing together human rights activists worldwide, is the Ahwazi Arab Solidarity Network, who have also posted the EU speeches this week on their website.  The Iranian Refugees Action Network urges everyone to view these here.

In addition, we are pleased to note that Amnesty International have issued an article condemning the forthcoming plans of the Iranian regime to execute five Ahwazi Arab political prisoners:

“The Iranian authorities must immediately overturn the death sentences of five members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority who were tried unfairly and may face imminent public execution, Amnesty International said after the prisoners were moved to an unknown location at the weekend.
The men were transferred out of the general section of Karoun Prison in the south-western city of Ahvaz on Saturday, prompting concerns their death sentences may be about to be carried out.
The group includes three brothers, Abd al-Rahman Heidari, Taha Heidari and Jamshid Heidari, their cousin Mansour Heidari and Amir Muawi.”

(Amnesty International 11 June 2012)

In the meantime, we have been asked what, if anything, can be done to assist these prisoners and refugees.  The AASN have produced a letter, for anyone residing in the UK, to send to their local MP’s, to support the Early Day Motion in Parliament.  Please, if you can, copy, paste, sign, send and share to help: Letter for MP’s.