Mar 21, 2006

Ahwazi: Teacher Faces Imminent Execution


Ahwazi Teacher Risan Hassan Sawari, 30, is facing imminent execution. He is completely innocent of the charges levelled at him by the Iranian regime as he has been held in custody since September 2005 on unspecified charges
Teacher Risan Hassan Sawari, 30, is facing imminent execution, according to his relatives.

He was one of several men "confessing" on the state-owned Khuzestan TV to carrying out bomb attacks in October 2005. He is completely innocent of the charges levelled at him by the Iranian regime as he has been held in custody since September 2005 on unspecified charges.

Risan is among several men shown on Khuzestan TV in early March confessing to the attacks. Two have already been publically executed in Ahwaz City (click here for report).

Amnesty International has released an urgent action on behalf of Risan and eight other men, including Dr Awdeh Afrawi, a respected psychologist at Ahwaz's Shahid Chamran hospital (click here for report). Dr Afrawi's son was one of the two executed on 2 March. His daughter has since been murdered by security officials.

Risan's family fear that he will be executed in prison. Most executions in Ahwaz have been carried out in prison, without relatives being informed. Rioting followed the public executions carried out earlier this month and further hangings are likely to inflame the situation in Ahwaz.

Source: British Ahwazi Friendship Society