Arcdh Arc – Association for Human Rights of Azerbaijanis of Iran "ArcDH"
1. Araz Aman Zeinabad,
2. Ayaz Seifkhah,
3. Vadud Asadi,
4. Mohammad Reza Faghihi, a well-known Azerbaijani human rights lawyer
5. Taher Naghavi, an Azerbaijani lawyer
6. Mahmoud Ojaghlu,
7. Karam Mardaneh, and
8. Murtaza Parvin
ArcDH has no access to the open letter, but the following text appears to have been issued by the above imprisoned activists, which refers to the open letter:
“In this open letter, Azerbaijani activists have called for their direct involvement in the matter and to prevent the continuation of institutionalized oppression.
The authors of the letter state that they were arrested by the security agents in February 2024 in a coordinated manner and without a legal summons. Many of the defendants did not know each other before their arrest, and there was no organizational or group connection between them.
However, security agents, especially the Ministry of Intelligence, have arrested and searched their homes, and confiscated their personal belongings on charges such as “collusion to commit a crime against national security,” “espionage,” and “propaganda against the State,” without providing sufficient documentary evidence or judicial warrants.
Interrogations are often conducted without the presence of a lawyer, and they have not even been given the opportunity to choose a lawyer from the approved list. According to the letter, in some cases, the interrogation has been limited to less than five minutes, and they have been informed of the serious security charges only to the extent of “reading the file.”
In another part of the letter, the prisoners referred to the intense pressure exerted by interrogators to obtain forced confessions. They said that they were subjected to physical and psychological pressure, threats, and humiliation for 20 to 40 days in solitary confinement in Section 209 of Evin prison.
Part of the letter reads: “It was even suggested that we express regret for our past in front of the camera and promise that we will not cooperate with the so-called separatists from now on.”
In the course of this process, a case of more than 55 volumes led to the issuance of an indictment in less than a week, and the defendants were sentenced to a total of more than 100 years in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided over by Judge Salavati.
The authors of the letter say that the judge in the case issued the verdict without considering the defense of independent lawyers and solely on the basis of one-sided reports of the Intelligence Ministry interrogators.
In this regard, the prisoners claimed that the prosecutor had not read the case before the indictment was issued, and that they had only signed the indictment based on the verbal explanations of the Ministry of Intelligence.
During the Israeli missile attack on Tehran, Evin Prison was also targeted, and according to the letter’s authors, despite requests for the release or furlough of prisoners due to the war conditions, no immediate action was taken by the judiciary.
After this incident, the authors of the letter were transferred to the Greater Tehran prison at night in a “heinous and humiliating” manner, in shackles and handcuffs, in a state of hunger and thirst. In a prison that they say lacks minimum standards of biological and hygienic standards, these prisoners are now living in deplorable conditions.
At the end of this letter, the signatories, citing Article 121 of the Constitution, which obliges the President to protect the rights of the people,
• Thorough and fair review of cases by an independent panel
• Immediate halt to extrajudicial treatment by security agencts
• Compensation for the deprived rights of the defendants
• Introducing the officers and judges who have played a role in the process of making cases • Immediate release or release of prisoners in current inhumane conditions
An Open Letter from Azerbaijani Turkish Prisoners to Pezeshian, Calling for Immediate Intervention in the Case Against Azerbaijani Turkic Activists”