Araz News: A well known South Azerbaijani national activist Mr. Latif Hasani who has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for political and civil activities after his short furlough was Transferred to Rajai Shahr prison.

Latif Hasani is the prisoner of Rajai Shahr, He was imprisoned in Tabriz prison since 2012, but last year after nearly 50 days on hunger strike, he was transferred first to Evin and then to Rajaei Shahr prison.

Latif Hasani along with Mahmood Fazli, Shahram Radmehr, Ayat Mehrali Baigloo and Behbood Gholizadeh were arrested on the charge of being the member of the central committee of Yeni-Gamuh, in 2009.

Iranian Azerbaijanis, the largest minority group in Iran, speak a Turkic language and are mainly Shi’a Muslims. They live mainly in the north and north-west of the country and in Tehran. Although generally well-integrated into Iranian society, in recent years members of their community have increasingly called for greater cultural and linguistic rights, including the right to education in Azerbaijani Turkic, which is not recognized as an official language in Iran. Those who seek to promote Azerbaijani cultural identity and linguistic rights are viewed with suspicion by the Iranian authorities.

Mr.Latif Hasani was born in Khalkhal ( a small town in Ardabil City) and graduated his PHD from Baku university in political science in the field of  international law.

BY H.A