Iranian Azerbaijani Asghar Akbarzadeh, a chemistry student, is believed to be held incommunicado at an undisclosed location, where he is at risk of torture. He was reportedly detained on 31 October by plain clothes individuals believed to be officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. Since this...

Abbas Lisani, a prominent activist for the rights of Iranian Azerbaijanis, was released on bail on 26 September 2006. He was redetained on 31 October 2006 by security forces, apparently without a warrant, in violation of Iranian law. His detention is apparently related to one of the several prison...

Mostafa Evezpoor and his 14-year-old brother Mohammad Reza Evezpoor, both members of the Iranian Azerbaijani minority, were reportedly arrested two days before the start of the new academic year in Iran on 1 Mehr (23 September). Iranian Azerbaijani activists had called for a boycott of the first...

Prisoner of conscience Abbas Lisani is detained in Ardebil Prison in the north-west of Iran. He has received a one-year prison sentence for “spreading anti-government propaganda”, and faces other trials apparently related to his peaceful political and cultural activities on behalf of...

Mehdi Babaei Ajabshir (known as Oxtay), aged 31, a prominent Azerbaijani activist, was arrested on 11 July. He is detained incommunicado at an undisclosed location, believed to be either Tabriz prison or a Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Tabriz, northwestern Iran, where he is at risk...

1) South Korea exploits its migrant workers 2) Activists under attack in the Philippines 3) Prisoners of conscience released in Equatorial Guinea 4) Algerian intelligence agency routinely uses tortures to obtain ‘information’ 5) Journalists attacked in Azerbaijan 6) Worldwide appeals:...

Zamel Bawi had his death sentence confirmed on 10 June 2006. New reports suggest that Imad Bawi has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, Mohsen Bawi to 30 years’ imprisonment and that the case of Moslem Bawi has been referred to a juvenile court. Hani Bawi was reportedly sentenced...

Human rights activist Azer Ramizoglu Samedov, an Azerbaijani citizen, was arrested in Georgia on 31 March at the request of the Azerbaijani authorities, who have asked for him to be extradited. He has been free on bail since 14 April, but could be detained and forcibly returned at any time. In...

14 men (Azad Rasouli, Abu Bakr Bapiri, Khezer Sa’idnezhad, Mohammad Saleh Kukhashireh, Khaled Shirzad, Abu Bakr Tikan Tapeh, Avat Qorayshi, Mohammad Amin Salimian, Sa’adollah Soltanian, Khezer Mouloudi, Rezgar Salimian, Dara Qorayshi, Ribvar Salimian, Kamel Salimian) and up to 80 other...

Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi was reportedly arrested on 5 August. He is believed to be held in a prison in Tabriz, the capital of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan and may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he may have gone on hunger strike and it is not...

Karim Tuzhali was reportedly executed on 24 January 2002 at Mahabad prison, western Iran. He had been in detention for three years, allegedly in Orumieh prison, West Azerbaijan province. He had reportedly been tortured while in detention and there was apparently a delay in releasing his body to his...

1.) China dramatically increases executions; 2.) Russian President supports moratorium; 3.) Shariah courts in Nigeria pass death sentences by stoning; 4.) Death sentence for blasphemy in Pakistan; 5.) China accused of organ harvesting; 6.) Public hangings in Iran; 7.) News in brief : Afghanistan;...