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Comprehensive Human Rights Report
Issued by: Ahwazi Center for Human Rights
On the Occasion of April 20 \u2013 The Centennial of Iran\u2019s Occupation of Al-Ahwaz
Title: \u201cA Century of Iranian Occupation of Al-Ahwaz: A Record of Crimes and Violations of International Law\u201d
Date: April 20, 2025 \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On April 20, 1925, Iranian military forces invaded the sovereign Arab state of Al-Ahwaz and captured its ruler, Sheikh Khazal Al-Kaabi, with British assistance. This invasion constituted a blatant violation of international law and the principle of national sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since that day, Al-Ahwaz has endured a century of brutal occupation and internal colonization. The successive regimes in Tehran have pursued systematic policies of ethnic cleansing, forced demographic change, cultural erasure, and economic exploitation against the indigenous Arab population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the centennial of this occupation, the Ahwazi Center for Human Rights issues this comprehensive report to document the most serious violations committed by the Iranian regime, supported by official international documentation and credible sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20071.\u2060 \u2060Military Occupation and Violation of the Right to Self-Determination
\u2022 Iran\u2019s occupation of Al-Ahwaz is a direct violation of Article 1 of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which affirm every people\u2019s right to self-determination.
\u2022 Despite Iran\u2019s ratification of these covenants, it continues to deny the Ahwazi Arab people their basic national and political rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 ICCPR, Article 1 \u2013 OHCHR.org
\u2022 UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (1960)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20072.\u2060 \u2060Systematic Executions and Extrajudicial Killings
\u2022 Iran has one of the highest rates of executions globally and systematically uses the death penalty to suppress Ahwazi political and cultural activists.
\u2022 Notably, the Ahwazi poet Hashem Shaabani and teacher Hadi Rashedi were executed in 2014 after sham trials and forced confessions obtained under torture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 Amnesty International (2014) \u2013 Execution of Ahwazi Arabs
\u2022 Human Rights Watch (2012) \u2013 Iran: Halt Execution of Five Arab Men<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20073.\u2060 \u2060The Mahshahr Massacre \u2013 November 2019
\u2022 During the nationwide protests in November 2019, Iranian security forces committed a horrific massacre in the city of Mahshahr, trapping unarmed Arab youths in a marsh and opening fire with heavy machine guns.
\u2022 Over 100 civilians were killed, with many forcibly disappeared or tortured in detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 Reuters Special Report \u2013 Iran\u2019s Bloodiest Day
\u2022 Amnesty International \u2013 Live ammunition used against Mahshahr protesters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20074.\u2060 \u2060Arbitrary Arrests and Cross-Border Abductions
\u2022 Iran routinely practices arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances of Ahwazi activists. Detainees are often held in unknown locations without legal representation.
\u2022 In recent years, Iranian intelligence has abducted several Ahwazi activists from countries like Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and the UAE \u2014 most notably Habib Asyud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID)
\u2022 Amnesty International \u2013 Stop Cross-Border Abductions of Ahwazi Activists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20075.\u2060 \u2060Forced Displacement and Settlement Colonization
\u2022 Iran has implemented a systematic policy of land confiscation and demographic engineering in Al-Ahwaz, evicting indigenous Arabs and resettling Persian populations.
\u2022 The names of Al-Ahwaz\u2019s cities and villages have been forcibly changed from Arabic to Persian \u2014 e.g., Al-Muhammarah to Khorramshahr, Al-Ahwaz to Khuzestan, and Al-Sous to Shush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 Minority Rights Group International \u2013 Ahwazi Arabs
\u2022 UPR Report on Iran (2014) \u2013 Ahwazi Human Rights Organization<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20076.\u2060 \u2060Exiling Political Prisoners to Remote Iranian Cities
\u2022 Ahwazi prisoners are often transferred to distant cities like Mashhad, Tabriz, Arak, Kerman, and Zahedan, separating them from their families and subjecting them to further psychological pressure.
\u2022 This practice violates Rule 59 of the Nelson Mandela Rules, which affirms the right of prisoners to be held near their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20077.\u2060 \u2060Exploiting Al-Ahwaz\u2019s Resources to Fund Regional Terrorism
\u2022 Al-Ahwaz contains over 80% of Iran\u2019s oil and gas resources, yet its people remain impoverished, unemployed, and underserved.
\u2022 Revenue from these resources is used to finance Iranian-backed militias including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various Iraqi sectarian groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 FDD \u2013 Iran\u2019s Proxy War Economy
\u2022 US Congressional Research Service \u2013 Iran\u2019s Foreign and Defense Policies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20078.\u2060 \u2060Deliberate Environmental Destruction
\u2022 The Iranian government has diverted rivers such as the Karun and Karkheh, dried wetlands, and destroyed farmlands, causing environmental disasters, widespread dust storms, and displacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 Human Rights Watch \u2013 Iran\u2019s Water Crisis
\u2022 UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water and Food<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u20079.\u2060 \u2060Suppression of the Arabic Language
\u2022 Arabic, the mother tongue of the Ahwazi Arab population, is banned in schools and universities, and all education is forcibly conducted in Persian.
\u2022 This constitutes a violation of the cultural and linguistic rights of minorities, as protected under international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 UNESCO \u2013 Linguistic Rights of Minorities<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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10.\u2060 \u2060Prohibition of Political and Civil Activity
\u2022 Iran prohibits all forms of peaceful political or civil organization among Ahwazi Arabs. No independent party or civil society organization is permitted to operate.
\u2022 Peaceful protests are met with live fire, arbitrary arrests, and brutal suppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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11.\u2060 \u2060Retaliation Against Families of Ahwazi Activists Abroad
\u2022 The Iranian regime practices collective punishment by targeting the families of Ahwazi activists living abroad. Their relatives inside Al-Ahwaz are subjected to surveillance, arrests, and denial of education, employment, and travel documents.
\u2022 These tactics are used to pressure activists into halting their advocacy for the Ahwazi cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:
\u2022 UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention \u2013 Reports on Iran
\u2022 Amnesty International \u2013 Persecution of Families of Dissidents<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Conclusion and Recommendations
1. The international community must recognize Al-Ahwaz as an occupied territory and hold Iran accountable under international law.
2. The United Nations must establish an independent fact-finding mission to investigate crimes committed by the Iranian regime in Al-Ahwaz.
3. Sanctions should be imposed on Iranian officials involved in crimes against humanity and systematic human rights violations.
4. The right of the Ahwazi Arab people to self-determination must be upheld, in accordance with the UN Charter.
5. Iran must be held accountable for using Al-Ahwaz\u2019s resources to fund terrorism and destabilize the region.
6. The Iranian government must grant access to international media and human rights organizations to monitor the situation in Al-Ahwaz.
7. The right to education in Arabic and the protection of Ahwazi cultural identity must be guaranteed under international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Ahwazi Center for Human Rights
Toronto \u2013 Canada
April 20, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acfh.info | Adpf.org | Alahwaz.com
Telegram Channel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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