Evidence of meeting #8 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cases.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Spokesperson, Human Rights Activists in Iran
Unfortunately, I am, and I am worried about that. My family is also exposed to such a problem. They have already mentioned to me that this is the price we have to pay for freedom.
Conservative
Spokesperson, Human Rights Activists in Iran
I am the only one outside Iran. My whole family lives there.
President, Association for Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran
Yes, I am afraid for my safety and for my siblings. There is not enough time to elaborate on that. Most of my siblings are fortunately here in Canada. My parents are back home, and they are constantly taken in for questioning. A couple of times, even when my father's friends were in the ministry of intelligence, other activists were also there for questioning. They came and reported to me. Sometimes they were afraid to tell me. Not for political reasons, but because my father was a landowner after the Islamic revolution, he was almost executed for inheriting land.
I'm going to combine an answer to both questions.
He was hiding in Kordestan at the beginning of the resolution. It was at a time when Sejan was controlled by Kurdish rebels. We were fortunate that he was not captured immediately after the revolution. He would definitely have been killed. But everything we had was confiscated--everything, including toys that I had.
I have been in Canada for almost 20 years. It is something I left behind, but I am again dealing with the Iranian government. My husband was also in prison as a teenager for having some books. He was tortured. This work is one of the reasons that I have started again. He is one of the reasons.
Since childhood I have experienced terror by this government . My father has also experienced it, with the previous government, by asking for language rights. So it's something that I have been dealing with since a very young age.
When they took my father for questioning, he said to them, “You have taken everything I have. You almost executed me. I have served a prison term for inheriting land. What else can you do?” At his age, he is now a senior. They have threatened him. Even the telephone conversations that we have are always monitored.
But we have to do the right thing. That is what I have been taught, and that is what I am doing.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
We don't have a lot of time.
We've been listening to a number of witnesses, and I got the sense that some minorities within Iran were protected under the constitution and others were not. But I hear you saying that, despite that protection, it doesn't really exist in reality. Is that correct?
President, Association for Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran
That's correct. Actually, for most of these Azerbaijani activists, even asking for the implementation of the constitution has got them arrested, detained, tortured, kidnapped, and killed. Azerbaijani activists are operating within very unfair laws of the Iranian government. Their movement is totally peaceful, and they are not violent.
The first thing they ask for is implementation of the constitution. Not only is the constitution not implemented, but asking for implementation can get you to prison, as in the case of Abbas Lisani. He has served months for asking for implementation of articles 15 and 19 of the Iranian constitution.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
Thank you, Mr. Heibert.
Thank you to our witnesses. Our time has expired, so let me simply thank both of our witnesses for coming and going to considerable trouble. And I'll also thank our translator for being here.
Thank you all.
President, Association for Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran
Thank you.