Iran must stop the violence against protestors
There have been widespread protests against the disputed election results following the declared victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June elections in Iran. Demonstrations have taken place but are not limited to the capital city of Tehran, as well as the major cities of Shiraz, Esfehan, Tabriz, and Kermanshah. Iranian forces have responded to the protests with violence and have opened fire on crowds, unnecessarily used batons to beat nonviolent demonstrators, and fired teargas to disperse demonstrators.
Hundreds have been reportedly injured, and a number of different sources (both inside and outside Iran) report that anywhere between 19 to 150 people thus far have been killed by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Basij militia and other police and security forces.
Until now, up to 2000 people have reportedly been arrested in relation to the disputed election. As demonstrations continue, arrests and violence against demonstrations also continue. The speech delivered by Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, on 19 June 2009, indicates that the numbers of arrests and incidents of violent crackdowns are expected to rise so long as protesters continue their demonstrations against the disputed elections.
Alliance for Kurdish Rights is concerned about the safety of those arrested. The current action against demonstrators and opposition supporters violates the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
Iranian authorities must immediately end all violence against demonstrators and opposition supporters.
Comments are closed.