March 18, 2010

Ali Kanturi says he was tortured and beaten into making a confession

Student activist Ali Kanturi has jumped bail and fled Iran after a two-year struggle against his country’s legal system.

Last month he learned that he had been sentenced to 15 years in jail after being found guilty of abduction and extortion. His lawyer describes the charges as “astonishing” and Kanturi says he is innocent.

He had already been given a 32-month jail term for the lesser charge of acting against national security. The BBC’s Persian language service caught up with Kanturi the day after he reached the city of Van, in eastern Turkey.

When my lawyer told me I’d been sentenced to 15 years in jail, my head began to swim. Then my family rang saying the order to carry out the other court decision [the 32-month term] had also arrived.

So, it suddenly became clear they were going to imprison me for both sentences. I realised I should leave. With the charges they’d brought against me, I had no other option.

I fled across the border to Turkey.

I can’t tell you all the details of my escape, but what I can say is that a man whose number I’d been given met me in Urmia, an Iranian city near the Turkish border.

He took charge of me and four others whose language I didn’t understand. Apparently they were Bangladeshis.

We approached the border and stayed in a border village for three days. Then we crossed over and spent three more days on the Turkish side of the border.

We spent the week in very difficult conditions in rough, mountainous terrain. Then, I came here to the city of Van in eastern Turkey.

Arrest and beatings

It all started two years ago. I think I was first arrested on 12 January 2008. They took me to Chubindar prison in Qazvin province [west of Tehran] and from there to a detention centre.

It was like I’d been taken to the end of the world. I was charged with acting against national security.

In reality, I had been involved with a student group campaigning for social and civil rights.

I had also started a non-governmental organisation in Qazvin to campaign against drug addiction.

After a few days in the detention centre, the situation got even worse.

They made further allegations against me that I’m too ashamed to mention, accompanied by a range of medieval tortures: beatings and confining me in a tiny cell.

They put me under such pressure that I finally signed a confession. That was the worst part of it.

Finally I was sentenced to 15 years in prison for alleged abduction and extortion, separate to the 32 months for my supposed actions against the state.

I have managed to escape with my life. I’ve only just got to Turkey, so I have no specific plans for the future.

The most important thing for me is to stay safe. I think I will introduce myself to the legal authorities to find out what I should do next.

But in view of the problems I’ve heard from other people, who have received unwelcome calls from Iran, I don’t feel very safe even here.

March 17, 2010

It has been decades that Iran and the Iranian people have been surrounded by bitter stories of human rights violations. Different governments from kings to sheiks have egotistically believed that ignoring the basic and self-evident rights of individuals can prolong their reigns. However, history has proven that continuous acts of atrocities and injustices are inevitably brought to light through the struggle and perseverance of freedom seekers.

It has been more than thirty years that human rights has been under the assault of the ruling theocracy, and the abuses have intensified in recent months, especially against human rights activists.  The Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) has received its share of terror, torture, arrests, and false charges.

Exaggerated claims that human rights activists are connected to foreign or political organizations have been repeatedly disseminated by Tehran’s prosecutor, domestic and military media, intelligence interrogators, and internet bandits. No plausible or credible evidence has been introduced to back their accusations of blatant lies.

By using so-called experts, the Ministry of Intelligence has begun to cover up the extent of human rights violations. In actuality, the baseless allegations are aimed to promote groups that otherwise have no influence in public opinion.

The Committee of Human Rights Reporters has indicated in their mission statement, in interviews, and in their official announcements that their activities are limited to human rights issues, and they are proud of their work.

The transparent work of CHRR is evidence that the committee has not been influenced by political and ideological opinions of its members or political groups and organizations. The position of the committee is the defense of the rights of all people, regardless of their political or religious opinions. The Human Rights Charter and its protocols and resolutions are the basis for the committee’s work.

The circus-like atmosphere of the official media has aimed at corrupting the truth. The official government media distorts the truth to such an extent that it is not only in contradiction with humane and social norms, but it is also in contradiction with the laws that are used to present the evidence. A (portion of) the media’s earnings comes from the taxes provided by the people.

