TIG Post

Tag: Iran Human Rights

  • “I am glad to report that so far no Ghanaian has been killed or injured” in Middle East tensions – Ablakwa

    “I am glad to report that so far no Ghanaian has been killed or injured” in Middle East tensions – Ablakwa

    The Middle East is in turmoil following the Israeli-US attack on Iran, sparking retaliatory attacks by neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Yemen, as well as in Gaza.

    Amid these attacks, civilians are suffering the most. So far, about 50 deaths have been reported in Lebanon, with injuries and additional fatalities recorded in other countries.

    Governments worldwide, including that of Ghana, continue to intensify efforts to ensure the safety of their citizens. 

    In an update on the current state of Ghanaians in the Middle East, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that no Ghanaian has been killed or injured amid the escalating tensions in the Gulf countries.

    He stated on Tuesday, March 3, in a formal statement, that the government had taken proactive steps to assess the situation and strengthen consular protection for citizens.

    “I convened a virtual meeting with our Ambassadors and Consuls General in the Middle East to assess the latest developments and explore additional consular interventions towards the protection of Ghanaians,” he stated.

    The meeting was attended by Heads of Mission in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Turkey.

    “I am glad to report that so far no Ghanaian has been killed or injured,” he added.

    Mr Ablakwa disclosed that a comprehensive database of Ghanaians in the affected countries had been compiled, including residents, short-term visitors, and those in transit.

    “We have put together a reliable database of all Ghanaians in these countries, including those who were on short visits and those who were transiting,” he noted.

    According to the Minister, all diplomatic missions have been instructed to identify citizens who may wish to be evacuated for urgent consideration by the government.

    He further revealed that Ghana’s missions are currently assisting several nationals to exit through strategic border crossings.

    “All missions have been tasked to identify Ghanaians within their jurisdictions who wish to be evacuated for the urgent consideration of the government,” he said, adding that “our diplomatic missions are currently assisting a considerable number of Ghanaians escape across certain strategic border crossings.”

    The North Tongu MP emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its citizens.

    “The safety and welfare of all Ghanaians remains our utmost priority,” he emphasised.

    The government has indicated that it will continue to monitor developments closely as tensions persist in the region.

    Meanwhile, Ghana has closed its embassy in Tehran indefinitely and evacuated all diplomatic staff in response to escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

    Announcing the decision on social media on Monday, March 2, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that all Ghanaian embassy staff have been safely evacuated from Iran.

    “The safety, welfare, and protection of Ghanaians remains our utmost priority in these tempestuous times,” he stated. On Monday, March 2, the Ghanaian Embassy in Doha directed all Ghanaian nationals residing in Qatar to register with the mission as part of emergency preparedness measures amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

    The Embassy in a statement explained that this forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of Ghanaian nationals. The Embassy of Ghana Doha, State of Qatar on Sunday, March 1, advised Ghanaians living in the area to exercise caution and remain vigilant during this period.

    A press statement from the Embassy of Ghana Doha, State of Qatar read, “Due to missle attack and its impact in Doha, please take shelter until further notice, obtain information from official sources. We urge everyone to stay from military states, remain indoors, avoid crowded areas for any exposure to danger and keep essentials supplies like medication and food”.

    “The Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Doha hereby urges all Ghanaian nationals residing in the State of Qatar who have not registered to immediately do so, as part of ongoing emergency preparedness measures.

    “In view of the heightened tensions and unrest within the region, this registration will enable the Embassy to effectively communicate with, assist, and, if necessary, coordinate evacuation arrangements for Ghanaian citizens,” it noted.

     Foreign Affairs Ministry has advised prospective pilgrims to temporarily suspend their travel to Saudi Arabia for their Umrah due to the widespread instability and disrupted air travel restrictions in the Gulf States.

    The Ministry said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to advise prospective Umrah pilgrims in Ghana that travel arrangements for Umrah may be affected by the rapidly evolving security situation in parts of the Middle East.”

