IRAN WATCH CANADA

Monday, July 31, 2006

















After seven years in prison Mr. Akbar Mohammadi died in Evin prison !


The life of political prisoners in Iran is in great danger !

According to the news coming from Tehran , Mr. Akbar Mohammadi the imprisoned student in Evin prison, last night ( Late Sunday night July 30th / 06) lost his life due to the heart attack in the bath room of the prison and the effort of the doctors in the prison could not save him. At this time his body is in the "Saadat Abad" Hospital for autopsy.
Nine days ago Akbar Mohammadi announced his wet hunger strike ( drinking tea , water ....) in Evin prison and two days later he changed it to dry hunger strike.
Akbar Mohammadi was arrested during the student uprising of 1999 and was sentenced by the primary court to death but later it was reduced to 15 years prison term. Up to the last night he had spent 7 years of his prison term.
According to ISNA news agency : Late last night Akbar Mohammadi died and at 12 midnight his body was transfered to coroner's office .

Mr. Sohrab Solaimani the general manager of prisons in Tehran in speaking with ISNA have said : Yesterday Akbar Mohammadi was in Evin prison's clinic and there was no problem on his health .On his request and based on doctors recomendation he was released from clinic and was transfered to his division .According to his cell mate he went to take a shower and while taking bath his health detriorated and because of this his cell mates transfered him to the security guards and on his way to clinic he died. Mr. Solaimani said : Last night his body was transfered to the coroners office and the reason for his death must be determined by coroners office.
His lawyer was not allowed to see him when he started his hunger strike. The lawyer said he could stop him not to go on hunger strike . It has been reported that due to previous torture Akbar had problem on his lower back which would need immediate attention and operation in order not to becom paralyzed .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9524/

http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/article.jsp?essayId=4683

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Sunday, July 30, 2006


News from Iran:

Ahmad Batebi is in division # 209 of Evin prison, he is on hunger strike ,after spending 7 out of 15 years imprisonment , the judiciary power approved his primary death sentence !

Ahmad Batebi one of the leading Iranian student from the student movement of 1999 who have raised the bloody T-shirt of another wounded student with his hand and his picture was published in "The Economist " magazin of the time and because of his involvement in that demonstration he was at first sentenced to death but later because of his lawyers appeal it was reduced to 15 years imprisonment, now again the appeal court has approved the primary court decision and reinstated the death penalty. Ahmad who was outside the prison for the "leave of absence from prison" this Saturday at 5:00pm while leaving his home with his wife was arrested by five armed agents from the ministry of information . The agents provided him with a warrant of arrest from the court and the warrant reads : " warrant of arrest of Ahmad Batebi the runaway prisoner and the search of his home " . Batebi's wife have said : They searched our home from 5-8pm and during this time they diden't allow us to talk to each other and they took his computer, booklets, CD and books with them .When Ahmad was returning to prison he said that from now i'm in hunger strike .Ahmad Batebi is currently in division number 209 of the Evin prison. He is on hunger strike and after spending seven out of fifteen years of his prison term the judiciary officials reinstated the death penalty .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/9500/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

This war in the Middle East takes alot of my energy , sorry for not updating the news coverage in Iran.

All we are saying ...................................Give peace a chance !Play this song from John Lenon's album
http://www.danceage.com/search_v4.php?searchq=Give+peace+a+chance&type=track&x=8&y=6

Visit this blogger's site for more info about the war of agression, violation of human rights and crime against humanity .

http://www.lebanonlive.blogspot.com/

For any who might be curious to learn what the Lebanese think about the latest exercise in power politics, there are a number of blogs from the country.
www.laureghorayeb.blogspot.com
with artwork
www.remarkze.blogspot.com
for some political insight
www.mazenkerblog.blogspot.com
for cartoons
www.raedyassin.blogspot.com
more cartoons, so furious as to be almost incoherent.These people are the only voices from Lebanon that may reach us in the West.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Thursday, July 27, 2006

War & Violation of Human Rights !
Israeli - Palestinian conflict a continuation of agression and civilian being killed !

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7828123714384920696

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Wednesday, July 26, 2006












Free political prisoners in Iran !

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Shajarian In a concert for the city of Bam ( Where in previous year an earthquake killed close to 80,000 people mostly childeren)

Click here to view and listen the song.
http://tar-setar-fmw.blogspot.com/2006/07/blog-post_20.html

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Help save the life of Ashraf Kalhori !

As an Iranian lawyer and a human rights defender, I am writing to you to ask you to help me save the life of a woman sentenced to death by stoning! Asharf Kalhori, who is currently in Evin prison in Tehran, is scheduled to be stoned to death by the end of July 2006 for the crime of having "sex".

I am voluntarily representing Ashraf, the mother of four children of ages 9 to 19 to save her from stoning. She had an extramarital affair because she never loved her husband, but her request for divorce had been rejected by the court based on the fact that she had children and, therefore, had to resume living with her husband. Therefore, some women whose divorce requests are denied opt for extramarital affairs.

If you believe that stoning is not an appropriate punishment for a woman having sex with a man other than her husband, if you believe that having sex is not a crime and does not turn a person into a criminal, and if you believe that Ahsraf Kalhori does not deserve to die for havi ng had sex, then please express your opposition to stoning.

Your voice counts! I am asking you to please raise your voice against stoning Ashraf Kalhori by signing the petition addressed to the Iranian Head of the Judiciary and the Iranian Parliament representatives. We can save Ashraf's life and, furthermore, together demand a ban on stoning for ever!

Please sign this petition and let the Iranian Head of Judiciary and the Irani an Parliament know that there exists grand opposition to stoning women for having sex, and that we all appose stoning as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Please forward this letter to others who may be interested.

Warm Regards,
Shadi Sadr
Attorney at Law
Tehran, Iran

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Wednesday July 26, 2006
News in brief-

The book of " The Da Vinci Code" is banned in Iran !

It is in the news that the book of " The Da Vinci code " has been banned in Iran due to protest by Christian clergies in Iran . This is happening while 30000 copies of this book have been sold in Iran . Mr. Hosein Shahrabi the translator of the book have said : This book has been printed for eight times and four times under president Ahmadinejad's government.
According to the news the Ministry of Culture and Guidance have issued the bann on its printing & distribution.

