Report of Amnesty international about Reza Daghestani, South Azerbaijani right activist, student and Journalist

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/040/2008

6 March 2008

UA 58/08 Fear of Torture

IRAN Reza Daghestani (m), aged 27, Azerbaijani rights activist, student, journalist

Azerbaijani rights activist Reza Daghestani was arrested on 21 February 2008 at his family^s house in the city of Oroumiye. His house was searched and his computer, CDs, papers and books were confiscated, along with printouts of his newsletters. He is in danger of torture.

He called his family the following day to tell them he was being held in a detention centre belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence in Oroumiye. He may have been tortured to force him to provide information, as security forces searched his house a second time on 26 February and appeared to know where to find other papers and books. Reza Daghestani has had no access to a lawyer. His family, who are very religious, have been told he is accused of defamation of the Prophet. It is not clear what this accusation relates to, and there are fears that his family may have been told this so that they would withdraw their support for him. Amnesty International believes he is a prisoner of conscience held solely on account of his peaceful activities on behalf of Iranian Azerbaijanis.

His family tried to visit him on 25 February, but were not allowed. They have been told that Reza Daghestani will not be allowed to receive visits until at least 10 March.

Reza Daghestani is the editor of a student newsletter, Chamlibel, published in both Azerbaijani Turkic and Persian and he has written for several other publications. His other activities have included starting a series of Azerbaijani Turkic classes in the town of Naghadeh and establishing groups to organize peaceful demonstrations in the province of West Azerbaijan in connection with International Mother Tongue Day, 21 February.

He was a member of the committee of a campaign group called Urmu Azerbaijan Sesi, which actively supported several would-be candidates from Oroumiye who all were disqualified from standing for the Majles (parliament) elections to be held on 14 March. Urmu Azerbaijan Sesi issued a public statement objecting to the “unfair and undemocratic disqualification of its candidates”. Amnesty International believes his arrest is connected to some or all of these peaceful activities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Iranian Azerbaijanis speak a Turkic language and are mainly Shi^a Muslims. The largest minority in Iran, they live mainly in the north and north-west of the country, and in the capital, Tehran. Many Iranian Azerbaijanis demand greater cultural and linguistic rights, including implementation of their constitutional right to education in Azerbaijani Turkic. Article 15 of Iran^s Constitution states that Persian is the official language of Iran and that “official documents, correspondence and texts, as well as textbooks, must be in this language and script.” It adds that “the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian.”

A small minority want Iranian Azerbaijani provinces to break away from Iran and join with the Republic of Azerbaijan. In recent years the authorities have grown increasingly suspicious of Iran^s minority communities, many of which are situated in border areas, and have accused foreign powers such as the US and UK of stirring unrest among them. Those who seek to promote Azerbaijani cultural identity and linguistic rights are often charged with vaguely worded offences such as "acting against state security by promoting pan-Turkism".

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, French, Arabic, Persian or your own language:

- calling on the authorities to release Reza Daghestani immediately and unconditionally, as Amnesty International believes he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely on account of his peaceful activities on behalf of the Iranian Azerbaijani community

- seeking assurances that Reza Daghestani is not being tortured;

- urging the authorities to allow Reza Daghestani immediate and regular access to his family and a lawyer of his choice, and to any medical treatment he may require;

- reminding the authorities that the use of confessions extracted under duress is prohibited by Article 38 of the

constitution of Iran.

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ^Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street - Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: info@leader.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Intelligence

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie

Ministry of Intelligence, Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building, Panzdah-Khordad Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)

Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

President

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

via website: www.president.ir/email

Salutation: Your Excellency

Speaker of Parliament

His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel

Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami, Baharestan Square, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: +98 21 3355 6408

