Arab protests spread to Iran

Peaceful protesters shot dead, many arrested
Mass demos against Tehran’s ethnic, political, economic and cultural oppression

London – 21 April 2011
“Arab protests against dictatorship have erupted in Iran, with mass demonstrations since 15 April in the Arab region of south west Iran, centred on the city of Ahwaz,” reports human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

“The protesters are calling for democracy and human rights: including regional self-government, better housing, education reforms and a share of the country’s vast locally produced oil wealth.

“They are also urging freedom of assembly, press freedom, free speech, linguistic freedom and freedom of religion. The Persian and Shia-dominated rulers in Tehran discriminate against Sunni Muslims and restrict the public use of the Arab language.

“Since last Friday, up to 15 protesters have been shot dead by the security forces, with many more wounded and arrested, according to reports from Al Arabiya News http://tiny.cc/tjil2 and the Ahwazi Arab Solidarity Network. http://bit.ly/i4zCYX

“Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian human rights defender, Shirin Ebadi, has urged the UN to help prevent the shooting of peaceful protesters. She has condemned Tehran’s long-standing persecution of its Arab and Sunni minority. http://bit.ly/ij1gry

“Amnesty International has called for an independent and impartial investigation into the killings. http://tiny.cc/o16mg It cites reports that over 200 Arab activists and community leaders were arrested in advance of the protests in a bid to thwart them.

“Arabs comprise 70% of the population of the south-west province of Khuzestan, which the Arabs call Ahwaz.  Iran’s abuse of its Ahwazi Arab population is far worse than the Israeli abuse of Palestinian Arabs, yet it provokes little international outrage and no protests in the Arab or western world.

“This abuse includes the execution of Arab rights campaigners, most of whom are convicted solely on the basis of confessions extracted under torture and after unfair trials that have been condemned by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

“Ahwazi Arab political parties, trade unions and student groups are illegal. Arab candidates have been barred from standing for election. The moderate reformist Wefagh Party was banned for expressing Arab grievances, despite using lawful and constitutional means.

“Ahwaz produces 90% of Iran’s oil and 10% of OPEC’s global output. Tehran expropriates 100% of oil revenues. A bid by Ahwaz MPs to secure the repatriation of a mere 1.5% of these earnings back to the region for expenditure on social welfare projects has been rejected four times by the Iranian government. The result? Ahwaz is the region of Iran with the third greatest level of poverty,” said Mr Tatchell.

Further information: Peter Tatchell  – 0207 403 1790
peter@petertatchellfoundation.org