Link to this news in Farsi :
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/9457/

Background:
MONA LISA'S SMIRK The Truth Behind the Da Vinci ConspiracyThe Da Vinci Code is not to be ignored as a fictional plot. Its premise, that Jesus Christ has been reinvented for political purposes, attacks the very foundation of Christianity. Its author, Dan Brown, has stated on national TV that, even though the plot is fictional, he believes its account of Jesus' identity is true. So what is the truth? Let's take a look.
Did Jesus have a secret marriage with Mary Magdalene?
Was Jesus' divinity invented by Constantine and the church?
Were the original records of Jesus destroyed?
Do recently discovered manuscripts tell the truth about Jesus?
Has a gigantic conspiracy resulted in the reinvention of Jesus? According to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, that is exactly what happened. Several of the book's assertions regarding Jesus smack of conspiracy. For example, the book states:
Nobody is saying Christ was a fraud, or denying that He walked the earth and inspired millions to better lives. All we are saying is that Constantine took advantage of Christ's substantial influence and importance. And in doing so, he shaped the face of Christianity as we know it today.1
Could this shocking assertion from Dan Brown's best-selling book be true? Or is the premise behind it just the stuff of a good conspiracy novel--on a par with a belief that aliens crash-landed at Roswell, New Mexico, or that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll in Dallas when JFK was assassinated?
----------------------------------

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

For any who might be curious to learn what the Lebanese think about the latest exercise in power politics, there are a number of blogs from the country.

www.laureghorayeb.blogspot.com with artwork
www.remarkze.blogspot.com for some political insight
www.mazenkerblog.blogspot.com for cartoons
www.raedyassin.blogspot.com more cartoons, so furious as to be almost incoherent.

These people are the only voices from Lebanon that may reach us in the West.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Radio WBAI

Amy Goodman with Ganji in an interview!

AMY GOODMAN: Akbar Ganji joins us now in the studio. Hossein Kamaly also joins us to help with translation. We welcome you both to Democracy Now! It’s good to have you with us. Akbar Ganji, welcome. Can you begin by talking about your investigations as a journalist in Iran in the late 1980s?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] Every revolution, after it succeeds and comes to power, begins to suppress its opposition, the opposition forces. And from early on after the Iranian Revolution, my interest, my attention was drawn to the fact, to the problem with this suppression of dissidents.
And in the beginning, the new regime faced armed opposition from various forces, and there was a period of intense violence from the state toward the dissidents. And quite rapidly, the regime succeeded in oppressing and suppressing any resistance, any opposition. And in the summer of 1988, several thousand prisoners were executed.
After that, in the following decade, they started to eliminate intellectuals and journalists and writers who had no intention to engage in armed resistance, but only had their pens to express their opposition. And they were slain in the most atrocious ways. Some were cut into pieces with knives. And some of them had no political activities whatsoever. They were simply dissidents.
As a journalist and a dissident, I decided to get involved with this. It was a very difficult situation, and we exposed these killings. To say the least, what we did, in writing about the killings, stopped their continuation. However, the demands to form a truth-finding committee and to find out the root causes and the full reasons for committing those crimes never came to pass. And the people involved in the killings just got loose.
After this, my good friend, Saeed Hajjarian, there was an attempt to kill him, and the rest of us, we went to prison. And instead of the killers, we were persecuted. Saeed Hajjarian is now paralyzed and sits on a wheelchair, and the rest of us had to go to prison.

AMY GOODMAN: Your investigation, Akbar Ganji, pointed the finger at the highest levels of the -- at the time the Khamenei administration of Iran.

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] In my view, high-ranking regime officials have been involved in the killings. When I was put on trial for participating in the conference at Berlin, I named several of those high officials in my court appearance. But they never put me on trial for writing about the killings, because that file, that dossier, is so tainted and so problematic that they are scared that if I talk, so much will be exposed. Instead, they convicted me of having divulged state secrets. And, of course, state secrets, where? They meant, by that, my exposition, my expose of the killings. And also they gave me a sentence of 18 months in prison, because of what I had said against or about Mr. Khamenei.

AMY GOODMAN: We're talking to Akbar Ganji, Iranian dissident and investigative journalist, translated by Hossein Kamaly. You have just won in this country the International PEN Prize for your investigative journalism. You also were invited to the White House to talk about the situation in Iran as a leading political dissident there. You refused. Why?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] From the beginning of my trip to the West, in Europe and in the United States, I had invitations from various heads of state and government officials to meet with them, but I declined all such invitations.
As an intellectual, I am interested and I am involved in the Civil Society Project. I engage in discussions with intellectuals and representatives of civil organizations, nongovernmental organizations. I met with Habermas, Anthony Giddens and David Hild. Tomorrow, I’ll be meeting Noam Chomsky, and on Friday, I’ll be meeting Richard Rorty.
We do not have much trust in governments, and we don't really believe that their interest is in promoting democracy and the cause of human rights. We can see what Christian, Jewish and Muslim fundamentalists have perpetrated in the Middle East by promoting war. On the other hand, we are raising the banner for peace in the world, unlike the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish fundamentalists. Our intention is to bring together the antiwar forces within Iran, from Iran and from the rest of the world, together.

AMY GOODMAN: Akbar Ganji, the U.S. has threatened to attack Iran. The President, President Bush, has called Iran a part of the axis of evil. What does this kind of pressure -- what is your response to this kind of pressure on the Iranian government that you, too, fiercely criticize?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] We strongly oppose any military invasion against our country. First, it is impossible to invade Iran in the same manner that Iraq and Afghanistan were invaded. The most they can do is to launch missile attacks from afar or to perform pinpoint operations against. But this will not bring democracy. It will only devastate our country. And it's certainly not clear that this would bring down the tyrannical regime.
Democracy cannot be exported with the use of military invasion or with $75 million budgets. The sad situation we witnessed in Iraq is certainly more than enough. We follow a third line. And the third line says no to American foreign policy and says no to the policies of the Iranian regime. We are antiwar. We speak for peace. And in order to bring peace, we need the system in our country to become democratic. However, we are the agents of bringing that democracy, not the United States.
President Bush and Mr. Blair have already admitted that these tyrannical despotic systems have been put in place by the West, and even today that they have realized their past mistake, they intend to solve it through a military solution. But there is no military solution to the problem.

AMY GOODMAN: How can you bring democracy to Iran? How can the pro-democracy movement in Iran be empowered?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] We have a widespread democratic movement within our country. There are two main weak points for this movement. First is the lack of organization, and there is no leadership. We need to better organize the movement and to elect democratically a leader for this movement, a leader like Gandhi. If we can manage to do this, the road to victory is short.
But we should bear in mind at least one point. Wherever in the Middle East a free election is held, Muslim fundamentalists will inevitably win. In addition to fundamental structural problems, also Western foreign policy is responsible for this. Iran is the only exception in the region. Should there be a free election in Iran, the winner will be democratic and freedom-loving forces. But those parties look at U.S. foreign policies with suspicion.

