We have been informed via our recent correnpondencies and other contacts with the close relatives and one of attornies’ of Yaghub Mehrnehad, that he has been sentenced to death last week by the Islamic republic of Iran’s court in Balochistan province. Yaghoub Mehrnehad who is the chairman of “the association of youth’s justice voice” was arrested on 26.04.2007 by intelligence service at the office of association in Zahedan, Balouchistan, Iran. The incidence took place during the annual session of plenum for political discussion where some of representative of steering system were delegating as well. The arrestation act included Yaghoub, his younger brother, the only 16 year old Ebrahim Mehrnehad and some other members of members of above association. Ebrahim Mehrnehad and other members were released after 70 days while Yaghoub have been kept in custody and now sentenced to death.
Yaghoub has 3 children (5 year old abubakr, 3.5 year old Omar, and 7 month old Asieh, who was born 2 month after her father was arrested). His family has been granted permission to visit him only 4 times during he has been in custody. Yaghoub’s father is not among us any longer, and his mother (Jan bibi) suffers from heart disease and asthma.
Based on our contacts with close relatives of Yaghoub, he has 3 brother and 6 sisters, and considering that his father died at early age, his mother tried very hard to manage bringing up her children. Yaghub started working after his high school diploma in order to be able to support the family.
We have as well been informed by his close relatives that his physical condition under the custody has developed to be in a very bad shape in the sense that he almost lost 14-15 kg of his weight.
Finally the court of Islamic Republic of Iran sentenced him where even his family was not present and he was sentenced to death 1,5 months later.
This decision has naturally affected the mental and psychological state of all family members dramatically. Almost all are in this belief that the result of initial conviction has not been a death sentence, and because he has been tortured so much the regime wants to end any speculation whether or not, he now has received the death penalty. By killing him (as it was the case for the 17 year old student Saeed Ghanbarzahi) the regime wants to terminate all evidences.
To Human right’s organisation:
As informed, the Islamic republic of Iran has yet killed and still killing hundreds / thousands of young Baluchis with false allegations such as participation in drug handling processes and / or participation in armed groups. As informed also, the accused persons have been killed with no any right for justice defence against the false allegations. When it is not possible for the regime to take such allegations in use, it does not hesitate to claim the Baluchis are politically active against the regime.
With reference to the same procedure we were witnessed how the Islamic regime in Iran amputed recently the hands and legs of five Baluchis.
At least we know that Yaghoub and here by the association he represents has done nothing wrong than only being politically critical against the inhuman policies that Balochistan is undergone by Islamic regime of Iran.
The association of youth’s justice voice has performed its activities the recent years since 2002 due to the policy of foundation of nongovernmental organizations, and has achieved the legalization from the Youth Organization. Youghub Mehrnehad has been performing his activities within relevant legal circular under particular attention to reasonable political and cultural struggle. Thus his arrest, custody and conviction are even inconsistent with the constitution of Islamic republic of Iran.
We would like to call international attention, the Amnesty International in particular, to our concern. Nevertheless we would like the international community to take the necessary immediate action on stopping the death penalty of Yaghub.
Baloch Human Rights Watch-Sweden/Radio Balochi FM
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