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Setting the scene: - A cursory overview of Southern Azerbaijan - Racist Iranian policies

Setting the scene: - A cursory overview of Southern Azerbaijan - Racist Iranian policies - National movement of Southern Azerbaijan - Transforming the struggle to self-determination A New direction based on human rights - Roots - Violation of human rights of S. Azerbaijanis

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Setting the scene: - A cursory overview of Southern Azerbaijan - Racist Iranian policies

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  1. Setting the scene: • - A cursory overview of Southern Azerbaijan • - Racist Iranian policies • - National movement of Southern Azerbaijan - Transforming the struggle to self-determination • A New direction based on human rights • - Roots • - Violation of human rights of S. Azerbaijanis • - Cases put forward by DunAzHAK • Weakness/strength • Plans The medium- and long-terms • Strategy: Improvements towards making a better use of the human right defence facilities of the OHCHR

  2. 1. Setting the scene:

  3. 1.1 A cursory overview • Population:30 millions • Area: approx 185000 km2 • Turkic dynasties until 1926 • Modernisation since 1906 • Constitution (1906-1914) • Own government (Khiyabani) 1920 • Pahlavide since 1926 • National Government 1945-46 • Islamic Government (1979) • The Republic of Azerbaijan 1990 • A new impetus for the national movement since 1990

  4. 1.2 Racist Iranian policies • Persians had grudges since the middle ages but did not have powers • Pahlavides took power since 1926 • Immediate preference to ethnic Persians • Stifled mother tongues of Azerbaijanis & others • Economical decline and exploitation • A culture of abuse of the national integrity of Non-Persians • Cultural apartheid since the Islamic Republic • Systemic violation of human rights

  5. 1.3 National movement of Southern Azerbaijan • Deeply rooted in the past • Impetus since the Republic of Azerbaijan • The emergence of vocal activists • 15 years of petitions and no response • The Babek Assembly • Flourishing cultural and musical groups

  6. 1.4 Transforming the struggle to self-determination • 2006: from Groups to nationwide activities • Jan-March: Solidarity with the Republic of Azerb. • May 2006 – State sponsored abuse of the national Integrity of Azerbaijani Turks • The Babek Assembly; • Mother Tongue Campaigns; • Anniversary of National Government (1945-46) • Not a freak event but a persistent/consistent movement

  7. 2. A New direction based on human rights 2.1 Roots • Up to 1990: many individuals suffered jail terms for promoting our Azerbaijani but at sporadic scale • 1990-2000: human rights became the byword, increased voice of Azerbaijanis, increased persecution • DunAzHAK was formed in 1999 • Other organisations and media promoted human rights and civil rights

  8. 2.2 Violation of human rights of S. Azerbaijanis is a way of life to Iranian • 2000-2005: persecution, arbitrary acts by Iranian authorities and collusion among them • 2006: 10s killed, 100s wounded, 1000s detained • Nearly 150 verdicts have been published • Further 80 trials expected in Erdebil imminently • Arbitrary acts and collusions among authority • Racist Verdicts: punitive, fine, exile, jail (as much as 7 years), flogging, loss of employment, threatening, gagging • Extra-judiciary executions, bullet fees

  9. 2.3 Cases put forward by DunAzHAK • Informative letters • Communications • Abbas Leysanli and Ruqeyye Leysanli • Behruz Elizade • Jefer Qarachal • Ekber Azad • Esger Ekberzade • Teenaged Memmedrza Evezpur • Hesen Rashidi • Oxtay (Mehdi) Babai • Rza Abbasi • Saleh Kamrani • Semed Peyvend Serderudi • Reports

  10. Weakness/strength • Weaknesses • Full details for Communications not available, dangerous to the activists to obtain all the data • Iranian disinformation • We receive no response from the OHCHR • Initially submitting complaints meaning communications • Strengths • Amnesty International issued a series of statements • Various states are now supporting S. Azerbaijan • Unexpectedly more authentic data became available through court verdicts • Problems • No communication or press release from the OHCHR on Southern Azerbaijan • The media in democratic countries are yet to be upbeat with the cause of Southern Azerbaijan • Appeasement of Iranian authorities

  11. Plans • Medium-term • Submit a communication for each published sentence • Submit complaints for each of extra-judiciary executions • Establish the DunAzHAK website (www.dunazhak.org) • Long-terms • Take part in your annual meetings • Form a database for all cases

  12. Strategy • To document the infringements of Iranian authorities onto national and human rights of Southern Azerbaijanis • To improve on making a better use of the human right defence facilities of the OHCHR

  13. Issues • The name of Southern Azerbaijan was not mentioned in the November 2005 Report: aaaaaa • The OHCHR mentions the population of Southern Azerbaijan to 4 million. This is the lowest ever quoted value. Why so wrong? • Lodging Complaint in general and raising the issue extra-judiciary murders in May 2006 • What OHCHR has done in response to our Communications • Have their reports covered the case for the Problem of Southern Azerbaijan? • We do not want the reports to refer to us as Azeris or Iranian Azeris. We promote the following: Azerbaijani Turks, Azerbaijani Turkic and Southern Azerbaijan

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