IMHRO: Land confiscation in Ahwaz continues

Iranian Minorities’ Human Right Organisation (IMHRO)

Ref.IMHRO.08

2008-03-05

Land confiscation in Ahwaz continues by making new town of in north of Ahwaz called Gotwand[1]. This is new town after Ramin[2] , Shirin shahr[3] and Hore Ryahi towns built in recent years.

Ramin town built on confiscated land from Sanicheh and Jalieh villages, both belongs to indigenous Ahwazi Arab.

Arab indigenous of Ahwaz is facing more land loosing every year. Last settlement during last shah of Iran set up in 1975, called yazde no (new Yazd). Since 1989 and just after finishing 8 year war between Iran and Iraq during presidential of Rafsanjani land confiscation started. Reza Washahi, researcher on minorities in Iran, told IMHRO.

“Rafsanjani ordered of building huge sugar can farms in area. As result of purification of salt of that land, water of cities like Abadan became unhealthy and salty. Riot in Abadan broke out. Many still missing.”

We hear a shot. Next day we found out our next door farmer, killed. Two month later they took his land. The killer never had found. They said he signed the papers. Majid from village in west of Ahwaz told IMHRO.

During Khatemi and Ahmadinejad period land confiscation increased. In 2005 letter came out revealing government intention of changing demography of area by building more towns. As government violated peaceful protest in Ahwaz, riot break out.

Government using those lands for sugar cane farms, new towns, industrial states and military aims. The land we talking here is not just ordinary land, one of the main world energy reserves is under it. In most cases government did not paid any compensation to indigenous Arab Ahwazi land owners.

New towns built for non indigenous which are mostly Persian, have better facilities such as electricity, gas, and healthy water than old cities of Arab indigenous and this is in the time which According to Iranian news agency iscanews, at least 400 thousand leaving in shanty town in suburb of Ahwaz city.[4]

Yet Iranian government making it easier for new comers in Ahwaz area to settle down by giving them law interest mortgage for buying house and lands. In recent years government set upped many building societies for this aim.

Building every new town means new wave of settlers to Ahwaz area, more jobs for non indigenous Arabs, more poverty and pollution for indigenous Ahwazi Arabs. Added Reza Washahi.

Landcanfiscation is criminal act which exercise on indigenous Arab Ahwazi land. IMHRO strongly condemning building new town and settlement in Ahwaz area.

Kidnapping farmers and forcing them to sign a paper is very common in confiscating land in Ahwaz.

Background
Oil and gas rich area of Ahwaz is home land of at least 5 million Arabs. In recent year’s suppression of Iranian government increased. Since uprising of Ahwazi people in 2005 many had arrested and at least 20 people are known to have executed since then. Various human right organisations estimated that number of killed are much higher.

Land confiscation by government is the other source of tension. Government forced many Arab farmers to leave their land without and compensations. Those land then used for new towns and industrial area employed by non indigenous Arabs.

Although About %85 of Iranian revenue comes from this area, Iranian government and parliament refused to spent %1 of it in area.
Unemployment is high and above national average.

Heavily oil and petrochemical industry in area causing Pollution in area. Last year reported mercury found in dead birds in Ahwaz.

Action
Write an appeal to the following and ask them to call on Iranian government to halt confiscation of lands of Ahwazi Arabs and return their lands. Write to Iranian government and show your concern for this matter.

Please send your appeal to:

Secretary-General United Nations
Hon. Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017

Supreme leader of Iran
Sayyed Ali Khamenei
E-mail via web site
http://www.leader.ir/


Iranian president
Mahmud Ahmadinejad
E-mail via web site
http://www.president.ir/en/

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri,
Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Ms Louise Arbour
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Chairwoman of European parliament Human Rights committee
Ms Hélène FLAUTRE
Bureau d'Hélène Flautre au Parlement européen8G130, rue Wierz
B-1049, Bruxelles, Belgique





[1] http://www.gotvandcity.com/main/article.php?ArticleId=4

[2] http://www.farsnews.com/printable.php?nn=8610180329

[3] http://www.aftab.ir/news/2007/may/03/c4c1178192580_social_urban_city.php

[4] http://iscanews.ir/fa/PrintableNewsItem.aspx?NewsItemID=184890