Thousands of Ahwazi masses participate in Yonis' funeral

On Monday 23 March 2015, thousands of Ahwazis has gathered in Mohammareh city to mourn Yonis Asakereh (Ahwazi young fruit seller) who died on Sunday 22-03-2015 after immolating himself in protest against the cruel acts of Iranian authorities who confiscated his small kiosk cutting off the only source of income of his family.

According reliable source from Ahwaz that quoted to Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), the intensity of the audience and the simmering anger in the hearts of the masses changed ceremony to an angry demonstration in the heroic city of Mohammareh.

The Ahwazi mourners came from various Ahwazi cities and rural areas to participate in the funeral. The Ahwazi mourners honoured Yonis’ self-sacrifice and expressed their sincere sympathy to the grieved Family of Yonis, who departed his wife and two children sacrificing himself for the oppressed voice of Ahwazis.

 

Yonis were transferred to Motahari hospital in Tehran after doctors in Ahwaz hospital were unable to treatment him due to sepsis caused by the body burns that reach to 90%.

On the other hand Iranian officials threatened Yonis’ family to not make any ceremony and bury the body quickly in Jorof graveyard. This threat came after the Iranian intelligence service called the martyr’s father and brother in addition to Al-Asakrah clan’s Sheikh where the martyr’s belonged.

In recent years, Ahwaz has witnessed a wave of self-immolation incidents as poverty and deteriorating living conditions has reached to the unbearable point where Mahdi Mojadam son of Hadi, aged 32 has set fire to himself on Tuesday 16-04-2013, where he died days after the incident due to his burns infections.

The main causes of self-immolation of Yonis Asakereh, who died on Sunday, is an improper medical supervision and the on-going repressive policies of Iranian authorities carried out against Ahwazi Arab people.  The oppressive practices are including political repression, systematic economic marginalization, environmental destruction, cultural assimilation and denial of Arabic identity of Ahwazis.

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) condemns the Iranian authorities continued systematic economic marginalization and impoverishment, environmental destruction, denial of Arabic identity of Ahwazis and improper medical supervision against Ahwazi patient and calls upon all human rights organisations and defenders especially UN special rapporteur Mr. Ahmad Shaheed to put pressure on Iran to stop its criminal acts against defend less Ahwazis.

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights

24-03-2015