Dear Sir,

Life of the chairman of Committee for Protection of World Azerbaijani Rights (C.P.W.A.R.) Mr. Boyuk Rasuloglu is in danger. We call upon you to condemn the threat of assassination/abduction by Islamic Republic of Iran's secret agents and take necessary actions to save his life.

Mr. Boyuk Rasuloglu a Baku resident of Southern Azerbaijani (North-western Iran) origin is a well-known advocate of Southern Azerbaijanis rights. As your honourable office is aware, over 30 million Southern Azerbaijani Turks are deprived of very basic rights such as education in their mother tongue, promotion of their culture, using Turkic name for their children and so on. Mr Boyuk Rasuloglu has been lobbying to expose illegality of Iranian government's policy of assimilation, which is in sharp contrast with democracy and UN human rights conventions. Mr Boyuk Resuloglu is a respected leader, a unifying factor among spectrum of Southern Azerbaijanis in exile and an influential figure among Republic of Azerbaijan's opposition. His contribution to recent upsurge in peaceful national movement in Southern Azerbaijan has angered Iranian authorities and forced them to resort to threat of assassination/abduction. Iranian secret agents are constantly threatening him to death or abduction if he does not stop his activities immediately. His unarmed supporters are guarding him day and night but they surely can not confront the fully trained and armed terrorists.

So far Iranian regime's Terror Committee has ordered assassination of over two hundred political activists (Mostly leaders of Political Parties) outside Iran since grabbing power in 1979. Most of these assassinations have been taken place in neighbouring countries. We would like to draw your attention to the testimony of first president of Islamic Republic of Iran, Abulhessen Benisedr, in trial of Iranian secret agent Mashadi, who is accused of killing one of Iranian regime's opponents in Paris a few months ago. Former president testified that a Terror Committee formed by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamnei and former President Ayatollah Ali Akber Refsenjani orders the physical extermination of their opponents in foreign countries. They issue fatwa (Religious decree) and secret services execute the order.

Iran is extremely sensitive on ethnic issues and so far tens of Azerbaijanis and other ethnic groups living in Iran were assassinated or abducted in neighbouring countries by Iranian agents. In trial of one of assassins of Iranian opponent in United Germany the court has indicted Iranian National security Minister and two other leaders. Because of proximity of Baku to Iran, Islamic Republic's secret services are very active and an unusually high numbers of Iranian Embassy employees are co-ordinating these acts.

Sir,
Time is not on our side! We do urge you to use all available means to save his life.

AZERBAIJANI TURKS COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN


This public letter was sent to His Excellency Mr. Kofi Anan, Amnesty international, INTERRIGHRS -International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights, British Institute of Human Rights.