Balochistan People’s Party

حزب مردم بلوچستان Balochistan People’s Party بلوچستانءِ اُستمانءِ گــَل

Journalist Sentenced to Death in Iran, Accused of Terrorism

By NAZILA FATHI ; February 21, 2008 ; NYTimes

TEHRAN — Iran has sentenced a journalist to death, accusing him of being a member of a terrorist group in the country’s southeast, the judiciary said Tuesday.

A judiciary spokesman, Alireza Jamshidi, told reporters that the journalist, Yaghoob Mirnehad, had been sentenced to death on charges of “membership in the terrorist Jundallah group as well as crimes against national security,” according to The Associated Press. The sentence can be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Mr. Mirnehad, who is an ethnic Baluchi, was a journalist in southeastern Iran for Mardomsalari, a newspaper based in Tehran. He was arrested with his brother and four others in May. The other five men were released within three months, while Mr. Mirnehad was kept in prison.

Jundallah, a militant Sunni group whose name means God’s Brigade, has claimed responsibility for attacks on Iranian troops in the southeastern province of Sistan va Baluchestan. One member, charged with being involved in a bombing that killed 11 members of the Revolutionary Guards, was hanged last year.

The number of executions in Iran has risen steeply in the past year. Iranian news agencies reported that 12 people were hanged Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing the total number of executions to 48 in 2008. Two of the 12, both men accused of murder, were hanged in the central province of Isfahan on Tuesday, several Iranian newspapers reported.

The other 10 people were executed Wednesday. Six of them were executed in Zanjan Province, west of Tehran, on charges of “armed robbery, causing fear, terror and insecurity,” the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. The six men were responsible for an armed robbery of a jewelry store, the agency said.

Four other people, who were charged with murder, were executed at the Evin prison in Tehran.
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Education in Mother tongue is forbidden for Minorities in Iran

Ref.IMHRO.05 ; By Iranian Minorities Human Right Organisation

21-02-2008

In the world which respect for indigenous people and ethnic minorities daily increasing, in Iran education in mother tongue or first language is still forbidden and pressure on cultural activist increased in recent years.

Yasser 6 year’s old, Kurdish minority talking with IMHRO through his dad said he can not understand his teacher at all.” In home we talk Kurdish in school we have to talk Farsi”

In Iran minorities should only thought in Farsi or Persian language. As a result many children soon leave the school and illiteracy among the minorities is very high. Various study proved that mother tongue is one of the key factors in speed of learning in children.[i]

Mansur, 10 years old a Baluchi from Zahedan told IMHRO that he recently left the school as he did not have progress for last few years as result of not understanding the teacher’s language, which it was in Farsi.

Effect of banning mother tongue hits whole literature and art and music of minorities in Iran. Many pieces of Arts may never be able to replace because of disconnection and lack of ability to record that particular art.

Various human right activist and organisation related To Iranian minorities, (which in total making more that %50 of Iranian population and no longer a minority but are majority) calling the banning of education in mother tongue in Iran a “Cultural Holocaust”

They claim that “Indeed you do not need to kill the people to stop their culture, not allowing them to practice it much the less is same and it is very damaging”

Yasamin 9 years old in republic of Azerbaijan, originally Turks in north west of Iran, told IMHRO that since she moved with family to republic of Azerbaijan and they study in Turkish language in their school, she feel she got more progress than when she was in Iran and had to talk and thought only in Farsi.

Folklore culture if it is not practiced may die. Definition of language is not only communication, it is also identity.

Rasoul an Ahwazi Arab originally from city of Abadan told IMHRO since he moved to UAE, he have less pressure in understanding the lessons in school. “In Iran I had a headache after each lesson and not understanding them at all”

Today is world mother language and this year named by UN year of language to emphasis of importance of languages. Many cultural activists who demand a right of study in mother tongue persecuted in Iran.

We ask international community to pay attention to this huge pain of silencing of millions of people in Iran and call on Iranian government to release millions of people from monopoly of study only in Farsi or Persian language.

[i] http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/files/38922/
11127767843Benson_Language_instruction.doc/Benson%2BLanguage%2Binstruction.doc
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Stop the Death Penalty of Journalist and Human Rights Activist Mr. Jaqoob Mehrnehad in Iran

Balochistan Human Rights Committee- Norway

Mr. Jaqoob Mernehad, a journalist, a human rights activist and the leader of the NGO Seday-e-Edalat (voice of justice), a youth association, in Balochistan province in Iran has been held in prison since 27th April 2007. He was arrested after a meeting with the representatives of the local authorities in the capital of the province, Zahedan.

