Two jailed Azeri rights activists begin hunger strike in Iran

Two Azeri Iranian rights activists who have been detained by Iran yesterday began a hunger strike to protest the lack of education in the Turkish language and discrimination in prison, Anadolu reported.

The agency quoted local sources as saying that Azerbaijani Turkic human rights defender, Alireza Farshi, who was handed a four year prison term on charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “organising a meeting in opposition to the regime”, has begun a hunger strike in protest against the lack of education in Turkish as well as “discrimination in the country’ prison”.

Meanwhile, Abbas Lesani, another Azerbaijani Turkic human rights defender imprisoned on the same charges, has also started a hunger strike in support of Farshi.

Azerbaijani Turkic activists are protesting against Tehran’s discriminatory policy and defending their rights to education in their native Turkish language and other constitutional rights in the country.

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