Iran -- What Will Come Next?

After three weeks of unrest in most parts of Iran, the situation now seems to be calm, although some protests still continue. Does this mean that the revolt has lost steam and that the government has managed, at least for a period of time, to postpone the final confrontation?

Certainly not. Despite the slump in demonstrations and attacks on state buildings, the motives for the uprising still remain. The regime of the Ayatollahs has no cure for the bankrupt economy that ignited the protests. The wealth of Iran has been plundered by the government and spent for terrorist activities and meddling in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. Above all, grave violations of human rights inside Iran are still continuing.

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To judge what the Ayatollahs have done to Iran’s economy, it may be sufficient to notice the price of dollar which was less than 100 rials in 1978, when Ayatollah Khomeini grasped power, comparing to that of today, which is over 40,000 rials. Officials in Tehran are worried. Salimi, a member of Iran’s parliament, said, “One of the problems in our country today is the increasing number of graduates who can’t find a job. We are facing with an army of the unemployed.” Another member of Iranian parliament said, “Many of our banks have gone bankrupt, government is facing a budget deficit of 50,000 billion rials.”

A review of the debates in Iran’s last presidential election sheds light on some of the miseries that the mullahs have inflicted on Iranian people. In the debate before Iran’s May 19 presidential election, all six candidates said that the country’s economy was in ruins. Vice President Ecehagh Jahangiri revealed that one reason for Iran’s poor economy was the existence of a smuggling market valued at $12 billion annually. Ebrahim Raisi, another presidential candidate and a member of the death committee of the 1988 massacre, said the value of the smuggling market is $18 billion annually. Another asserted that “Smuggled goods are imported via 114 official piers. This situation would not be understandable anywhere in the world.” Meanwhile, a huge number of workers, who are forced to work under medieval laws, have not received their salaries for months. Workers demonstrating in Tehran and other Iranian cities, demanding their unpaid salaries, are often arrested and jailed by the armed forces.

A country that exports almost 4 million barrels of oil every day and has giant resources of gas has a rate of unemployment from 12.5 to even 60 per cent in some areas. Ebrahim Razaghi, an economist, told the pro-government news agency Tasnim, “60 to 70 per cent of Iran’s producers are bankrupt or out of business. 20 to 30 million people are in need of food, while some of the officials receive salaries over 100 hundred million rials.” Meanwhile, a close ally of Supreme Leader Khamenei confessed that 40 million Iranians live under the poverty line, 11 million do not have a proper house and live on the outskirts. The Ministry for Labor and Social Welfare in Rouhani’s government has announced that 12 million Iranians cannot afford proper food.

Transparency International has placed Iran among the most corrupt states. A report by this organization says that groups inside the government, which control the economy, normally act on their own and do not respond to any authority. In related news, in 2013, Reuters revealed an entity worth over $95 billion belonging to Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Fox news also reported that Iran is spending billions of dollars on its weapons programs and supporting terrorism around the globe while it ignores the basic needs of its people. The report is titled “Primary Causes of Poverty and Popular Uprisings in Iran.” issued by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). It asserts that the annual minimum cost to Iranians of keeping the “clerical regime in power” is about $55 billion.

In an attempt to suppress the revolt, both factions inside the regime pretend that the uprising is extinct and everything is now back to normal, but the root cause of unrest -- the dire economic situation of millions of poor people – remains. For a regime with a record of 63 condemnations in the U.N. General Assembly for its flagrant violations of human rights, the gap between the people and the government is so deep that it will only be healed by the collapse of mullah’s government.

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Iconic Women Known As Girl Of Enghelab Street Arrested Again

Lawyer and human rights activist Nasrin Sotudeh said that the girl who took off her scarf and stood shaking it on Enghelab Street, known as the “Girl of Enghelab Street” on social media, was arrested once again after she was released from prison.

Sotoudeh reportedly went to Enghelab Street, where the woman carried out her defiant act, to discover more about her whereabouts. She told AFP that the only information she was able to gather was that the woman is 31 years old and has a 19-month-old baby.

Sotoudeh told the AFP that in the past the regime’s authorities have taken women to a holding place before they receive legal representation and beaten them.

“Before even being tried by legal authorities, [women] are taken to a place called ‘Gasht-e Ershad’ [Guidance Patrol], where they can be harshly beaten up,” she said. “Whether a case is opened for them or not is not important. The illegal punishment they have had to bear has always been much more than what is foreseen in the law.”

Girl of Enghelab Street, Vida Movahed who was arrested for removing her headscarf and waving it in the air as a sign of protest to the compulsory hijab law in Iran was first arrested in one of Tehran’s busiest streets on December 27.

The incident took place on the same day that the Iranian regime announced it was relaxing its punishment for women who do not adhere to the strict Islamic dress code. Police reportedly said that women who wear makeup and loosened headscarves will no longer face arrest, but will be sent to “Islamic values” classes.

Iran: 2-Year-Old Earthquake Survivor Dies Due To Atrocious Living Condition

Little 2-year-old Sarina died on January 18, 2018 after catching the flu in the western Iranian province of Kermanshah.

More than 70 days after the earthquake, her father says authorities refused to provide his family a trailer and little Sarina died of the freezing winter cold.

Speaking with the state-run ISNA news agency on January 24, Sarina’s father said: “High fever and repeated seizures worsened the condition of Sarina and there was not even a specialist at the city’s clinic. Subsequently her health deteriorated and she lost consciousness on January 17. We took her to a hospital where they could not do anything for my daughter due to shortage of specialist. The next day I took her to Kermanshah hospital but she died two hours later in my hands.”

Shahab Naderi, an outspoken MP who has criticized the authorities’ inadequate reaction to the November earthquake has said “four deaths from frostbite have been reported in the quake-stricken areas.”

He also gave news of at least 20 suicides after the recent earthquake, saying that the statistics are increasing day by day.

“People in rural areas are in very difficult conditions, and promises made by officials have not been fulfilled,” Naderi said in an interview with the state-run Khane Mellat news agency.

