More than 100 Sunni prisoners including 30 death row prisoners have written a letter asking Jeish-Al-Adl to release 5 Iranian soldiers.

The full text of this letter is as follows:

All praise is to God, who does not oppress, and who has forbidden his servants from oppression, and peace and blessings of Allah upon the Prophet, a mercy and compassion, who has brought happiness to mankind.

Since the beginning of the ‘Islamic Revolution’ in Iran the government’s policy has always been to eliminate and suppress their opponents, critics, and even those who own different beliefs. And they have done this against all those who peacefully oppose them. The government would never think of accepting them. They are not [treated like] citizens. And each year, they think of more restrictions, so that it has been proven to all that the minorities are always living under struggles.

Therefore, it is natural that there are a number of people who want to tell the world about the oppression they are under, and want recognition that their [religious, cultural, etc] activities are legitimate.

On the other hand, the government plots to portray them [Sunnis] as illegal and eliminate their movement, at times calling them spies, self-seeking, evil people. To ‘prove’ their claims, they have puppets of the government who go forward to say that there is no oppression towards minorities. Sometimes they call them terrorists, or say they are a danger to national security. They create scenarios and incidents to make it appear as if they are extremely prevalent in the country, and attribute it to [Sunni] activists. Or in situations where there are incidents where the perpetrator is unknown, through force and torture they blame it on a Sunni activist [eg through forced ‘confessions’].

Now if we look at the prisons of Iran, especially Rajai Shahr prison, we will clearly see the effect of these plots. [The government] invented an evil rumor about the young men of Sanandaj, and said that two or three of them had done unbelievable actions. The cost of being associated with [Sanandaj] is that 35 people were sentenced to death.

Or [in the case of] a murder, where the killer was unknown, they accused seven people from Mahabad for it, and they have remained for more than four years without trial.

Or [the case of] an assassination, where the killer was unknown, they accused Shaykh Naghshbandi and those around him of it, and [for it] they sentenced some to death, and sentenced some to long prison sentences and exile.

And this is the way the rulers of Iran eliminate the Sunni youth. One can clearly see that God the most High has exposed to everyone the lies of the government in the case of the prisoners, and even through the documentaries made by the government to justify their oppression, people realized [the truth of the matter].

Now, everyone knows that the government labels anyone in prison as ‘bandits’ and as being a danger to national security, and they make their documentaries, where they attribute [these things] to them.

In recent events where Iranian border guards have been taken hostage, the Iranian government made a campaign to secure their release and put forward the cases of their families.

Now, the question is, why doesn’t the government make a comparison between them and the Sunni prisoners? Is it not necessary to have a similar campaign for the poor and the oppressed? Do they [Sunni prisoners] not have a family, wives, and children? Have they not been removed from their homeland? What did they [Sunni prisoners] say except that they want peace, and a quiet life? [What did they say except that] they want no worries about their people, and to freely promote their own beliefs in their own land? [What did they say except] not to assassinate our leaders, and do not insult our beliefs, and do not attack our youth and our honor, and to remove discrimination and oppression?

Whether these demands are large or not – they are the rights that the Sunnis should have.

Now, at a time when we live under these fanatical and oppressive regimes, they have condemned themselves to destruction or amendment, as the elders and scholars have said that a disbelieving government may remain, but an oppressive one will not.

The whole world has realized the cruelty and deception of this regime, and that not once during these 35 years has there been a serious decision to reform, and that every so often, the claim [of reform] is repeated only to deceive.

Not a single year has passed without adding a black mark to their own record. They arrest and kill Sunni leaders, they destroy and ban people from [Sunni] mosques, expelling Imams, creating fear and intimidation. Now, let you, the free people who stand for freedom, judge the situation.

With thanks,

On behalf of Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison, Ghezel Hesar prison and Evin prison.

HRANA News Agency