Balochistan Human Rights Watch: Urgent action needed for releasing the members of ‘’The Voice of Justice Young People’s Society in Sistan & Balochistan ’’ from jail

As we all informed, the Iranian Islamic Republic executed Ya’qoub Mehrnehad, a Balochi cultural and civil rights activist and journalist, on 4 August. Ya’qoub Mehrnehad was the head of ‘’The Voice of Justice Young People’s Society in Sistan & Balochistan’’. Ya’qoub was sentenced to death in Feruary 2008 after a completely unfair trail.  The Iranian regime  committed the death sentence of Ya´qoub in spite of   several  calls from different human rights watch groups, and despite  many international reactions.

Ya’qoub and several other members of ‘’The voice of Justice Young People’s Society’’ were arrested in May 2007, immediately after a public meeting, which was held legally with the responsible authorites in Sistan & Baslochistan. The arrestation is believed to have been in connection to his work as journalist and Ya’qoub’s activities as head of the mentioned Non Governmental Organisation, which organizes events and educational courses for young Balochi people and raises funds to help the poor.

Some of the arrested persons

1. Ebrahim Mehrnehad (m) the younger brother of Ya’qoub

2. Fazlullah Chehras (m) 16 year old

3. Asadullah Shahbaksh (m)

4. Abdullah Salarzahi (m)

were released after 70 days in jail, and arrested again in February 2008 in connection with the national and international calls and reactions against the unfair trail of Ya’qoub, and have since been in custody for the last 6 months.

It is worth mentioning that the islamic regime’s security authorities  have used many different tricks in order to avoid  attornies and lawyers to get involved in these cases.

From the very beginning the regime has fabricated false alligations such as ‘’contact with the jondullah group’’, only with this purpose that the lawyers would not dare to get involved in the cases, basically fearing for their own lives and fates. Furthermore, it is evident that, in some particular cases, the regime has ordered the specific publically well-known lawyers not to get involved. It was, for instance, the case when Holy clerks Moulavai Aboulghodus Mollazahi and Moulavi Mohammad Yousuf Sohrabzahi were sentenced to deatth penalty.

In the wake of  the execution of Ya’qoub and many other innocent young Balochis, recently commited by the regime, we in Balochistan Human Rights Watch fear for the life and fate of  other members of ‘’The voice of Justice Young People’s Society’’, and therefor would like to call for international attention for immediate action hoping for for unconditional relase of these innocent young balochis.

We draw your attention to the fact that the mentioned society is a Non Governmental Organisation which legellay, in the scope of iranian regime’s law, has been performing its activities, purely for the benefit of the poor people.

Balochistan Human Rights Watch / Radio Balochi FM

http://bhrw.blogspot.com/

2008.08.13

Related links:

http://www.radiobalochi.org/BH_Rights/AI_EbrahimMehrnehad0803112.html

http://www.radiobalochi.org/BH_Rights/Edameh_2molawiBaloch080409.html