Apr 24, 2015

Ahwazi: Iranian Authorities Detain Teen


The Iranian authorities arrested a 17 year old Ahwazi minor, Sajad Boozar, following a football match for allegedly participating in clashes between fans and the security forces in the stadium. He is currently detained in a detention center for minors in Kanon-e-eslah, 75 kilometres away from his home town. His family do not have the resources to pay the one million tomans [10 million Iranian rial] fee for their son’s release.

Below is an article published by the Ahwaz Human Rights Organization:

Sajad Boozar, 17, was arrested following the football match of Foolad Ahwaz (Khuzestan) against Saudi Al-Hilal in 17 March 2015.

He was one of thousands fans who attended the match in Al-ghadir stadium who came to support their national team. Sajad, a native from Al-Houwayzeh (Hoveizeh), city of Ahwaz (Khuzestan), was arrested after clashes between the fans and the Iranian security forces. Sajad including other Arab friends were supporting their national team while wearing Arab dress (Deshdasheh) to show their identity, which caused anger among the Iranian security forces.

Due to his underage, Sajad was not accepted by the local prisons, Karoun and Sepidar, in the city of Ahwaz and was imprisoned in the underage detention centre (Kanon-e-eslah). His family has to travel from their town to Ahwaz city about 75 km every week to visit their son. Sajad presented at the Revolutionary Court on 20th April 2015 and was charged with participating in the clash between the forces and fans in Al-ghadir stadium. His family was asked to put lease worth one million Toman for his release but his family did not have that huge amount of money.

The Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) condemns the arrest of Sajad Boozar, and calls the UNICEF, organisations of child rights protection, and the international community to urgently put pressure on the Iranian authority to immediately realise Sajad. This act is against the international laws of child protection.