Police were stationed outside Tehran's Azad University and Basij forces entered the main building to prevent student demonstrations today.
According to a student leader contacted by Radio Farda, Azad University students had made plans days ago for a protest on Tuesday. But about one hundred Basijis from Amir Kabir, Science and Industry, and Tehran universities were bused in today, ostensibly for a ceremony at Azad Universy's mosque marking the martyrdom of the 6th Imam. Once the mosque ceremony ended, the Basijis began insulting Azad University students and chanting 'Death to hypocrites!' The Basijis allegedly assaulted several students, but were soon overwhelmed by some 2,000 students who left their classes at noon break. Police and plainclothesmen were called in later in the day. They checked the mobile telephones of students as they left the campus. Nevertheless footage of the events managed to make its way onto the Internet.
This footage was filmed outside the university and shows security forces stationed on the street.
'Free thought is not possible with beards and whiskers!' 'Ahmadi, you clown, the 63% is here!' 'Long live Mousavi, may Karroubi stand long!' 'Oil money has been lost, it's been used to pay for Basijis!'
Black-clad Basij goons rough up a student in a classroom. Old habits die hard even when you're being filmed:
'Ahmadi you midget, you still call this football!?' (Referring to Ahmadinejad's comments on June 14, when he said that the protesters were like football hooligans unhappy because their side had lost a match) 'This is what a quota student looks like!' (Referring to university quotas for Basij members) 'Death to the Taliban, whether in Kabul or Tehran!'
'They've arrested someone!' shouts one student. 'Basiji get lost!' the crowd shouts, before singing a hymn of the student movement 'Yareh Dabestani Man.' Some Basijis can be seen filming the protesters.
'They've used pepper spray!' said the student who filmed this footage.
Students take this Basij leader, referred to as Mr. Abbasi, to task for using tear gas. The Basij leader says that a university is not the place to shout slogans and denies Basijis used tear gas. Protesters claim that the Basijis who have entered the campus are not students there: 'This one asked me where the elevator was. What kind of student is that?'
Azad University has been the scene of regular protests since the start of the academic year.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It's in the mail: Date for presenting official report on post-election abuse is postponed... again
The final report on 'post-election events' will not be delivered this week, according to a member of the special committee set up to investigate violations that occurred during the regime's crackdown. The presentation of the report has already been postponed twice.
Farhad Tajari, a member of the special committee looking into post-election events and the Kahrizak detention center, told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Monday that he could not give a date for the presentation of his group's final report. 'Some new facts have come to light and we must look into them before we are able to offer our report,' he said. Tajari is also a key member of the Majlis judiciary committee.
On Saturday Hamid Reza Katouzian, Majlis representative from Tehran and another member of the special investigative committee, told Parleman News, the news site of the Imam Line Faction of the Majlis, that pressure was being exerted on the group. 'This committee must not surrender to the pressure and must present a comprehensive report to the Majlis,' he said.
Katouzian, a conservative Principlist lawmaker, has been a vocal critic of the government's actions. In early August, he was one of the few official voices to clearly state that abuse at Kakrizak detention center had led to the deaths of jailed protesters and he placed the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of then National Police Chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam. Ahmadi Moghaddam claimed at the time that no one had died at Kahrizak and 'only three individuals had succumbed to disease' after their release.
'The report was supposed to have been completed last month, but the meetings were never held,' Katouzian said to Parleman News. 'No meetings were convened and we were unable to review the progress of the rapporteurs.'
Asked whether there was any resistance to the completion of the report, Katouzian stated, 'It is possible to speculate that they are preventing some information from being gathered, but I believe that this committee must carry out its duties and produce a report.'
A month ago, a member of the special committee who wished to remain anonymous told Parleman News, 'It has been established that certain prisoners [in Kahrizak] were raped with batons and bottles.' He added, 'If the report is completed, we will present it to the Majlis Speaker and senior figures of the regime.'
On Saturday, Katouzian said in his interview, 'We are waiting for Mr. Aboutorabi, who is in charge of convening this committee, to call a meeting.' Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi Fard is the Majlis's Deputy Speaker.
According to the Norouz news site, Deputy Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi has been pulling strings to prevent the report from being read by the Majlis. Mortazavi, who was Tehran Prosecutor at the time of the most serious human rights violations, would be in the line of fire if the abuses were ever prosecuted.