Email: hadadadel@majlis.ir

Salutation: Your Excellency

and to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 17 April 2008

قاراباغ و فاجعه خوجالی

واحید قاراباغلی
آذربایجان بدلیل برخورداری اش از منابع زیرزمینی و روزمینی غنی و همچنین موقعیت ژپولتیک و استراتژیک اش همواره مورد توجه قدرتهای بیگانه و استعمارگر بوده است.ازاینرودر طول تاریخ به حوادث مختلف معروض مانده و یا حرکت های مختلف در آن روی داده است. در نتیجه این حوادث و اتفاقات آذربایجان ضربه های سنگین را متقبل شده و از سوی قدرتهای بیگانه مورد تجزیه قرار گرفته شده است. دولت و حکومت روسیه از جمله آن قدرتها می باشند. روسها به خوبی می دانستند که نهایتا" روزی مردم این سامان برای استقلال و آزادی وطن خود اقدام خواهند کرد به همین منظور در صدد چاره جویی و پیشگیری برآمدند از سوی دیگر روسیه برای دسترسی به آبهای آزاد و همچنین برای مقابله با امپراطوری تورک و مسلمان عثمانی درصدد آن برآمد که در منطقه قفقاز برای خود محافظ وستونهای را بیافریند تا منافع روسیه در این منطقه برای همیشه تضمین گردد. به همین منظور می بایست دولت مسیحی و طرفدار روسیه در منطقه قفقاز تاسیس می شد. ارامنه و کولی ها تنها ملتهای غیر مسلمان این منطقه بودند که از خود دولتی نداشتند در موقعیت اقلیت بوده و شرایط و جمعیت لازم برای دولت را دارا نبودند. تصمیم بر آن شد که تعداد زیادی از ارامنه ساکن روسیه,ایران,ترکیه,لبنان و سوریه و...به برنامه ریزی روسها به ایروان این شهر تاریخی آذربایجان و مناطق مجاور آن کوچ داده شوند تا ارامنه از لحاظ تعداد تقویت گردد. پس برای نیل به این اهداف در دوران حکومت های مختلف سعی در کم رنگ کردن نقش مسلمانان در قفقاز بر آمد. بدینسان در طول قرون اخیرا روسها بتدریج ارامنه ساکن در نقاط مختلف امپراطوری تزاری و همچنین دیگر کشورهای را برای سکونت در سرزمین قاراباغ به آنجا کوچ دادند تا نهایتا توانستند نسبت ترکیب جمعیتی را به نفع ارامنه تغییر دهند. در واقعیت ارامنه قاراباغ در طول تاریخ تا قرن نوزدهم اقلیت نا چیز قاراباغ را تشکیل می دادند. در نتیجه تداوم سیاسیت های روسیه تزاری ترکیب جمعیتی منطقه دستخوش تغییراتی قرار گرفت. در تغییر این ترکیب جمعیتی ارامنه در خاکهای مسلما نان ساکن شدند و در نتیجه وحمایت مادی و معنوی دولتهای بزرگ روس و انگلیس وبا اندیشه های ماکیاولی" ارمنستان بزرگ" دو حزب خینچاق و داشناک تشکیل شد. حزب های شکل گرفته بر اساس حمایتهای که از این دولتها می شدند فعالیتهای خود را با ترور و وحشت در داخل مرزهای عثمانی و قفقاز و خاکهای آذربایجان جنوبی آغاز کردند. روسیه تزاری بعد از اشغال دربند ,شهرهای شکی,گنجه و دیگر شهرهای آذربایجان را اشغال نمود. جواد خان خان گنجه در مقابل روسها مقاومت جانانه ای از خود نشان داد ولی نهایتا توسط روسها به شهادت رسید و گنجه در ژانویه سال 1804 به اشغال در آمده و روسها در سال 1805 پس از اشغال قره باغ ابراهیم خان خان قره باغ را مجبور به امضای سندی کردند که بر اساس آن وی ظاهرا" داوطلبانه الحاق قره باغ به خاک روسیه را می پذیرد که در واقع اینگونه نبود و وی برای امضای سند تحت فشار قرار گرفته بود که نتیجه آن منجر به آغاز جنگ معروف ده ساله ایران و روسیه گردید که با امضای عهد نامه های گلستان در سال 1813 و ترکمنچای 1828 بین دو کشور و الحاق اراضی شمالی رود ارس (آراز) به قلمرو امپراتوری روسیه خاتمه می یابد. تا زمان عقدعهد نامه های ترکمن چای و گلستان بیشتر اهالی قاراباغ را تورکهای آذربایجانی تشکیل می دادند. بر اساس آماری که روسها به سال 1832 داده اند 68./. درصد آذربایجانی و 32./. درصد ارامنه و دیگر ملتها نفوس قاراباغ را تشکیل می دادند. بعد از جدا شدن قفقاز از ایران روسها سعی کردند تا با سرعت بیشتری نسبت جمعیتی قفقاز را بر ضد مسلمانان تغییر دهند. و همچنین در جنگهای بین ایران وروسیه............