Below is an appeal published on behalf of the Balochistan Peoples Party:

Appeal for international help to stop executions in Baluchistan (10-01-2008)

For the attention of:

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, United Nations Commission for Human Rights, UNPO and the European Parliament, Journalists, Think Tanks and international community.

[…]

The Iranian authorities amputated the hands and legs of five individuals as punishment for alleged crimes in the volatile province of Sistan-va-Baluchistan, state media reported.  All five men had their right hand and left foot […] severed, the state-owned news agency ISNA said on Sunday [6 January 2008].  The amputations were carried out in the provincial capital Zahedan, south-east Iran, the report said.  The five men were identified as A. Rigi, A.B. Rigi, A.R. Roudini, D. Pahlevan, and M.A. Jalali.  They had been charged with being “mohareb” (or “waging war on God”) and “corruption on earth” for allegedly robbing people and taking hostages.  Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug smuggling."

In contravention to all human rights conventions and charters, the Iranian authorities continue to hang, execute and dismember the human rights activists, political workers, dissidents, and innocent young Baluch of Iran. Only during the Christmas period [2007], 30 Baluch men were hanged or shot dead by security forces. After many years of shooting to kill policy in Baluchistan, the Islamic government decided recently to violate all the United Nations conventions and human rights charter by amputating the hands and foot of those Baluch people who have been arrested and then charged with bogus charges.

The Iranian regime is pursuing two devastating policies of starving people of Balochistan from one hand and executing those who protest against oppression and repression on the other hand. The Baluch people are the target of the most inhuman discriminatory policies of the government.  Mohammad Reza Sarawani, deputy of Social Affairs of Baluchistan province announced that 76 percent of the Baluch people live under the poverty line, The official news agency of Shana reported on 31 December 07. The official average figure for people who are living under poverty line in Iran is 11 percent.

The United Nations declaration of human rights charter clearly recognises in the Article 2.

"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty",

The United Nations declaration of human rights compels the members:

"Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."

The Iranian regime has violated all the 30 articles of the Declaration of Human Rights Charter in Baluchistan and continues to do so until urgent actions are taken by the international community, human rights organisations, governments, political activists and all freedom lovers of the world.

We the political parties and leaders of Baluchistan are seeking your support for stopping these atrocities in Baluchistan before it turns into a huge human catastrophe.


Baluchistan Peoples Front

Balochistan Peoples Party

Baluchistan United Front, Federal Republicans

Baluchistan National movement-Iran

Balochistan Mobarizeen Movement