AMY GOODMAN: You are holding a protest for women in Iran next?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] The situation of women in Iran is grave and a matter of serious concern. They suffer from two kinds of injustice: one, the injustice perpetrated by the tyrannical system equally to everyone; and then, the injustice perpetrated toward them because they are women. In the constitution of the Islamic Republic, women are deprived of several fundamental rights, also in the civil code and in the Islamic penal code. Under Reza Shah, the veil was removed by force, and under the Islamic Republic, they are forced to wear the veil.

AMY GOODMAN: And when will that protest be?

AKBAR GANJI: [translated] I’m negotiating with forces within and without the country, and it will take place within the next two weeks.

AMY GOODMAN: Akbar Ganji, I want to thank you very much for joining us, Iranian dissident, investigative journalist, held in Iran for years in prison and tortured, now speaking out in this country, refused an invitation by the White House, translated by Hossein Kamaly. I want to thank you both for being with us.

http://www.democracynow.org/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Tuesday July 25,2006
News update: Iran-Emroozonline reporting from B.B.C:

Ganji rejected the invitation of White House !

Akbar Ganji , the journalist have told to B.B.C. that; He has rejected the invitation of White House for a meeting.Ganji said: He was invited to discuss the current situation in Iran with the officials in White House. The officials in White House diden't mention anything about this invitation. Mr. Ganji said: He did not accept this invitation because he believes that the current American official can't help to the developement of democracy in Iran and he said these kind of meeting wont help and will damage the Iranian opposition.He Added : Off course if the Iranian opposition were united and had a leader then could meet with american officials to find a way for the developement of democracy and human rights in Iran.

Mr. Ganji said : He is not here in America as a leader of democracy movement but as a journalist and is here to show the world what is going on to the political prisoners in Iran.

Last week on the situation of Iraq he have said : " You can't bring democracy by attacking a country " . He added: " War has helped the Islamic extremists and foundamentalism and stopped the democracy movement in the region" .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/9428/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Monday, July 24, 2006

From the World Cup to the World War?!


From the soccer field to the war field !

Two points

First point:
From FiFa to Haifa , It was just on June 9th that the world cup organized by FiFa, brought an amazing world cup and ammused people throughout the world, this was magnificent to see people chanting and being happy at home and in the street all over the world. This world cup had and brought the message of Peace and No to Racism , but this image which was still existed upto 11 days ago in the mind and sight of the people shifted to the war field organized by Haifa and instead of ball it is the bomb that rolls in the field. It is the bomb that is being shot to the ground instead of ball and as a result innocent people are dying . This must be stoped immediately .

2nd point:

The people in the Middle East and particularly in Iran are tired of organizations such as Hizbullah , Mojahedin , Hamas , Taleban , and ............ other extrimist parties and groups, we in Iran are tired of Islamic Republic ....... And also suffered enough from US , British policy toward Iran in the past and at present......However the people In Iran no longer want to see things as black and white . Middle East socities needs NGO's , this idea is growing and first of all the region need to move towards a more liberal regimes , this is what is our most common goal now and the movement towards democracy and human rights is growing , more and more people in the region should join to this movement . We the Iranian believe that; Islamic Republic of Iran is behind Hizbullah and if Hizbullah gain power will bring an Islamic Republic in Lebanon which would be a disaster if Lebanese people will allow this to happen. At the same time we believe that the Israeli's aggression and bombing of lebanon most especially the civilian places is a crime agaist humanity .... and the US support for Israel is the most inhuman policy which is unfolding and all these will bring more shame to Israel and US and will isolate more both this country in the world.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Friday, July 21, 2006

All we are saying ...................................Give peace a chance !

Play this song from John Lenon's album


http://www.danceage.com/search_v4.php?searchq=Give+peace+a+chance&type=track&x=8&y=6

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Thursday, July 20, 2006






Peace , not War !
Stop crime against humanity !

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Monday, July 17, 2006

Monday July 17,2006
News update- Iran Emroozonline reporting:

Ganji's message to the participants in the worldwide hunger strike of Iranian's for the release of political prisoners in Iran!

Iran is a prison -like archipelago !


Dear friends , Freedom lovers,

As a companion, as a person who has spent years in prison and who knows the value and effectiveness of efforts in defending the political prisoners and as a person who knows personally the political prisoners and who loves them either those who are famous or those who are unknown with all their opinions and political backgrounds and values to their knowledge and determination , I would like to thank you for accepting my proposal for a three days of hunger strike and in addition would want to say that i gained alot of energy from your solidarity , passion and freedom loving and whereever there was an opportunity to meet you, i learned from you ..............................

The importance of this protest movement which was delivered with the presence of you the friends and with the help of humble Iranian people is in connection to the struggle for freedom between inside and outside of the country.There was hunger strike in Iran , Ankara , Istanbul , Sydney,Toronto, Montreal , Stockholm, Vienna,London , Cologne, Hambourg, Berlin, Paris, New York , Los Angeles, Atlanta,Chicago , Brussel and San Francisco and many other citys ..................We have to strengthen this unity among inside and outside Iran and congradulation for this unity.

Everyone asks how can we continue this struggle .We must continue this by keeping this unity . In my opinion keeping this unity and strengthening it is our first priority .We have to expand our communication networking and increase its members. We can learn from our experience . At first i was thinking that upon my arrival in New York i'll stage a hunger strike and raise the attention of the world to the situation of political prisoners in Iran but when i talked this idea with others their answer was to do it with others.And many friends inside Iran also attracted to the idea and joined to the event. I greet all these friends and others who have organized these events . I hope this front for chnge continuesly become wider and stronger .
In this struggle human rights is our guidance and its fulfilment is our firm will. One of our goal is the freedom of all political prisoners.............................

Iran is an archipelago of prison kind , human's , books, newspapers, happy musics , every voice and .... are in prison , we demand for the freedom of everyone: Freedom of human, freedom of pen, freedom of happiness , freedom in living, freedom to awarness and developement and freedom for solidarity and responsibility.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9325/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin


Ganji on hunger strike in New York!

Visit this site for pictures:
http://www.iranian.com/BTW/2006/July/Ganji/index.html

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Monday July 17,2006
News update: Gooya newsonline reporting:

Five years prison term and five years depriviation from social rights is the new sentencing for human rights defending lawyer Mr. Abdolfatah Soltani !

Division number 26 of revolution's court sentenced lawyer abdolfatah Soltani to five years prison term and five years depriviation from social rights. Mr. Soltani in speaking with ILNA's reporter have said : " The court have discharged me from the charges of " espionage" but sentenced me to four years prison term for "disclosing the classified documents" and one year prison term for "propaganda against Islamic Republic" . He added: " The court as well sentenced me to five years depriviation from social rights " .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050749.php

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin



Akbar Ganji with cartoonist Nikahang Kowsar in New York hunger strike . Nik did not participate in hunger strike but attended as reporter .Ganji in an interview with NY Sun : "We are against both, Iranian authority and War ".