    It continued that “The Ministry therefore advises all prospective Umrah pilgrims who are currently in Ghana and yet to commence their journey to temporarily hold on with travel plans until the situation stabilises. The safety and well-being of Ghanaian nationals remain the Government’s utmost priority.”

    To ensure the safety of all Ghanaians who are currently in the Gulf, stay calm and keep in touch with the Consulate there.

    “Ghanaians who are already in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Umrah are advised to remain calm, comply strictly with directives issued by local authorities, and maintain regular contact with their travel agents, the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah.

    Prospective pilgrims and Ghanaian nationals requiring further information or emergency consular assistance may contact the Embassy in Saudi Arabia or Ghana,” the statement added.

  • Sweden summons Iran’s ambassador over the death of a dual citizen of Sweden and Iran

    Sweden summons Iran’s ambassador over the death of a dual citizen of Sweden and Iran

    Habib Chaab, a dual citizen of Sweden and Iran who was found guilty of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacking, was put to death. In order to voice its opposition to this, Sweden has summoned Iran’s acting ambassador.

    The Swedish Foreign Ministry stated in a statement on Saturday that “the death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment and Sweden, along with the rest of the EU, condemns its use under any circumstances.”

    Chaab was executed early on Saturday due to his alleged membership in the Harakat al-Nidal rebel organisation, according to the state-run media agency Mizan.

    Iran considers Harakat al-Nidal to be a terrorist group.

    Mizan claimed Chaab was the leader of Harakat al-Nidal and the suspected mastermind behind the shooting attack on a military parade in Iran’s southwestern city of Ahvaz in 2018 in which 29 people died.

    Executions have risen in Iran following a nationwide uprising sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, according to reports released by rights groups.

    According to a joint report issued by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the France-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) groups revealed at least 500 executions were carried out last year – a 75% increase from the previous year.

    The increase was Tehran’s way of trying to frighten protesters and prevent dissent, groups said.

    Addressing the 2018 incident, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of financing the perpetrators of the attack and threatened to “harshly punish” the masterminds.

    UAE Minister of State For Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the accusations were “baseless” and “official incitement against the UAE in Iran” was “unfortunate.”

  • Four convicts were killed in a fire at Tehran’s Evin prison, according to state media

    According to the country’s judiciary, at least four prisoners were killed and 61 others were injured after a fire broke out overnight at Tehran’s Evin prison following a dispute between convicts, according to the official state news agency IRNA.IRNA reported smoke inhalation was the cause of the deaths, with 10 convicts hospitalized and four in “critical condition.”

    The facility mostly holds political prisoners, including Iranians with dual nationality. Families of about two dozen political prisoners have called to say they are unharmed, according to their accounts on social media.

     

    The prison has long been criticized by Western rights groups and was blacklisted by the United States government in 2018 for “serious human rights abuses”.

     

    The incident took place as nationwide protests over the death in detention of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, entered the fifth week.

     

    The protests have posed one of the most serious challenges to the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution, with demonstrations spreading across the country and some people chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

    State TV on Sunday aired footage of the fire’s aftermath, showing scorched walls and ceilings in a room it said was the upper floor of a sewing workshop at the prison. Tehran prosecutor Ali Salehi said the prison unrest was not related to the nationwide protests and the situation was peaceful after the incident.

    The fire started at about 10 pm (6.30 pm GMT), Al Jazeera’s Resul Sardar said, adding that it involved different units of the prison.

    iran
    Damage caused by a fire inside the building of the Evin prison [IRNA via AFP]

    “Officials here say there were clashes between prisoners and that some of those prisoners have set the fire in the warehouse, in the sewing workshop of the prison,” Sardar said, referring to a statement made earlier by Tehran Governor Mohsen Mansouri.

     

    “However some witnesses are saying that some Molotov cocktails were thrown into the prison and that they started the fire. Right after that, we have seen security forces firing and also using tear gas to disperse people,” he added.

