Leading Ahwazi Arab writer and journalist Yousef Azizi Bani Torouf is facing imminent imprisonment. He was recently sentenced to five years imprisonment for "threatening national security" in relation to his criticism of the Iranian regime's brutal treatment of Ahwazi Arab protestors in April 2005. He is currently free and waiting the results of his appeal, which is likely to fail any day now.

Yousef Azizi's case is just the latest in a number of ethnic minority journalists facing imprisonment and even the death penalty for speaking out against the persecution of non-Persian ethnic groups. None of these journalists have ever called for regime change or advocated armed resistance.

According to the worldwide media freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders, "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is systematically exploiting the judicial system to crack down on journalists from the minority communities, for whom they often act as spokesperson."

OTHER MINORITY JOURNALISTS

Azerbaijan: Azeri journalist Said Matinpour of the leading Azeri weekly newspaper Yarpagh was recently given an eight year suspended sentence for "having dealings with foreigners" and for "publicity against the government".

Kurdistan: Several Kurdish journalists are currently detained, including Kaveh Javanmard, Adnan Hassanpour and Ejlal Qavami. Kurdish journalist Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand was also sentenced to 11 years in the notorious Evin prison for ‘threatening national security’ after he set up the Kurdish Human Rights Organization (RMMK). He was also the editor of Payam-e Mardom-e Kurdestan (Kurdistan People's Message), a weekly newspaper published in Kurdish and Persian which was banned on 27 June 2004 after only 13 issues for 'disseminating separatist ideas and publishing false reports'. He was originally given an 18 month suspended sentence, but this sentence has progressively lengthened as more charges are brought against him in order to ensure his silence.

Balochistan: Earlier this month Yaghub Mehrnahad, a 28 year old Balochi journalist and cultural activist, was finally executed following months of torture. He had criticised the regime’s treatment of the Balochi ethnic group and formed the Javanan Sedayeh Edalat (Youth Voice of Justice) non-governmental organisation, which was recognised and registered by the Iranian government. The group organised events such as music concerts and educational courses for young Balochis and also tackled issues such as the spread of AIDS and other diseases and supporting healthcare for Balochi women and children. There was no official announcement of the death sentence nor the charges brought against him, with his trial held in secret and without legal representation. The local media claimed he had links with the Balochi armed group Jundullah (Army of God) after he criticised the treatment of Balochis during a conference.

TAKE ACTION!

Please write to your parliamentary or congressional representative and urge them to call for the following:

- The Iranian government should drop its case against Azizi
- It should abide by the Iranian Constitution, which enshrines cultural and linguistic rights for non-Persian groups
- It should free all journalists from prison, most of whom are from non-Persian groups
- The persecution of non-Persian groups, not campaigning journalists like Yousef Azizi, is the root cause of unrest and should end.

 YOUR REPRESENTATIVE -

Member of the British Parliament: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/commons/l/

Member of the US Congress: http://whoismyrepresentative.com/

Member of the European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public.do?language=en

FURTHER INFORMATION -

Urgent Action from the Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation: http://ahwazhumanrights.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1862&Itemid=54&lang=EN

Reporters Without Frontiers report: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28327

Iran Human Rights Voice: http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=661

IPS report on the treatment of minority journalists: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41247

IFEX appeal: http://www.ifex.org/fr/content/view/full/84936

Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network appeal: http://www.iwsn.org/campaigns/mehrnahad-04aug08.htm