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin


Visit these link's for picture of hunger strike in Cologne-Germany :
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050715.php

Picture of hunger strike in Vienna- Austria :
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050703.php

Picture of hunger strike in Paris:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050700.php

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin



Monday July 17,2006
News Update:Worldwide hunger strike of Iranian's for the release of political prisoners in Iran

Two Iranian agents were filming the participants to the hunger strike in London!

Iran-Emroozonline reported that during the hunger strike of Iranian's in London two agents from Islamic Republic Embassy were filming and reporting the event to the embassy . They were on the other side of the street were the hunger strike was taking place . They were preparing the rport for their masters Mr. Said Mortazavi the suspect killer of Zahra Kazemi and Mr. Ezheie the minister of information.

Visit this link for picture of these two individual:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9316/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Saturday, July 15, 2006















Release political pisoners before it will be too late !

Saturday July 15 , continuation of hunger strike by Iranian's in Toronto .

Picture shows a group of young Irish passerby who have raised the placards in support of the Iranian's in hunger strike and for the release of political prisoners in Iran . In a conversation i had with these young Irish they have said : " We know there is a street in Tehran named after Boby sands and he was a political prisoner " . After exchanging a few words they left and i was thinking about the revolution in 1978-79 when the political prisoners were released from Shah's prison and most especialy the new regime named a street on political prisoner of another country , what was these all about ?

Now my question from officials in Islamic Republic is that: Is there any difference in political prisoners?

What is clear is that, Islamic Republic did not take lesson or doesn't want to take these lesson seriousely and to think what was the factors that ended the regime of the Shah.

The same factors are the real issues of our country today. The problem is that: Those in power mostly hear late and see nothing or less .

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Friday, July 14, 2006

Ganji Says Iran Dissidents Will Spurn U.S. Funds
By ELI LAKE Staff Reporter of the Sun

CAIRO, Egypt <>When this reporter pointed out that Mr. Ganji¹s last name was very
similar to that of the Indian leader, he said, ³I am not Gandhi, but he is
my role model.² He added, ³I know we don¹t have any other choice other than
having a leader like Gandhi. I know we can do
nothing with violence and hatred. We
have to be able to forgive to establish democracy. I am not talking about
forgiving those people who make mistakes. I mean forgiving murderers and
criminals. But we never forget this.² Mr. Ganji is scheduled to arrive in
New York on Saturday.

--

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin



Iranian's in Toronto in support of Ganji's call for three days hunger strike for the release of political prisoners in Iran!

Iranian's from all walk of life : students, University professors , human rights advocates , political activists , journalists , writers , bloggers and ....... joined the Iranian's in other parts of the world as well as Iran for three days of hunger strike for the release of political prisoners in Iran.

The hunger Strike started today ,Friday July 14 @ 9:00 am in front of Toronto City Hall- speaker corner and will end Sunday July 16.

Detail of the news will appear later in IRAN WATCH CANADA.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Thursday, July 13, 2006


Akbar Ganji, Iran's leading political dissident, is holding a hunger strike at the UN in New York between July 14 and 16, 2006. He demands that the Islamic Republic of Iran release Ramin Jahanbegloo, Mansour Osanloo, Ali Akbar Khoeni, and all other prisoners of conscience.In solidarity, Toronto will hold a concurrent hunger strike at Nathan Phillips Square. Please see below.

Duration of Hunger Strike: July 14-16; 72 hours

Date & Time: ; Friday July 14 (Important Hours: 9am ? 9pm), Saturday July 15 (Important Hours: 10am ? 5pm) , Sunday July 16 (Important Hours: 12pm ? 6pm)

Location: Nathan Phillips Square,
TorontoContact: www.freedomisnotfree.ca
The human rights situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. Petitions and protests to end the abuses have gone unanswered. During the past year, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?s government has continued the Islamic Republic?s policy of monopolizing power in Iran by silencing all independent and dissenting voices. The suppression of demonstrators in Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, and Kurdistan, the silencing of labour, women, and student movements and the vicious attacks on demonstrators throughout the past year, are all evide nce of the ongoing and abhorrent human rights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran. By arresting and imprisoning intellectuals, lawyers, political activists, and labour leaders and by forcing the early retirement of dozens of University professors, Ahmadinejad?s government is pursing polices that are reminiscent of some of the darkest days of the Islamic Republic.In response to this deteriorating situation, we the participants of the Toronto hunger strike lend our support and welcome the suggestion of Akbar Ganji Iran's leading dissent intellectual who was recently freed after 2222 days of imprisonment ? for a global hunger strike that demands the release of three prominent political prisoners namely: Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeni, a student leader and former member of parliament, Dr Ramin Jahanbegloo, a philosopher, professor and public intellectual and Mansour Osanloo, a prominent labor leader and execu tive director of the Workers Syndicated Union.Additionally, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political detainees from the Islamic Republic?s jails but we specifically demand the release of the above mentioned persons who represent various groups of prisoners of conscience in Iran.You can find the press release for the Toronto hunger strike at freedomisnotfree.ca.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Latest on where the hunger strike is going to take place.

Hunger strike is set for three days and will start from Friday July 14 to July 16,2006.

http://www.jomhouri.com/weblog/strike/inf.htm

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Democracy and human rights movement in Iran is becoming stronger !

Freedom of political prisoners is a step towards democracy . Despite of difference in opinions but Iranian's are coming together around democracy and human rights movement.

In support of Akbar Ganji's initiative for a worldwide hunger strike in protest to violation of human rights and for the release of political prisoners in Iran which will begin this coming Friday July 14 , 2006 and will end on Sunday July 16 , many political parties, student organizations , personalities in and outside Iran have supported this hunger strike . Akbar Ganji is currently in England and will be joining the hunger strike in front of UN building in New York on Saturday July 15 ,2006.

Iranian's outside of Iran will gather and stage hunger strike in New York, Berlin, London , Paris, Toronto-Canada, Vienna , Stockholm , Sydney , California , Los Angeles , hague , Cologne and ..........