Seday-e-Edalat is an independent, non-political and civil rights NGO established with authorization from the Interior Ministry of Iran. The NGO was formed in 2002 by a number of youth and students in Zahedan. The main goals of the organization were to perform cultural, social and information activities on civil rights of the Baloch people and to help the poor in need.

Mr. Mernehad was elected as the leader of the Seday-e-Edalat three times. In addition, he was a free-lance journalist and writer of critical texts in online internet journals. He was also responsible for distribution of the periodical “Mardomsalary” which is critical to the Iranian authorities. Each year Seday-e-Edalat arranged so-called ”question and answer” meetings with local authorities. The purpose of the meetings was to put questions to the local authorities about different themes, their past and future activities. The authorities were critical to such meetings since they had zero tolerance to criticism. At the last meeting on 27th April 2007 Mr. Mehrnehad along with five other members of the executive committee were arrested and put in jail in Zahedan. After several months in jail the other five were released whereas Mr. Mehrnehad has been under severe and inhumane tortures without having access to legal and medical help. His family has not been allowed to visit him until recently. On their last visit, his family members found him deeply depressed, weakened with severe weight loss and clear signs of torture on his face and body. Mr. Mehrnehad is married and has three children (31/2 years, 5 years and 7 months).

In January 2008 a court was arranged for Mr. Mehrnehad without admitting defence lawyers or his family members. He was then convicted to death by the court. It is noteworthy that the judge is a Shia-cleric who has been sent to “re-establish” law and order in Balochistan. Interestingly, last month, the same judge ordered cutting-off the legs, arms and hands of several innocent people in Balochistan.

According to the information we have obtained, Mr. Mehrnehad will be executed by the end of this week. We know that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not show any mercy for the critics of the system, human rights activists and their political opponents. Nevertheless, we believe that protests from the international society, foreign governments and the human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other NGOs may have effects. However, it should be acted quickly, firmly and massively. The support of each and every individual, government, NGO, human rights organization is needed in order to saving the life of Mr. Mehrnehad from execution by the Islamic Republic of Iran. We look forward and appreciate to seeing any action taken by the international society against violation of human and civil rights of the citizens of Iran and the injustice and inhumane actions of the Iranian authorities.

Balochistan Human Rights Committee- Norway
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RIGHTS-IRAN: Intolerance Marks Sunni Student's Death Sentence

By Kimia Sanati ; IPS

Yaghub Mehrnahad, the Sunni Baluchi student leader on death row

TEHRAN, Feb 19 (IPS) - The death sentence passed in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, on civil rights activist and journalist Yaghub Mehrnahad, 28, has highlighted repression on Iran’s ethnic and religious minorities.

Mehrnahad, a Sunni Baluchi, was a student of Baluchistan state university at the time of his arrest. He was detained by security agents on Apr. 26, 2007 after attending the annual gathering of a youth association of which he had been the founder and head for five years.

‘Questioning Youth, Accountable Authorities,’ was the theme of the gathering of the organisation, held in Zahedan, capital of the province that borders Pakistan. It was reportedly attended by a number of local officials, including the governor.

The association that Mehrnahad founded in 2002 also helped organise various cultural events such as music concerts and painting and computer classes for youth. Mehrnahad was also the representative of a reformist newspaper called ‘Mardomsalari’ (Democracy) in the province.

"Mehrnahad was little known outside Baluchistan before he was arrested. He did criticise the government for the neglect of Sistan and Baluchistan province and collaborated with the Islamic Human Rights Commission, a national non-government organisation (NGO)," a student activist in Tehran, who asked not to be quoted by name, told IPS.

"The death sentence is very unusual for something like that. Nobody knows what could have led to such a heavy sentence because he is not known to have advocated any violence. But there are suspicions that the death sentence is intended to cover up evidence of physical torture that, according to his family, he has been subjected to," she said.

Five others, including Mehrnahad’s 16-year-old brother who had been arrested with him, were released after being held for up to three months. Mehrnahad himself was held in a prison run by security bodies for five months. He was later transferred to the central state prison in Zahedan where his family was able to meet him for the first time since his arrest.

