Press Release | July 20, 2012

Toronto, 07/20/2012 - Baloch Human Rights Council (Canada) has expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan under the theocratic Iranian regime. The human rights body noted that the autocratic practices of the Iranian state and its ruling clergy are spiraling out of control in repressing the rights and freedoms of Baloch people and their cultural identity.

In a statement released by BHRC, the ongoing civil unrest and arbitrary detentions of civilians in the various towns of District Sarbaaz and Zahidan (Iranian Balochistan) were largely a result of the fascist regime's continuous policy of discrimination toward Baloch people and the oppressed nationalities in Iran.

Following the May 14, 2012 public protest in Sarbaaz to denounce the unlawful arrest of Abdul Ghafar Naghshbandi, one local, Jan Mohammad Dehghani died and several others were injured because of indiscriminate use of excessive firepower by Iranian security forces on the peaceful protesters. In reaction to the injustices and violations by the regime's security forces, public protests spread to the neighbouring towns of Jakigwar and Parood. In response to the public outcry, Iranian authorities began conducting mass arrests of Baloch youth to quell public participation in the protest rallies.

As a result of the crackdown, more than 15 individuals were picked up randomly by the security forces from district Sarbaaz townships of Rask, Hiet, and Parood as well as the capital city of Zahidan. The arrested individuals were then shifted to Zahidan for detention. Following is the list of detainees presently imprisoned in Zahidan.

1- Molawi Fateh Mohammad Naghshbandi, 55, arrested from Rask
2- Abdul Ghafar Naghshbandi, arrested on May 14, 2012 from Rask
3- Molawi Abdolah Molazadeh, 48, arrested from Parood
4- Hamed Molazadeh, 23, arrested from Zahidan
5- Habib al Rahman Molazadeh, 29, arrested from Zahidan
6- Nezamodin Molazadeh, 18, arrested from Zahidan
7- Jaber Molazadeh, 22, arrested from Hiet
8- Malek Mohamad Abadian, 50, arrested from Hiet
9- Abdol Hadi Abadian, 20, arrested from Hiet
10- Javad Abadian, 18, arrested from Hiet
11- Foaad Abadian, 17, arrested from Hiet

According to the family sources, initially, the whereabouts of the illegally detained persons was not revealed until a lawyer representing the families of the detainees was able to contact the authorities and was granted access to the imprisoned persons in Zahidan. However, to the amazement of the lawyer who met the detainees and the prison authorities, there was not a single legal charge against the detained individuals, and that they were held without any legal procedure. When the lawyer attempted to point out to the authorities the legal issues involved in the detention of these individuals, he was asked to leave the premises immediately without any explanation.

Meanwhile, Kayhan, the official Iranian newspaper that caters to the establishment policies, published the government version, falsely accusing the detainees being involved in the assassination of Molavi Janguzahi, spying for Western powers, conspiring to kill Iranian nuclear scientists, and involvement in drug trafficking. While these accusations are being publicized in the media, none of the detained individual has been officially charged. Family members of the imprisoned persons fear that in the past such charges usually led to summary trials and executions inside the prison. With every day that passes, the fear of losing innocent lives is growing among the traumatized families and the people of Sarbaaz.

BHRC condemns the arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions of the peaceful protesters in the strongest terms and appeals to the international community, European Union, UNHRC, UNPO, and the Amnesty International to intervene urgently and save the lives of the innocent people of Balochistan.

By Zaffar Baloch
President, BHRC (Canada)