Link about this event in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9239/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Tuesday, July 11, 2006


http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18241

Call for proper trial in Kazemi case on third anniversary of her death in custody
On the third anniversary of Canadian-Iranian photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi’s death from her injuries after being beaten while in custody in Tehran, Reporters Without Borders today condemned the “total impunity” prevailing in the case and called for a proper trial of all those responsible involved.
“There has been no progress in this case since the acquittal on 16 November 2005 of Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, the only person ever to be formally accused, and the Kazemi family lawyers have run into a wall of silence from the Iranian judicial authorities,” the press freedom organisation said. “We support the lawyers’ demand for a fair and impartial trial to be finally held, one that would establish once and for all the circumstances in which Kazemi died.”
Reporters Without Borders added: “Like the Canadian government and others, we were shocked to see Tehran chief prosecutor Said Mortazavi, who is alleged to have been directly involved in Kazemi’s death, attending the inaugural meeting of the UN human rights council on 19 June in Geneva. His presence there, just a few weeks before the anniversary of her death, was outrageous.”
Mohamad Ali Dadkhah, one of the Kazemi family’s lawyers, told Reporters Without Borders: "After the appeal and its verdict, we were very hopeful that the supreme court would order the reopening of the case. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, there has been a complete silence until now and our request has produced absolutely no reaction."
A Canadian resident, 54-year-old Kazemi was arrested on 23 June 2003 as she was photographing the relatives of detainees outside Evin prison in north Tehran. She was beaten while in custody and died of her injuries on 10 July 2003.
After trying to cover up what happened, the Iranian authorities issued a report on 20 July 2003 recognising that Kazemi’s death was the result of violence. But the report failed to explain how the blow that caused her death was inflicted. Only an autopsy could now clear this up.
Against the wishes of her son, Stephan Hachemi, who has French and Canadian nationality and lives in Canada, Kazemi’s body was hastily buried on 22 July 2003 in Shiraz, in southern Iran. Kazemi’s mother publicly acknowledged that pressure was put on her to authorize the burial. Since then, the requests for the body to be exhumed and repatriated to Canada have been ignored.
Ahmadi, one of the intelligence officers who interrogated Kazemi while she was in custody, was charged with her death following international pressure and an investigation by the Iranian parliament, but he was acquitted in a sham trial on 24 July 2004.
An initial hearing in an appeal against Ahmadi’s acquittal was held in Tehran on 16 May 2005 without Ahmadi attending. Journalists were barred from the courtroom and the Kazemi family lawyers said they are not able to address the court, which adjourned the hearing after just one hour.
The Tehran appeal court issued a ruling on 16 November uphold Ahmadi’s acquittal. But according to his lawyer, and the Kazemi family lawyers, the court at the same time ordered that the case should be sent back to the prosecutor’s office and that the investigation should be reopened.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Student Movement Continuation of 1997 Movement
Dana Shahsavari-Roozonline
12 Jul 2006

Mehdi Aminzadeh, member of Daftar Tahkim Vahdat the largest student movement in Iran, has been formally deprived of continuing his university education. In his interview with Rooz, he reviews the student revolt that took place on July 8, 1999 and is commonly known as the 18 Tir revolt in Iran.
-->
Mehdi Aminzadeh, member of Daftar Tahkim Vahdat the largest student movement in Iran, has been formally deprived of continuing his university education. In his interview with Rooz, he reviews the student revolt that took place on July 8, 1999 and is commonly known as the 18 Tir revolt in Iran.
Rooz (R ): Can the 18 Tir movement be considered a launching point for the Iranian student movement?Mehdi Aminzadeh (MA): In general, I think that the 18 Tir student revolt was the continuation of the May 23, 1997 change that brought reformist Mohammad Khatami to the presidency. In 1997 Iranians called for changes such as reforming the political structure, freedom of press, and freedom of expression which the regime gradually suppressed. But two institutions continued their struggle: the press and the students. So the battle continued between the regime and the public and 18 Tir is where it culminated and brought lessons to the movement.
R: How have political groups and parties used this issue?MA: The right aimed at suppressing and crushing the movement. Reformers on the other hand responded in two ways. First their activities were aimed at helping the reformist government. For example they called for transferring the law enforcement leadership and command to the Ministry of the Interior. But subsequently, many reformers abandoned the student movement and left the students to themselves.
R: What is the lesson of 18 Tir for us today?MA: The events showed that the movement lacks a modern and powerful organization to advance its goals. Those were two golden days that were lost both to the students and to the reformers. The events showed that students did not have strategic perspective with a specific goal.
R: Political parties have been tried to infiltrate the student movement.MA: Yes. This has been an obstacle. Reform parties have always wanted the student movement to be following them so that they would devise the strategy for the students. But the student movement gradually became independent and in 2001 it launched the strategy of distancing itself from power. So today it is in a completely different position, which is closer to its natural point and where it should be. Now the movement must restructure itself. Now that it is separated from power (i.e. the regime) and does not participate in elections, it must have a new strategy. Regarding its identity too it must define that based on its own history and record. Its strategy must be part of the national strategy to defend freedom and democracy and its must have boundaries with the movements of the reformist and the hardliners. At the same time the student movement must not become narrow to be simply opportunistic but must remain focused on pursing the democratic demands of the people. Student activists who have dedicated their efforts to this goal continue to be in prison and behind bars these days. Others however who are the leaders of small groups are in the streets of the US and in their words are continuing the struggle through television and Voice of America. The US government, which itself unfortunately has a negative record human rights performance across the world, has surrounded itself with opportunists through its comical plan for spreading democracy. The student movement is against violations of human rights across the world and cannot be in the group that created the Abu Ghraib and Al Haditha disasters.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Current Political Prisoners in Iran
July 2006

