The
Ahwazi issue is set to go to the forefront of British human rights
concerns in Iran after members of the Ahwazi Arab community in the UK
and Canada met with Sir Bob Russell MP at the Houses of Commons in May.e
Liberal
Democrat Sir Bob has supported minority rights issues, including the
Palestinian cause, in the House of Commons since he was elected as MP
for Colchester in 1997, but like many MPs has little experience of the
Ahwazi issue. Among those representing the Ahwazis were Amir Saedi of
the Ahwazi Community Association UK, Ali Ghata Ahwazi of the Ahwazi
Centre for Human Rights and representatives of the Canadian Ahwazi
Friendship Society and Ahwazi Arab Solidarity Network (AASN). The
Iranian regime’s pillaging of oil resources from traditional Arab lands,
its policy of forced displacement, environmental degradation and the
atrocious human rights record in Al-Ahwaz were topics of discussion.e
Sir
Bob agreed that the British government needs to do more to prompt
multilateral bodies, such as the UN Human Rights Council, to take action
over the plight of indigenous Ahwazi Arabs. The main short-term
objective is to ensure that UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Ahmad Shahid,
is allowed unfettered entry to Al-Ahwaz to interview political
prisoners and examine living conditions in Arab districts.e
Sir
Bob pledged to raise the Ahwazi issue in parliamentary questions and
possibly move an Early Day Motion (EDM) in parliament, which could be
signed by MPs. The AASN will be working with Sir Bob to promote the
Ahwazi cause in parliament.e
Meanwhile,
AASN director Daniel Brett met with a representative of the National
Council for Resistance in Iran to examine campaigns of mutual interest,particularly the conditions facing Ahwazi and Kurdish inmates of Camp Al-Waleed and Mujahideen-e Khalq in Camp Liberty in Iraq.e
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