Turkish Forum

Tag: Sakineh Ashtiani

  • Free Sakineh

    Free Sakineh

    free sakineh

    Ms Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

    Once again, the regime of Iran is planning a barbaric act of stoning a person to death. Mother of two children, Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a South Azerbaijani woman, has been in an Iranian prison for over four years now. She is to be stoned to death anytime soon. Not only she was not given an attorney but also she was not given an interpreter in Azerbaijani Turkish, her mother tongue. Hence she was deprived of a fair trial in language which she would understand the charges, nor was she able to defend herself in her mother tongue.
    She is a South Azerbaijani Turk. Her mother tongue is Azerbaijani Turkish. She was unable to understand what she was forcibly made to sign, confessing the charges under torture. She is a victim of Persian racism since she has not been represented, heard, tried, or treated fairly and justly. Under terrible conditions, forced statement under torture, and 99 lashes, now, she is waiting for stoning to death. The barbaric act of stoning to death for the alleged charge of adultery is shameful and is a remnant of ancient laws.

    Ms. Sakineh is a victim of the Persian regime’s notorious tortures and forceful statements. We do not believe in capital punishment, and we strongly condemn Iran’s barbaric treatment of South Azerbaijani Turks under Persian-Shia laws. We beseech all people of conscience and all human rights organizations in the world to condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for this matter. We ask all democratic and free countries in the world to condemn the horrific act of stoning and stop the Iranian regime from killing Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an innocent person.

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – the Spiritual Leader
    Islamic Consultative Assembly
    (Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami)
    Tehran
    Islamic Republic of Iran

    Date:

    Your Excellencys

    Re: Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

    I am concerned about the condition of Ms Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani an Azerbaijani Turkish mother of two who is currently in prison for over four years in Iran. Both Ashtiani’s physical and mental health is in terrible state.

    Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been wrongly accused of adultery. Ms. Ashtiani.is to be stoned to death anytime soon. Not only she was not given an attorney but also she was not given an interpreter in Azerbaijani Turkish, her mother tongue. She was deprived of a fair trial in a language which she would understand the charges, and to defend herself in her own mother tongue.

    I appeal for your help for her immediate release as Ms Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s detention is in violation of her human rights, and her right to a fair trial.

    I demand that she, along with all Azerbaijani human rights activists, journalists and prisoners of conscience be immediately and unconditionally released from prison.

    I call on you to finally put an end to capital punishment by stoning and to reverse the unjust judgment in the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.

    Sincerely,

    This Petition is closed

  • The great mediator

    The great mediator

    Sometimes Turkey really is a bridge between west and east

    Turkish foreign policy

    How can Davutoglu help you
    How can Mr Davutoglu help you?

    IN JUNE 2006, days after a young Israeli private was captured by Hamas, Israel’s ambassador to Turkey paid a midnight visit to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister. Gilad Shalit was feared to be gravely ill, perhaps even dead. Could Turkey help? Phone calls were made and favours called in. Mr Shalit turned out to be alive, and his captors promised the Turks they would treat him respectfully.

    Turkey’s relations with Israel, once an ally, have worsened of late, and hit a fresh low in May, when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza, killing nine Turkish citizens. Yet Turkey continues to lobby Hamas for Mr Shalit’s release.

    Turkey’s falling out with Israel has sparked a flurry of anguished commentary in the West about its supposed eastward drift under the mildly Islamist Justice and Development party, which has governed the country since 2002. Concern over its cosy relations with Iran, despite that country’s refusal to suspend suspect nuclear work, has run particularly high. Yet nobody complained in April 2007 when Turkey brokered the release of 15 British Royal Navy sailors who had been seized by Iran. Similarly, France was delighted in mid-May when a personal intervention by Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, secured the release of Clotilde Reiss, a French teacher being held in Iran on spying charges.

    Turkey is the first stop for thousands of political refugees from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia. These include Mohammed Mostafei, an Iranian lawyer who took up the case of Sakineh Ashtiani, a woman facing death by stoning in Iran for alleged adultery. Mr Mostafei fled to Turkey earlier this month after receiving death threats (he has since gone to Norway). Now Turkey has discreetly taken up his client’s case (although Iran has turned down a Brazilian offer of asylum for Ms Ashtiani). It is also pressing Iran for the release of three American hikers who were arrested, on suspicion of “spying”, near the Iraq border a year ago and who have been rotting in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison ever since.

    Turkey’s mediating skills have even aroused excitement in Africa. Mr Davutoglu recently revealed that Botswana had sought his help in fixing a territorial dispute with Namibia. Flattered though he was, however, Mr Davutoglu confessed that, for once, he was stumped.

    http://www.economist.com/node/16847136?story_id=16847136&fsrc=rss, Aug 19th 2010