Soraya Azizi
Tonia Kaboudi
Zeynab Bayzadi
Fatemeh Haghighatpazhouh
Gholam Hossein Kolbi (Mojahed, sentenced to death reduced to life imprisonment)
Saeed Shah Ghole-ee ( Mojahed, sentenced to death reduced to life imprisonment)
Khalil Shalchi (Mojahed, status undetermined)
Behnam Vafa Seresht (Mojahed)
Dr Saeed Masouri (Mojahed, sentenced to death)
Yashar Ghajar (Student Activist)
Ebad Tavancheh
Valiallah Feyz Mahdavi (Mojahed, sentenced to death)
Jaffar Eghdami (Mojahed, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment)
Afshin Baymani (Mojahed)
Reza Mohammadi (Member of Democrat Party in Kurdistan, sentenced to 15 years)
Abbas Deldar (sentenced to death, reduced to 15 years imprisonment)
Ebrahim Momeni (charged with espionage, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment)
Hassan Kheibarinia (undetermined, English Translator, accused of writing an inflammatory letter to Khamenei)
Mostafa Joekar (Journalist, status undetermined)
Hassan Nahid (Communication Engineer accused of revealing secret information, sentenced to 3 years imprisonment)
Hossein Ghazanfari (Member of Monarchist Movment ("tondar movement"), arrested in Shiraz, status undetermined)
Bahram Mashhadi (Baha'i, accused of writing letter to the leader, sentenced to one year imprisonment)
Mehran Kousari (Baha'i, accused of writing letter to the leader, sentenced to three years imprisonment)
Hamid Pourmand (Marine officer, Protestant Priest, status undetermined)
Abdolsamad Karimi (Revolutionary Guard Officer, accused of communicating with foreigners)
Houshang Ghasemi (accused espionage)
Alireza Shariat Panah (Mujahed, disabled)
Mehrdad Heydarpour (sentenced to three years imprisonment)
Mehrdad Lahrasebi (sentenced to death, reduced to 15 years imprisonment)
Manouchehr Mohammadi (student, sentenced to death reduced to 15 years imprisonment)
Akbar Mohammadi (student, sentenced to death reduced to fifteen years imprisonment)
Mohandes Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (political activist, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment)
Arjang Davoudi (espionage, sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment)
Bina Darabzand (Member of Democratic Party of Iran)
Behrooz Javid Tehrani (Member of Democratic Party of Iran, sentenced to 7 years imprisonment)
Dr Naser Zarafshan (a leading lawyer defending the victims of the Chain Assassinations, sentenced to three years imprisonment)
Amir Saran (National United Front, sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment)
Mohandes Ahmad Rashidnia (Nuclear Engineer, accused of nuclear espionage, status undetermined )
Reza Shireza (Russian language translator, translator for Russian technicians sent to Iran on nuclear plants, accused of nuclear espionage, status undetermined)
Amir Parvizi (Accused of holding Masoud Rajavi’s picture in a demonstration in front of Tehran University)
Dr Saeed Kamaliha
Mojtaba Samieenejad (Weblogger, student, sentenced to 2 years and ten months imprisonment)
Afshin Zarei (Weblogger, status undetermined)
Hossein Reesi (Weblogger, status undetermined)
Dr Jamshid Amini (military officer and doctor)
Officer Houshang Ghasemi (pilot)
Behrooz Azizi Tavakoli (209, Baha'i, status undetermined)
Dr Ali Sasani (209, discovered the Orion vaccine, status undetermined)
Reza Malek (former deputy of security in the province of Tehran, has been kept in 209 for the past 4 years, status undetermined)
Asad Shaghaghi (Member of National Front Party, sentenced to 3 years imprisonment)
Khaled Hordani (accused of hijacking airplane, sentenced to death)
Dr Iraj Farjadi (political activist, Mashhad prison, status undetermined)
Amir Lajevardi (student, prison of containment unknown, possibly killed)
Ali Akbar Aghdasi
Mostafa Sanghtarash (Mojahed)
Mohamad Ebrahim Behboodi
Alireza Abdolahi
Taghi Pashapour
Karim Nouroozi Moghadam
Hosseing Ghabeli
Mohammad Ghabeli
Maghsood Varmziyar
Parviz Yekani Zareh (Iliyar)
Babak Azar Oghloo
Ali Pourali
Saber Beytollahi
Karim Yousefi Adl
Kamal Navidi
Hossein Feyzi
Alireza Karami Kheirabadi
Abass lessani
Gholamreza Amani
Changhiz Bakhtavar
Hassan Demirchi
Saleh Kamrani
Majid Pehoyfam
Taghi Rahmani
Ahmad Batebi
Reza Alijani
Farzad Hamidi
Osman Mostafapour
Ebrahim Khorandi
Mohammad Varooneh
Khaled Ostad Ghaderi
Aziz Mohammadijani
Hossein Karami
Mohammad Amin Foroutan
Asad Mazouji
Khaled Fereydooni
Omar Taghipour
Mohamad Nazari
Seyed Taher Abdollahpour
Rasoul Abdollahpour
Saeed Sanghar
Hossein Hamzeh Vali Shoja
Hassan Mahmoudi
Hamed Minazadeh
Naser Satouri
Mehdi Zayeleh
Majid Rahmani
Mahmoud Rahmani
Mohammadi Vabsi
Habibollah Naderi
Masoud Hosseinpanah
Jamal Zarei
Azad Sadeghi
Toufigh Moradi
Naser Sedghi
Syed Hojjat Ebrahimi
Jamal Hosseini
Anvar Azizi
Jahangir Badozadeh
Jamal Parabdollah
Salah Ahmadi
Lezghin Shabani
Karim Marouf
Siamand Shaboy
Shahram Ghourkani
Abdolkhalegh Toloee
Afshin Sheikholeslam
Peyman Piran
Pezhman Piran
Dehghan Mohammadi
Farough Samani
Hejar Mamandi
Mostafa Rasoulinia
Valid Doroudi
Rasoul Rashidi
Ghader Jola
Mohammadi Sedigh Kabovand
Mahmoud Salehi
Seyed Jalal Hosseini
Mohamad Abdi
Mohsen Hakimi
Borhan Divanghar
Reza Amini
Helmet Hassan Azarpour
Abdollah Mohammadi
Morteza Soleymani
Ajlal Ghavami
Saeed Saedi
Madeh Ahmadi
Hossein Ahmadi Niaz
Saman Rasoulpour
Kaveh Hosseinpanahi
Jamshid Vaziri
Jahangir Hashemi
Amir Abdolahzadeh
Mohammad Zaher Ahmadipour
Hohar Rezvi
Naser Yousefi
Ali Pasbar
Semko Pasbar
Mohammadi Hassankhali
Azad Lotfpouri
Jalil Azadkhah
Sedigh Minaee
Borhan Lehvani

Free Political Prisoners in IranDedicated to Ganji’s campaign to release Iranian political prisoners.

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Sunday July 9,2006
News update :

Call for hunger strike in front of UN building in New York , Akbar Ganji will be joining the hunger strike !
Call by coordinating body for hunger strike in New York.

Esteemed compatriot :
After the call for hunger strike by Akbar Ganji , the symbol of resistance , for coming together in United Nation and starting hunger strike in protest to violation of human rights in Iran and demanding for the release of Ramin Jahanbegloo , Mansur Osanloo and Ali Akbar Musavikhoeini and other political prisoners in Iran , there have been many sessions by Iranian political activists from many citys in US which was held by internet chat room and based on these dialogues and in cooperation and support with Mr. Ganji a hunger strike will start from 9:00am Friday July 14,2006 in front of UN building in New York and will end on Sunday 5:00pm July 16,2006 . Mr. Ganji will be joining the hunger strike on the morning of Saturday July 15 and will end his strike in the closing ceremony .