Mehrnahad was tried by a court in Zahedan on Dec. 25 and was again transferred to the security prison. A month and a half later his family and lawyer, who had not been allowed to attend the trial, were informed of the death sentence.

Neither the sentence nor the charges that led to Mehrnahad’s death sentence have been officially announced. At the time of his arrest newspapers reported the apprehension of an activist in Baluchistan for allegedly assisting the militant Baluchi group, Jundullah.

In the absence of official reports and a free press most information about Mehrnahad and the death sentence passed on him come from unofficial sources such as his own blog and the news portal of the students of Amir Kabir University of Technology (AUT), which provides extensive coverage of human rights related news.

The contents of Mehrnahad’s blog indicate that he had been campaigning for establishment of a human rights committee in Baluchistan and for the recognition of the Baluchi language. Mehrnahad had also registered as a candidate to run in city council elections in 2003, but was disqualified by authorities with no reason assigned.

As reported by the student news portal, Mehrnahad’s family claimed that signs of torture were visible on his body when it last visited him in prison two months ago. They also said he had lost about15 kg and was not able to maintain his balance.

Baluchis claim discrimination as an ethnic minority as well as for being Sunnis. In spite of recognition, by the Iranian constitution, for Sunnis as a legitimate Islamic sect they do not have equal rights as Shiites. The constitution states that the supreme leader of the country and its president must be Shiites.

The province of Sistan-Baluchistan has seen several bloody encounters between government forces and various armed Baluchi groups, including Jundullah, during the past three years. Foreign journalists and western nationals are banned from travelling to the province.

Jundullah, that also calls itself the Iranian Popular Resistance Movement, has carried out several terrorist attacks against government officials in the province and has been involved in several hostage takings. The group has killed some of its hostages in the past, sending video recordings to the media.

On Feb.14, 2007 a car bomb by planted Jundullah killed 14 passengers of a Revolutionary Guards staff transportation bus and injured 30 more. A man arrested on the spot was hanged in public a few days later after a televised confession. Several other people, including a 17-year-old boy, were executed in connection with a bombing in May after making similar televised confessions.

Iranian officials allege Jundullah is connected to al-Qaeda or is sponsored by United States and British secret services. But Jundullah has denied these allegations and claims it is fighting for the rights of the Baluchi and Sunni people and for establishing democracy in Iran. The government also alleges that Jundullah is involved in drug trafficking.

According to a report by Amnesty International, from January to August 2007 out of the total 166 executions reported in Iran 50 happened in Baluchistan, many of them carried out in public for charges such as drug trafficking or murder. Iran has the second highest rate of death penalty after China.

According to a statement by the justice department of Sistan-Baluchistan on Jan. 6, released by Iranian Students News Agency, five men were sentenced to amputation of their right arms and left legs on the charges of taking up arms against the Islamic state, hostage taking and armed robbery and the sentences were carried out.

In a statement released on Feb. 11, Jundullah denied any connection with Mehrnahad and condemned the death sentence passed on him.

(END/2008)
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The letter of Chairman of the Left Party of Sweden to Iranian President regarding Yaghub Mehrnehad

To His Excellency

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad

Stockholm, the 21st of February 2008

The Baluchian journalist and chairman of the youth organization Anjomane Sedaye Adalat (The Voice of justice Young People´s Society), Yaghub Mehrnehad, has been arrested because he had organized a meeting in order to call the authorities´ attention to the problem of unemployment and other great social and economic problems in the province of Baluchistan.

In order to create a constructive dialogue with the authorities he invited them to the meeting. Instead of taking part in a dialogue Yaghub Mehrnehad was arrested by the authorities,, tortured and taken to court and sentenced to death in a trial behind closed doors.

The treatment of Yaghub Mehrnehad is from all aspects a crime against Human Rights. It is against all we know about democratic rights and the rules of a juridical society.

We strongly condemn the treatment of Yaghub Mehrnehad and demand that he must be released immediately.

For the Left Party of Sweden

Lars Ohly

Member of the Swedish Parliament
Chairman of the Left Party of Sweden

Hans Linde
Member of the Standing Committee
for Foreign Affairs of the

Swedish Parliament
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Iranian Repression of Baloch Minority

20 February 2008 ; voanews.com/uspolicy/

Iranian Repression Of Baloch Minority - Listen to (MP3)

Iranian authorities have reportedly sentenced to death ethnic Balouchi civil rights activist Ya’qub Mehrnehad. Mr. Mehrnehad is the head of the Voice of Justice Young People’s Society, a non-governmental educational and cultural organization that is registered with the Iranian government.

