Iran Hosting Largest Population of Refugees: UNHCR

Iran has been hosting the largest population of refugees in world during the past 3 decades, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees in a message to a conference on refugees and asylum seekers in Orumiyeh, Iran.

“The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has in various emergency conditions properly heeded its responsibilities in offering humanitarian contributions most effectively,” said Sivanka Dhanapala, UNHCR commissioner. (IRNA, 2 January)

2.1 Million Syrian Refugees - A Nation in Exile

The number of Syrian Refugees has now passed the 2.1 million mark – UNHCR

A nation in exile!

Image credit: UNHCR

UN Condemns Attack on Iranian Exile Camp

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the mortar attack on Iranian exile camp outside Baghdad.

UN News Center stated that the camp was attacked early in the morning today while most of the residents were sleeping. Six persons were killed and scores wounded. The camp serves as a transit facility for more than 3,000 exiles, most of them MEK members, where a process to determine their refugee status is being carried out by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Iraq, which is responsible for the safety and security of residents of both Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf, to promptly and fully investigate the incident and bring perpetrators to justice,” said Mr. Ban's spokesperson in a statement. “He has repeatedly stated that violence and provocation are unacceptable.” (UN News Center, 9 February)

The High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, expressed his shock about the attack calling it “a despicable act of violence.”

“I call on the Iraqi Government to do everything it can to guarantee security to the residents,” he said. “The perpetrators must be found and brought to justice without delay.”

In a news release, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said it is closely liaising with the Government on the response to the incident, including medical assistance to the wounded.

Mr. Ban's Special Representative in the country, Martin Kobler, has also asked Iraqi authorities to promptly conduct an investigation into the mortar explosions.

Photo: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Rights Groups Call on Iran to Stop Execution of Arab-Iranian Activists

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch urged the Iranian judiciary to quash death sentences against five Arab-Iranians and halt their executions on grounds of torture and unfair legal proceedings.

The five had been sentenced last year on terrorism-related charges because of their links to a banned cultural institute that promoted their Arab heritage. Their death sentences were upheld last week and they were transferred from Karoun prison in Ahvaz, capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan. Their families no longer know where they are being held, the statement by the rights group said. (Reuters, 24 Janyary)

On Wednesday, 30 human rights organizations and campaigners, including Iran's Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, also urged Iran to stop the implementation of the death sentences against the five men.

UN Human Right Commission has also voiced concern over the fate of the five detainees.

“There are concerns about ... five individuals, Mr Mohammad Ali Amouri, Mr Sayed Jaber Alboshoka, Mr Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, Mr Hashem Shabain Amouri and Mr Hadi Rashidi, whose death sentences were apparently recently upheld by the Supreme Court and appear to be at risk of imminent execution. There are serious concerns about the fairness of their trials and allegations that they were subjected to torture.” (UNHRC, 22 January)

Four members of Iran's Arab minority were executed last year. United Nations human rights experts said they were sentenced to death after an opaque trial whose fairness was questionable.

There are no official figures for the size of the Arab minority population in Iran, but Arab-Iranians form the majority in oil-rich Khuzestan province. Many Arab-Iranians fought against Saddam when Iraq invaded Iran in 1980.

Photo: Logo of Amnesty International (AI)