Public relation from coordinating body in New York :

Mr. Mohsen Ghaemmagham Mgam22@aol.com )
Person in charge of public relation Mr. Mehdi Amini amehdizz@yahoo.com
Spokespersons for the coordinating body : Ms. Fatemeh Haghighatju, Mr. Mansur Farhang , Mr. Mohammad Borghei , Mr. Mohammad Amini


Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9228/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Saturday, July 08, 2006


Saturday July 8,2006
News update - Roozonline reporting from Iran:

Judiciary power issued the sentencing of Masoud Bastani .
A journalist is sentenced to 74 lashes !

Masoud Bastani is sentenced to 74 lashes and fine payment of 300 thousands Tuman by division number one of public prosecutors office -region number 9 . He has been charged of participating in illegal gathering and disturbing the public peace and order .
This is what Masoud Bastani have told to reporter of "ISNA " , He added : I was arrested on July last year when i was preparing report about the health situation and hunger strike of Ganji and the gathering in Milad hospital.
He said : I spent 20 days in detention but after trial i was sentenced to 74 lashes and ............
Mr. Bastani said :He intend to appeal on the sentencing.

End/
Link to this news in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/016527.shtml

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin







Ganji’s initiative on behalf of prisoners of consciousness in Iran is getting momentum both inside and outside, especially from brave individuals inside the country.

Free political prisoners in Iran !

Stop violation of human rights !

Three days hunger strike ( July 14,15,16 ) for the release of political Prisoners in Iran all over the world !

The following letters are in Farsi : from 320 Iranian intellectuals:
http://1384.g00ya.com/politics/archives/050300.php
From Batebi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050305.php
For Ghajar and Tavancheh:
http://1384.g00ya.com/politics/archives/050309.php
From Advar:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050285.php

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

News Update: Gooya newsonline reported from ISNA :

Ms.Elham Afrotan is sentenced to five years depriviation from working as a journalist and social rights !

Her Lawyer Mr. Abdolsamad Khoramshahi said : " My client is acquited from some of her charges and only in one charge she is sentenced to suspending detention and fine payment " .The sentencing was issued by division number 26 of revolution's court. The lawyer said that he is going to protest to the sentencing.

She has been charged with : Insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, insulting the Islamic Republic officials and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

Background:
Ms. Elham Afrotan is a journalist and was working for " Tamadon Hormozgan " publication. All these happened when she cut and pasted an article with the title " Openly discussing on AIDS " in " Tamadon Hormozgan " publication and then published it .She compared Islam with AIDS.

End/
Link to this news in Farsi :
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050150.php

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Ganji Calls for 3-day Hunger Strike
July 14 - 16, 2006
July 1, 2006

The human rights situation in Iran continues to deteriorate. Petitions and protests to end the abuses have gone unanswered. During the past year, Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s government has sought to monopolize power in Iran by silencing and suffocating all independent and dissenting voices. The suppression of demonstrators in Azerbaijan, Khuzestan, and Kurdistan, the silencing of labor, women, and student movements and the vicious attacks on demonstrators throughout the past year, are all evidence of the ongoing and abhorrent human rights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran. By arresting and imprisoning intellectuals, lawyers, political activists, and labor leaders and by forcing the resignation of hundreds of University professors, Ahmadinejad’s government is pursing polices that are reminiscent of some of the darkest days of the Islamic Republic.

In such an atmosphere, Iran’s democracy movement calls for the unity and support of people of conscience from around the world. Without such unity, there is little hope of stemming the appalling human rights violations in Iran and the growing authoritarianism of regime.
In response to this deteriorating situation, we the undersigned lend our support and welcome the suggestion of Akbar Ganji – Iran’s leading dissent intellectual who was recently freed after 2222 days of imprisonment – for a global hunger strike that demands the release of three prominent political prisoners namely: Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeni, a student leader and former member of parliament, Dr Ramin Jahanbegloo, a philosopher, professor and public intellectual and Mansour Osanloo, a prominent labor leader and executive director of the Worker’s Syndicated Union.

Additionally, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political detainees from the Islamic Republic’s jails but we specifically demand the release of the above mentioned persons. Should their release not be secured, we, the undersigned, will begin a co-ordinated global hunger strike from July 14 through July 16, 2006 to draw attention to our demands. We ask for the support and solidarity of people from around the world who share our goals for a democratic Iran and an immediate end to all violations of human rights.
To participate in Toronto's concurrent hunger strike, please contact Binesh Hassanpour (b.hassanpour@utoronto.ca).

Nader Hashemi, Northwestern University
Monireh Mohammadi, York University
Mehrdad Ariannejad, University of Toronto
Victoria Tahmasebi, York University
Niaz Salimi, Centre for Thought, Dialogue and Human Rights in Iran
Binesh Hassanpour, University of Toronto
Sasan Ghahreman, Sepidar Publications
Morteza Abdolalian, Iran Watch Canada
Nazli Kamvari, University of Toronto
Reza Sebti, University of Waterloo
..........
..............

Visit this site on hunger strike :
http://www.freedomisnotfree.ca/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Monday, July 03, 2006












Pictures : Top - Osanloo, Right middle- Jahanbegloo, below - Mr. MUsavi with two agents.
Iranian in Toronto are getting ready to join the hunger strike called by Akbar Ganji!

agora_iran@yahoogroups.com,negah_group@yahoogroups.com
As you all know, According to MR. Azhei Dr. Jahanbegloo stands accused of
"espionage" and accessory to "US orange Revolution" in Iran (or something to
this effect)…obviously these outrageous accusations function as criminalizing
civil and peaceful dissent in Iran…from now on, it will be against the law to
work for peaceful reform in Iran.
Akbar Ganji has announced that he will conduct a three days hunger strike if
Jahanbegloo, Khoeini and Osanloo (chosen symbolically as representatives of
three political stripes) are not released by July 14. In Toronto, many are
getting ready to join him and have a concurrent hunger strike here.
-------------------------------------

Thank you for your signatures. Once I have a few more, I will make the
webpage public. Please spread the word - can someone please forward my email
(s) to the Negah listserv as well?
As for the hunger strike itself, we are still awaiting word from Mr Ganji as
to how he wants to conduct it - whether he wants us to camp out, or whether we
can go home at night, and so on. I personally think that the strike needs our
commitment irregardless of the form it takes. I will send Agora another email
as soon as I have more information.
We have also translated a statement on the hunger strike by Dr Haghighatjoo.
It's being edited at the moment - once that's done, I can have something to
put up on the webpage.

Thank you so much,
Binesh Hassanpour
Dept. of Philosophy; Dept. of Psychology
University of Toronto
________________________
b.hassanpour@utoronto.ca

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin


Monday July 3,2006
News update - Gooya newsonline - Radio Germany - Behnam Bavandpour :













Ganji's call for hunger strike for the release of political prisoners in Iran !

"Time for seating at home and chanting the slogan is over " !

