Unjust Verditcs for YOUNES AGHAIAN from the QIZILBASHS of Miandoab (Qosha Chay)

 Unjust Verditcs for YOUNES AGHAIAN from the QIZILBASHS of Miandoab (Qosha Chay)

By: Araz ATA- Bektash TEKİN

According to the news in Herana internet site Mr. Younes Aghaian (30 years old), the prisoner of belief and the follower of Qizilbashs and residence of Ouch Tepeh village near Minaboard (Qosha Chay) who is imprisoned since he was 22, has been sentenced to hanging. Today finally, he could get in touch with his family. According to the reporters of the mentioned site, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, this prisoner who is kept in Urmia prison since 8 years ago, has been transferred to Intelligent Department of Mahabad since 21 June. Some of prisoners have declared his death, however after three days he has got in touch with his family. After referring to Urima prison, his family is informed of his transference to Intelligent Department of Mahabad. It worth to mention that other three prisoners, Sahandali Mohammadi, Bakhshali Mohammadi and Ebadollah Ghasemzadeh, have been sentenced to thirteen years of prison in revision court and exile in Yazd prison and Mehdi Ghasemzadeh was hanged in March 2009.

In his dowry, Mehdi writes,

“When a Qizilbash born in Iran, offence faces him everywhere. Offence is the twin brother of being a Qizilbashs. How many Qizilbash children are prevented from education because of offences? Those who tolerated the humiliations or ignored them and could study, after graduation could not enter the universities because of Molla regime’s inquisition. When some could enter universities after many filtrations, they never employed in any organization.”

In the present piece we attempts to mention some points about Younes Aghaian and unfair verdict for him:

Name and surename: Younes Aghaian

Father’s name: Ayyub

Date of birth: 1983

Place of birth: Ouch Tepeh in Miandoab (Qosh Chay)

Marital status: Married.

A summary of accusations in Younes Aghaian’s case:

Considering the contents of the case and following the report of branch 27 of state high council the counts of the six prisoners are as follows:

1.       Publication of offending declarations.

2.       Publishing paganism and heterodox beliefs.

3.       Offending the leader of country.

4.       Disobeying the police.

5.       Keeping and using unpermitted guns.

6.       Taking armed measures against Islamic regime.

A summary of the events as written by Mehdi Ghasemzadeh:

The day of the attack

It was 22 September 2004, the residents of the village used to come to us to have greeting. Younse Aghaian came to farm and asked for Ebadollah Ghasemzadeh, since Younes worked for him. We told him “Younes go, they might attack us. You would be trapped here.” He told, “They want to attack us, it is more than six month, it is a lie. They never attack daytime. I want to speak to you then I would go”. Suddenly Behrouz and Vahid that were eating their lunch upstairs shouted, “they’re coming, they got everywhere”. Yes finally they came, surrounded the farm, and started to shot. We had been surrounded. When everybody came before management room, I was eating lunch; suddenly a RPG bullet hit the second floor. Soltanali told me, “Mehdi come out we’re surrounded”. When I was out, I saw that Younes is inside the farm. We opened the door; there was one camera operator with five or six soldier. Seifali shouted, “Retreat, or you’ll be killed.” They escaped towards village and I followed them. I could not feel anything and I fell down. I thought I twisted my ankle. I tried to stand up, I twisted my ankle again. I looked the other way but there was bullet in my thigh. Seifali, Soltanali, Fereidoun and Hossein ran towards the road and shot them. When they put me on the bed in the office, Behrouz bandaged my leg but I could not bear it, then I told, “let me be here they’d take me to hospital”. They changed there to a hell in half hour. I saw the hell here. They shot everywhere by RPG and mortar bombs. They came up the farm walls.

When a little calmness came, I could hear their voice from neighbor farm. Nosrat’s farm was besides our farm, he worked with his workers, but they were taken to cells under the torture of police, militias and intelligent forces. One of them was hitting Nosrat, suddenly his friend said that “this is Nosrat, don’t beat him. However, they started to swear. I looked the watch. When they came it was 2.30, when I was hit it was 2.40 p.m and at 4 p.m they started to shot us by mortar bombs, RPG and cannon 106 MM. But the voices of machine guns, J3 and Kalashnikov and hand grenades continued. Sometimes I lost my consciousness and was awakened by voice of mortars. Finally at 5.50 they entered inside the farm.

