January 8, 2002
Mohiaddin Hadi and Salam Sheikhi, two Iranian asylum
seekers, have been detained and imprisoned under inhumane conditions by the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, for the past several
months. Hadi and Sheikhi are amongst thousands of Iranians forced to flee the
Islamic regime of Iran. Many head towards the city of Soleimaniyeh to approach
the UNHCR office in that city. This city has increasingly become unsafe for
Iranians due to the collaboration between the ruling party in the region, the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and the Iranian regime. Fearing for their lives, Hadi and Sheikhi fled to Erbil, only to
be arrested by the ruling party in that city - the KDP.
The International Federation of Iranian Refugees
condemns the arrests and demands that both be released immediately. IFIR holds the KDP and the UNHCR responsible
for their safety and well-being. We
call on groups and individuals to send letters of protest to the KDP, Central Office:
kdppress@aol.com, Fax: +87376160321; European Office: kdpeurope@t-online.de, Fax:
+493079743746; UNHCR office in Iraqi Kurdistan: irqba@unhcr.ch;
Geneva: hqpr00@unhcr.ch, Fax:
+41227398643.