Detention 2 citizens living in West Azerbaijan by security forces

Human Rights In Iran – On Thursday, May 21st 2020, after summoning Shahab Aji, a citizen living in the village of Gargul-e Sofla around Naqadeh Province, he was arrested by the Urmia Intelligence Department. Also Yousef Ibrahimzadeh, a resident of Kani Rash in Oshnavieh county who was serving his military service in Tabriz, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown location.

According to Human Rights in Iran, On Wednesday, May 20th (2020), Shahab Aji, born in 1997, son of Hassan and a resident of Gargul-e Sofla around Naqadeh, was arrested after being summoned to the Urmia Intelligence Department. Also Yousef “Farzad” Ibrahimzadeh, son of Mohammad Khaled, living in Kani Rash village in Oshnavieh county who was serving his military service is Tabriz, was arrested by security forces and transferred to an unknown place.

As stated, up to the release of this report there has been no information about the reasons for Shahab Aji’s arrest, but he has been summoned and interrogated several times by the security agents.

Yousef “Farzad” Ibrahimzadeh was also detained by security agents as he was spending his military service in Tabriz, and at the time of arrest the officers confiscated his personal belongings including his cell phone.

It should be noted that 2 other citizens named “Alan Bengin”, 21 years old, a citizen of Kani Rash village and “Yahya Ibrahimi” another citizen from Oshnavieh county were arrested by security forces in this county.

On May 9th 2020, Human Rights in Iran released a report informing about the transfer of Yahya Ibrahimi and Alan Bengin to one of Tabriz security detention centers in order to complete the interrogation process and explaining their charges.

Despite the follow-ups and referring of the family members and the relatives of Yousef “Farzad” Ibrahimzadeh to security organs, no information is obtained about his whereabouts.

The suppression of citizens and the imposition of restrictions on their civil rights are among the most flagrant human rights violations of freedom of expression illustrated in Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Article 19.

Also the individuals have the right to access a fair trial by an impartial tribunal, as enshrined in international human rights instruments, as well as article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and article 14 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR).

In most cases, the extrajudicial and arbitrary detention of citizens and civil activists with vage and trumped-up accusations is in the line of suppression of Freedom of Expression and opinion, which in International Instrument of Human Rights, in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted on December 16th 1966, there is emphasis on not suppressing of the individuals because of Freedom of Expression and opinion. Regarding the Principle of Freedom of Expression, every individual has the right to express his/her opinions and viewpoints in any way possible, without considering border restrictions.

Article 5 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that the accused shall be informed of the charges and provide access to a lawyer as soon as possible. Other defensive rights are mentioned in law, but extrajudicial actions taken by the security services violate the laws that they themselves drafted and claim to be enforced.