AHRO protest in Washington of Iranian election boycott

Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) attended a peaceful widespread protest with all opposition movements against the

presidential election in front of the office of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington on Friday 14^th June.

The protest was coordinated by a committee comprised of the following organizations: Mission Free Iran, Unity for Democracy and Justice in Iran, and Women’s Alliance for Change in Iran.

The protest synchronises with the Iranian presidential and municipal council elections where many Iranian NGO’s, political, social, women and human rights activists gathered and oppose participation in and legitimising of sham elections. They also demand to end this regime by the involvement of the Iranian people.

Protesters raised slogans and posters of political and civil detainees and appeal for their release and abolition of death penalty. Dr Karim Abdian, Director of AHRO, made his speech with concerns on the dramatic increase on number of political and cultural activists among Ahwazi Arab. Abdian also highlighted the critical situations against the humanity in Ahwaz such as daily ethnic cleansing and discrimination against indigenous 5-7 millions Ahwazi Arabs by the Iranian regime.

Iranian government in the past 4 years has intensified its campaign of repression against Arab freedom fighters, human rights and political activists and students by publically executing over 80 activists and imprisoned 1000’s of Arabs. As we speak, 5 prominent Ahwazi-Arab high school teachers and members of “Al-Howar“, or the dialogue, civil society groups in Al-Ahwaz, Mr. Hashem Shabai, Mohammad Ali Amoori, Hadi Rashadi, and to Alboshokeh brothers, are awaiting executions for no other reason but being Arabs. Last year the regime executed the Haidari brothers, Taha, Abbas, Abdurrahman, and their cousin Ali Naami-Sharifi and the revolutionary Supreme Court upheld the execution sentence of 11other Ahwazi-Arab activists, the majority teachers and educators. Dr Abdian calls international society for urgent intervention and stop further accusations against innocent people in Ahwaz.

Abdian added there was no difference in continues racist and oppressive policies against Ahwazi Arabs between the current regime and previous one and it is even worse.

Despite all this repression, due to national awakening and touched by the “Arab Spring” wind, there is almost daily marches and peaceful demonstrations in all Arab cities of Al-Ahwaz or Khuzestan..

The protesters also have criticised the voters in front of the offices of the Islamic Republic in Washington and slogan” our votes means overthrow”. Shirin Nariman, Dr Karim Abdian, and Maria Rohali criticised the Islamic Republic on accusation of political and civil freedoms and repression of civil, nations and ethnicities by the regime and said the elections is a command and not democratic.

Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO)

14/06/2013