A group of Iranian Azerbaijanis and their supporters gathered in front of the Interests Section of Iran in Washington DC on Wednesday, February 26, to protest the latest wave of political arrests across South Azerbaijan, TURAN's correspondent reports.
The protesters demanded equal rights and practice of mother tongue for themselves. Over 100 Azerbaijanis have been arrested in Iran only during last weekend, while marking on International Mother Language Day, according to the protesters. Many of them are still held at the detention centers without official charges.
In Washington DC, the protesters chanted slogans "South Azerbaijan is not Iran" "Stop ignoring 35 million Azerbaijanis," "Release the political prisoners", etc.
"We want to speak in our mother tongue, educate our kids and communicate with them without need of using Persian," Vida Doshabchi, a protester told TURAN.
Another activist Alparslan Chehreghani, added: "The Azerbaijanis account for almost half of the population [of Iran] but we don't have any basic rights that even any [other] minorities have"
A statement was delivered to the representative of the Interests Section of Iran demanding the immediate release of activists; lift all the restrictions against South Azerbaijanis.
A.Raufoglu
Washington, DC
Politics
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