from the Turkishprison.
.
Azita & Ahmad-Reza Shafaggat were twoIranian student
activists. In 1999, they were arrested for their oppositionto
the Mullahs regime and were subjected to all kinds of
physical and psychological torture in RAJAYI-SHAHR
PRISON, west of Tehran. Afterescaping Mullahs prison,
Azita and her husband spent 4 years in hiding until May,
2006, when they managed to escape from Iran.
After a difficult and arduous journeyon foot through Iraq
and Turkey and on their way to be reunited with their
familles in Greece, on June 18th, 2006, the Greek border
police spotted Azita, her husband and 10 other would be
Iranian refugees in woods close to the Turkish border.
Before they were returned to Turkey,Azita, her husband
Ahmad-Reza and other Iranians were beaten up by the
Greek arresting officers in the most appalling way.
While in their custody, (48 hours), the Greekofficers
denied food or medical attention. They also refused to
process their application for asylum or investigate their
background as why they had to escape from Iran.
It is understood that the Greek borderGuards routinely
hands over the asylum seekers to the Turkish authorities
and the Turkish Government is not only notorious for
their mistreatment of the asylum seekers but they are
known for regularly sending the refugees back to Iran.
Ever since June 18th, 2006,Azita and Ahmad-Reza and
10 other Iranian political activists are imprisoned under
the most applying conditions in turkish prison pending
deportation to Iran.
I have spoken to Azita in prison andaccording to her
testimonies, The Turkish prison lacks the most basic necessities.There is no hygiene and adequate clothing.
They sleep on floors with no bedding. They are denied
basic food and there is no access to day light and fresh
air and sanitation. The prisoners are subjected to daily
physical punishment and they are beaten up daily which
is routine in that environment.
YABANJI YINI EMARATFACILITY inEDIRNEHwhich is a
Turkish border town close to Bulgaria.
Both Azita and Ahmad-Reza enduredphysical as well as psychological torture while in Mullah's prison.Azita who
is 27,is currently suffering from dislocated knees due to
been tortured, kicked and beaten by the Iranian
revolutionary Guards while in RAJAYI-SHAHRPRISON.
Apart from been anactive members of the student
movements of 1999, both Azita and Ahmad-Reza were
converted to Christianitywhich under the current Islamic
law in Iran, is punishable by death.
Azita and her husband and 10other Iranians are due to
be handed over to the Mullahs regime and we must do
everything in our power to prevent this.
Azita's father who was an officer ofthe 'Iranian Imperial
Guards' was also imprisoned for several years, tortured
and condemned to death by the Mullahs but managed
to escape Iran recently.
Please write toMiss. LouiseArbour of the'UnitedNations
High Commissioner form Human Rights'at:
registry@ohchr.ch, or call her office at: 0041 22 917 9000
to register your concern.
Also contact the'Human rightswatch' in New York at:
00 1212 2161233
The Foundation for Democracy in Iran isa private, non-profit corporation registered in the State ofMaryland. Contact: Kenneth R. Timmerman, Executive Director(exec@iran.org).FDI materials are available free-of-charge via the Internet athttp://www.iran.org/.