The Underrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) General Assembly in The Hague, Netherlands has called for international support for indigenous Ahwazi Arabs of Iran who have been facing increased persecution and subjugation in recent months. In April, the Iranian government responded to unarmed Ahwazi Arabs demonstrating for their linguistic and cultural rights with an armed force that resulted in 160 deaths, over 800 injuries, and thousands of arrests.
The UNPO recommends that the European Union create a commission to conduct an in-depth investigation of the April deaths and that the Iranian government frees the Ahwazi Arabs held captive after the conflict. The UNPO also recommends that the Iranian government eradicate recently signed agreements with foreign oil corporations on Ahwazi lands and that future oil accords in the region must gain free and prior consent from the indigenous inhabitants.
Ahwazi Arabs comprise about 10 percent of Iran’s population and they lack basic public services and extreme unemployment rates. The group has faced an increased rate of property evictions and newly executed laws that coerce assimilation into non-Arab communities since President Mohammad Khatami was elected in May 1997.
