Over 760 Demand Public Trials with Jury for Azerbaijani Political Activists

The Azerbaijani Political Prisoners Defense Association (ADAP) announced on Tuesday, June 11, that "more than 760 activists inside and outside Iran" participated in a campaign, signing a letter demanding "public trials with a jury for Azerbaijani political activists in Iran." The founders of the campaign, known as "Public Trial of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan," told ADAP that "over the past year, the fabrication of cases against Azerbaijani activists in Iran and the imposition of unrelated charges to their peaceful activities have increased, with the security system linking unrelated individuals to each other, attributing serious security charges such as conspiracy, formation and membership in groups, and espionage to Azerbaijani political activists." Typically, the security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic makes such accusations against civil and political activists and opponents of the regime. ADAP referred to the cases formed against Taher Naqvi (a lawyer in Karaj), Abdulaziz Azimi-Qadim (a defrocked cleric), Baqer Hajizadeh-Mazraeh, Karam Mardaneh-Mostaali-Bigloo, Fatemeh Atashi-Khiyavi, Morteza Parvin-Jeda, Ayaz Saif-Khah, Araz Aman, Kamal Noori, Saeed Jamalzadeh, Hossein Piriy Qoshachai, Vadood Asadi, Salar Taher Afshar, Saeed Minaei, Hassan Ebrahimi-Shiran, Saeed Doostan, Karamat Rouh-Navaaz, Suleiman (Aydin) Mohammadi, Abdollah Vahedi, and Jafar Mohammadi. According to the statement, at least 10 of these activists are still in detention. Additionally, human rights sources reported that Karim Ismailzadeh and Morteza Parvin, imprisoned civil activists, are deprived of "appropriate medical services." The report states that last year, the Islamic Republic's security forces also arrested Morteza Nourmohammadi-Nadarli, Davood Shiri, Araz Ebrahim-Nejad, Javad Soodbar, Amir Hossein Aghaei, Ali Babaei, Mohammad Reza Movahed, Mehrdad Ghaderi, Hossein Azadi, Ebrahim Avazadeh, Nasser Razmjou, Saber Hosseinzadeh, Ayat (Yurosh) Mehrali-Bigloo, and Hamed Yeganeh-Pour, who were released on bail after three months and are currently awaiting trial. Part of the letter signed by over 760 individuals states that "the Iranian government denies the existence of political prisoners in Iranian prisons in response to international calls for the release of political prisoners, claiming that they are detained for committing security crimes against the people." The letter also states that "the policy of denying the existence of political prisoners in the Islamic Republic is while the activities, statements, and writings of these prisoners clearly show that they have been imprisoned for the public interest and the conflict of their ideas with the ruling system." The signatories of the letter, referring to "long-term detentions, the imposition of baseless security charges, and the fabrication of cases against Azerbaijani activists," expressed their opposition to the non-public and secret trials of these prisoners and demanded a public trial for these citizens, live in front of television cameras and with the presence of a real jury, lawyers, representatives of human rights organizations, and media personnel. They considered the issuance of convictions without holding a public trial as "an example of oppression and deception of public opinion" and assessed it as "lacking legitimacy." Participants in the campaign "Public Trial of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" stated that every person, regardless of their beliefs, has the right to a fair and public trial. ADAP: Several Azerbaijani civil activists remain in limbo in Evin Prison after 110 days. Rabab Gholizadeh, the wife of imprisoned Azerbaijani activist Syed Mohammadian, was summoned to the Karaj Intelligence Office. Kamel Lotfi is deprived of medical services, and the right to visit Susan Hassan-Zadeh has been revoked; pressure on political prisoners continues. An environmental activist was arrested in Sanandaj. Morteza Parvin's condition has deteriorated in Evin Prison; family: he is facing "low blood pressure and fainting." Several Azerbaijani civil activists have been sentenced to prison.