A recent controversial interview by an state TV reporter shows how more and more Kermanshah earthquake survivors are committing suicide due to dire living conditions. In the interview he asks people to help, forgetting to mention why the government has failed to provide meaningful aid?

A video recently posted on social media showed a man who reached the point of setting his entire family on fire due to their atrocious living conditions after the earthquake which left 30,000 homeless.

We Should Listen Closely To Iran

Heshmat Alavi: As the world continues to debate the recent Iranian outburst of protests, its "lack of leadership" as they claim, and the road ahead, there is no doubt in the minds of senior Iranian regime officials over who le

d, and continues to lead, this latest uprising that continues to rattle the very pillars of the mullahs' rule.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made his thoughts crystal clear.

“The incidents were organized” and carried out by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), he said although using a different term. “The [MEK] had prepared for this months ago” and “the [MEK’s] media outlets had called for it.”

The MEK is best known for first blowing the whistle on Iran's clandestine nuclear program back in 2002 and raising awareness over the possible military dimension (PMD) of this drive, a subject awaiting full clarification as we speak.

Interesting is how Khamenei's remarks, however, mirror those of influential American figures.

“The resistance is making a difference,” said  meeting held recently by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, the sole significant Iranian opposition coalition. The MEK is a member of this umbrella group.

Newt Gingrich, former House of Representatives Speaker and an individual very close to U.S. President Donald Trump, at a “Regime change in Iran”

“The MEK is making a difference. I have no doubt that, in the long run, you are on the right side of history. The resistance is knitting together both in the country and in the world a tremendous force that is sustaining the right to believe that you can be free,” Gingrich added while joined by former Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli.

Their participation marks bipartisan support the NCRI and MEK enjoy in Washington, considered rare these days.

"This is the beginning of a revolution. A regime that stays in power by killing its people has a numbered life. When Rouhani called French President Macron and asked him to clamp down on the MEK it made one thing clear: This is not a revolution without a leader. The leader is sitting here," Senator Torricelli, in reference to NCRI President Maryam Rajavi.

"I agree with Khamenei on nothing except one thing: he is putting responsibility on the MEK and the PMOI and blaming Mrs. Rajavi. He is right about it. This has been organized for years, network has been created, by never compromising with the regime, never being part of it. The MEK and Mrs. Rajavi have kept credibility… So in identifying the MEK and Mrs. Rajavi, he is right because the MEK and the entire international community that supports it, we are all coming for Khamenei to end this nightmare," he added.

Iran's history of uprisings and the 1979 revolution specifically have witnessed their ups and downs. The current movement is undergoing a similar phase today and any argument that this round of protests have come to an end are baseless.

“The uprising showed that Iranian society is in an explosive state, simmering with discontent," Rajavi said in her speech. "It showed that the regime is much weaker than perceived. It showed that the billions of windfall dollars from the nuclear deal did nothing to cure the regime’s instability. And finally, the uprising showed that the people of Iran detest both regime factions and want it overthrown in its entirety.”

Invited by numerous parliamentary groups, Rajavi continued her efforts on Wednesday in the European Parliament by calling on the Green Continent to break its dangerous silence in the face of ongoing protests in Iran and the regime resorting to numerous crackdown measures.

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Iran: Women teachers in Yazd protest 10 months of not being paid

A group of men and women working as teachers staged a protest outside the Governor’s Office in the capital of the central Iranian province of Yazd, on Monday, January 22, 2018.

The teachers have not been paid their meager monthly salaries of 700,000 toumans ($190) for ten months.

Women teachers of Iran staged a nationwide protest on the World Teachers Day in October.

La Résistance Iranienne formule ses voeux à Auvers-sur-Oise

Les vœux de Maryam Radjavi, chef de file de l’Organisation des moudjahiddines du peuple iranien (OMPI), avaient une tonalité particulièrement optimiste cette année. « En Iran, 2018 a apporté un vent de liberté. J’espère que cette année, sera l’année de victoire de la liberté en Iran » a déclaré la présidente du C
onseil national de la Résistance iranienne. Comme d’habitude, de nombreuses personnalités locales et au-delà ont assisté aux festivités de nouvelle année organisées par l’OMPI dans son siège d’Auvers-sur-Oise. Outre les maires de Magny-en-Vexin, Jean-Pierre Muller (DVG), de Mériel, Jean-Louis Delannoy (DVD), ou encore Bruno Macé (SE), élu de Villiers-Adam, on trouvait dans le public Mgr Jacques Gaillot ou l’ancienne première dame d’Algérie Mme Anissa Boumedienne.

Iran: Instead of receiving support, Ping Pong champion is told to quit

A young woman, member of Iran’s national Ping Pong team, Mahshid Ashtari, says the Education Department told her to concentrate on her studies instead of doing sports.

In an interview with ISNA news agency, Ms. Ashtari said, “Both the Education Department and the Department of Sports and Youths in Razavi Khorassan refused to give me any support. They did not give me any technical or financial assistance.”

On the state of her education, she said, “I had to travel to Germany in June during my final exams to take part in the international Ping Pong tournaments. I had expected to be rewarded in some form after winning medals for my country.”

She added, “Unfortunately, I had to drop one of my courses and because of it, I did not go to school for three months. When I followed up on my case, I was told to quit sports and study. They told me, a national team player, ‘You are a girl. You should study instead engaging in sports.’”

The national team player, Ashtari, said, “After these problems and three months of being deprived of going school, I needed an affidavit from the school where I studied, so that I could get a viza to travel to Portugal. But they did not help even this much.” (The state-run ISNA news agency – January 21, 2018)

Iran: New information on six women arrested in the uprising

At least seven Kurdish women have been arrested in the first two weeks of January in the cities of Orumiyeh, Kermanshah, and Ilam in western Iran.

The names of the arrested women are: Sara Jamshidi,Sara Jamshidi and Nazdar Amir Mohammadi from Ilam; Shahla Vahdatpour and Touran Mehraban from Orumiyeh; Nastaran Akasheh and Ashraf Akbarp

our from Kermanshah.

Despite passage of three weeks since the arrest of these women, only one of them, Touran Mehraban, has been released on bail and the six others remain in jail.