At least two Majlis representatives, three according to some accounts, were also allegedly involved in the crimes that took place in Karizak. This blog will not publish their identities as it is unclear whether the names that have been circulating are truly those of the culprits or whether they are a part of a disinformation campaign led by the real perpetrators.
In another interview, Farhad Tajari told Mehr news service that he and two other special committee members -- Parviz Sorouri and Kazem Jalali -- had met with the judiciary's special committee on abuse claims on Monday with a view to finalizing their report.
The judiciary's special committee is made up of Prosecutor General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Deputy Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi, and judicial adviser Ali Khalafi. This committee famously denied all of Mehdi Karroubi's claims concerning the rape of prisoners several weeks ago and it is unclear how they would contribute to this report.
Farhad Tajari, a member of the special committee looking into post-election events and the Kahrizak detention center, told the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Monday that he could not give a date for the presentation of his group's final report. 'Some new facts have come to light and we must look into them before we are able to offer our report,' he said. Tajari is also a key member of the Majlis judiciary committee.
On Saturday Hamid Reza Katouzian, Majlis representative from Tehran and another member of the special investigative committee, told Parleman News, the news site of the Imam Line Faction of the Majlis, that pressure was being exerted on the group. 'This committee must not surrender to the pressure and must present a comprehensive report to the Majlis,' he said.
Katouzian, a conservative Principlist lawmaker, has been a vocal critic of the government's actions. In early August, he was one of the few official voices to clearly state that abuse at Kakrizak detention center had led to the deaths of jailed protesters and he placed the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of then National Police Chief Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam. Ahmadi Moghaddam claimed at the time that no one had died at Kahrizak and 'only three individuals had succumbed to disease' after their release.
'The report was supposed to have been completed last month, but the meetings were never held,' Katouzian said to Parleman News. 'No meetings were convened and we were unable to review the progress of the rapporteurs.'
Asked whether there was any resistance to the completion of the report, Katouzian stated, 'It is possible to speculate that they are preventing some information from being gathered, but I believe that this committee must carry out its duties and produce a report.'
A month ago, a member of the special committee who wished to remain anonymous told Parleman News, 'It has been established that certain prisoners [in Kahrizak] were raped with batons and bottles.' He added, 'If the report is completed, we will present it to the Majlis Speaker and senior figures of the regime.'
On Saturday, Katouzian said in his interview, 'We are waiting for Mr. Aboutorabi, who is in charge of convening this committee, to call a meeting.' Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi Fard is the Majlis's Deputy Speaker.
According to the Norouz news site, Deputy Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi has been pulling strings to prevent the report from being read by the Majlis. Mortazavi, who was Tehran Prosecutor at the time of the most serious human rights violations, would be in the line of fire if the abuses were ever prosecuted.
At least two Majlis representatives, three according to some accounts, were also allegedly involved in the crimes that took place in Karizak. This blog will not publish their identities as it is unclear whether the names that have been circulating are truly those of the culprits or whether they are a part of a disinformation campaign led by the real perpetrators.
In another interview, Farhad Tajari told Mehr news service that he and two other special committee members -- Parviz Sorouri and Kazem Jalali -- had met with the judiciary's special committee on abuse claims on Monday with a view to finalizing their report.
The judiciary's special committee is made up of Prosecutor General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Deputy Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi, and judicial adviser Ali Khalafi. This committee famously denied all of Mehdi Karroubi's claims concerning the rape of prisoners several weeks ago and it is unclear how they would contribute to this report.
Ahmadinejad gets a Shiraz welcome
A group of young Shirazis chanted slogans against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as they walked down one of their city's main thoroughfares, Mulla Sadra Avenue, yesterday evening.
Ahmadinejad gave the opening speech for the National Hafez Day ceremony at the beloved 14th-century poet's mausoleum in Shiraz earlier on Monday.
(video courtesy of NedaSoltan's channel on YouTube)
Ahmadinejad gave the opening speech for the National Hafez Day ceremony at the beloved 14th-century poet's mausoleum in Shiraz earlier on Monday.
