Below are extracts of an appeal published by the Balochistan People’s Party:
Mr. António Guterres
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland
August 2007
Dear Sir,
The rights of self-determination and non-ethnic discrimination have been recognized as basic human rights by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) in 1948. Every state including Iran that has signed UNDHR is obliged to respect its resolutions and follow them. The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is well known for its repeated violation of human rights including the rights of freedom of speech, belief, religion and the right of freedom of political activity. These violations have been clearly pointed out and condemned in the 2006 human rights report of the Amnesty International. The Baloch people in Iran are being discriminated on both national and religious bases. Above all, our people is deprived of right of self-identity which has also been adopted as a fundamental right of each individual by the UNDHR and implemented by all democratic societies.
Balochistan Peoples Party (BPP), in multiple public communiqués has disclosed the plans of the Iranian regime to execute more than 700 Baloch detainees in coming months. As anticipated, 7 of these detainees among them Saeed Kambarzahi a 17 year old teen-ager were recently executed allegedly due to their involvement in a fabricated accusation of “armed uprising” against the regime. Furthermore, hundreds of Baloch have been arrested and executed in the prisons in the province of Balochistan in Iran. In addition, several prisoners have been transferred to prisons in other provinces and executed under the cover-name of smugglers and robbers. It is worth noting that the all of the arrestees are convicted to being “enemies of the God”. This conviction is a clear violation of “freedom of the belief” adopted by the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The executions are carried out by hanging in public places which is another violation of the “human dignity” adopted by UN’s charter.
The Amnesty International has condemned these violations of the human rights in Balochistan and has appealed to international society to condemn them as well. However, it is well known that torture and forced confession and forced appearance on TV is widely used by Iranian regime.
In such a situation of harsh dictatorship, suppression, mass arrests and executions the lives of many of political activists, members and supporters of the opposing political parties will be endangered. In case of detention they will be subject to inhuman tortures, long sentences and even executions without trial. We are aware of several Balochs who have been arrested and executed because of their familial relationship with opponent political activists. It is obvious that in such a difficult condition many of political opponents will be forced to flee the country to neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and even the Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE).
The UNHCR has played a vital role in saving lives of many Iranian refugees including Balochs in the 1980s through providing protection in the host countries. We believe that UNHCR will also play a vital role in the new situation by granting Baloch asylum seekers refugee status. By doing so, UNHCR could protect forced repatriation of asylum seekers to Iran through the “Repatriation Treaty” which exists between Iran and neighboring countries such as Pakistan.
We appeal to the UNHCR especially in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey to provide protection to the Balochs who might be seeking asylum at these offices. We would like to request UNHCR representatives to show flexibility in considering refugee applications since the reasons behind the applications could be many such as political, religious, social etc.
Sincerely Yours,
Nasser Boladai,
Spokesperson for Balochistan Peoples Party
CC:
- UNHCR, Branch Office, Islamabad, Pakistan
- UNHCR, sub-office, Quetta, Pakistan
- Amnesty International
- International Red Cross
- Human Rights Watch
- UNPO
Source
Balochistan People’s Party |
