Southern Azerbaijan: Washington Protests Against Recent Political Arrests
On 26 February 2014, Southern Azerbaijani advocates and their supporters met in front of the Interests Section of Iran in Washington DC, to protest the recent extensive political arrests, which have been taking place across Southern Azerbaijan, the north-west region of Iran. While approximately 100 detainees remain in custody without official charges, the protesters called for their release, and demanded that the Iranian Government safeguard their basic human rights and the protection of their mother tongue.
Below is an article published by Contact:
A group of Iranian Azerbaijanis and their supporters gathered in front of the Interests Section of Iran in Washington DC on Wednesday, February 26, to protest the latest wave of political arrests across South Azerbaijan, TURAN's correspondent reports.
The protesters demanded equal rights and practice of mother tongue for themselves. Over 100 Azerbaijanis have been arrested in Iran only during last weekend, while marking International Mother Language Day, according to the protesters. Many of them are still held at the detention centers without official charges.
In Washington DC, the protesters chanted slogans "South Azerbaijan is not Iran" "Stop ignoring 35 million Azerbaijanis," "Release the political prisoners", etc.
"We want to speak in our mother tongue, educate our kids and communicate with them without need of using Persian," Vida Doshabchi, a protester told TURAN.
Another activist Alparslan Chehreghani, added: "The Azerbaijanis account for almost half of the population [of Iran] but we don't have any basic rights that even any [other] minorities have"
A statement was delivered to the representative of the Interests Section of Iran demanding the immediate release of activists; lift all the restrictions against South Azerbaijanis.