The government is responsible for a clear assault on the privacy of individuals, condemning individuals without due process, abusing their authority to spread unfounded claims about individuals, unethical behaviour, and violating the current Islamic Republic of Iran’s laws. It is well known that it is the intelligence officers who have kept human rights activists in prisons for many months while spreading unfounded accusations against them. The media assault is an indication of the increasing pressures on activists to participate in show trials so unjust and cruel sentences can be issued to them.

The Committee of Human Rights Reporters emphasizes that it will continue its activities of reporting human rights conditions on both the national and international levels through collaborations with independent and credible international human rights organizations.

CHRR is deeply concerned about the extended illegal detention of its members Shiva Nazar Ahari, Koohyar Goodarzi, and Navid Khanjani. CHRR condemns the new wave of arrests of human rights activists and underlines the necessity of the unconditional and urgent release of all detained human rights activists.

Translation source: Lissnup

Below: A video by Iranian animator and painter Soheil Tavakoli: TULIPS. He has dedicated the video to the Mournful Mothers.

March 19, 2010

Lest we rest, for our inaction shall mark our annihilation

Visiting the graves of loved ones on the last Thursday of the [Iranian] year is considered by us as a national and religious responsibility, and it demonstrates our closeness to those we have lost.

I regret that I am not in Tehran to perform this duty.

Our dear slain children are not next to us on the [Iranian] New Year’s eve, but their memories shall live forever.

I hope that those prisoners whose empty place is felt strongly by their families are released and returned to the arms of their loved ones.

As a mother with an aching heart, I take refuge in God’s grace. What crime did our children commit that they should be subject to such injustice?

Our youth only demanded to have the same rights every human being is entitled to.

Once again, as a mother, I wish peace, freedom, joy, and health upon everyone. My son wanted the same thing, but he was….

Parvin Fahimi
Sohrab’s mother
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Student activist Sohrab Arabi, 19, was killed at Evin prison due to severe torture. His death was announced to his mother on July 11, after 26 days of frustration. He became one of the symbols of the Green Movement. Sohrab was detained on June 15 during 2009 presidential election unrest.

By Fereshteh Ghazi

Source: Rooz Online

March 19, 2010

While a number of journalists and political prisoners were released yesterday, speaking to a group of families of political prisoners Tehran’s prosecutor general warned that he would not release individuals whose families had spoken about the matter to media networks.

At the same time, the Tehran revolutionary and general courts’ public relations office announced yesterday that the sentences of 86 detainees of recent events had been confirmed.

According to the public relations office’s announcement, the detainees were prosecuted on charges of gathering and conspiracy to disrupt national security, propaganda against the regime, membership in anti-revolutionary groups, participation in illegal gatherings and disrupting public order, among others.

Abdolreza Ghanbari Sentenced to Death

Judge Salavati confirmed the death sentence for Abdolreza Ghanbari, who was sentenced to death by one of the post-Ashoura Day courts.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran announced that Abdolreza Ghanbari’s trial was unjust, as he lacked access to a lawyer and did not have an opportunity to defend himself.  Ghanbari is 42-years old and a resident of the poor neighborhood of Ghiam Dasht in Varamin.  He is a teacher and it is said that his only crime is his participation in the Ashoura Day gatherings and chanting slogans against he Islamic Republic supreme leader.

He was held at Ward 2 of the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps’ detention facility following his arrest.  On 10 Bahman, without having notified his family or spoken to his lawyer, his appeared at a trial presided over by Judge Salavati and admitted to partipcating in the Ashoura Day protests and other acts.  A person close to his case said that his admissions were extracted under torture.  He has recently been transferred to the general ward of the prison.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Akbar Montajebi, Keyvan Samimi, Rasoulov, Tara Sepehrifar, Sheikh-Attar, Farzaneh Ghasemi and Saeed Jalalifar were released.  Rasoulov was arrested along with prominent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and Akbar Montajebi on 19 Bahman.  Jafar Panahi continues to remain behind bars and no information is available about his fate.

Mohsen Mirdamadi, secretary general of the Mosharekat (Participation) Party was also released after posting a 450-million Toman bail.  Mohsen Mirdamadi was arrested one day after the June 12 election coup.

Hossein Sheikh-Attar was released after 75 days behind bars.  Sheikh-Attar was an executive at the state radio and television broadcasting corporation during Mohammad Hashemi’s tenure at the organization.

Kayvan Samimi is a journalist and member of the Association for Defense of Press Rights.  Saeed Jalalifar is a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters.

