Azernews.Az

The student bodies of 29 Iranian universities have demanded putting an end to pressure faced by Azerbaijanis.
In a statement, they condemned the psychological and physical pressure against jailed Azerbaijani activists, and called for honoring the rights of ethnic minorities in Iran.
"This country`s leaders blare about justice and freedom anywhere they go. But Azerbaijani activists, who are peacefully advocating for their rights to national affiliation, are being subjected to various types of persecution and pressure on a daily basis, and are being trampled upon," the statement said.
It said the activists, who are merely seeking to assert the right to use their native language and cultural values, are being caught in groups and jailed. "We demand an end to torture applied against the four Azerbaijani activists who are being held in detention unlawfully and have been on a hunger strike for over 10 days, and their immediate release," it said.
We recall that the editor-in-chief of the Dilmanj journal, Alirza Sarrafi, poet Mehdi Naimi, writer for the Varlig (Wealth) magazine, Hasan Rashedi, and another journalist, Sayid Muhammadi, were among some 20 Azerbaijani activists detained on September 10. The four had launched a hunger strike in protest at the pressure they are facing in jail.
Iran is home to 30 million Azerbaijanis, or about 25% of the overall population, which is predominantly Persian.