Political prisoners
Activists, teachers, writers and students from South Azerbaijan are detained for peaceful expression, often after trials that fall far short of international standards.
Those who advocate peacefully for the language and cultural rights of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran are frequently charged with vaguely worded national security offences such as "propaganda against the state" or "forming a group to act against national security".
Many are held incommunicado during interrogation, denied a lawyer of their choice, and tried before Revolutionary Courts in proceedings that can last minutes. Families are pressured into silence. We work to make sure no one is held in the dark.
The law is on their side
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, articles 9, 14 and 19 (ratified by Iran in 1975)
- UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
What we document
- Arbitrary arrest and detention for peaceful activism
- Denial of access to a lawyer during investigation
- Torture, ill-treatment and forced televised confessions
- Unfair trials before Revolutionary Courts
- Denial of medical care and family visits in prison
- Harassment of prisoners' families
What we do
- Maintain a verified register of detained activists, with family consent
- Submit individual cases to UN Special Procedures and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
- Run urgent actions when a prisoner is at imminent risk
- Support families with legal referrals and international visibility
One signature, one message, one shared report can be the difference between a name that is forgotten and a person who is freed.