Call for the release of Habib Asyoud, a Swedish citizen arrested in Turkey and extradited to Iran
Over a dozen human rights NGOs launch a petition to be addressed to the Iranian authorities
HRWF (01.12.2021) – In response to the fabricated charges raised against Habib Asyoud, former president of the Arab struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz in Iran, The European Association for the Defense of Minorities, Postversa and the International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (AIDL), Peace Action Group Pimpampoentje condemn the Mullahs’ regime’s false accusations against the Ahwazi leader, arrested in in Turkey and now detained in Iran, who risks to be sentenced to the death penalty for his political activities.
Manel Msalmi, Brussels leader of the European coalition of the organisations for the liberation of Habib Asyoud and Andy Vermaut from AIDL denounce the Iranian authorities’ practice of obtaining false confessions under torture, to continue their arrest campaign in Al-Ahwaz and to pass more death sentences. As a result, The European Association for the Defense of Minorities, Postversa ,the International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (AIDL) and Peace Action Group Pimpampoentje reject all of the Iranian regime’s accusations against Habib Asyoud and call for his immediate release. Habib Asyoud was already acquitted in European courts following the Iranian regime’s request addressed to Interpol to arrest him. It is worth noting that Asyoud previously rejected all Iranian charges during a European fair court trial.
Since his arrest on November 9th 2020, Habib Asyoud has been subjected to the most heinous forms of psychological torture by the Iranian intelligence service.
Furthermore, during a speech at the UN Human Rights Council’s headquarters in 2019, the susmentioned NGOs emphasized that Ahwazi activists and refugees in exile are in a perilous situation. As a result, they called on international human rights organizations to protect the Ahwazi people in exile.
According to some reports, the Swedish embassy in Tehran attempted to meet Habib Asyoud but its efforts were unsuccessful. It is worth noting that Habib Asyoud has held Swedish nationality for a number of years.
As a result, The European Association for the Defense of Minorities, Postversa , the International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (AIDL), and Peaceactiongroup Pimpampoentje call on human rights organizations and the UN Human Rights Council to immediately intervene in favor of Habib Asyoud who was previously protected by the HRC.
Furthermore, they urge the international community to exert additional pressure on the Iranian regime and to share their concerns about Habib Asyoud, who risks the death penalty.
List of signatories open to NGOs (Send the name of your NGO to HRWF international.secretariat.brussels@hrwf.org)
The European Association for the Defense of Minorities
Postversa
International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (AIDL)
Peace action group Pimpampoentje
Human Rights Without Frontiers
CAP, Conscience et Liberté
Noodt Foundation
Soteria International
ARCHumankind
Baloch Human Rights Council
Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF)
International Human Rights Committee
Set My People Free
International Organization to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR)
Picture credit: Europa Blog