Accused in the Hamidiyeh Police Station Attack; From Operation to Death Sentences

The Iranian Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentences for three Arab citizens accused of attacking a police station in the Gamboo'eh Park on the Ahvaz-Hamidiyeh road in April 2015. Four others were sentenced to long-term imprisonment. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced this on June 19, stating, "The case went to the Supreme Court after the verdict was issued in the lower court and the defendants appealed, and based on the final ruling of the Supreme Court, death sentences were issued for three of the defendants." Ejei added that the three sentenced to death were responsible for the murder of five individuals. However, reports indicate that three people were killed in the attack on the police station, and Ejei did not clarify when and where the other two murders occurred. The 'Human Rights Organization of Ahvaz' stated in a statement issued last April that the Ahvaz intelligence agency attributed the murder of a member of the Revolutionary Guards, which occurred over five years ago, to them, but several political activists from Hamidiyeh have been arrested on the same charge, with four of them sentenced to 20 years in prison, life imprisonment, and exile. On April 2, 2015, Iranian media reported an attack by unidentified individuals on a police station in Gamboo'eh Park. According to these reports, three police officers were killed and two were injured in the attack. Local sources say that two of the deceased officers were young Arabs from the region. At that time, Colonel Rahman Mousavi, the social deputy commander of the police force in Khuzestan province, announced the formation of special teams of "expert officers" to investigate the incident and apprehend the attackers. Following this attack, a group named the "Arab Liberation Movement of Ahvaz" claimed responsibility, asserting that they targeted a "base belonging to the Revolutionary Guards." This group, led by a person named "Rafiq Habib Jabr" from Ahvaz, who is currently outside Iran, claimed in their statement that heavy casualties were inflicted on the Revolutionary Guards base, where members of the Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi Shiite militias) and Iranian Basij were undergoing military training. This group also claimed responsibility for an explosion of an oil pipeline near Behbahan last year. Iranian media published statements condemning the attack on the police station issued by local residents. Among them was a statement from the "Islamic Society of Arab Activists in Khuzestan," which was published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The local Shushan website also published a statement from "Arab Reformists of Khuzestan" condemning the attack. Not long after the attack on the police station, on April 21, 2015, the Khuzestan Intelligence Directorate announced that all perpetrators of the attack had been identified and arrested. In a statement issued on this occasion, the Khuzestan Intelligence Directorate accused Israel and "one of the Arab countries in the region" of directing and financially supporting this "terrorist act." On May 10, 2015, prior to the arrest of the accused in the Hamidiyeh attack, the head of the Khuzestan judiciary announced that the death sentences for the perpetrators would be carried out "in public." According to ISNA news agency, Farhad Afsharnia, the head of the Khuzestan judiciary, stated at that time, "The trial of the perpetrators of the terrorist incident in Hamidiyeh will be held as soon as possible, and their sentences will be executed publicly after being issued." He emphasized, "In less than 20 days, the terrorist elements in Hamidiyeh were arrested, and the evidence and documents that were in the possession of the terrorists were discovered and seized." On April 3, 2016, the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz issued the preliminary verdict for the perpetrators of the attack on the Hamidiyeh police station. According to this verdict, three individuals who are members of the same family were sentenced to death, and four others received long-term prison sentences. Local media reports indicate that Qais Obaidavi, his brother Ahmad Obaidavi, and their cousin Sajjad Obaidavi are the three sentenced to death. Other sentences include: "Mohammad Halafi and Mehdi Siyahi each sentenced to 35 years in prison in Yazd, Mehdi Moarebi 25 years in prison, and Ali Obaidavi 25 years in prison." The Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz accused these individuals of shooting at the tents of police officers at the Gamboo'eh police station, which occurred in the early hours of April 2, 2015, resulting in the deaths of three officers, shooting at the Noor Pilgrimage caravan, attacking and shooting at the police trailer on Shariati Bridge, and damaging the seismic equipment of the oil company. The convicted were also accused of "moharebeh, corruption on earth, and establishing and being members of terrorist groups." The issued verdict was ultimately confirmed by the Supreme Court, and its execution depends solely on the will of the judiciary. Some human rights activists say that the convicted deny the charges and claim they were forced to confess under pressure. The "Human Rights Organization of Ahvaz" also condemned these sentences in a statement, calling on all human rights organizations and institutions to pressure the Iranian judicial authorities to stop the imminent execution of these Ahvazi Arab activists. This human rights organization also called for a "fair and public retrial" and the respect of "the defendants' right to defend themselves and to have independent lawyers." Various human rights organizations have repeatedly urged Iranian officials in recent years to allow international human rights bodies and independent media to investigate the information presented regarding human rights violations in Khuzestan province, but this request has yet to receive a response from Iranian officials. Iranian government officials have also remained silent regarding the allegations of torture and violent repression of activists in Khuzestan province.