Senior Vice-President of the Fisheries Committee

Baroness Catherine Ashton

EU High Representative

European Commission

200 Rue de la Loi

1000 Brussels

Monday, 25 June 2012

Dear Baroness Ashton,

Re: Gross Human Rights abuses by the Iranian regime against Arabs in Al-Ahwaz

It has been brought to my attention that gross human rights violations are being carried out by the Iranian regime against its Arab citizens in the oil-rich South-West region of Iran, Al-Ahwaz (Khuzestan).

The Arab peoples living in this region (8-10 million)were forcibly incorporated into Iran in 1925 and are nowbeing subjected to ethnic, religious, economic and cultural oppression by the government in Tehran. I have been informed that all opposition groups within and outside of Al-Ahwaz, and very often Iranian human rights organisations, turn a blind eye to these serious human rights violations against Arabs.

These abuses, which include unfair trials, torture, forced confessions and executions; as well as restrictions on Arabic language, culture and political parties, have been documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UN human rights officials and the UK Foreign Office.

This oppression also includes ethnic cleansing and trans-migration programmes to reduce the proportion of Arabs in the South-West of Iran; and under-spending on jobs, housing, education and health-care which has impoverished the Arab peoples despite the region’s vast oil wealth. I therefore urgently request that you address this issue in your capacity as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Yours sincerely,

Struan Stevenson, MEP