Mullah regime’s new crimes against Sunni Arabs in Ahvaz

Robier al-Fares

Within the framework of the mullahs’ continuing approach of persecuting and torturing Sunni Arabs in the Ahvaz region, Amnesty International has issued a statement regarding the placement of four Arab citizens in Shayban Prison in Ahvaz, demanding their release.

Amnesty stated that three of the prisoners who were sentenced to death, Ali Khasraji, Hossein Silawi and Jasem Heidary, have been on hunger strike since January 21 to protest against harsh prison conditions, cancellation of family visits and the ongoing threat of execution. The fourth prisoner, Naser Khafajian, has been missing since April of last year and is at risk of secret torture and execution. The three detainees were denied access to a lawyer in a fair trial.

The statement stressed that Khasraji and Silawi are at risk of early execution. The two defendants had been arrested by the security forces on May 16, 2017 on charges of participating in the attack on the Hamid police station, 40 kilometers from Ahvaz, as well as police station 23 in the Mujahid neighborhood of the city.

Amnesty International condemned the practices of the mullah regime to extract forced confessions from political prisoners who were tortured. The organization called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mohammad Ali Amouri, Jaber Alboshoka and Mokhtar Alboshoka.

The organization also issued a statement saying that Zeynab Jalalian had been subjected to torture at the hands of the Ministry of Intelligence.

Members of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence detained Jalalian, a Kurdish woman, and tortured her to force a confession from her in front of a camera. The deliberate denial of Jalalian’s access to medical services caused her severe suffering, especially as she suffers from serious health problems, including respiratory problems caused by the corona virus.

The Ministry of Intelligence made access to appropriate medical care, the transfer of a prisoner close to her family in the western province of Azerbaijan and the cessation of reprisals against her conditional on Jalalian’s confession in front of a video camera, an announcement of her remorse for her previous political activity and cooperation with the Ministry of Intelligence.