Four Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Azerbaijani Culture

The Revolutionary Court in Baharestan, a city in Tehran province, has sentenced four ethnic Azerbaijani civil activists to a total of 45 years in prison and additional time in exile. According to a Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) report on February 22 [Persian link], the principle charge against the four activists was forming an “illegal group to act against national security,” although court documents show that none of the accused had ever engaged in violent activities. In fact, all four men have all been active in the cultural arena and had promoted the Azerbaijani language.

The activists were originally arrested in 2014 after participating in International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in Tehran. The UNESCO event encourages education in mother tongues for ethnic groups. “To foster sustainable development,” reads the UNESCO website page dedicated to the event, “learners must have access to education in their mother tongue and in other languages. It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, thus playing an important role in promoting sustainable futures.”

The names of the convicted activists and their sentences are as follows:

- Poet and journalist Akbar Azad, who delivered a speech about IMLD: 10 years in prison and two years in exile.

- Alireza Farshi: 15 years in prison and two years in exile.

- Behnam Sheikhi: 10 years in prison and two years in exile.

- Hamid Manafi: 10 years in prison and two years in exile.

The written verdict leaves little doubt that the activists were sentenced for their beliefs and their peaceful cultural activities, and not because any illegal action.

Authorities informed the four of their sentences on February 21, International Mother Language Day.