Despite the Revolutionary Court’s approval and the posting of bail eighty days ago, Tehran’s prosecutor general Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi refuses to order the release of writer and human rights activist Emadeddin Baghi.  Baghi was arrested for conducting an interview with ayatollah Montazeri and has spent about 50 days in solitary conferment before being transferred to the 3-person cells in Evin Prison’s Ward 240.

March 18,  2010

Kalemeh reports the complete transcripts of this message as follows:

In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,

We wish our countrymen, inside and outside the country, no matter where they may be, a happy Norouz. Norouz, this ancient, eternal holiday.

[new year prayer] O savior of hearts and sights, guide of night and day, you who can transform our being, transform me to the very best.

How strange that this ancient ceremony has been so elegantly woven with an Islamic narrative, and not only with a beautiful Islamic narrative, but with the modern society we live in today, and at a time when the green movement has engraved its own beautiful signature on it.

Transform me to the very best is the very wish of the green movement. The green movement wants to work for the betterment of its own condition, and the circumstances of its nation. And evolution in any effort is a beautiful symmetry. The green movement is not a movement that works to overthrow. It is a movement that seeks evolution, an evolution from the status quo to a better circumstance. But allow Hafez to light the way, and let us use the trust we have in him every day of our lives:

To thy complain, love reacheth, if like Hafez
Thou recite the Koran with the fourteen traditions

These fourteen traditions, of which Hafez speaks, and has united with love, tells us that it is something in which we can trust. It is not fortune telling, I don’t believe in fortune telling, and the Holy Koran states: “you are what you are” – do not put the responsibility on someone else’s shoulders. Rather, we take inspiration from him:

Arrived the glad tidings that grief’s time shall not remain:
Like that remained not; like this shall not remain.

Although, I am, in the Beloved’s sight, become dusty and despicable;
Honored like this, the watcher shall not remain.

Since the veil-holder striketh all with the sword,
Dweller of the sacred territory, a person shall not remain.

Of the picture, good or bad, is what room for thanks or for lament
When, on the page of existence, the writing shall not remain?

O candle! reckon union with the moth of a great gain;
For till dawn, this commerce shall not remain*

Dear Hafez, who is our trusted guide on those cold, winter nights and in celebrations, when we are pained and sad and when we are joyous, who “to our complain, love reacheth” – we are encouraged to love one another. We have said before too that the green movement is an enemy to no one, it only has a vision and a demand.

In the midst of the new year, we want a return of freedom to our country. We want the rule of law, which has been, in its modern form, a human effort of the past few centuries, to return to our country.

We want deceit and darkness to end, we want an end to discrimination, be it class discrimination, financial, cultural or discrimination against women. We want respect for personal freedoms, and this doesn’t mean we do not pay heed to the collective and its concerns, but that we believe the individual too has a right. And usually, in highly ideological systems, the individual is not allowed to have an opinion or desire of his own. But this is what the green movement is asking for.

Our people are the very creators of the green movement. The green movement is not like a library where a few books have been placed. The green movement is the very people and their visions. We are all together, we are countless. Our country, in terms of ethnicity, language and geopolitics is one of the most complex. But we thank god for the Koran which states: let’s respect this reality – which states that if there are numerous tribes and clans, they should make an effort to get to know one another. Color and language, they are holy. They are signs of god. This plurality is indeed quite beautiful.

The Green Movement is a collection of other movements such as the workers’ movement, teachers’ movement, women’s movement and others. It is also an assembly of different social and professional sects such as artists, athletes, human right supporters that includes all of us in the movement — this unifies us all — as well as other groups. The Green Movement is like a prism that focuses the light shone by every Iranian star — every citizen of this country — on a beautiful canvass that is the Iranian society. The Green Movement demands freedom, it demands change from the current state of affair in realization of greater Islamic morals. The Green Movement is benign, not violent. We don’t want to stress the old saying that says: “You can’t penetrate a solid rock with an iron nail”. Rather we want to go beyond such mentality. We want to say that in this story, there is no solid rock or iron nail – just citizens of this nation, calmly moving forward. I also want to wish our people and the establishment success in realizing the higher ideals.