Akbar Ganji the protesting writer , journalist and a dissent called all Iranian from inside and outside Iran to stage a hunger strike focused for the release of political prisoners in Iran particularly Mr. Mansur Osanloo, Mr. Ramin Jahanbegloo and Ali Akbar Musavikhoeini. The strike will start on July 14-16 . So far many personalities and organizations including Ms. Simin Behbehani ( the lady poet and candidate of Association of writers in Iran for Noble prize in litrature ) have supported the strike.

End/
About this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/050118.php

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Monday July 3,2006
News from Iran - Gooya Newsonlin reporting from the site of " Nousazi ":

Mohammad Khatami the former reformist president of Iran is planning to publish a newspaper which is called " Ayandeh Nou " and it will be out by early August .

According to the report by " Nousazi" , Mr. Abdolrasul Vesal the managing director of "Iran " newspaper ( A government newspaper) during the presidency of Khatami will be the managing director of "Ayandeh Nou" newspaper and the editor in chief of the newspaper will be Mr. Kasra Nouri . Mr. Kasra Nouri was the former editor of " Iran " newspaper at the time when Khatami was president.
Mr. Vesal is busy attracting forces for " Ayandeh Nou " newspaper and have plan to get its forces from " Sharq " , " Etemad Meli " and " Iran" newspapers .

It is needed to say that "Iran " newspaper was closed recently because of a cartoon by Mana Neyestani . Mana and the editor in chief of this newspaper are currently in prison and because of the closure many journalists have lost their job .

End/
Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/more/9125/

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Appeal to Stop the Death Penalty and a Fair Process for the Cases of 9 Charged in Ahwaz !

This letter has been published completely and/or briefly in domestic press and Persian sites
June 17, 2006

Honorable Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi,Chief of the Judiciary Islamic Republic of Iran

cc: Hojjatoleslam Mohseni Eje’i, Minister of Intelligence Islamic Republic of Iran

Your Excellency,

As a human rights advocate and a law-respecting Muslim, I write this letter to voice my serious concern regarding the fate of nine individuals who have been sentenced to death in the City of Ahwaz. Discussions with the families and lawyers of those sentenced have convinced me that the court decision made about the fate of these individuals requires your close attention in order to prevent the possibility of grave injustice
As you are well aware, in the first half of the year several disturbing events took place in the city of Ahwaz, where this kind of ethnic issue is rooted in the poverty, socio-economic deprivation and accumulated repressed complexes abused and exploited by foreign forces. It is only through the pursuit and implementation of justice that ethnic concerns can be addressed and external manipulation neutralized.
In October 2005, a bomb exploded in the Naderi neighborhood of Ahwaz, killing several of our Khuzeztani compatriots. Those involved in the bombing were arrested and executed. Afterwards another group of individuals were arrested for acquiring explosives or the intent of bombing oil pipelines, out of which nine individuals -- Abdolzahra Halichi, Yahya Nasseri, Rissan Savari, Abdolemam Zayeri, Jafar Savari, Mohammad Ali Savari, Hamzeh Savari, Nazem Barihi, and Zamen Bavi – have since been sentenced to death. Some of these individuals are between 18 and 20 years old, have only had primary education, and are manual workers. According to the information received some had absolutely no connection to the intent of bombing. Others were deceived by one individual who sold them sonar bombs and encouraged them to explode the bombs. These sentenced ended up changing their minds, abandoning or hiding the explosives. The amazing fact is that the individual that was identified by all nine defendants as the provider of bombs has not been arrested and continues to roam freely in Ahwaz, yet those he deceived have been sentenced to death.
The delivery of justice in this situation requires close attention to the following facts:
1. Those sentenced to death are all Iranian citizens constitutionally entitled to due process and human dignity.2. They are among the victims or those harmed by the imposed war with Iraq.3. They are Arab Khuzestanis, more than 16,000 of which were martyred in the war.4. While the people of Khuzestan sit on Iran’s most valuable resources, they are amongst the poorest in the country. Despite this they consider themselves an integral part of Iran.5. Respected members of the community believe that since none of the sentenced was responsible for any explosions, they deserve reduced sentences.6. Although the case against these individuals is based on the claim that they had an organization, there was no organization; some did not even know each other, and all were individually deceived by the supplier of the explosives. 7. Since there was no explosion and no murder was committed, there are no private plaintiffs and law of retribution (qessas) does not apply. The government is the plaintiff and its restraint and compassion will have deep impact on the hearts and minds of the people of Khuzestan. 8. Not only the law of qessas does not apply, the sentenced are also not subject to the charge of moharebeh since, according to all Muslim religious authorities (Shi'i and Sunni), the mere fact of being in possession of weapons/explosives cannot be considered tantamount to the actual use of weapons/explosives for the purpose of threatening people and causing fear. Illegal possession of weapons is of course a crime but not a crime deserving of a death sentence.9. According to reports by family members as well as lawyers there were many irregularities which undermine the integrity of the legal process in this case. For instance, the defendants, after 10 or 11 months of solitary confinement, were tried, mostly in other cities, without meeting their lawyers. This meant that during the trial lawyers did not even know their clients. Furthermore, lawyers had only 24 hours to read the defendants’ files. The sentenced have all claimed that their confessions were made under duress and the day one of the sentenced was arrested was approximately two months prior to the claimed bombing date.10. The sensitive situation of our country and the plans that are being devised for causing ethnic unrest necessitate an approach that lessens ethnic tensions and neutralizes external manipulation. The execution of these individuals, on the other hand, heightens as well as injures tribal and communal feelings.11. In principle, compassion works better than violence and overlooking the mistake of a citizen is more valuable than lack of patience.12. The principle of ethnic belonging is officially recognized in the Iranian Constitution and the costs accrued by the actions of a few extremists should not be paid by individuals who are not connected to these extremists.
Considering that the Supreme Court is about to review the decision of the lower court and the approval of the lower court decision may lead to disconcerting events in Khuzestan that can be emotionally manipulated by others, it is respectfully requested that an order be issued for the careful reconsideration of the case. It is further requested that a select investigative committee be formed to talk directly with the sentenced, their families as well as their lawyers. Finally, it is requested that a just and speedy process for the consideration of the cases of others charged with similar crimes in Khuzestan be initiated. As your Excellency is aware, the possibility of defendants admitting to uncommitted crimes under duress is not unheard of and in this case of particular national sensitivity all possibilities must be investigated in order to avoid costly mistakes not only in relation to the taking of precious human lives but also because of the real potential for heightening and injuring ethnic sensibilities.

I thank you in advance for your careful attention to this matter.

Respectfully yours,
Emadeddin Baghi

Send Me A Message | | | | Balatarin