 |
| Mahmud Ojaghli, a Turkish Language Activist from Iranian Azerbaijan |
"When we were arrested last year, we were accused of participating in an unauthorized event. This year, we asked for permission, but they did not grant it." These were the words of language activist Mahmud Ojaghli, who was arrested in 2014 for participating in the World Mother Language Day event, speaking in an interview with Voice of America, describing the events of this year's Mother Language Day.
According to the Turkish language rights defender living in Tehran, the activists initially received a promising response:
"The Tehran Province Security Council (Tamin) asked the activists who applied to specify the location of the event and the list of speakers. We fulfilled their requests, but they delayed the process, saying 'not today, but tomorrow,' and on February 21, they informed us that they would not grant permission. We were then sadly informed that Mr. Alireza Farshi was arrested at his own home."
Ojaghli explains that Alireza Farshi played a central role in organizing the petition campaign for the event permission.
.jpg) |
| Alireza Farshi and Aydin Zakiri were arrested on World Mother Language Day. |
One year ago, Mahmud Ojaghli and other activists were detained, and Ojaghli himself was imprisoned for nearly three months in Tehran's Evin Prison for participating in the World Mother Language Day events. He provides Voice of America with detailed information about the arrest, detention, and trial process:
"Activists who attended the event, which was supposed to be a celebration, were unlawfully arrested. Authorities unlawfully entered homes without a court order, filmed the people inside, scared children and women, disrupted the ceremony, and took some of the activists with them."
According to the Southern blogger, the authorities reviewed the footage they took and then detained him and several other activists a few days later.
Mahmud Ojaghli states that during his detention, he was kept in a solitary confinement cell without legal representation and subjected to various pressures before being temporarily released on heavy bail.
Although a year has passed, Ojaghli and the other activists released on bail have yet to face trial. "We were released on high bail, and we have been in a state of uncertainty for more than a year," he expresses his concerns about the situation.
"I had hoped that they would allow us to hold the event on Mother Language Day," says the Southern activist, referring to the promises made by President Hassan Rouhani during his election campaigns:
"We have not lost hope. We are always searching for a light. When Hassan Rouhani came to power, he came with a slogan of hope... When we were arrested last year, authorities asked us why we didn't ask for permission... Because of that, we thought that if we applied, they would accept."
Despite the events, he remains hopeful and says that he and the other activists will continue their work within the legal framework: "We are still hopeful. No matter what happens, we will continue our struggle and work within the framework of the law."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Güneyli dil haqları fəalı: Qanun çərçivəsində mübarizəyə davam edəcəyik