I would also like to talk about women. The highest ideals for women are freedom and putting an end to discrimination. This is not only specific to women of Iran ,  it is an ideal  women across the world struggle for . In certain countries [women] have had more success [ in removing discrimination] but we have not been successful . This is a reality. I have always said that the Islamic Revolution is an incomplete project. We were hopeful that the great ideals of Islamic Revolution and its great leader Imam Khomeini would substantiate in the Islamic Republic.  Since the revolution succeeded very quickly we expected ideals such as freedom, rule of law, equality, public welfare, eliminating class discrimination and others will be realized in Islamic republic. But it did not happen.  Pursuing these very same ideals particularly women issues is the goal of green movement. Our women suffer numerous discriminations such as legal, cultural and so on.

Some imagine that when the subject of ending discrimination and seeking equality comes up for discussion that [gender] roles are forgotten, that we are talking about a violent society of a Stalinist sort, where everyone acts in the same way, where heads are cut off so that everyone can be the same size as everyone else. This is not at all what I am talking about. The Green Movement recognizes these roles. Not only the Green Movement but all anti-discrimination activism across the world knows and recognizes these roles. It is not the case that in the Green Movement when we talk of ending discrimination, we forget kindness, the qualities of motherhood, creating love, bringing into being passion and excitement, the continuation of human life. In fact, ending discrimination means we want to make use of our religious teachings and customs in a certain way as far as women are concerned. Like sweet basil, not in a heroic manner. What I mean is that we should behave with kindness and in an enlightened manner, not try to be heroes in the way we act.

Of course what I mean by “hero” here is not the meaning it has in our Persian literature; here its meaning is [to act] angrily and violently. Wherever there is discrimination, the odour of sweet basil is taken captive by this angry heroism. That is to say the anger and excesses that the culture or a [particular] system is liable to bring to bear on it. We are in fact pursuing this matter very seriously alongside the [other] ideals of the Green Movement, so that we can separate the bestowal of freedom on women from the areas of authority in which it is currently entrenched (whether these be legal or otherwise) and we can then raise women to the dignity and status that they have in all the noble and valued cultures of the world, including our own beloved Islam. And we want to raise women to that dignity both from a cultural and from a legal perspective.

Finally I would like to congratulate all those fine human beings who have, at a high cost, preserved the great revolution, brought about victory in the Imposed War [with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and his Western backers], and who have bestowed nobility on the Green Movement. I would like to congratulate most humbly the families of those in prison, the families of all the martyrs fallen in the history of Iran, especially during the last thirty years. I hope that the prisoners are free and that they are able to sit beside their families and their ‘Haft Seen’ (Seven ‘s’s) tables at the New Year celebrations. I hope that they alongside their families beside the Haft Seen table they bind the different ‘s’s in an eternally green chain made up of the green shoots of the Green Movement: besides the seven splendid ‘s’s, the ‘s’s of pride (sarfarazi), happiness (saadat), health (salamat) and other wonderful ‘s’s. And we are without number, we are together, we stand firm.

The Green Movement has paid a high price and stood firm in defense of its ideals. Ultimately these are the ideals we want, these are the demands that must be realized. It is not important who puts this into practice, what is important is that these ideals be realized with pride, these ideals that are the very same ideals of the great Islamic Revolution. I know that this will come about and I hope that all of us will find contentment and happiness.

Kalemeh reports the complete transcripts of this message as follows:

In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,

The unified caravan of martyrs

I wish all of our people a Happy New year, as we approach the green spring and this national holiday. I will especially make note of the families of those who lost their lives while defending our independence during the [Iran-Iraq] war, the veterans, the injured, and those who suffered in any way. I should also mention the martyrs and those injured in 1388, [1][the year that is coming to an end], since I see their fate as connected to that of the war-time martyrs; they are all a apart of the caravan of martyrs that our country has produced over the course of history. If we have a proud country and a free nation today, it is due to their suffering and sacrifices.

Congratulating Iranians both inside Iran and abroad; [all] Iranians with a common identity

I should also pass on good wishes to Iranians from various groups, tribes, ethnicities, cultures and [political] parties; all of our people. This year, I would particularly like to mention our countrymen living abroad. Today, our people are united, and this is one of the blessings of the Green Movement. It has become so extensive, that there are people on the other side of the globe who identify themselves with the rich Iranian and Islamic cultures, strive for the glory and development of Iran and the Revolution, and try to concern themselves with the fate of their country. This is particularly true among our youth, be it inside Iran or abroad, who have sacrificed the most and who have experienced the most damage [in the events of the past year].