Previous information indicated the arrest of another seven women in the city of Saqqez, in the Iranian Kurdistan.

In another development in Tehran, the family of Sepideh Farhan (Farahabadi) have not been able to secure her release despite persistent follow up. They have been told that their daughter will not be released for the time being since her interrogations have not been completed, yet.

Ms. Farhan was arrested along with several of her friends on January 2, 2018, in Tehran’s Enghelab Square and transferred to the Intelligence Ministry’s solitary confinement and placed under interrogation. 

Some 8,000 protesters have been arrested in the first two weeks of January during the Iran uprising, at least eight of whom have been killed under torture.

Maryam Rajavi: U.N. & Security Council's History Page on Iran Turned by the Protesters

London, 6 Jan - If you persist, the world will stand with you and on your side.

Ending the silence on Iran and shattering a 4-decade-old barrier of appeasement of the regime, the UN Security Council’s meeting on Iran is a product of the Iranian people’s u

prising, the sacrifice of its martyrs and the suffering of its captives. The world’s major governments had so far turned a blind eye on brutal suppression of our people and executions of 120,000. Iran’s protesters and youths, however, have in their first step turned the page of the United Nations and Security Council’s history on Iran. This indicates that the young men and women who rose up in the streets of Izeh, Doroud, Tuyserkan, Ghahdarijan, Jouyabad of Isfahan, and 75 other cities can and must turn the darkest page of Iran’s history.

As the Iranian Resistance’s Leader, Massoud Rajavi, said, “If you persist, the world will stand with you and on your side.”

STOP SACRIFICING VALUES FOR TRADE

Aladdin Borujerdi, chairman of the Foreign Policy and National Security Commission of the Mullahs’ regime Majlis (parliament), is to attend the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. Regarding the freedom lovers of the Iranian communities accepting someone who has always played an active role in suppressing Iranian people

and supporting terrorism in the last four decades in the European Parliament, is absolutely unacceptable. Iranian resistance for freedom and human rights calls for the lifting of the call, which is in clear contradiction with the values that the European Union is founded on and defended by the European Parliament.

At the time all the international human rights bodies express their concerns over slaying and torture of the protests’ detainees in the prisons of the mullahs’ regime in Iran, hosting a criminal of the oppressor gangs ruling Iran, under the pretext of “Developing the Parliamentary dimension of the EU-Iran relations and to engage Members of both sides to discuss issues of common interest” is just scorning the humanitarian values.

Iranian people demand all the freedom lovers to condemn the shameful visit of the representative of religious dictatorship ruling Iran.

Maryam Rajavi meets and holds talks with former US house speaker and senator Robert Torricelli

Maryam Rajavi met and held talks with Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and a presidential nominee, and Senator Robert Torricelli.

She elaborated in this meeting on the latest developments in Iran and the nationwide uprising, stressing on the Iranian people’s demand for the overthrow of the mullahs’ corrupt dictatorship in its entirety as reflected in their chants heard in cities across the country.

She said, “After these protests, the Iranian people, the ruling regime, and its relations with the region and the world are not going to return to the pre-uprising conditions. Today, the clerical regime is very fragile and weaker than ever before. What the Iranian Resistance has been saying about the solution, the regime’s overthrow being imperative and within reach, and the existence of an alternative and an organized resistance to realize it, has become most clearly evident.”

Maryam Rajavi also elaborated on the regime’s crimes in dealing with the uprising, particularly the extensive arrests of thousands of people, and the torture and murder of young protesters in detention.

She repeated her call on the UN and the International Community to take urgent action for the freedom of those arrested in the uprising. She reiterated, “Opening fire on protesters, making mass arrests, and torturing prisoners to death are examples of crimes against humanity. The International Community’s commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights demands that it ends its silence and stop appeasement and engagement of the mullahs’ criminal and illegitimate regime. An international inquiry commission must be formed to investigate the arbitrary arrests and the practices of Khamenei’s henchmen in prisons, and take serious practical measures to stop these crimes.”

In his remarks, Newt Gingrich said there is a bipartisan support in the United States for the Iranian people’s struggle and uprising to achieve democracy and get rid of the religious dictatorship, as demonstrated by their joint presence in the meeting with Senator Torricelli. He said the Iranian regime’s moderation is an illusion. “The MEK (PMOI) is a real force. The level of fear of you and your resistance is growing among the regime.”

Mr. Gingrich reiterated that the younger generation’s participation and their ties with the MEK (POMI), the organized resistance, and the democratic alternative, ensures the progress of the uprising and the Iranian people’s victory in their struggle for freedom.

Senator Torricelli said the 38-year struggle of the MEK (PMOI) and the Iranian Resistance is bearing fruit. Today, people are chanting your slogans and repeating your goals throughout Iran. They made Khamenei (the regime’s leader) acknowledge in his recent speech that it was the MEK (PMOI) who advances the uprising inside Iran and had organized and called for it in advance. Like all dictators, he blamed foreign powers to overshadow the alternative to his regime. He said two angles of the triangle of these protests were the United States and Saudi Arabia and the third angle was the MEK (PMOI) inside Iran. But the truth is that the best and most the U.S. or any other power can do is to declare support for the Iranian people’s desire to overthrow this regime and support the uprising you are advancing. This is something that they had hesitated to do until just last year.

By INU Staff

INU - On Friday, January19th, 2018 in a Paris conference, “Regime Change in Iran” was echoed by distinguished speakers, featuring Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Mr. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and Senator Robert Torricelli.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi extolled the Iranian peosple’s magnificent uprising which spread at extraordinary speed to 142 cities and towns. She praised the courage and sacrifice of young protesters to accomplish freedom and democracy. Greeting the uprising’s martyrs and thousands imprisoned, she said, “Without any doubt, all of us will march on together, until we overthrow this corrupt and criminal regime. Victory belongs to the people of Iran.”

