Save the lives of Zaniar and Loqman Moradi in Iran

By Dr. Amir Sharifi, Kurdish Human Rights Advocacy Group:

The Kurdish Human Rights Advocacy Group condemns the continuing arrest and persecution of political prisoners in Iran. We are particularly concerned about the looming executions of numerous political prisoners, including two Kurdish prisoners named Zaniar and Loqman Moradi. We join the January 19-20 2013 Worldwide Campaign to Save the Lives of Zaniar and Loqman Moradian, two prisoners of conscience who have been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As of December 20, 2012, the UN General Assembly passed its 25th resolution against “serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations” In Iran. In defiance of international protests and appeals, the Islamic Republic has resumed and even intensified its flagrant violations with little or no regard for the international community’s calls and alarms.

Ever since its inception the theocratic government of Iran has pursued a policy of repression and vilification against Kurds. Thousands have been incarcerated, tortured, and many have been executed without any fair trials. During the past three years hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners have been imprisoned wrongfully and condemned to long-term imprisonment or execution.

Kherzi was executed on January 15,2011, Kamangar, Vakili and Haidarian on May 9, 2010, Alamhooli on May 9,2010, Fasih Yasamani on January 6,2010 and Ehsan Fattahian in November 2009, to name just a few.

Various resolutions passed by the international community have highlighted the blatant violations of human rights, particularly with respect to religious and ethnic minorities and the unbearable conditions under which they live. Like Bahai’s, Kurds in Iran are constantly targeted, arrested, imprisoned on groundless and preposterous pretexts .Life for Iranian Kurds is perpetually precarious. Anyone found to be practicing or promoting ethnic identity, linguistic or educational rights and religious freedom will be incarcerated since explicit or implicit cultural expressions are deemed as political subversion and blasphemy framed in the familiar fiendish felony charge of Mohareb ba Khoda “War against God” which is in essence a death warrant.

It is quite likely that Loqman and Zaniar are convicted of such a “cardinal and damning sin” and therefore they are at imminent risk of execution.

While human rights organizations appreciate the attention drawn to Iran, unfortunately the nuclear threat and proliferation predominates the human rights concerns and abuses. The conditions of political prisoners are deteriorating as the Iranian government continues its arbitrary arrests and incarcerations in defiance of all humanity.

Although the Iranian government seems impervious to international pressure, it is important that human rights organizations be more aggressive in seeking permission to visit Iran in order to monitor the state of human rights in the country. The Kurdish Human Rights Advocacy Group joins the international community and other human rights organizations to express its outrage at the persistent violations of human rights in the country and calls upon the Islamic Republic to halt the execution of Zaniar and Loqman Moradi .These prisoners like many others have been incarcerated wrongfully and should be released immediately.