The inhumane Iranian regime has started to arrest entire family members of S. Azerbaijani Turkish cultural and national activists.

Below is an press release published by Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement:

To international human-rights organizations:
 
Ayat Mehralibagloo, known and a leading national and cultural activist in S. Azerbaijan was arrested by the Iranian intelligence and security forces (Ettelaat) on May 10, 2010, in the wake of the fourth anniversary of the S. Azerbaijan national uprising day (May 22, 2006). He was reported to be under heavy torture in the prisons of the Iranian regime. Days later, on May 26, 2006, Hamideh Farajzadeh, Mr. Ayat’s sister in law was also arrested by the brutal Ettelaat forces. Hamideh Farajzadeh was an active S. Azerbaijani human rights activist and worked closely in the cultural field. Unsatisfied, the inhumane Iranian regime also arrested Ayat Mehralibagloo’s wife, Mrs. Zahra Farajzadeh on June 10, 2010, leaving the families’ two year old son, Tatar Mehralibagloo alone in the house.
 
The level of inhumanity that the Iranian regime has recently reached is clear. Southern Azerbaijani Turks, since the beginning of the national awakening movement (SANAM) in 1995 have not used violence to make their voice heard; they have rather chosen peaceful and non-violence methods to grab international attention, especially from known and regarded IGO’s such as the United Nations (UN) and NGO’s such as the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). But it is clear that the Iranian regime does not recognize international law, democracy and respect for human rights. Unfortunately, 23 million (8 million live outside S. Azerbaijan) Southern Azerbaijani Turks living in Southern Azerbaijan are subjected to ridicule, underrepresentation, denial of national, cultural, and most importantly the basic human rights that are listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 
Today, Southern Azerbaijani Turks are being arrested, jailed, tortured and even hanged by the undemocratic Iranian regime. Their only crime is fighting peacefully for their human rights. 35 million Southern Azerbaijani Turks have the right to self-determination. Soon or later, undemocratic and fascist regimes will fall, but the most important help to the S. Azerbaijani Turks fighting peacefully for their rights is to help their voice reach important decision making international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). Iranian regime’s brutal policies against non-Persian ethnics in Iran must not be forgotten. Southern Azerbaijani Turks have been assimilated for tens of years by chauvinist Persian Iranian regime. It is the responsibility of international decision making bodies to insure that no nation in the world is subjected to negative assimilation, ridicule and denial of their rights. Southern Azerbaijani Turks only desire freedom from inhumanity, the right to self-determination and basic human rights agreed upon by all nations.
 
It has been fifteen years since the Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement (SANAM) has been established in Southern Azerbaijan. Many hardships have been overcome; too much pain and sorrow felt by Southern Azerbaijani Turks, and awakening of a new generation of democracy-loving and peaceful human rights fighters have been born. With all respect to the human rights efforts of the United Nations (UN) and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), SANAM is asking such known and regarded international organizations to take a closer look at the situation that 35 million S. Azerbaijani Turks are living in. The international community also needs to recognize the brutality of the chauvinist Persian Iranian regime against Southern Azerbaijani Turks and other non-Persian Iranian ethnics. SANAM is repeating the fact that now is the time that 35 million S. Azerbaijani Turks need help.
 
SANAM presents the photo of the jailed family members below:
 
Best regards,
 
Arslan Chehrgani,
 
Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement (SANAM) representative at the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).