Iran Mourning Mothers demand an end to detention and persecution

Stop persecutions, detentions, executions!

On 2 February  2012 and in an orchestrated operation security forces raided the homes of about 30 Bahaie citizens in the city of Shiraz in south of the country and took away 11 people.

The human rights situation in Iran is deteriorating. While last year alone, around 6,00 people had been executed on various charges, numerous individuals are in danger of execution and an atmosphere of fear and tension has polutted Iran as the Islamic Republic of Iran is nearing the parliamentary elections which had been boycotted by large factions of the Iranian society.

While the authorities have not responded to any of the requests and demands of the families of the murdered political prisoners and activists and people are gripped with inflation, corruption and mis-management of country's resources and sanctions are takingn effect, the only way to drag the people to the ballot boxes is through intimidation and the fictional threat of "Foreign enemies".

Extracting confessions under duress, issuing death senternces for Said Malekpour, Vahi Safari, Sharouz Vaziri, Ahmad Reza Hashempour, Mehdi Alizadeh, Amir Mirza Hekmati, Javad Lari, Zanbar Loghman Moradi and invading journalists and writers' homes are all aimed to divert attention from the real issues and increase tension.

The assault on people is not limited to activists and intellectuals. In a raid in the Arab population of the southern city of Ahwaz, 49 people were taken away while people who were demonstrating against the raids were shot at and as a result, a number were injured and one killed and three murdered under torture in detention.

Pressure on the families of those in prison is increasing. Parvin Mokhtareh, mother of Koohyar Goodarzi who has been taken away almost a year ago without trace, was detained while looking for her son.  Parents of Akbar Mohamedi were prevented from travelling abroad at the airport.  Leila Seifalahi and Djila Karamzadeh Makvandi and Djila Mahdavian received heavy sentences. Mothers of Park Laleh (Mourning Mothers) are under constant persecution and a number of them have received prison terms

The above was part of a long statement issued by Mourning Mothers of Iran.

Iran is in the grip of those who rule through terror and intimidation. The country is plagued with corruption, addiction, prostitution, unemployment and the danger of war is looming over Iran. Violence is widespread and women have increasingly becoming the immidiate targets of the regime's wrath as it is becoming unable to control dissent.

We urge the human rights organisations and peace-loving peoples of the world not to forget the Iranian situation in the middle of other disastrous situations.