Rajavi, insisted everyone to assist the people of Iran in their uprising to get rid of the religious fascism ruling the country and establish democracy and popular sovereignty. She said, “The people of Iran urge the UN and the world to recognize the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ religious dictatorship. This is the right of a brave people who are at the forefront of the struggle against a regime which is a threat to global peace and security.

Urging the United Nations and all governments, “to pressure the clerical regime to free those arrested in recent protests and hold them accountable regarding those who have disappeared”. She asked for a commission of inquiry to investigate the arbitrary arrests of thousands of people and the killing of prisoners under torture. Mrs. Rajavi went on to say, “the people of Iran expect that all governments severe their political and economic relations with the clerical regime, particularly with the IRGC which is torturing and killing the protesters.”

Stating that the recent uprising has been motivated by the public’s wrath over the mullahs’ plundering of their wealth, poverty, unemployment, and class differences as well as the regime’s almost 39 years of suppression and slaughters, Mrs. Rajavi reiterated, “This is a revolt for freedom and popular sovereignty to establish social justice and prosperity. It is not a byproduct of a power struggle among the regime’s internal factions, but another nail in the coffin of the masquerade about moderation. It showed that the billions of dollars of windfall from the nuclear deal did nothing to cure the regime’s instability. The uprising showed that the people of Iran detest both regime factions and want it overthrown in its entirety and that the Iranian society has a force within itself capable of overthrowing the theocratic regime.

Mr. Newt Gingrich was the second distinguished speaker at the conference in his speech said: “Moderation in the Iranian regime is an illusion. There is a bad wing and a very bad wing in the dictatorship. There is no innocent wing of the dictatorship…The MEK is a real force. The level of fear of the MEK and Mrs. Rajavi is growing among the regime. You have survived, you have endured, and you have continued with your mission, and the regime have been unable to stop you. ….You, the MEK, are making a difference. You are on the side of history, because you are on the side of freedom. Thank you Mrs. Rajavi for your dedicated leadership to this cause”.

Also Senator Torricelli in his annotations to the conference, said: “This is the beginning of a revolution. A regime that stays in power by killing its people has a numbered life. When Rouhani called French President Macron and asked him to clamp down on the MEK it made one thing clear: This is not a revolution without a leader. The leader is sitting here....The only group who has never compromised with the mullahs is the MEK. I agree with Khamenei on nothing except one thing: he is putting responsibility on the MEK and the PMOI and blaming Mrs. Rajavi. He is right about it.

This has been organized for years, network has been created, by never compromising with the regime, never being part of it. The MEK and Mrs. Rajavi have kept credibility… So in identifying the MEK and Mrs. Rajavi, he is right because the MEK and the entire international community that supports it, we are all coming for Khamenei to end this nightmare.

A group of representatives of Iranian communities in Europe also attended the conference. Amongst them, a number of former political prisoners and survivors of the victims of the 1988 massacre also briefly addressed the conference, testifying on the anti-human crimes of the clerical regime in prisons as well as the extensive repression in Iran. They all reiterated the resentment of the Iranian people towards religious fascism ruling Iran.

Conference on Regime Change and 1000 Centre of Rebellions Through Iran

Iran Focus

London, 20 Jan - Paris Friday, January 19, 2018: A conference was held, entitled, “Change in Iran with 1000 Ashrafs (1000 centre of rebellions through Iran)”, featuring the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, Mr. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and Senator Robert Torricelli, also a group of representatives of Iranian communities in Europe spoke of their personal experience while in Iran.

Below is the excerpt of the statement issued by NCRI secretariat on Friday 19, January 2018:

Mrs. Rajavi lauded the Iranian people’s glorious uprising which spread at remarkable speed to 142 cities, and the courage and sacrifice of young protesters to achieve freedom and democracy. Hailing the uprising’s martyrs and thousands imprisoned, she said, “Without any doubt, all of us will march on together, until we overthrow this corrupt and criminal regime. Victory belongs to the people of Iran.”

She urged everyone to assist the people of Iran in their uprising to get rid of the religious fascism ruling the country and establish democracy and popular sovereignty. She pointed out, “The people of Iran urge the UN and the world to recognize the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ religious dictatorship. This is the right of a brave people who are at the forefront of the struggle against a regime which is a threat to global peace and security. They urge the United Nations and all governments to pressure the clerical regime to free those arrested in recent protests and hold them accountable regarding those who have disappeared. They must form a commission of inquiry to investigate the arbitrary arrests of thousands of people and the killing of prisoners under torture. The people of Iran expect that all governments severe their political and economic relations with the clerical regime, particularly with the IRGC which is torturing and killing the protesters.”

Noting that the recent uprising has been inspired by the public’s rage over the mullahs’ plundering of their wealth, poverty, unemployment, and class differences as well as the regime’s 38 years of suppression and slaughters, Mrs. Rajavi reiterated, “This is a revolt for freedom and popular sovereignty to establish social justice and prosperity. It is not a byproduct of a power struggle among the regime’s internal factions, but another nail in the coffin of the masquerade about moderation. It showed that the billions of dollars of windfall from the nuclear deal did nothing to cure the regime’s instability. The uprising showed that the people of Iran detest both regime factions and want it overthrown in its entirety and that the Iranian society has a force within itself capable of overthrowing the theocratic regime.

Mr. Newt Gingrich in his speech said: Moderation in the Iranian regime is an illusion. There is a bad wing and a very bad wing in the dictatorship. There is no innocent wing of the dictatorship…The MEK is a real force. The level of fear of the MEK and Mrs Rajavi is growing among the regime. You have survived, you have endured, and you have continued with your mission, and the regime have been unable to stop you. ….You, the MEK, are making a difference. You are on the side of history, because you are on the side of freedom. Thank you Mrs. Rajavi for your dedicated leadership to this cause.

In his remarks to the conference, Senator Torricelli said: This is the beginning of a revolution. A regime that stays in power by killing its people has a numbered life. When Rouhani called French President Macron and asked him to clamp down on the MEK it made one thing clear: This is not a revolution without a leader. The leader is sitting here....The only group who has never compromised with the mullahs is the MEK. I agree with Khamenei on nothing except one thing: he is putting responsibility on the MEK and the PMOI and blaming Mrs. Rajavi. He is right about it. This has been organized for years, network has been created, by never compromising with the regime, never being part of it. The MEK and Mrs. Rajavi have kept credibility… So in identifying the MEK and Mrs. Rajavi, he is right because the MEK and the entire international community that supports it, we are all coming for Khamenei to end this nightmare.