(video courtesy of NedaSoltan's channel on YouTube)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Weekend roundup - Monday 12 October 2009
- Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi met at Karroubi's house on Saturday. According to the web site of Karroubi's Etemad Melli Party, The two men stressed their belief that the June 12 election was rigged. 'If you're so sure of yourselves, instead of spending dozens of hours on state media denying fraud and imposing confessions on innocent individuals, allow us to present our arguments and evidence on television,' Karroubi said to the regime and its supporters. Referring to the kangaroo trials of protesters and opposition political figures, Mousavi said, 'What did you obtain from these show trials? Are you aware of the negative effects they have had on our society?' Mousavi accused some state bodies of embezzling the national treasury and mentioned the Revolutionary Guards' recent acquisition of the Iran Telecommunications Company.
- The Mourning Mothers of Iran are quietly and steadfastly becoming a regular feature in Tehran's Laleh Park every Saturday evening. Their demands are simple: freedom for their imprisoned children and justice for those who have been beaten, tortured, raped, and killed. They maintained their weekly vigil last Saturday:
- Iran's blighted human rights record turned a shade darker as it put another juvenile offender to death. Behnoud Shojaie, who had allegedly killed Ehsan Nasrollahi, 17, under cloudy circumstances when he himself was 17, was hanged in Evin prison yesterday. An incredible 135 juvenile offenders await execution in Iran although the country is a signatory of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child which precludes such punishment. Iran has executed over 230 people since the start of the year and holds the sorry privilege of being the world's greatest per capita executor of its own citizens. In an interview, his lawyer Mohammad Mostafaie said that he had been present at the execution which took place in the morning. 'The victims' parents pulled the stool from under Behnoud's feet and Behnoud left this world,' said Mostafaie:
- Death sentences have been handed out to three protesters who were tried in the third session of the kangaroo court held after the post-election unrest. The Islamic Students News Agency identified the three individuals by their initials: M.Z., A.P., and N.A. Last week, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani was sentenced to death and it is unclear whether M.Z. refers to Ail Zamani or is another individual.
- Morteza Talaie, chairman of the cultural committee of Tehran's city council, has called on citizens to not accept banknotes with 'anti-revolutionary' slogans printed or written on them. He also demanded that the Central Bank take such currency out of circulation. Printing or writing anti-regime messages on banknotes has become a national pastime since the disputed election.
- What's the world coming to? The regime can't even depend on its Friday Prayer supporters to join in chants of 'Death to...'! This scene purportedly filmed on October 9 outside Tehran's Friday Prayer hall:
- Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, the most corpulent chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the world, believes he should carry more than military responsibilities on his ample shoulders. Speaking at the induction ceremony of General Mohammad Hejazi to his new post as deputy commander of the armed forces, in charge of logistics, Firouzabadi called for state control of political parties in Iran. 'The Interior Ministry, the Supreme National Security Council, and the Majlis must get to work and define the proper political direction [of parties] within a legal framework,' he said. 'They must write a bill and send it to the Majlis and the Majlis must quickly adopt it,' Firouzabadi added, showing the proper respect that must be accorded to an elected body. In this way, 'supporters need not worry that by joining this or that party they may be found guilty,' he continued. Firouzabadi apparently finds that the constitution's article 26 is not constraining enough (NB Article 26: The formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations, as well as religious societies, whether Islamic or pertaining to one of the recognized religious minorities, is permitted provided they do not violate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, the criteria of Islam, or the basis of the Islamic republic. No one may be prevented from participating in the aforementioned groups, or be compelled to participate in them.). But then again, the regime has apparently forgotten to read article 27 of the constitution as well. (NB Article 27: Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Our sticks and stones will break your bones, but your words really hurt us: 'My life only for Iran' slogan enrages regime officials
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has strongly condemned the alternate slogans chanted by protesters at official events organized by the regime in support of Palestinians three weeks ago.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony of Martyr Motahari's Scientific and Cultural Foundation in the holy city of Ghom yesterday, Larijani took the green opposition to task for deviating from the regime's official slogans on Ghods Day. Ghods Day or Jerusalem Day is an annual event organized by the regime to support Palestinians and to denounce Israeli policies.