We should help and comfort the families who have experienced loss

As far as I have heard, the third and fourth generations of Iranians living abroad are as active as the youth inside Iran, and I would like to use this opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to them as well. The families of the martyrs and the injured have had a crucial role in our movement; our people should stay alongside these families and comfort them, particularly in these first few days of festivities.

The year that has passed

The passing year has been a special one for us all. Our people witnessed a great deal of energy and excitement in the days leading up to the election, and the beauty of it was the love and unity that you saw between people of different backgrounds and political inclinations. The election could have turned into a great festival for our people and initiated a new movement in the history of our nation. It was this movement that lead to very high voter turnout, with which you demonstrated your resolve to see [progress], change, independence, [and the authority of] freedom and justice. But, your active presence in the election was met with a reaction that prompted you to go to the streets with the common question: “Where is my vote?” The roots of this reaction go back to June 12, [election day]. It was not even 5PM when one of my main campaign headquarters was attacked. By 8PM, my central headquarters was also attacked and, before being published the next morning, the main Kalemeh Sabz [2] headline was changed several times on orders from intelligence officials.

A response by the government unworthy of the dignity of our nation

The lack of a proper and Islamic response to the elections by the government created a negative image in the minds of our people and as a result was the root cause of many of the events that occurred in our country.  The response [by the government] to the protests was not befitting of the grandeur, liberty and pride associated with our nation. The crimes at Kahrizak prison, the atrocities at the student dormitories, the killings on the 30th of Khordad, even the 25th of Khordad and the events that followed, such as on the day of Ashura, took the people of our country by surprise.

If the challenges were political in nature, then they should have been resolved through political channels with convincing explanations to our people. This was however not the case and the responses were unfortunately also not satisfying. One of the most significant days was the 25th of Khordad when our people took to the streets in masses, transforming this day into a decisive moment in the history of our nation and a testament to the high spirit of our nation days after the elections.

What did our people desire?

Our people while chanting national and Islamic slogans came out to the streets, without creating any tension, to declare their point of view and cast their vote. We expected a [the government's] response tailored to meet the gentle spirit of our people, unfortunately, we however, witnessed a much different type of response in the events that followed which only further complicated matters.

On the 22nd of Khordad the people of Iran participated in the elections in order to determine their destiny and define the direction of their future. The events that followed the elections, however, turned into an eye opening experience for our people and our country. Our nation discovered major discrepancies and glitches that lead to the formation of a broad spectrum of new demands. These demands began with a request for a referendum on open and fair elections, and later extended to other areas. The Green movement resulted in uniting people behind the fact that all matters should be dealt with in the framework of the Constitution and this became a slogan widely accepted by the majority.

Ignoring parts of the Constitution is tantamount to rendering it meaningless

The truth is, this slogan is of significant importance to the destiny of our nation. The Constitution is a national covenant, without which there is no unity and only chaos and darkness. It consists of a set of contiguous articles and as such, ignoring or weakening one section only leads to rendering it meaningless and void in its entirety.

One must look at the constitution as a whole.  When the constitution was first written, those involved in its inception, wrote an important introduction designed to protect the integrity and continuity of the law. The articles emphasize a set of values, aspirations and demands that are integral to the constitution and cannot be separated. Now that our people have witnessed the judiciary, political, electoral, etc. problems they realize more than ever that the path to a bright future is returning to the foundation defined by our constitution, without any interference by the various political factions.

Withdrawing our demands of unconditional execution of the Constitution is an act of treason for Iran and for Islam. This is a demand that we will not abandon.

If an article in the Constitution is erroneous, the way to fix it is clear. We must amend the Constitution in accordance with public opinion and the recent state of affairs. [As of now], we do not have a free media or the freedoms outlined in the constitution. We lack free elections, where candidates are not cherry-picked, and fair competition. We do not have rights that protect the people’s privacy; rights that prevent some from searching through personal letters with self-serving ‘justification’. How can we assume to have a working system and solve our problems while the national course of action taken is against the Constitution?