A number of former political prisoners and survivors of the victims of the 1988 massacre also addressed the conference, testifying on the anti-human crimes of the clerical regime in prisons as well as the extensive repression in Iran, the volatile state of the society and the Iranian people’s resentment of the religious fascism ruling the country.

Protests expose Iranian regime’s weakness

By Kasra NejatPosted Jan 17, 2018 at 8:59 PM

The latest uprising in the Islamic Republic of Iran exposed an underlying sentiment that will not remain suppressed for long.

According to the opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), at least 8,000 people were detained within the first two weeks; the regime admits to approximately half this number. Its judiciary was quick to threaten death sentences for “those most responsible.”

There is little mystery about what sort of charges will be used to justify such killings; a wide range of political offenses can result in execution in the Islamic Republic, including membership in banned organizations and the crime of mohabareh, or “enmity against God.” In fact, the latter was codified in Iranian law largely for the purpose of establishing death as the default punishment for members of the leading opposition group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

Tehran has made every effort to suppress and destroy MEK since the advent of the Islamic Republic. The organization played a role in the 1979 revolution against the Shah, but opposed the establishment of absolute clerical rule. Since then, it has been a tireless advocate for regime change in favor of a democratic system.

In 1988, at the end of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa declaring all enemies of the clerical regime “at war with God.” Those who refused to disavow their loyalty to opposition groups were to be executed. As a result, political prisoners throughout the country were hauled before “death commissions” for brief interrogations to determine whether they would live or die.

In the summer of 1988 alone, approximately 30,000 dissidents were put to death, the overwhelming majority of them MEK members and associates. Thousands more have been killed since, for offenses as insubstantial as donating money to satellite news networks affiliated with the Iranian opposition.

In the wake of the 2009 uprising, as dozens of people were executed, assassinated or tortured to death, some were singled out for harsh treatment on the basis of alleged connections to the MEK. The actual role that the organization played in those protests is difficult to determine with certainty, but given the widespread popularity of the MEK, it was no doubt significant. That popularity has only grown since 2009, as has the organization’s roster of allies in foreign governments and international policy circles.

The latest protests are a prime example. Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, weighed in by placing much of the blame upon the MEK. Referring to the group by the familiar pejorative term “hypocrites,” Khamenei declared that they had been “ready for months” to instigate the mass protests which spread to more than 100 towns and cities in a matter of days.

He attributed one of the protesters’ slogans, “no to high prices” exclusively to the PMOI. People in various localities were also heard to chant “no Syria, no Iraq; I will give my life only for Iran,” signaling that they were taking their cue from the MEK in condemning Tehran’s activities in the broader Middle East.

By Kasra NejatPosted Jan 17, 2018 at 8:59 PM

Trump’s targeting of Iran comes as Islamic leaders torture and kill 8,000 protesters

Iran’s rulers have inflicted death by torture and gunfire on citizen protesters in a crackdown since the Dec. 28 street uprising erupted, the main opposition group said Tuesday.

The Europe-based National Council of Resistance of Iran says the Islamic republic’s ubiquitous security apparatus has arrested more than 8,000 citizens and killed at least 50, all while the West has remained mostly silent. The council attributes at least five deaths to torture.

President Trump has spoken out in support of the protesters. The Treasury Department on Friday slapped further sanctions on the regime’s judiciary chief, Sadeq Amoli Larijani. Mr. Larijani has been singled out by the West for years for endorsing cruel punishments that include torture and amputation.

“As the head of the judiciary for the past nine years, Larijani is a key official in the regime’s suppressive apparatus, who has played a direct role in the execution of thousands of people, in the crackdown and arrest of dissidents, as well as in censorship and repression,” said Shahin Gobadi, a council spokesman based in Paris.

The opposition group said protests have spread to 130 cities. The protesters complain of dismal economic conditions, of military adventures in Iraq and Syria, and of being ruled by clerical Shiite Muslim hard-liners led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The council on Tuesday released a list of five resisters who it said were tortured to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its various security units.

'Iranian spies' targeted in German police searches

German special police teams have searched flats linked to 10 suspected Iranian state spies.

The searches were triggered by German counter-intelligence. The Iranians, still at large, are suspected of spying on Israeli and/or Jewish targets.

Germany's Focus news said the raids took place in Berlin, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg.

In 1997 a Berlin verdict linked top Iranian politicians to the killing of four Iranian Kurdish dissidents.

German investigators concluded that the assassination at Berlin's Mykonos restaurant in 1992 was the work of Iranian secret service agents.

Western intelligence officials accuse Iran's secretive Quds Force of carrying out assassinations abroad. The Iranians in the latest German case are thought to be Quds Force agents, Focus reports.

The force carries out special operations abroad for Iran's Revolutionary Guards and has links to Lebanese Hezbollah militants and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

Investigators have not yet ordered any arrests in connection with the police raids.

A Report On Violation Of Human Rights Of Iran Protesters

A report on violation of human rights of Iran protesters

Introduction

Thousands of Iranians angry over rising food prices, government institutions’ scam and inflation protested in the country’s second-largest city and other areas Thursd

ay, December 28, 2017.

The protests swiftly spread to 142 cities and turned into a nationwide uprising.

The slogans chanted by people combined economic dissatisfactions and political discontents, poverty, unemployment, corruption and total rejection of the regime.

Iranian authorities blocked access to social media tools that had become key sources of information to demonstrators. Telegram and Instagram had been blocked since Dec. 31, while internet access was sporadically cut off to several cities where protests have taken place.

The authorities also resorted to violence to disperse the demonstrators using firearms and water cannons.

Thousands of innocent young protesters, have been detained while dozens were shot dead or wounded by the State Security Force. Some of those arrested were tortured to make televised confessions. At least five protesters lost their lives under torture in custody. Iranian officials however claimed that they committed suicide.