According to Amnesty International, he was arrested in May 2007, along with five other members of the association, following a meeting at the Provincial Office of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The governor of Iran’s Sistan-Balouchistan province was reportedly present at that meeting.

The reason for Mr. Mehrnehad’s arrest has not been disclosed. He was tried behind closed doors in December in Zahedan, the capital of Iran’s Sistan-Balouchistan province. Mr. Mehrnehad’s family and attorney say he has been tortured and has lost about fifteen kilograms of weight since his arrest. According to Amnesty International, Mr. Mehrnehad “may be in imminent danger of execution.”

Ethnic Balouchis make up about two-percent of Iran’s population of more than sixty-five million. Mainly Sunni Muslims, they have complained for years of discrimination by Iranian authorities. Hundreds of ethnic Balouchis have reportedly been detained following attacks by Jondallah, an ethnic Balouchi armed extremist group.

Masoud Balouchi is Director of Balouchi Human Rights Watch, a monitoring group based in Sweden. He says Iranian authorities are using the violence of a few extremists as a pretext for suppressing legitimate political dissent.

“We know that Ya’qub Mehrnehad and the organization he represents has done nothing except criticize the human rights abuses of the Iranian regime,” Masoud Balouchi said.

In its human rights report, the U.S. State Department says Iran’s Sunni Muslims claim they are discriminated against by the Iranian government, although it is “hard to distinguish whether the cause for discrimination was religious or ethnic, since most Sunnis are also ethnic minorities, primarily Arabs, Balouchis, and Kurds.”

In a written statement, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack expressed U.S. concern about the growing number of cases in Iran “in which the death sentence is imposed after trials that were neither fair nor transparent.”
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Iran 'nuclear questions remain'

23-02-2008 ; BBC News

The UN's nuclear watchdog says it cannot provide "credible assurances" that Iran is not building a bomb despite new data supplied by Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had granted new site access but remained evasive on key issues.

Iran was still enriching uranium in defiance of UN resolutions and was testing advanced centrifuges to speed up the process, the report said.

Iran said the report was "positive" and would hamper calls for new sanctions.

"This report showed that our activities are peaceful," Reuters news agency quoted top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili as saying in Tehran.

'No confidence'

But the US said it was "disappointed" with Iran's failure to comply with its UN and IAEA obligations.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there remained "a very strong case" for pressing ahead to a third UN Security Council resolution against Iran over its nuclear programme.

"This report demonstrates that whatever the Iranians may be doing to try to clean up some elements of the past, it is inadequate given their current activities," she said.

"What we all have to worry about... is the future in which Iran could start to perfect the technologies that could lead to a nuclear weapon."

BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the IAEA findings are mixed at best and not the clean bill of health Iran had sought.

He says the report sets the scene for renewed efforts by the US and its key European allies to try to bring in the third round of economic sanctions at the UN.

Senior diplomats from the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia will meet in Washington on Monday to discuss next steps regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

Last month, the five permanent members of the Security Council agreed on the text of a new draft resolution against Tehran.

'Serious concern'

Tehran refuses to stop enriching uranium, claiming its nuclear programme is purely for power generation.

The IAEA forged a deal last August with Iran for a timetable to resolve questions over aspects of its past nuclear activities.

But Friday's report said Tehran had evaded a proper response to claims it had made covert efforts to "weaponise" nuclear material, as well as conducting high explosives testing and carrying out design work on a missile warhead.

"This is a matter of serious concern and critical to an assessment of a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme," the report said.

Without this data, the agency would not be able to provide "credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran," the report added.

In Vienna, Austria, IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters Iran had shown new transparency but this was still not "sufficient".

The nuclear watchdog reported in August 2007 that Iran had not suspended enrichment and was continuing to construct a heavy water plant, which could produce plutonium - a possible material for a nuclear bomb.

In December last year a US intelligence assessment claimed Iran had conducted a nuclear weapons programme until 2003 but that it had probably not restarted it.
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This are pictures of poor Sunni Baloch in South Kerman a neighboring Balochistan province who are living in miserable condition, while this Shia regime sending millions of dollars to their Shias allies in the Middle East.

23-02-2008