Ahwazi Arab Prisoners Facing Imminent Execution: A Call to Action

Human rights activists from the Ahwazi region have reported alarming developments concerning four Ahwazi Arab political prisoners—Mohammad Reza Moghaddam, Moein Khenfari, Ali Mojdam, and Adnan Ghabishavi (Mousavi)—who were transferred to solitary confinement in Sepidar Prison in Ahwaz on October 15. All four individuals have been sentenced to death, highlighting the urgent need for international attention.

Informed sources, including respected independent human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, have documented severe violations of these prisoners’ rights throughout their arrest and trial process. These violations include excessive force during their apprehension and torture used to extract coerced confessions. The treatment these detainees have endured amounts to cruel and inhumane treatment, extending not only to them but also impacting their families. Reports indicate that family members have faced arrest, threats, and harassment, designed to intensify pressure on the prisoners to provide incriminating statements against themselves.

The Ahwazi Organization for The Defence of Human Rights unequivocally condemns the egregious conduct of Iran’s security apparatus towards these defendants and their families. The organization expresses profound concern regarding the imminent executions of these individuals, citing several glaring human rights violations integral to their cases:

1. Right to a Fair Trial:The defendants were denied access to legal counsel of their choosing. The court’s conscious disregard for this violation, compounded by reliance on confessions garnered through torture, raises serious questions about the integrity of the judicial proceedings.

2. Prohibition of Torture and Inhuman Treatment: The defendants were subjected to brutal torture and inhumane practices intended to coerce confessions, a flagrant violation of international human rights norms.

3. Acceptance of Coerced Confessions: Despite clear evidence of torture, the court shamefully accepted these forced confessions as the basis for issuing death sentences, undermining the very foundations of justice.

4. Harassment of Family Members: Attempts to intimidate and threaten the families of the prisoners serve as additional tools of coercion, further illustrating the systemic abuse these individuals face.

These actions reflect a broader strategy employed by the Islamic Republic of Iran to suppress ethnic and political minorities within its borders, with the Ahwazi population particularly targeted. The Ahwazi Organization for The Defence of Human Rights urgently calls upon the international community and human rights advocates to intervene and prevent the execution of these four prisoners, who are in grave jeopardy. Immediate action is needed to safeguard their rights and uphold the principles of justice that should govern all legal systems.