In the first case activists reported on January 7 that 22-year-old Sina Ghanbari had died in prison of “unknown causes.”

Two Iranian lawmakers subsequently confirmed Ghanbari’s death and suggested that the young man had committed suicide while in detention but did not offer details.

Referring the “deaths of protesters in custody” lawyer and social activist Nasrin Sotudeh said in a call to Iran International TV that she was informed in a phone call with a political prisoner in Evin Prison that three people were killed in prison. After news on the death of Sina Ghanbari in Tehran and Vahid Heydari in Arak, there was news on the suicide of Mohsen Adelli. He was arrested on January 1 and his body was returned to his family two days later with the claim that he had committed suicide. (Peik-e Iran website – Jan. 8, 2018)

The signs of torture on the bodies of those killed in prisons expose the regime’s violence against the detainees.

The families of Iran protesters arrested in the past days, staged a sit-in outside the prisons of Evin, Isfahan and Ahwas demanding the release of their loved ones. The authorities however responded them violently, firing tear gas and arresting the families.

Iran uprising provoked international reactions including two statements issued by Amnesty International rising concern over the fate of detainees and demanding release of them all.

Four Special Rapporteurs also expressed extreme concern over the reported deaths of more than 20 people including children and hundreds of arrests across the country. The Special Rapporteurs said: “The Government’s instruction to the Revolutionary Guards to hit hard against the protesters, and the judiciary’s threats of harsh punishment, are unacceptable.”

1. The number of people killed during nationwide uprising

The number of people killed in the recent popular uprising has risen to at least 50. Iranian officials however admitted to killing 27 demonstrators.

1. Media cite officials admitting murder of protesters

• The representative of Izeh and Baghe Malek in the Majlis said that two people died in this town and some others wounded. (The state-run ILNA news agency, December 31, 2018)
• State TV reported that the number of deaths in the town of Dorud was announced as two in Sunday’s protests, with the explanation that two others were also shot dead in the protests on Saturday night in the same city… According to this report, six people were killed in the shootings of Tuyserkan while three people were killed in Isfahan’s Shahin Shahr. Therefore, according to state TV, a total of thirteen people were been killed in the unrest. (Isfahan Emrouz Website, the state-run Seda and Sima website – Jan. 1, 2018)
• Dorud Governor, Nemati, said that on the first day of the turmoil, two people were killed and six were wounded. “On the second day, a middle aged person and a boy who was between 12 to 15 years of age died when he was run over by a fire truck,” he added. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Governor Falavarjan, Asghar Hedayat, said that ccording to the latest numbers reported to us by the hospital, six rioters were killed in Ghahdarijan. (The state-run Fars news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• Mohammad Javad Abtahi who represents Khomeinishahr in the Parliamentof Iran said according to the official statics, four people in the city and another one in Shahinshahr were killed. (The state-run ILNA news agency – Jan. 8, 2018)

1. Video clips document killing of protesters

• Videos posted on social media from the western town of Dorud showed two young men lying motionless on the ground, covered with blood, and a voiceover said they had been shot dead by The State Security Force firing on protesters.
• Another shocking social media video from Tuyserkan, in Hamedan Province showed a number of protesters being shot possibly dead and other people are carrying their bodies. Local media reports said that of those who were killed, six were shot dead by Iran’s Security Force in Tuyserkan, in Hamedan Province, including 11 year-old Armin Sadeghi.
• Two school boys were also killedduring the protests in Marivan, Iranian Kurdistan, when attacked by a grenade lobbed by the State Security forces. One of the victims is identified as Arman Zomi.

1. Arrest of protesters

Although Iranian authorities tried to conceal the extent of arrests, the figures are so high that some Iranian officials had to admit the crackdown.

According to official figures at least 3,700 people have been arrested during the protests. National Council of Resistance however announced that the number of arrests is at least 8,000 and more than 50 protesters killed.