    A witness contacted by the Reuters news agency said roads leading to Evin prison have been closed to traffic. “There are lots of ambulances here,” he said. Another witness said families of inmates gathered in front of the main prison entrance. “I can see fire and smoke. Lots of special forces,” the witness said.

     

    A security official said calm had been restored at the prison, while IRNA reported that “the situation is currently completely under control”. But the first witness told Reuters that ambulance sirens could be heard and smoke still rose over the prison.

    Early on Sunday, IRNA carried a video it said showed parts of the prison damaged by fire. Firefighters were seen dousing the debris with water, apparently to prevent the blaze from reigniting.

    ‘Numb with worry’

    The detainees include French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah and US citizen Siamak Namazi, whose family said he was taken back into custody this week after a temporary release.

    Reacting to reports of the fire, Namazi’s family said in a statement to the AFP news agency shared by their lawyer that they were “deeply concerned” and had not heard from him.

     

    They urged Iran’s authorities to grant him “immediate” means to contact his family and to give him a furlough “as he clearly isn’t safe in Evin Prison”.

    The sister of another US citizen held at Evin, businessman Emad Shargi, said in a Twitter post his family was “numb with worry”.

     

    An unnamed Iranian official told the Tasnim news agency that none of the political prisoners was involved in Saturday’s unrest.

    “No security prisoner was involved in today’s clash between prisoners, and basically the ward for security prisoners is separate and far from the wards for thieves and those convicted of financial crimes,” the official was quoted as saying.

    Asked about the prison fire, US President Joe Biden told reporters during a campaign trip to Portland, Oregon: “The Iranian government is so oppressive.”

    He said he was surprised by “the courage of people and women taking [to] the street” in the recent protests and had enormous respect for them. “It’s been really amazing,” he added. “They’re not a good group, in the government.”

     

    US Department of State spokesman Ned Price tweeted, “We are following reports from Evin Prison with urgency. We are in contact with the Swiss as our protecting power. Iran is fully responsible for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who should be released immediately.”

     

    Human Rights Watch has accused the prison authorities of using threats of torture and indefinite imprisonment, as well as lengthy interrogations and denial of medical care for detainees.

    Protests erupted after the September 16 death of Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for wearing an improper hijab. She died in custody. A coroner’s report said she did not suffer blows to the head or vital organs.

     

    Amini’s family has refuted the official accounts that attributed the 22-year-old’s death to conditions arising after a brain tumour surgery at age eight.

    Although the unrest does not appear close to toppling the government, the protests have widened into strikes that have closed shops and businesses, touched the vital energy sector, and inspired brazen acts of dissent against Iran’s religious rule.

     

    On Saturday, protesters across Iran chanted in the streets and in universities against the country’s religious leaders.

     

    A video posted by the Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights purported to show protests in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populous city, with demonstrators chanting “Clerics, get lost”, and drivers honking their horns.

     

    Videos posted by the group showed a strike by shopkeepers in the northwestern Kurdish city of Saqez – Amini’s hometown. Another video on social media showed female high school students chanting “Woman, Life, Freedom” on the streets of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province.

    The authenticity of the videos could not be verified immediately.

     

    The Iranian activist news agency HRANA said online that 240 protesters had been killed in the unrest, including 32 minors. It said 26 members of the security forces were killed, and nearly 8,000 people had been arrested in protests in 111 cities and towns and some 73 universities.

     

    But the official death toll is much lower than estimated by rights groups and protesters.

     

    Among the casualties have been teenage girls whose deaths have become a rallying cry for more demonstrations demanding the downfall of Iran’s government.

     

    Protesters called on Saturday for demonstrations in the northwestern city of Ardabil over the death of Asra Panahi, a teenager from the Azeri ethnic minority who, activists alleged, was beaten to death by security forces.

     

    Officials denied the report and news agencies close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps quoted her uncle as saying the high school student had died of a heart problem.