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| Mehsa Mehdili |
Political activist Mahsa Mehdili discussed with Voice of America the increasing repression against Turkish activists in Southern Azerbaijan and Tehran in recent times. Mehdili emphasized that the support given to political prisoners by the forces associated with the national movement has been insufficient both from a humanitarian perspective and in terms of its effectiveness for common political goals.
According to her, most of the detainees are interrogated for long periods in the Intelligence Ministry’s (Ettelaat) detention centers.
“They torture their families. They don’t provide any information. They keep them in solitary confinement for a long time. Our prisoners are forced to start hunger strikes for their legal rights. However, this often yields no results,” says Mehdili.
Mahsa Mehdili points out that, while the Islamic Republic faces external challenges, it has increased internal repression:
“Recently, instead of softening or being open to the cultural movements inside the country, the regime has escalated the pressure inside, while also dealing with external foreign policy issues. The pressure in Southern Azerbaijan, in particular, has reached its highest level.”
The political activist emphasizes that the courts in Iran have become a branch of the security forces, and this has made the situation especially difficult for political prisoners. She believes that, in such an environment, the importance of human rights activities becomes even more significant.
“The court operates as an arm of the government and the Intelligence Ministry. Instead of protecting justice, it has turned into an organ that applies injustice… Lawyers are also under pressure. Prisoners are truly defenseless. Being a political prisoner in Iran today is a very difficult situation. They have zero defense tools at their disposal. Starting a hunger strike is actually their last resort. This is where the role of human rights organizations, especially those abroad, becomes crucial. If they work correctly, the value of their work and the gravity of their responsibilities will become apparent,” says the political activist.
Mahsa Mehdili evaluates the human rights activities of Turkish activists and organizations affiliated with the national movement both from a humanitarian and political perspective:
“From a humanitarian point of view, each of us, whether individually or as a public activist, has a responsibility to be the voice of those subjected to injustice. This is the humanitarian aspect of the matter. If we look at it from a political perspective, all of our political prisoners, together with their families and circles, are paying a huge price. Since we are moving in the same direction with them, we must be useful to this cause by fulfilling their rightful voice.”
According to her, the forces affiliated with the national movement neither defend the national activists who are subjected to arrest and torture adequately nor do they act according to their responsibilities:
“Do we fulfill this responsibility in an adequate way? This is debatable. Personally, I think activists in Southern Azerbaijan pay a heavy price with their lives, property, families, and futures. But unfortunately, we cannot make their voices heard, nor can we at least use them in the direction of common national interests. We are insufficient. We cannot bring these issues to the agenda sufficiently. Or rather, we do not bring them forward.”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məhsa Mehdili: Siyasi məhbuslarımızı müdafiədə yetərsiz qalmışıq