January 18, 2010
The first court proceeding for five of the Ashura Day detainees took place today in Tehran Revolutionary Court; they have all been accused of Moharebeh (combat against God) and this charge carries the death penalty.
The revolutionary court judge and public prosecutor have refused to divulge the names of the defendants. In the indictment, Tehran Prosecutor’s Office accuses Western countries and Israel of interfering in Iran’s internal affairs, while Seculars, anti-regime protesters, members of (also known as MEK, MKO, PMOI or National Council of Resistance), Baha’is and many other Iranian political, ethnic and religious groups were all present during the Ashura Day protests.
According to this indictment, the arrested Baha’is are accused of being in direct communication with Israel and following their orders to create the “sedition” of Ashura day.
The indictment adds that monarchists, Baha’is, and members of the MEK, “while insulting sanctities by jubilation, whistling and applause, beat and insulted the mourners of Imam Hosein and the security forces and committed serious crimes such as moharabeh and assembly against the country’s security.”
The regime continues to claim that the detainees have confessed to “espionage and gathering information, as well as active participation in all illegal and anti-Revolutionary gatherings.”
The first defendant took the stand after the reading of the indictment and typically, confessed to “crimes” that had been assigned to him by the Islamic regime’s judiciary. He said that he provided the MEK with “news and images of the disturbances.” He added that he is an addict, that his brother spent eight years in an MEK cell group and that two of his uncles were executed for having ties with terrorist groups. He then asked for the judge’s clemency adding: “I am an addict and an addict cannot be political.” He also claimed that he was present at the scene of Neda Agha-Soltan’s shooting and that videotaped her death, providing the video footage to the MEK.
The second defendant confessed to having participated in the Ashura Day events to collect special films and photos for the MEK as well. The Prosecutor’s Office claimed this detainee to be a university student who was a follower and contact person of the MEK and had been in touch with the group via email and prepared a film about the Mourning Mothers’ gathering in Tehran’s Laleh Park and delivered it to the Organization.
Below: A video of the trial with Qor’an cantering to kick of the proceedings with judge and public prosecutors reading false accusations and charges against the five detainees.
Compiled by Planet Iran staff