Statement by the Ahwaz Centre for Human Rights – UK
Based on verified information received, the Ahwaz Centre for Human Rights – UK has learned that five Arab political prisoners from Ahwaz, namely Mukhtar Al-Boushouka, Mostafa Helichi, Reza Hezbawi, Abbas Saedi, and Amer Mechasbeh, currently held in Ward 5 of Sheyban Prison in Ahwaz, delivered their final defenses via video conference on 21 September 2025 (31 Shahrivar 1404 in the Iranian calendar). They faced charges of membership in political movements opposed to the central government. Following the session, the case was referred to the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court, which operates under the control of security institutions, for the final verdict.
According to the reports received, Mostafa Helichi, son of Jamal, and Reza Hezbawi, son of Ramazan — both well-known Arab poets and civil society activists — were arrested in Azar 1403 (December 2024) by security agencies affiliated with the central authorities, which exercise full control over Ahwaz. The two were initially held in an undisclosed security detention facility before being transferred, after approximately one month, to Sheyban Prison, which is directly administered by the central government.
The Ahwaz Centre for Human Rights – UK had previously reported that all five prisoners were subjected to severe physical and sexual torture during their detention and are being held in inhumane conditions. Due to the deterioration of their health, they have been transferred multiple times in recent months to the prison infirmary.
Independent sources have also confirmed that Mukhtar Al-Boushouka, Abbas Saedi, and Amer Mechasbeh were transferred from Sheyban Prison to a security detention center one week after the arrest of Helichi and Hezbawi, where they too were subjected to extreme torture and ill-treatment.
It is noteworthy that Mukhtar Al-Boushouka has been imprisoned since 2011 without a single day of furlough, first in Karoon Prison and later in Sheyban Prison. He has recently been diagnosed with a hernia, and according to reports, the recent intensification of torture has led to infection and further deterioration of his physical condition.
The Ahwaz Centre for Human Rights – UK expresses its serious concern over the health, safety, and legal status of these political prisoners and urges international bodies, particularly the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Ahwaz, to exert effective pressure on the central authorities to end the systematic and widespread human rights violations against Arab activists in the region. The Centre also calls for independent, transparent, and accountable investigations into the reported cases of torture, detention conditions, access to healthcare, and the overall fairness of judicial proceedings.
21 September 2025 / 1 Mehr 1404
Ahwaz Centre for Human Rights – UK
https://acfh.info
