Association Nurdin Zaza
Madame Chair, my name is [inaudible]. I speak on behalf of youth seeking life. I am person
with special needs and I am proud to speak here today. Young people from the Ahwazi nation
face discrimination every day. Many feel ignored. Many do not get the same chances as
other. Some even lose hope completely. I want to tell you about [inaudible], a young Ahwazi
man. He was a good student, but one day, the Iranian authorities destroyed the small kiosk
that his family depended upon. He also [inaudible] authorities, abused his mother, and took
her away. He felt broken and helpless and unheard. [Inaudible] set himself on fire to protest
the injustice. After a week, he died. Instead of helping the community, the authorities
arrested young people who tried to speak about what happened. His story is not the only
one. Every year, many Ahwazi people lose their lives because of the discrimination, injustice,
and poverty they suffer under the Iranian authorities. Ahwazi youth, including youth with
disabilities, want to be seen, heard, protected. We want safety, justice, and respect. We want
our language, culture, and identity to be treated with dignity. Dear friends, we must not let
[inaudible]’s story happen again. No young person should feel alone or silent. The world
must put strong pressure on the Iranian regime to stop its oppression of the Ahwazi people.