KU student helps organise anti-Iran protest in Brussels

A KU student spearheaded a mass protest in Brussels as part of a campaign for human rights in Iran.

Matt Wilson

Kingston student, Kamil Alboshoka, helped organise a mass protest in Brussels last Friday in his continuing campaign to gain freedom for his cousins and human rights for people in Iran.

The third-year geography student attended the protest with 400 others to mark the 88^th anniversary of the occupation of Al Ahwaz.

Arrested after speaking out

Kamil said: “I thank everyone who shared their voice with our cause. On 8th March over 1200 people participated, but in this protest less than that number came because we had some small protests in other countries like Australia.

“Also some people could not come because of bad situation in Ahwaz. Over 500 people arrested in Ahwaz and two killed so many stayed in their country to send details.”

Kamil Alboshoka’s two cousins, Jabber and Mokhtar, along with his three friends Mohammed Amouri, Hashem Shabani and Hadi Rashedi were arrested after speaking out against the Iranian government in 2011.

Voices to the world

Ahwaz was an independent country but became a part of Iran in 1925.  Kamil has been campaigning for improved human rights in Iran after he was tortured in 2005. He said two of his cousins had been killed by police and arrests of Ahwazi Arabs had continued.

Kamil said: “The protest went well. We sent our voices to the world and our people inside the country.”

Bad weather affected the turnout. Over 1,200 turned up to the last protest, and two buses of protesters were stopped by the police for being over-occupied.

Free from Iran

Human rights groups from South Azerbaijan, Syria, Turkey and other surrounding countries attended to support the Ahwaz cause. They handed in a letter to the EU Parliament asking for intervention in Iran.

Kamil remains optimistic of improvement despite no recent news of his cousins who went on hunger strike last month.

He said: “I am pretty sure the world, particularly the EU, specifically the UK will stop Iran policy against us, and also help us to get free from Iran.” 

Ahwaz, also known as Arabistan, was a part of the British empire in the 19th and early 20th century.

During decolonisation Britain gave Ahwaz to Iran who have had the land ever since.