Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, March 18, 2014
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| Abbas Lisani |
"In Hassan Rouhani's government, we see both Hashemi's populism and Khatami's reformist slogans. He pursues a policy of reconciliation with world countries while implementing repression and suppression inside Iran." These remarks were made by the prominent South Azerbaijani activist Abbas Lisani, who was among those arrested on International Mother Language Day. Lisani, whose case has been addressed by several international organizations, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, gave an interview to Voice of America.
In connection with International Mother Language Day, Lisani, who faced charges of illegal assembly and forming an organization aimed at undermining Iran's national security, spoke about the events in the city of Ahar, his arrest, and the trial process. He also evaluated the differences between President Hassan Rouhani's promises and his actual policies, suggesting that Rouhani is essentially carrying out a script to suppress democratic movements in Iran.
"International Mother Language Day is a day recognized by UNESCO, and Iran has acknowledged this occasion. In order to commemorate the day, activists in Ahar organized a gathering, and we were invited to attend," Lisani explained about his participation in the event. According to him, the ceremony included speeches in participants' native languages as well as performances with saz and songs.
Lisani discussed the police raid on the house where the meeting was held and the arrest of him and other participants: "While we were holding the ceremony, we learned that the house had been surrounded by police officers... They acted very roughly and aggressively, raiding the house... About 100 participants were arrested."
While in detention, the Azerbaijani websites published a letter written by Lisani and six other activists, describing their experiences of torture.
In the interview with Voice of America, Lisani confirmed the contents of the letter, sharing his experience of physical and mental torture: "They detained about 100 activists who attended the ceremony. Because the number of prisoners was high, there was no room in the prison. After 24 hours, some were released, but 50-60 people were kept. Later, they called seven of us, including me, and separated us from the others. Their behavior was very harsh; they tied our feet and arms from behind. They blindfolded us and put us in a car, taking us to another place. We later found out it was in Tabriz. There, we were subjected to physical and mental torture."
The national activist, who has been recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, stated that the detainees were charged with "illegal assembly and forming an organization aimed at undermining Iran's national security." The official website of the East Azerbaijan Judiciary also confirmed the charge against the activists arrested in Ahar, stating that they were detained because of their participation in the International Mother Language Day event.
"The assembly they talk about is something that takes place in public spaces, which is not illegal. However, we gathered in a private house. There is nothing illegal about this," Lisani emphasized, stressing that the charges were unjust and against the law.
He also referred to the news published on the East Azerbaijan Judiciary website about the arrests as an acknowledgment: "I read the news on the website. I think it's an admission. They themselves admitted that they arrested people for celebrating International Mother Language Day."
Lisani, who has been imprisoned for many years in the past, stated that Iran's judicial system is not independent and operates based on instructions from the security services: "When the court talks about documents, it is actually referring to reports prepared by the Ettela'at agents. This shows that Iran's judiciary is not independent."
The widespread arrests related to International Mother Language Day have become a topic of discussion on websites and social media, particularly in the context of President Hassan Rouhani's administration, which had promised individual freedoms, the rights of ethnic communities, and the teaching of the Turkish language.
Lisani further added:
"The Islamic Republic of Iran faced a political crisis after the 2009 presidential elections. The government managed to survive that crisis, but it does not want to face another one. Hassan Rouhani was selected to implement the script written to prevent such crises from occurring again. He was brought in to prevent public expectations of a green movement."
Mr. Lisani pointed out that Rouhani's administration is not fundamentally different from previous governments and that it continues the same policies but in a different form: "Hassan Rouhani is actually implementing the policies of former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, and Ahmadinejad by combining and applying them all together," he concluded.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Abbas Lisani: Həsən Ruhaninin siyasəti xaricdə uzlaşma, daxildə repressiyadır