We are facing many issues and difficulties in this New Year. Some of them relate to the shape that our demands are going to take. And these are rightful demands. They are a way to achieve national greatness and are a salvation for all parties on the path of developing our nation. We will persevere with these demands, and, accordingly, the coming year will be [known as] the year of persistence. We do not have the right to turn away from them. Any distraction would be an act of treason for the nation, for Islam and for the blood of our martyrs. Our Constitution was created in a sea of martyred blood. It is not something that we can lose easily and we must all return to [its principles].

Among all other things, I wish that the executive branch was at least proficient.

Besides this problem, there are others too; problems that existed before, but which are going to intensify this year, although I am wishing against it. Economic prospects for the future are not good. I am not pleased with this situation. I wish that despite all our issues,  we would have seen an outlook to solve these [non-political] troubles. But that was not so. Forecasts of economic growth for the coming year are poor. First, in addition to drops in investment, this would mean greater instances of unemployment and extensive and increasing poverty. Our middle-class is shrinking more and more as we face these problems. Second, our current [international] standing is not a pleasant one due to ambiguous policies, as well as an adventurous and inept approach [to foreign policy]. Looming upon us is a threatening situation. We have the worst possible international relations and foreign policy, and it seems that with greater sanctions we should expect [more economic pressure].

The Green Movement must expand its reach.

Faced with such a situation, the Green Movement must expand its reach to all segments of society. The Green Movement must revive the timeless social and Islamic principle of inclusion. We must lend a hand to neighbors and neighborhoods both near and far, through job creation and other forms of interaction.

Let us live more modestly; let us help our fellow men and women; let us reduce the weight of people’s problems

Let us make our lives more modest and, by foregoing unnecessary formalities, make more room to think about how to reduce the load of problems that people appear to have. Let us help and attend to the families of the martyrs and those who have been injured—the just prophet looks favorably upon spending time with these families. Moreover, doing this will rekindle the nation’s hope.

The path that we cannot avoid

I believe that the path to realizing the greatness of our nation follows this route and, without a doubt, the nation understands that there is no other alternative. Thus, the nation is hopeful in following this path. God-willing,  we will reach our distinct goals, since our demands are not extravagant by any standards. We demand a fair and healthy election—an election where being on the ticket does not imply having been vetted and selected by a few in power. That kind of election—the kind that we have been having up until now—does not reflect the appropriate respect towards a nation as dignified as Iran. The Iranian nation is great, progressive, and civilized. It should not be treated like a nation of uncivilized, ignorant people, for whom matters need to be decided because they cannot be trusted to run their own affairs and choose their own government properly. I ask that the government respect freedom of speech and freedom of the press so that the nation’s thoughts and ideas are able to flow freely and publicly. I am certain that the manifestation of these thoughts will be Islamic. Only then will we see a productive and progressive Iran brimming with justice and freedom. We must not be afraid to allow this to happen. In fact, we must truly fear the consequences of not allowing this to happen. We must truly be afraid of turning our backs on the demands of the people.

I will finish with a prayer from Imam Khomeini—a prayer that is relevant to our situation today:

O Lord, be watchful of our martyrs and let them rest close to your kindness and compassion. Heal our injured and our dead, and lead those who have been captured by the enemy back to the bleeding hearts of their families. O Lord, in your kindness, grant us patience and success.

[1] 2009-2010

[2] Mousavi’s official newspaper during election campaign

Source: Azarmehr Blog

March 19, 2010

Despite a huge volume of protests against the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran holding its dinner party tomorrow at Kensington Town Hall, the Tory controlled council today refused to heed to all the protest emails and phone calls and has allowed the pro-Ahmadinejad organised event to go ahead. In the beginning the booking officer Matthew Brown (matthew.brown@rbkc@gov.uk) expressed his astonishment that the event was organised by the embassy. Matthew Brown claimed the council was told a non-political ‘cultural group’ had booked the Town Hall for the event and asked for evidence contrary to this understanding.

