- Target:
- UN, Navi Pillay, Ban Ki Moon, IR Embassies, Amnesty International, HRW, EU members
- Region:
- Iran
- Website:
- www.facebook.com
Thanks to everyone who has signed this petition.
Fardin Moradpour is an political prisoner and activist for the rights of the Azerbaijanis in Iran. 21 year old Moradpour is serving six years of jail term since May 2010.
Fardin Moradpour undertook a hunger strike in protest at being severely beaten.
Association for Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAPP) believes him to be a prisoner of conscience, held for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
Background Information:
On November 24, 2009, brothers Fardin and Morteza Muradpour were sentenced to 6 years and 3 years respectively, having been charged with "propaganda against the regime" and "threatening national security." Fardin Moradpour was additionally charged with "possession of explosives" for having fireworks in his pocket at the time of arrest.
Fardin Moradpour (18) was arrested during an Azerbaijani rights protest, which interrupted a government-sponsored fitness walk in El Goli Park in the city of Tabriz on May 22, 2009. He was detained while chanting Azeri language rights slogans and wielding signs that called for the establishment of Azeri-Turkic language schools.
Security forces responded by firing off their weapons directly into the crowd and shooting tear gas to disperse the protesters. Moradpour was struck and injured by a bullet and upon falling to the ground, a few fireworks explosives that were in his pocket went off, injuring him further. When Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents arrived on the scene, they prevented Moradpour from going to a hospital, claiming that he should "bleed to death."
Fardin Moradpour's father, Hasan Moradpour, later arrived on the scene after learning of his son's condition. After calling an ambulance for Fardin, he was detained and taken intoarbitrary custody by the MOIS for one month.
The following day Fardin's brother Morteza Moradpour, a university student who had been present in the El Goli protest but was not arrested, went to the local MOIS office in search of his father and brother. Upon arrival, he was immediately detained. He and his brother, Fardin, were held in arbitrary detention for 3 months only to be released for trial at a later date.
- Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Fardin Moradpour, as he is a prisoner of conscience, held solely on account of his peaceful political and cultural activities on behalf of the Iranian Azerbaijani community
- Call on the authorities to grant Fardin Moradpour immediate and unconditional access to his lawyer, continued and regular access to his family, and access to any medical treatment that he requires;
- Call for an investigation into Fardin Moradpour’s allegations that he was tortured and denied medical care for his injuries;
The Free Fardin Moradpour petition to UN, Navi Pillay, Ban Ki Moon, IR Embassies, Amnesty International, HRW, EU members was written by ADAPP and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.