'Do slogans and topics like an "Iranian Republic" bring honor to Iran?' Larijani asked rhetorically. On Ghods Day and in previous demonstrations, protesters have chanted 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic' in stark contrast to a similar phrase which ended in 'Islamic Republic' in the heyday of the revolution 30 years ago.
This year Ghods Day fell on Friday, September 18, and became a focal point for opposition to the regime as the green movement exploited the official marching routes for its own demonstrations. Despite warnings from then-Basij commander Hossein Taeb and Revolutionary Guards chief Aziz Jafari, protesters turned up in huge numbers in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz and other cities. Estimates for Tehran run between 1.5 to two million people. (For a live blog of Ghods Day, go here).
The greens refused to utter slogans such as 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' which have become mainstays of the Islamic regime. Instead, exhibiting billboards marked 'Palestine is here' or holding up photos of dead protesters, they took possession of some official routes by marching to shouts of 'Death to Russia' and, most notably, 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran,' which became the rallying cry of the day. Opponents fault Russia for supporting the regime and it is widely believed that Moscow has trained and aided security and intelligence forces involved in the crackdown of the past months.
'I am amazed that those who have suffered for the revolution and are concerned about the honor of this revolution remained silent in the face of such slogans and acts and [...] did not stop these people,' said Majlis Speaker Larijani. 'Such slogans tarnish the honor of Islam,' said Larijani, apparently having forgotten his pocket thesaurus at home and employing the word honor or ezzat for the umpteenth time to convey the force of his ideas.
In many cases security forces and regime supporters were overwhelmed by the number of green protesters. In one instance, demonstrators attacked a group of plainclothesmen who were beating individuals on the street and set their motorcycles on fire:
In his speech in Ghom, Larijani indirectly stressed the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian issue as one of the pillars of the Islamic regime. 'In these difficult times, Iran, in its struggle against the United States, must be the defender of the rights of the Palestinian people and other oppressed Muslim people,' said Larijani. He did not mention the Uighurs in China or the Chechens in the Russian Federation. 'The country's political independence [...] depends on defending and following the Supreme Leader of the revolution and the concept of the guardianship of the jurisprudent,' Larijani contended. In Larijani's analysis, this devotion and unity was in short supply on Ghods Day.
In addition to the thousands of security forces deployed around Iran's major cities on that day, dozens of mobile sound units on trucks were also sent among the demonstrators. But the voices of official chant-masters standing on the backs of the vehicles were drowned out by the deafening counter-slogans of the protesters.
In spectacular footage filmed from a pedestrian overpass, an impressive number of green protesters overpower the usual calls of 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' with 'Death to Russia.' A feeble cortege of regime supporters walks past on the other side of the street, before the protesters scream out 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran' and 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic.'
As early as 10:30 AM, a massive group in Hafteh Tir Square responded to 'Death to Israel' with 'Death to Russia':
After several unsuccessful attemps to get the crowd to repeat 'Death to America' instead of their own heartfelt 'Death to Russia,' one flustered chant-master mistakenly said 'Death to Palestine' to loud cheers and laughter:
Another popular slogan was 'Putin, Chavez, Nasrallah, the enemies of our nation', referring to the Russian prime minister, Venezuelan president, and Lebanon's Hezbollah head:
Larijani is not the only official to have been distressed by the alternate chants on Ghods Day. In a letter to former President Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmad Tavakoli, conservative Malis representative from Tehran, demanded that the opposition leaders clearly state their position on such contrary slogans. If you agree with such slogans, 'how will you answer to the Imam,' he asked, alluding to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In a television program on the occasion of Eid Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Ghara'ati opined, 'Do you know what "neither Gaza, nor Lebanon" means? It means no to the Koran.'
Ghara'ati, head of the national organization for promoting prayer and a Koranic teacher on televised shows, said that Iranians must extend their concerns to all the oppressed in the world. 'Did we not recite those prayers [for the deprived] during the month of Ramadan?' he asked. 'And then on the last Friday of Ramadan, 5 people, or 100 people, or 1,000 people, or 20,000, or however many more people come and say "only Iran"? So were all our prayers just lies?'
Speaking at the dedication ceremony of Martyr Motahari's Scientific and Cultural Foundation in the holy city of Ghom yesterday, Larijani took the green opposition to task for deviating from the regime's official slogans on Ghods Day. Ghods Day or Jerusalem Day is an annual event organized by the regime to support Palestinians and to denounce Israeli policies.
