- Target:
- UN
- Region:
- Iran
- Website:
- www.amnesty.org
Yunes Aghayan, an Iranian Azerbaijani from the Alevi (Ahl-e Haqq) faith of Islam, is in imminent danger of execution by the Iranian authorities.
Yunes Aghayan and four others were arrested in 2004. In January 2005, Yunes Aghayan and Mehdi Qasemzadeh were sentenced to death by branch 2 of the Mahabad Revolutionary Court. They were charged with "Moharebeh" (waging war against God). The Supreme Court upheld their death sentences in April 2005. Mehdi Qasemzadeh was executed in February 2009.
According to an urgent action appeal published by Amnesty International in April 2009, Yunes Aghayan was arrested following "at least two clashes in September 2004 between members of a group of Ahl-e Haq members and police. The group had refused to take down religious slogans at the entrance to their cattle farm in Uch Tepe, West Azerbaijan Province. During the clashes, five Ahl-e Haq members and at least three members of the security forces were killed."
The three other prisoners— Sahand Ali Mohammadi, Bakhshali Mohammadi, and Ebadollah Qasemzadeh— were also sentenced to death but their sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court in September 2007. The three men are currently serving 13-year prison sentences in exile in the Yazd province (central Iran).
On Thursday 21 June 2012, Yunes Aghayan, with his hands and feet shackled, was transferred from Urmia prison to Mahabad prison. He is now at imminent risk of execution.
Let us make our voice heard and give Yunes Aghayan a second chance of living!
Although Iran's Constitution mentions the rights of religious minorities in two distinct articles, some minorities such as Ahl-i haq and Bahais are not indicated. Iran's government prevents them from partaking in religious ceremonies. They are arrested, ill-treated and are deprived of their fundamental rights.
- Reminding the authorities that as a state party to the ICCPR, Iran has undertaken to uphold freedom of religion, including the right to manifest one's religion in public.
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The Save Yunes Aghayan; an Iranian Azerbaijani Alevi from execution! petition to UN was written by ADAPP and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.