1. The number of people arrested during nationwide uprising

• A senior official in Arak (Markazi Province) announced the arrest of at least 80 people following a protest rally in the city on Saturday. (The state-run ILNA news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Security Deputy of the Tehran Governorate Ali Asghar Naserbakht said that around 200 people were arrested in yesterday’s gathering in Enghelab and Valiasr Squares. “These people are now in the hands of the Judiciary,” he said. Tehran’s Security Deputy said that 40 leaders were arrested in the illegal rally yesterday adding that “the situation was now under control.” (The state-run ILNA news agency – Dec. 31, 2017)
• The Robate Karim Chief of Police, Abdullah Zadeh Pashaki, said 11 people were arrested last night in Parand, including three women and seven men, some of whom were leaders of the turmoil. He also announced the arrest of a person identified by his initials as R.A who had published a call for protests in Robate Karim in his Instagram channel encouraging people to riot. (The state-run ILNA news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Security Assistant of the Interior Ministry said that more than 90% of those arrested at the scene of the unrest were young and adolescents, and that their average age was under 25. “Most of them have not had any previous arrests,” Hossein Zolfaghari added.  He also said that from tonight (Monday) they would more seriously control the current conditions in the capital and a number of other cities that were involved in the unrest. (The state-run RONKA website – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Political and Security Deputy to the Governorate of Western Azarbaijan Province said that 10 people who intended to incite people were arrested. “Those who incite people to break the norms will be legally dealt with,” Alireza Radfar added. (Asre Iran state-run Website – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Governor of Markazi Province said 100 seditionists were arrested in Arak. “We arrested more than 100 people last night and we think that in the next few days, with the information we will receive and after reviewing recordings from CCTV cameras, including in banks and the entrance to the Arak Governorate which was attacked, more assailants will be identified and arrested. (The state-run Tasnim news agency – Dec. 31, 2017)
• Mohammad Takbirgo, Kashan Prosecutor, said that any kind of illegal gathering or arrogant activists in Kashan will be treated in a lawful and serious manner. He added that according to the law, those who intend to fight against the regime are considered a corruptor on earth (MOHAREB), and necessary legal proceedings will be carried out. Kashan’s prosecutor also said that in the past days during gatherings, about 50 to 60 people were arrested. (The state-run Mehr news agency – Jan. 1, 2017)
• Hamedan Governor Ali Ta’ali said that more than 150 people were arrested in the course of the unrest in the past few days in Hamedan. “Most of the detainees are between the ages of 17 and 25, and some of them are not native to Hamedan,” he added. (Tasnim state-run News Agency, Fars state-run News Agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• Mashhad Assistant Prosecutor Hasan Heidari, said that 138 people were arrested in Mashhad’s illegal gatherings.”Overall, during the gatherings in Mashhad, 52 people were arrested on the first night, and in the next two nights, 74 and 12 people, who were planning to do damage, were arrested,” he added. (The state-run Mehr news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• Ardebil Prosecutor Nasser Atabati, said that at a sit-in on Saturday, a number of people were arrested due of the slogans they chanted and criminal actions.
• They were 41 people (who were arrested) six of them were under the age of 18,” he added.
• Four cybercriminals, who provoked people to take part in the riots, were also arrested,” the Ardebil Prosecutor said. (The state-run Tasnim news agency – Jan. 7, 2018)
• Karaj prosecutor Haji Reza Shakarami said that in a number of people were arrested in relation to the recent unrest in Karaj. “We will not announce the numbers as yet,” he added. “Among the detainees, there were 20 of them who were leaders and led the unrests in a way,” the Karaj Prosecutor added. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• The Political and Security Deputy of the Tehran Governorate, Ali Asghar Naserbakht, said that about 200 people were arrested on Saturday, 150 on Sunday and that about 100 people were arrested yesterday (Monday). “This is a matter for the judiciary and they must have thought about the necessary conditions,” he added in response to whether they had taken measures to hold the detainees. (The state-run ILNA news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• The Political and Security Assistant to the Golestan Governor, Ali Asghar Tahmasebi, said that with the arrest of about 150 of Gorgan’s rioters, peace returned to the city. “In the last few days, enemies hired a number of people with their money using social networks and exploited a number of young people,” he added. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• Prosecutor, Hassan Mozafari, said a number of the heads of groups of the recent gatherings were arrested in Zanjan, Abhar and Khoramdareh. “Their cases are under preliminary investigation,” he added. (The state-run Fars news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• Chief of Police Hussein Ashtari said more than 70 percent of the arrests by police during gatherings were targeted. “Despite the (protests) not being a good incident, the State Security Forces gained experience and we saw that they did not give any excuses to foreigners so that they would be able to strike out against the system,” Ashtari added. (The state-run Fars news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• Gorgan Prosecutor Mostafa Haghi said that in the recent riots in the country, 12 leaders of the unrest were arrested and taken to prison in Gorgan. (The state-run Mizan news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• The Governor of Birjand, said that 28 people, who were influenced by social media, were arrested by the police and were handed over to judicial authorities. (The state-run Tasnim news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• Ardebil Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor Nasser Atabati, said that three main elements (of the protests) in Ardebil were identified and arrested. “During the interrogations, the defendants stated that they were completely influenced by cyberspace to take these measures,” he added…Atabati said that several individuals who had been chanting slogans that broke the structures (of the regime) were identified and arrested… “During technical examination and close intelligence observations, a number of the main leaders who had called on and instigated people to create chaos and riot were identified and a number of them were arrested,” the prosecutor added. (The state-run Mizan news agency – Jan. 3, 2018)
• Ghasem Abdullahi, the Chief Justice of Markazi Province, said that 294 rioters were transferred to prison. “On December 30, there were protests in Arak, Saveh and Delijan. Seventy-one men, nine women and 14 youngsters under the age of 18 were arrested in Arak, 15 men and one woman were arrested in Saveh and four others were arrested in Delijan. In these arrests, four leaders of the protests who were non-native to the region were also arrested,” he said. “(On December 31) seventy-nine people and 17 youngsters under the age of 18 were arrested in Saveh city. 145 men, five women and 30 young people under the age of 18 years were arrested in Arak, while six people were arrested in Delijan.” He announced the number of arrests on December 30 and 31 in Markazi Province as a total of 396 people and said that 294 people had been imprisoned, three of whom were under 18 years of age. The prisoners include 116 people from Saveh, 164 from Arak, nine from Delijan, two from Khomein and also three women. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Jan. 4, 2018)
• The Tehran Representative in Majlis referred to a list that was given to her on the number of detained students and said that around 90 students had been arrested throughout Iran. “These numbers might be higher but currently we are certain about 90 arrests,” Parvaneh Salahshouri said. (The state-run Jame’e No website – Jan. 5, 2018)
• After the popular protests in Iran, at least 90 university and school students were arrested. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Education and Research Committee in the Majlis said that most of the detainees were not involved in the protests. “The vast majority of them were arrested outside of universities and a number were arrested in their homes,” he added. Farid Mousavi, a Tehran representative in the Majlis wrote in his twitter page in this regard. “It was said that most of the arrests were for prevention,” he tweeted. (The state-run Roydad website – Jan. 7, 2018)
• Qazvin Prosecutor Sadeq Niaraki said that the detainees in this province were between the ages of 20 to 30 years old. “We are looking to arrest 50 other rioters,” he added. (Mizan state-run Website – Jan. 8, 2018)
• The Cultural Assistant of Tehran University, said that they had a meeting with the caretaker of the detainees in Evin Prison. “We examined the state of detained students,” he added. “Twenty-three students from Tehran University are still in detention,” he said. (Asre Iran State-run Website – Jan. 10, 2018)
• Majlis Representative and member of the Education Commission Mahmoud Sadeghi said that around 3,700 people were arrested in the recent (protests). “The specifications of a number of people who have been arrested by unknown institutions have been provided to the ministries of Intelligence, Interior and Science in the form of a list so that it becomes clear which organization arrested them,” he added. (The state-run Entekhab website – Jan. 9, 2018)

1. Inhuman treatment and gross violation of people’s rights

Iranian regime shut down mobile internet access and blocked apps including Telegram and Instagram after days of protests to prevent people from publishing the news of demonstrations in cyberspace. It also made threats against the protesters. Iranian officials claimed that many peaceful protesters intended to disrupt the national security, calling them as “rioters.” Based on such accusations, the authorities have justified killing of defenseless and unarmed people and taking strict measures against them as well as hasty trials.