The evidence of course was in black and white, the event was publicised on the website of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic http://icrolondonevents.com/norooz89/
Which read the Cultural Council of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran invites all those interested for a celebration party on Saturday 20th March in the Kensington Town Hall. Mathew Brown and the leader of the council, Merrick Cockell were notified of this embassy advertisement several times by many. Yet at the end, the Royal Borough of Cambridge and Chelsea lied on its website and Jennifer Allott (jennifer.allott@rbkc.gov.uk) came up with this nonsense statement: http://rbkc.gov.uk/newsroom/councilstatements/iraniannewyearevent.aspx
that a booking was made to use Kensington Town Hall by an ‘Iranian cultural group’ for a celebration.
No evidence has been produced that this event is anything other than a new year celebration.‘
The so-called non-government related Iranian ‘Cultural Group’ was never named.

It was also further explained to the Tory council how Ahmadinejad’s administration uses these events like the ones held on previous occasions in the Millenium Hotel, Gloucester Road or Wolfson College, Cambridge for its propaganda purposes to demoralise the Iranian protesters in Iran. By publicising such gatherings on Iranian state TV and pro-Ahmadinejad websites, in effect they tell the people of Iran, its business as usual for us abroad. The message they send to the Iranian people is no one is standing by you, no one cares for your struggle for democracy, no one is treating us as an illegitimate government, no one is questioning the mass detentions in Iran, the executions and the show trials, we have the petro-Dollars and we can buy whoever we want.

We ask the international community what is it that we are asking you that seems too much to ask? We ask you for international solidarity, you march for Guantanamo detainees, that’s fine but how about marching for an Iranian teenager who has been gang raped in Kahrizak prison, after taking part in a peaceful protest simply asking ‘where is my vote?,’ once in a while? Why is it too much to ask to march just once for the likes of Nedas and Sohrabs and the way even their graves are being desecrated and their families are being harassed?

We ask the students and academics to stand up for the plight of their colleagues in Iran and question such brutal attacks on students of Tehran university shown in this footage taken by Iran’s security forces themselves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnHK6jAcsi4

We ask the likes of Anna Contadini not to accept meaningless awards from Ahamdinejad and his neo-Nazi advisor, Mohammad Ali Ramin.

We ask you not to allow your universities, town halls and hotels to be used for propaganda platforms by the coup administration in Iran.

We ask you to stand up to the regime in Iran for breaking all international broadcasting conventions by jamming the satellite signals to Iran while the regime continues to use the same broadcasting platforms for spreading their own propagandas and lies in just about every language with total impunity.

We ask you to stand up to the regime in Iran for denying the Iranian people access to the internet and freedom of information.

We ask you not to allow your companies to sell torture equipment, eavesdropping and spying facilities to the messianic junta in Iran, so that the dissidents in Iran could not so easily be tracked and arrested.

The victory of the Green Movement in Iran will lead to a more peaceful and tolerant Middle East, is this not enough incentive for you? Are you not touched by the humanity, the exceptional compassion and the magnanimity of the Iranian protesters when they capture and disarm a vicious Special Unit guard?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttxINV_EF50&feature=player_embedded

What is it that we are asking you that is too much? Your councils and your government agencies are more keen on cracking down on the motorists and divorced fathers, any thing that generates revenue for them, than standing up to a totalitarian thugocracy state that backs and funds international terrorism. Stand up to your spineless officials, you have the privilege of not ending up in Kahrizak or Evin prison if you protest, show some grit or they will continue to walk all over you and risk the future security of your children.

Conservative RBKC Council Leader, Merrick Cockell:

The Price of Freedom in Iran:
http://azarmehr.blogspot.com/2009/06/price-of-freedom.html

Above: Photo of Parvin Fahimi, Sohrab Eraabi’s mother.

March 17th, 2010

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 18th, 2010 the families of all the martyrs have called on all Iranians to join them on the last Thursday of the year at Tehran’s Behesht’eh Zahra cemetery to remember them on the year they lovingly gave their lives for their country.

The Iranian people have vowed to turn out to support the families of the martyrs and pay their respects to the families who lost their loved ones. Reportedly the Iranian regime has ordered a full on take over of the cemetery by the Basiji Militia and special forces and has vowed to stop all visitors from approaching the designated gathering areas.

We would also like to recommend the  most marvelous interactive site Neverforget.us (with beautiful composed music of Neynava by Hossein Alizadeh, on the top of the page) to see the list of those who were taken from our midst in this passing year (1388) along with their photos, a description of who they were, where and how they lost their lives. Please visit the site and leave a message on all of their virtual gravestones.