The story of Younes Aghaian:

Younes tells the story as he saw:

When the surrounded everywhere and you were wounded, they shot some tear gas. Soltanali said, “they want to arrest us alive, we must get off the farm, first Ebadollah wanted to escape from top of the wall but they shot, we climbed the wall and they stopped shooting. We went to Seifali’s farm and waited there. We heard shooting. Because everywhere was full of militias, your brother separated me, they did not want to involve me more. However, I insisted to stay. Fereidoun insisted us to go to village and do not allow them to bring down the sanctity board of the farm. However, Seifali and Soltanali opposed and told that if we go near village they would shot people. We must wait. We watched until they set fire to the farm. One day Soltanali said that they have sent a message that go abroad, we would give you money. Nevertheless, we did not accept. If we left there, they could do everything. We want to go back to farm.

Finally, we were back to farm in 28 Sept 2004. Again, they insisted me to separate but I rejected. Since I was somebody out of the story, they insisted me to go back. However I did not accept and stayed, because I was afraid of separating, either.

Everywhere was full of police and militia, we reached farm, it was early morning, we entered from the main door. Soltanali went to second floor of the farm building and shouted, “we don’t have any problem with you, we wrote letter to Khamnei and wanted our rights and you did this to us and destroyed our houses. What do you want? We won’t leave here. Then Hossein and Fereidoun went after him and then we did. Suddenly they started to shot and turned there to hell. Cravenly they shot Soltanali, Hossein and Fereidoun, and we jumped from the edge of the roof. They told that Soltanali was killed but he was wounded in his leg only. Whatever they did was after wounding. Seifali and others then started to shot but the fire was heavy. We lost each other. I went out of the farm from back door, run into the gardens, and hide the gun in a cabin there. For someday, I was there, then I went to Tehran. One of our relatives had gone to Agha’s garden and had informed him. However Agha had said that I should go and introduce myself to authorities. I came back to Miandoab (Qoshachay) and waited. I heard that they have taken my father to intelligent department and threatened him that if he could not concede me they would take him to prison. All family and the elders were taken to intelligent department and were threatened that if they concede me to them, they would reduce my punishment, since they know that I was out of the problem.

Therefore, I introduced myself to intelligent department in 8 Oct 2004. First, I denied everything but afterwards because of tortures I told whatever I knew. They repeatedly told that since I did not do anything they would release me, only I must give my gun. Then I went with them to Minadoab and showed the hidden place. They only found the load of gun, and then brought me back to my cell to the intelligent department.

The point to be mentioned is that intelligent department started to threaten Younes Aghaian palpably or impalpably using his father, we also felt it. One day Ayyub Aghaian father of Younes came to prison because of unintentional car accident and brought the message of Abdi to Younes; if Younes denies his beliefs, they would infringe the death verdict. His father asked us to write and sign the same things that we have said in our interrogations. We signed the same paper that Ayyub had written in this regard and according to which we declared that Younes never shared in our deeds for publishing declaration or opposing the government. We wrote that he had come to receive his salary. After his father left prison, under the threats of Abdi, Younes was separated from us and now after eighteen months, his verdict is not infringed and he has turned to an addicted one. In 16 August 2006, since one of the TV channels had declared the section 12 of the Urmia prison as the worst part in prisons because of health problems, Mr. Abbaspour the parliament representative came there with a filming team, entered section 12, and started to speak before the camera. He said, “Now we are in section 12 of Urmia prison, the condition is very good, prisoners do not have any problem with government, they like regime and everything is ok” then we protested him.

                           

The reasons for unfairness of the present verdict:

According to the verdict that was issued in the second branch of the Revolution Court, by Abbaszadeh the judge in 29 Jan 2005 for Mehdi Ghasemzadeh and Younes Aghaian

1. The verdict of the judge is based only on reports issued by Intelligent Department of Miandoab and police and none of the interrogations and words of the witnesses and other facts are considered.

