AHRO Condemns the abduction of the Ahwazi activist “Habib Chaab” in Turkey and his extradition to Iran

Ahwaz Human Right Organisation (AHRO) Condemns the arrest and abduction of Ahwazi activist Mr Habib Farajollah Chaab, known as “Habib Alsawed”. This is another crime added to the series of assassination, abductions, and executions committed against the political and civil society activists, opposition and dissidents.
In a statements on Monday, November 1, 2020, the head of the National Security Committee in the Iranian Parliament “Mojtaba Zolnouri” confirmed that the Iranian security and intelligence service have abducted Chaab,  the former head of the "Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz," stressing that the detainee is currently under investigation in Tehran.

“Mojtaba Yousefi”, an Iranian PM, stated that the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence had transferred Chaab to Tehran.

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is aware of what has been stated by the relatives of Chaab, who holds the Swedish citizenship concerning his arrest in Turkey and extradition to Iran. According to the Swedish TV channel, the ministry said that it will not comment on the issue.

Mrs Hoda Hawashmi, the wife of Mr Habib Chaab, had confirmed in televised and radio interviews that her husband was lured to Turkey,was arrested there, and later was  handed over from Istanbul to Iranian intelligence.

In recent years, and following the series of assassinations, the Iranian regime has adopted a method of abducting opponents, including the journalist “Ruhollah Zam” and the activist “Jamshid Sharmahd”.

The Iranian authorities attributed fabricated charges, including his alleged involvement in the armed attack on the annual Iranian military parade of September 22, 2018 in the city of Ahwaz, although ISIS claimed the attack and the Iranian regime later admitted that the five attackers were killed at the scene.

The Ahwaz Human Rights Organization condemns the abduction and arrest of Mr Chaab, as an act which is in contradiction with all the international covenants. It calls on the Swedish and Turkish authorities to take responsibility and pressure the Iranian authorities to reveal Chaab's fate, and to conduct a fair and transparent trial in the presence of independent lawyers to prevent accusations made against him.

AHRO also warns that Mr Habib Chaab is subjected to torture, a method known to the Iranian regime's intelligence services to gain forced confessions and displaying them on television.

The organization calls on the international community and international human rights organizations to condemn the crime of abduction and arrest of the Ahwazi activist Habib Chaab and all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in Iran.
Ahwaz Human Right Organisation (AHRO)
3 November 2020

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Last Updated: 03 November 2020

Ahwazi political prisoners go on hunger strike to protest torture, new cases filed against them

A number of Ahwazi Arab political prisoners in ward 5 of Ahwaz’s Sheiban prison, including Jaber Albushokeh and his brother Mokhtar Albushokeh, have gone on a hunger strike to protest new cases filed against them by the Iranian intelligence services on charges of inciting prison protests late March, local sources have told the Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO).

Protests over coronavirus safety fears in Ahwaz’s Sepidar and Sheiban prisons have had dire consequences for prisoners – especially political prisoners – as most of them continue to suffer from the effects and injuries of torture by security forces.

A number of political prisoners from Sheiban prison, including Mohammad Ali Amouri, Zuhair (Abdulzahra) Heleichi, Abdulemam Zayeri, Sajad Deleimi, Ali Kaab Umair, Jaber Albushokeh and Mokhtar Albushokeh were transferred to intelligence services’ headquarters in Ahwaz on March 31 following the prison protests and were subject to torture in the intelligence services secret detention centres for two weeks.

These prisoners were returned to prison on April 13 and their condition has been reported as extremely poor due to injuries from torture and they are still being held in the quarantine section of the prison.

Security forces killed at least 35 prisoners in Ahwaz’s Central and Sepidar prisons during protests over coronavirus safety fears and authorities’ refusal to grant prisoners furlough.  

The prisoners demanded to be granted leave amid the coronavirus outbreak, but their requests were met with gunfire and torture, and new cases were filed against them. 

Officials of the Ahwaz Central Prison, namely Sakhrawi, Azadeh and Gholamnejad forced prisoners to go to the prison yard, threatening the prisoners using firearms. The prison officials ordered soldiers to line up in the opposite rows and create a “torture tunnel for prisoners. 

The prisoners were forced to walk barefoot on glass. The prison guard had poured detergent on the glass to cause prisoners burns and extra pain. As the prisoners walked on the glass, the prison guards also beat them using batons and cables from both sides. This carried on for at least 14 hours.

The use of hunting bullets wounded countless prisoners, including Abdulreza Obaidawi, who lost one of his eyes and his intestines have stopped working due to multiple injuries. 

Mohammad Ali Amouri was severely tortured by the intelligence services and his health condition has been reported as particularly poor near the head and chest area. Zuhair Heleichi, Abdulemam Zayeri, Jaber Albushokeh and Mokhtar Albushokeh have also been injured and suffer from infections due to torture.

Unconfirmed reports also indicate that Fares Albushokeh, another prisoner, was killed by direct fire.

Unconfirmed reports also indicate that Fares Albushokeh, another prisoner, was shot dead by security forces.

These political prisoners have not been sent to the hospital to receive treatment for their injuries, and most of them are at risk of having even more cases filed against them by Iran’s Prisons’ Organisation as well as the Ministry of Intelligence. These prisoners have gone on a hunger strike as a result and their physical and mental condition is reported to be very poor.

Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) 

23 April 2020

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Last Updated: 23 April 2020