May they rest with the Angels and bless the Iranian people from above.

Planet Iran Editors

Cartoon by Jamal Rahmati. Courtesy of Persian Cartoons

* * As Norooz approaches the price of food sky rockets in Iran, to the point where many of the normal food stuffs is unaffordable even to the middle classes in Iran, let alone the millions of the poor who cannot afford much to set their NoRooz Haft-Seen table or prepare the traditional NoRooz dinner.

* * Below: A video of Ahmadinejad’s trip to the southern Persian Gulf city of Bandar Abbass. The Iranian regime’s media claimed that millions turned out to greet and welcome him to Bandar Abbass. It appears that his entourage and security is more than those “enthusiastic Iranians who had rushed to greet him”.

* * Below: Video of Congressman Mike Honda introducing House Resolution 267 to recognize the cultural and historical significance of NoRooz and though Representative Honda has worked very closely with the Iranian regime’s lobby for many years, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), it is still one step in the right direction.

Guido Westerwelle

* * German Radio reported: Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Britain in letter have called for the European Union authorities to confront the Iranian regime for ‘jamming’ the BBC, Voice of America (VOA), Deutsche Welle among other other foreign media. Iran has jammed all radio and TV programs of foreign media outlets since December 2009.

Bernard Kouchner

Guido Westerwelle (German FM), Bernard Kouchner (French FM) and David Miliband (British FM) who penned the March 17th joint letter, addressing Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affaris and Security Policy and Pedro Serrano, designated acting Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations from Spain who took over in January 2010.

Click here for a pdf copy of the letter

David Miliband

The three European Foreign Ministers emphasized in their letter that it is entirely inappropriate for the regime in Tehran to jam foreign TV and radio programming and that jamming the programming was violating the civil rights of the Iranian people who have the right to have access to information being broadcast from those outlets. They wrote: “With regards to the situation in Iran, we cannot stay silent. The European Union must vehemently condemn Iran’s unacceptable behavior.”

According to the German news agency a draft of this statement will be provided to all 27 Foreign Ministers of the European Union member countries during the March 22nd meeting. The German Foreign Minister announced that during this meeting all attempts will be made to take harsher action should the Iranian regime continue in this vein.

* * On Thursday, March 18th, as scheduled visitors turned out at Tehran’s Behesht’eh Zahra cemetery for a memorial of the martyrs of the summer of 1388. As the year draws to a close the families of the deceased gathered to commemorate their loved ones but as expected the regime’s guards and security forces did not allow others to enter the grounds.

Below: A video of Neda’s mother weeping at her daughter’s graveside

Below are the photos:

* * Javan Online, a website run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reports: Rutgers professor Hooshang Amirahmadi who has recently arrived in Iran. After being heartily greeted by his family and relatives, he visited his place of birth, the small town of Shanderman. In an interview with some members of Iranian press, Amirahmadi stated that he was less corrupt than Hossein Khomeini (Ayatollah Khomeini’s youngest grandson) who a few years ago traveled to both the U.S. and several Arab countries and held meetings with some officials from those countries. Amirahmadi said: “I haven’t sold myself. I am a true believer of the core of the Velayat’eh Faqih and I am a supporter of the Islamic constitution but I have a problem with the mindset (!) because the leaders here have always lost and have been unable to stay on and protect their own. Iran is a military dictatorship. A relationship between the U.S. and Iran is to Iran’s benefit but the U.S. insists on the condition that in order to maintain a relationship with any country, first and foremost it must establish a military base within that country!”

It is important to mention that Amirahmadi is the former head of Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Center for Middle Eastern Studies and president of the American-Iranian Council, a nonprofit advocacy group, which has touted Hezbollah and Hamas as legitimate organizations and not terrorist.

Also, in recent years allegations of sexual harassment by female students are what is said to have fueled Amirahmadi’s removal from his position at the Bloustein School’s Mid East Studies program. Planet Iran editors contacted Rutgers University to confirm or deny these allegations, however our calls were not returned.

Mullah Mohammad-Taghi Messbah-Yazdi

Other assets and holdings of the Messbah-Yazdi family’s are: $184 Million USD in banks in Dubai, another $221 Million USD in the Alnakhl Corporation and 55 Million Euros in banks in Spain.

The above news is compiled and translated by Planet Iran staff.