'Do slogans and topics like an "Iranian Republic" bring honor to Iran?' Larijani asked rhetorically. On Ghods Day and in previous demonstrations, protesters have chanted 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic' in stark contrast to a similar phrase which ended in 'Islamic Republic' in the heyday of the revolution 30 years ago.
This year Ghods Day fell on Friday, September 18, and became a focal point for opposition to the regime as the green movement exploited the official marching routes for its own demonstrations. Despite warnings from then-Basij commander Hossein Taeb and Revolutionary Guards chief Aziz Jafari, protesters turned up in huge numbers in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz and other cities. Estimates for Tehran run between 1.5 to two million people. (For a live blog of Ghods Day, go here).
The greens refused to utter slogans such as 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' which have become mainstays of the Islamic regime. Instead, exhibiting billboards marked 'Palestine is here' or holding up photos of dead protesters, they took possession of some official routes by marching to shouts of 'Death to Russia' and, most notably, 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran,' which became the rallying cry of the day. Opponents fault Russia for supporting the regime and it is widely believed that Moscow has trained and aided security and intelligence forces involved in the crackdown of the past months.
'I am amazed that those who have suffered for the revolution and are concerned about the honor of this revolution remained silent in the face of such slogans and acts and [...] did not stop these people,' said Majlis Speaker Larijani. 'Such slogans tarnish the honor of Islam,' said Larijani, apparently having forgotten his pocket thesaurus at home and employing the word honor or ezzat for the umpteenth time to convey the force of his ideas.
In many cases security forces and regime supporters were overwhelmed by the number of green protesters. In one instance, demonstrators attacked a group of plainclothesmen who were beating individuals on the street and set their motorcycles on fire:
In his speech in Ghom, Larijani indirectly stressed the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian issue as one of the pillars of the Islamic regime. 'In these difficult times, Iran, in its struggle against the United States, must be the defender of the rights of the Palestinian people and other oppressed Muslim people,' said Larijani. He did not mention the Uighurs in China or the Chechens in the Russian Federation. 'The country's political independence [...] depends on defending and following the Supreme Leader of the revolution and the concept of the guardianship of the jurisprudent,' Larijani contended. In Larijani's analysis, this devotion and unity was in short supply on Ghods Day.
In addition to the thousands of security forces deployed around Iran's major cities on that day, dozens of mobile sound units on trucks were also sent among the demonstrators. But the voices of official chant-masters standing on the backs of the vehicles were drowned out by the deafening counter-slogans of the protesters.
In spectacular footage filmed from a pedestrian overpass, an impressive number of green protesters overpower the usual calls of 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' with 'Death to Russia.' A feeble cortege of regime supporters walks past on the other side of the street, before the protesters scream out 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran' and 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic.'
As early as 10:30 AM, a massive group in Hafteh Tir Square responded to 'Death to Israel' with 'Death to Russia':
After several unsuccessful attemps to get the crowd to repeat 'Death to America' instead of their own heartfelt 'Death to Russia,' one flustered chant-master mistakenly said 'Death to Palestine' to loud cheers and laughter:
Another popular slogan was 'Putin, Chavez, Nasrallah, the enemies of our nation', referring to the Russian prime minister, Venezuelan president, and Lebanon's Hezbollah head:
Larijani is not the only official to have been distressed by the alternate chants on Ghods Day. In a letter to former President Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmad Tavakoli, conservative Malis representative from Tehran, demanded that the opposition leaders clearly state their position on such contrary slogans. If you agree with such slogans, 'how will you answer to the Imam,' he asked, alluding to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In a television program on the occasion of Eid Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Ghara'ati opined, 'Do you know what "neither Gaza, nor Lebanon" means? It means no to the Koran.'
Ghara'ati, head of the national organization for promoting prayer and a Koranic teacher on televised shows, said that Iranians must extend their concerns to all the oppressed in the world. 'Did we not recite those prayers [for the deprived] during the month of Ramadan?' he asked. 'And then on the last Friday of Ramadan, 5 people, or 100 people, or 1,000 people, or 20,000, or however many more people come and say "only Iran"? So were all our prayers just lies?'
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