The Association for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners (ADAPP) works on the human rights situation facing Iran’s minorities, and in particular, the Azerbaijani Turkic community. Iranian Azerbaijanis are mainly Shi’a Muslims and are acknowledged as Iran’s largest minority, where they are generally believed to constitute between 25-30 percent of the population. The Azerbaijani Turkic society is mainly in the north and north-west of Iran, although significant communities are found throughout the country. In recent years, they have been calling for greater cultural and linguistic rights, such as the right to education in the Azerbaijani-Turkic language, and the right to celebrate Azerbaijani culture and history. However, these demands are violently suppressed by the Iranian authorities, resulting in execution, torture, persecution and imprisonment of Azerbaijani human rights activists.
The Association for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners (ADAPP) is an organisation registered under the Societies Act in British Columbia, Canada. It seeks to promote and increase awareness in Iran and globally concerning the human rights situation of the community of Azerbaijani Turkic speakers and other minorities in Iran by carrying out targeted initiatives concerning human rights violations against these communities. In order to fulfil its mission, ADAPP seeks to ensure that its initiatives are targeted and practical, aiming with every measure to develop capacity and sustainability in the target community, leading by example. Our networking puts reliable and trustworthy activists in touch with each other. ADAPP interventions are intended to provide the basis for the development of greater awareness and capacity regarding the Azerbaijani community, whether these be in ADAPP’s name or on behalf of organisations like Amnesty International, the relevant IGO mechanism or media outlet.
Our partners in the development of a human rights community in areas of Azerbaijani Turkic settlement in Iran include local activists across the breadth of areas of Azerbaijani settlement in Iran, from Iran’s border with Turkey in the west, to Turkic communities in Khorasan in the east; from the northern border with the Republic of Azerbaijan in the north to the Turkic speaking communities in Khuzestan and the province of Fars, in the south. They also include Azerbaijanis found outside Iran, whether as a result of flight, such as cases of asylum seekers, or migrants.
ADAPP is in daily contact with human rights groups in the major cities of Tabriz, Ardabil, Zanjan, and Urmiyeh. In the smaller cities and towns in the regions outside each of these cities, there are active groups and grassroots activists. Due to lack of access to safe communication and the internet in smaller cities, activists in these towns must be reached in person, by telephone land lines or unreliable mobile/cell phone services, each of which is prone to monitoring by Iran’s security services, or through local contacts or intermediaries who may not be under surveillance by the secret police. ADAPP has nonetheless been able to build a network to allow a safe, secure and reliable flow of information from all these small and major cities. The development of awareness, networking and activism that ADAPP has helped to foster is testimony to the added value that ADAPP brings to the indigenous activism amongst the Azerbaijani community.
//adapp.info/en
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HHH
by Majid on Mon Nov 08, 2010 09:24 PM PSTLMAO!!
Where the heck you got that? LOLOL
BHD BAPAM BZANY MAIN-Organization
by HHH on Mon Nov 08, 2010 09:08 PM PSTI'm a member of BHD BAPAM BZANY MAIN-Organization. The organization's name is short for:
Baba Haal Daari Toham Ba in Azari Prisoner Associationet, Mageh Baghieye Zendaniha Adam Nistan Ya Mageh Azariha Irani Nistan?
Savalan Thank you for raising the issue of Azerbaijani prisoners
by simitenbiri on Mon Nov 08, 2010 08:22 PM PSTIn recent years we have seen number of groups and individuals have been active to raise concerns on Human Rights or rather lack of it in Iran.
Unfortunately the policy of assimilation and ignore regarding the non Fars nationals have effected most of these activists. The education system before and after the revolution have tried to hide the fact that for millions Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens and Baluchis in Iran, Farsi language is as foreign and unfamiliar as their language is to Farsi speakers. Add to this constant emphasis on so called Arian Race and Persian Empire etc. only alienates all those who know their own heritage and cultural background.
Even respectable and well known activists such as Ms Shirin Ebadi, does not show any concern for those prisoners who are in for defending their national identity and rights.
It is encouraging to see new Human Right activists are filling these gaps.
PArviz for you...
by Savalan on Mon Nov 08, 2010 08:30 AM PSTThe need to focus on Azerbaijani rights comes from the fact that mainstream Persian human right groups ignore Azerbaijani rights in purpose. They would rather assimilate Azerbaijanis and ignore suppression of their language etc. it is because speaking Azerbaijani or demanding their language rights is viewed as threat to Iranian integrity. Your comments are better to be addressed to those (Farsi) groups. They should come forward and start speaking about and defending minority rights. Perhaps then, there would not be need to focus on particular minority rights in Iran.
thank you
by maziar 58 on Mon Nov 08, 2010 07:47 AM PSTparviz khan.
well said. DOWN WITH THE ENTIRE I R R. Maziar
All political prisoners are Iranian first!
by PArviz on Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:50 PM PSTAs far as political prisoners' rights are concerned, I am 100% for it. They all should be freed and compensated for their ordeals and sufferings. The people who put them through that ordeal should be prosecuted and punished.
But separating political prisoners based on their religion, ethnic background, tribe or language is a grave mistake. In my opinion this is what the Islamic Regime wants: various fragmented groups and organizations driving their own goals and objectives.
This is the time to find a common ground amongst various groups and organizations and present a united front against the fascist regime of Ayatollahs. Forming small groups based on ethnicity is not going to help anybody at present.
But good luck with your work and I hope you achieve something with this association.
Down with the ENTIRE Islamic Republic!