2. If facts are revised and inspected, you could see that only name of 5 persons are written in the verdict for publishing declarations, however in the mentioned dates all of them were in prison 15 April 2004 to 23 May 2004 and only in the last day they have been released from the prison on bail. Under the pressure of the regime, the religious leader of this tribe ordered them to introduce themselves. Their names are as follows: Soltanali, Sagandali, Fereidoun, Seifali and Hossein Mohammadi and as it could be seen the name of Younes Aghaian is not among them. In the day of attack, Younes had come to see his friends and have his income.

It worth to mention that in the days of attack 3000 (three thousand) police and militia attacked the village and the next day all involved persons were in regime’s cells. The militia and police could arrest all of them there; however, the judge of the case in branch 27 of general court (Pashapour) had said Soltanali that they have ordered me to issue the verdict of depredating all your property and family. They want to set fire to your properties, divorce your wives and occupy your land properties like Bahaeis. After issuing this verdict, I would go from here. The attacker use heavy guns such as RPG and mortars. Mehdi Ghasemzadeh never touched a gun, but he was hanged for taking measures against Iranian regime. The letter and attestation other four alleged of the case for guiltlessness of Younes Aghaian and Mehdi Ghasemzadeh follows here:

The attestation of four of his friends:

We, whose signature appears under the letter, all were present in the attack scene and as we have declared in the former interrogations, Mr. Mehdi Ghasemzadeh was not involved in attack and in the first moments, he was wounded and fell down. Since we were surrounded in the farm, therefore we decided to exit the scene or be martyred for our beliefs. Mehdi was wounded even before reaching the picture of our holy leader. We certify that he never shot and others’ shooting was to defend their beliefs and property under obligation and Mehdi Ghasemzadeh never was involved.

1. Sahandali Mohammadi son of Mohammad

2. Bakhshali Mohammadi son of Mohammad

3. Ebadollah Ghasemzadeh son of Ghobad

4. Younes Aghaian son of Ayyub

5 Jul 2005

A brief review of Qizilbash’s belief:

Today Qizilbashs in Iran are called with different names such as Qizilbashs, Shamli, Qara Qoyounlou, Qirkhlar, Yediler, Sofoular, Abdal Bey, Atash Bey, Sir Talibi, Nabili, … (sometimes are called Goran or Yarsan wrongly since they are Iranic group of Kurds, Goran or Zaza). The Turkish religious group of Ahle-e Hagh who are called with different name in Azerbaijan and Khorasan are nor an extremist branch of Islam neither a Kurdish branch of Yarsan or Yarism.

The Qizilbashs have the following specific worldview in comparison with Shiites:

1. Believing in Unity and manifestation of God in human (incarnation)

2. Believing in Reincarnation and not believing in hereafter, after death life, hell or paradise

3. Believing in appearance of inward, all Islamic principles according to the mentioned issues, thus not believing the canon, Islamic prayers such as daily praying, feast, Hadj, women’s Hijab, Halal or Haram, morning for Imamas, Khoms, Zakat etc.

4. Believing in sanctity of wine, musical instruments and using Azerbaijani Turkish instead of Arabic or Persian and using Gorani accent in their religious ceremonies

5. The religion of Qizilbashs is not classified considering the leaders’ hierarchy such as clergy men, molla, Sheikhol Islam, Hojetol Islam, Ayatollah, Reference of imitation, Fagih etc. however there are some persons such as Dede, Ata, Agha, Aghaligh, Pir, Sheikh and Seyyed.

6. The praying place for Qizilbashs is Jam Evi or Jam Khana and instead of Shiites’ prayer, they have Jam ceremonies that include Sufi dances or Sama for both men and women.

Since Qizilbashs are apostate and killing them has been considered Halal by some Shiite religious references, thus always Qizilbashs has concealed their beliefs and introduce themselves as Jafari-Imami Shiits that has caused the metamorphosis in Imami Shiites.

In Iran Qizlbashs and their metamorphosis in Shiites, lack of any recognition towards them as a religious group by government and cutting their relation with Qizilbashs of Turkey (Alavi Bektashy) after the collapse of Qajarid dynasty in Iran has caused their total elimination.

However, after Islamic Revolution, government started to repress them by killing and threatening them. Preventing any social, political, cultural, economic and religious activities and preventing their education and employment has caused their marginalization. Physical terror is another aspect of this repression, which in the recent years showed itself in the form of massacre like the events of Ouch Tepeh Village in Qosh Chay (Miandoab).