A/HRC/25/61 She believes that half of the current Azerbaijani political prisoners are detained for protesting the drying up of Lake Oroumiyeh. Another large portion are a group of supporters of the Tractor football team, and were arrested after a game this summer. Usually during the game there are insults chanted between both sides, with the Azerbaijanis being treated as separatists and called “donkeys.” Azerbaijanis in turn chant: “mother tongue is a right for everybody.” In one particular case, an Azerbaijani guitar player was sent to prison for six months. For the case of Saeed Matinpour, who has a heart ailment in prison, she organized a campaign for him along with Amnesty International; within hours they had over 2,000 signatures. A last group arrest she would like to mention is when, on the one-year anniversary celebrations of partial self-rule, five people were arrested. One was beaten so badly that his ribs were broken and he was sent to the hospital. Khabat Ghorbani Kurdish rights activist / journalist Both of his parents are Kurdish. He was born in a village called Karagol. On 25 January 1983, Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Basijis attacked his village and killed 18 people, from ages 12 to 95-years-old. Soon after, 68 people were killed in another village. His organization has produced a documentary on this issue; there are also still many witnesses alive who can confirm this case. Between the Revolution and 1988, altogether around hundreds of people were killed in Kurdish villages in such campaigns. Mostly they were not members of political parties; “their only crime was being Kurdish.” In his own case: Soon after the Revolution he saw the fighting begin between the Kurds and the Islamic forces. He was in Mahabad, and there were clashes every day. Iranian forces were bombarding Kurdish cities from 1979 to 1983. In the summer of 1982, there had been a two-day conflict between the Government and Kurds in Mahabad. One of bombs fell into one of his neighbors’ homes, and their son was injured. After he went by to help, he was also injured. His leg is still not fully functional. He was in the hospital for 21 days. He was first in a room with six people in the hospital; four of them died. After ten days, he was removed to another room with three people; two of them died. In the 21 days he was hospitalized, at least 70% of those who came through were killed. He was also discriminated against at University. He had been accepted, but then he received a letter saying he was “not suitable according to the Islamic Government” to study. After 1988, there was a “Cultural Revolution” in Iran and he was able to go to school for Applied Physics. However, he was a part of a protest and was eventually expelled from school. He fled to Iraq and later came to Europe. Mr. “Hamed” Former high-ranking politician of the Islamic Republic / former prisoner Mr. “Hamed” was released from Raja’i Shahr Prison many years ago. There are prisoners there who require urgent medical care, including Mr. Afhsin Barimani, Mr. Siamak Mehr, and Mr Saeed Abedini. Of course Mr. Mansourat Pour and Mr. Osanloo died while prison. 99