Below are some of the inhuman statements and official orders to public crackdown:

• A member of the Assembly of Lorestan Representative said that there was no way except for the police to deal with and shoot those who broke the norms and came to the streets last night. “Two people were killed last night in Lorestan Province. There is a time when protests are in the framework of the law… But when they (protesters) break the norms and vandalize public property, it is natural that it has to be dealt with,” Hamidreza Kazemi, a member of the Lorestan delegation said. The head of the Judiciary, Ardeshir Larijani, ordered prosecutors across the country to deal decisively and seriously with the destruction of public and private property, and the violation of the rights of individuals.
  “Breaking bank windows, attacking mosques and prayer halls and attacking places like prosecutor’s offices and governorates is not something that judicial officials tolerate,” he said. “Accordingly, I strongly want prosecutors all over the country to deal decisively and seriously with those who destroy or burn public property or destroy people’s property and violate the rights of individuals”. (The state-run ISNA news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement on the recent gatherings in Tehran and other cities. The statement reads in part: “Thanks to intelligence measures, a number of elements and dissident rioters and the instigators of the unrest were identified and a number were arrested… Other elements are wanted (under pursuit) and will soon be seriously dealt with. The Ministry of Intelligence asks the various strata of the community to introduce the dissidents, rioters and those who destroy public property by calling 113.” (The state-run Fars news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• The Public Relations Department of Cyber ​​Security Command Center announced in a statement: “Gerdab (website) asks all the people to identify the elements of the sedition so that they are decisively dealt with… If you have any information or any news about the people in these pictures including images, video, news, emails, internet addresses or complaints about the rioting movements from any group who instigate and encourage destructive activities via the internet, you can send a report to Gerdab Website through the contact us link. In upcoming days, other images of the elements of the unrest and riot will be published.” (The state-run Mehr news agency – Jan. 1, 2018)
• Hojatoleslam Musa Ghazanfarabadi, head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, said that those who were arrested from the third day of the unrest would receive a heavy sentence. “Given the Ministry of the Interior’s announcement that the gatherings are illegal, they (protesters) have deliberately and knowingly gathered, rioted and broken the norms,” he said. “The charges of some of the arrested persons may be Moharebeh (enmity with God which could carry the death sentence), acting against national security, destroying public property, destroying people’s property, beatings and other charges… Many of these people were arrested in Tehran and other places and will soon be tried,” Ghazanfarabadi added. “The videos of the defendants will be broadcasted in court for them and there will be no way out; therefore, families should be watchful of their children and if they are given heavy sentences, expressing regret might not be effective.” (The state-run Tasnim news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)
• “We will not allow insecurity to continue in any way in Tehran.” This was announced by Ismail Kowsari, deputy Commander of the Sarallah Garrison of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He added, “If insecurity continues in Tehran, officials would certainly adopt decisions, putting an end to the affair.” )The state-run ISNA news agency – January 12, 2018 (
• The Assistant Head of the Judiciary, Hamid Shahriari, said that those who had managed the recent riots would be dealt with and severely punished. I still do not have the exact figures on the detained rioters, but all the people who were the heads of the rioting groups have been identified and arrested.” (The state-run Mehr news agency – Jan. 8, 2018)

Video clips document inhuman treatment of protesters

• An appalling footage shows Iran’s anti-riot units rushing into peaceful protesters and ran over them.
• A footage shows Iran’s State Security Force motorcyclists charging into protesters in Karaj and beating them with batons.
• A video shows Iranian authorities are transferring tanks
• Tanks stationed in Valiasr Square of Tehran to intimidate the public can be seen in photos.
• The State Security Force used pepper gas against protesters on December 29, 2017, in the northern city of Rasht to disperse the crowd.
• The State Security Force on December 30, 2017, attacked and beat people with batons in Enghelab Square in Tehran.
• Basij forces closed the entrance door of the Tehran University to students and attacked them, firing tear gas.
• Intelligence agencies in western city of Sanandaj, filmed the demonstration using UAV while intelligence agents used cameras to film protesters in the ground.
• Intelligence agents in western city of Sanandaj, filmed the demonstration using UAV while while intelligence agents use cameras to film protesters on the ground. The Sanandaj Intelligence Agency has also threatened Kurd journalists and activists via telephone not to publish any material in support of popular protests in the media

1. Freedom of expression

1. Access to the internet

Free Internet access is the basic right of every citizen. Iranian authorities however blocked the Instagram, Telegram and mobile data and suppressed digital communication to prevent leaking news of nationwide uprising.

Among the admissions made by officials and the state media, the following can be mentioned:

• Telegram and Instagram services were interrupted on all platforms of internet like fixed mobile and Irancell lines. According to the ILNA reporter, after telegram and Instagram interruptions on mobile Internet and Irancell networks, fixed-line DSL internet was disconnected as well. An informed source announced a few days ago: According to the recent events in the past few days, it was ordered in the event of gatherings to disconnect the internet connection for mobile and landlines.
• Ismail Jabarzadeh, deputy political minister of the interior, said at the news conference that was held at the Interior Ministry today that the government does not have any plans to stop the social networks, but when there is a disruption in public order, it’s natural that we restrict this access for a period of time. (The state-run ILNA website – Dec.31, 2017)
• Attorney General Montazeri said that prosecutors around the country are on the scene around the clock and were taking the necessary precautions… “The arrestees are made up of two groups. There are those who were arrested on the scene, who are not major players and effective in the unrest… But those who are destructive, the intelligence and judicial apparatus will certainly deal with them”, he added. “(Having) a free cyberspace is harmful for all aspects of our lives … The people should know that the freedom of this space is harmful to the country and families and should be organized,” he said. (The state-run Mizan news agency – Jan. 2, 2018)