Iran: Within a week, 22 teachers arrested in Baluchestan province

NCRI – Seven teachers in Saravan of Baluchestan province, southeast Iran, were arrested during raids on their residence by agents of the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) on Thursday. The MOIS agents also arrested 15 other teachers mid-last week in Saravan and Zahedan, provincial capital of Sistan and Baluchestan. They were taken to an unknown location according to reports from Iran.

Names and details of some of them are as follows; Mohammad Saleh Eslam Zehi together with his 17-year-old son Mehdi; Alim Jangi Zehi, teacher at Baqerkhan school of Saravan; Behrouz Bahourzehi, teacher at 12 Ordibehesht school of Saravan; Alireza Chakeri, deputy head of Baqerkhan school; Hamidreza Chakeri, teacher at Saravan schools; and Abdulrahman Ravanbakhsh, computer engineer and employee of Saravan Department of Education.

On July 14, the regime hanged 13 political prisoners in Zahedan charged with “Waging war against God” and “Spreading corruption on earth.”

The regime is trying to impose a reign of fear and terror by executions and arrests in order to prevent spread of popular protests by deprived people of Sistan and Baluchestan province who despise the regime for its suppressive and discriminatory policies and poverty.

Ms. Soheila Sadeq, Chair of the NCRI’s Education Committee, calls on all defenders of human rights, teachers’ unions and academics to condemn the arbitrary arrests and take measures to prevent suppression of the detainees and pressures against them.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 15, 2009