ياشاسين آذربايجان - Long live Azerbaijan

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We would like to mention that in compiling this Communication we have not consulted the victim, his family or any of his representatives. This is our initiative alone. We would urge you for an immediate representation against the appropriate Iranian authority in defence of human rights of this arduous human rights defender. Thank you in advance for your care.

No: 471/2007
Date: 09.12.07

The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva,

Please circulate this Communication to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, also this is of interest to:

• Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
• The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
• Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
• The Independent Expert on Minority Issues

CC Mr. Dyke and Mrs. Harrison, Amnesty International, London

UNESCO and various news media

Ilqar Merendli

A Southern Azerbaijani prisoner of conscience

Dear sir/madam

COMMUNICATION NO 1, MR. ILQAR MERENDLI, A SOUTHERN AZERBAIJANI HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDER

Please find enclosed a new Communication on Mr. Ilqar Merendli (formally, his full name is Yaqub Saliki-niya and if transcribed by the Farsi pronunciation, the full name could be transcribed as Yagoob Saleki niya) for safeguarding human rights of this distinguished human rights defender of Southern Azerbaijan, who is being persecuted arbitrarily by Iranian authorities. The documents provided for your attention are*:

Table 1: The Communication form for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, using the information by ASMEK (the Defence of Southern Azerbaijani Prisoners of Conscience);

Table 2: An overview of the prolific journalistic activities of Mr. Merendli; and

Table3: The translation of an article on ASMEK, which the victim is a co-founder.

The information submitted for your attention has a focus on the desperate Iranian authorities aiming to obtain confession under torture. We therefore believe that without an international campaign of support, the victim is at a very grave risk of torture.

We would like to mention that in compiling this Communication we have not consulted the victim, his family or any of his representatives. This is our initiative alone.

We would urge you for an immediate representation against the appropriate Iranian authority in defence of human rights of this arduous human rights defender. Thank you in advance for your care.

Yours faithfully,
Boyuk Resuloglu
Chairperson of the Committee for the Defence of the Rights of World Azerbaijanis

* [1] More information