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Iran increasingly controls its Internet

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Iran increasingly controls its Internet

 

Whenever Maysam, a prominent Iranian blogger, connects to the Internet from his office in the bazaar, he switches on a special connection that for years would bypass the Islamic republic’s increasingly effective firewall.

But recently the software, which allowed him and millions of other Iranians to go online through portals elsewhere in the world, stopped working. When it sporadically returns, speeds are so excruciatingly slow that sites such as Facebook and Balatarin.com – which evaluates unofficial news and rumors in Farsi — become unusable.

“There has been a change,” said Maysam, who spoke on the condition his last name not to be used out of fear of being summoned byIran’s cyber police. “It seems that the authorities are increasingly getting the upper hand online.”

Having seen social media help power uprisings across the Middle East, Iran’s leaders are trying to get control over what is uploaded, posted and discussed on the Internet. And after a slow start, authorities are becoming more and more successful, Iranian Internet users say.

Many fear that the disabling of the software used to bypass the state-run firewall heralds the coming of what authorities have labeled the National Internet. The government’s technology officials have announced the construction of a domestic Internet network comparable to an office intranet, which would block many popular sites. They have hinted the National Internet can be launched at any time, and have said it will gradually start working over the coming three years.

The move is borne out of necessity, authorities say, in order to prevent Iran’s Western enemies from spying on Iranian citizens. The crackdown on Internet freedom comes amid tension in Iran over a series of mysterious assassinations and explosions that have been blamed on U.S. or Israeli spies. The West has put increasing pressure on Iran in recent months to abandon its uranium enrichment program, which Iran insists is peaceful but which the U.S. and others claim is geared toward the development of a nuclear weapon.

Iranian officials have accused U.S.-based technology companies such as Google, Twitter and Microsoft of working in tandem with U.S. authorities to spy on Iranian online trends, search behavior, social networks and e-mail. The companies have denied those allegations.

During 2009 protests in Iran by opposition groups, the State Department did ask Twitter to postpone maintenance on its site, as U.S. diplomats believed that the microblogging site was being used by Iranian protesters to direct events on the ground in Tehran.

“They are stealing people’s information and following their own … goals,” said Reza Taghipour, the communication and information technology minister, when speaking about foreign governments and online companies in January. “We need [the National Internet] to protect the privacy of families.”

Officials stress that there will still be access to the Web — just not to the “damaging” sites. But Iranian Internet users and activists fear that the activation of the National Internet will cut them off from the rest of the world, and put them under increased surveillance by authorities.

“Basically they are already shutting off access to all interesting Web sites,” Maysam said. “We will resemble an isolated island in a changing world if this happens.”

In September, Diginotar, a Dutch Internet certificate authority, was hacked and security certificates – digital keys – to sites such as Google and Yahoo were stolen. The theft came to light when hundreds of thousands of Gmail users in Iran started noticing odd rerouting of their e-mails.

An Iranian hacker who calls himself Sunich in his e-mails — after a popular drink that is given away during state-organized rallies in Iran — claimed that he stole the certificates and handed them over to Iranian authorities. “Like in other countries, those who cooperate with Western intelligence services must be punished,” he wrote in an e-mail, saying Iranian authorities had the right to determine who in the country was working for foreign spy agencies.

Already bloggers and activists face arrest over what they have written online. An Iranian Canadian Web developer, Saeed Malekpour, 36, is awaiting execution after he wassentenced to death for what the judge said was “spreading pornographic material.” Malekpour has insisted he only created an upload site that was abused by others.

Iran’s cyber police last week arrested individuals behind a Facebook page that had organized online beauty “hot or not” contests. Authorities accused the organizers of promoting prostitution.

Mostafa, 27, who works as an assistant in a printing house, said he said bade farewell to the Internet last week. “None of the fun sites such as Facebook work anymore. All I can read is official Iranian news Web sites,” said Mostafa, who spoke on the condition his last name not be used. “Now I devote myself to work, only work. No Internet.”

Special correspondent Ramtin Rastin contributed to this report.

By Thomas Erdbrink

 

Source: insideofiran

Two Death and Two Prison Sentences for Four Kurdish Activist Brothers

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Two Death and Two Prison Sentences for Four Kurdish Activist Brothers

 

Two of the four Kurdish brothers security forces arrested 14 months ago in Boukan and Mahabad have received death sentences on charges of “moharebeh” (enmity with God), a local human rights source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The other two brothers were sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “acting against national security.” The family’s mother died late last month of a heart attack she suffered following the announcement of the sentences.

“On 9 December 2010, Mahabad security forces blockaded the home of a Kurdish citizen by the name of Jafar (Soltan) Afshari and stormed the premises in search of his brother Razgar (Habib) Afshari, a former member of a Kurdish party,” the source said. “Security forces fired shots at the two men and eventually arrested them with the cooperation of IRGC and Intelligence Office forces, and then transferred them to a Mahabad security detention center.

“Two days later, on 11 December, Boukan security forces stormed the home of an acquaintance of the family’s and arrested a third Afshari brother, Ali, who had also been a member of a Kurdish party,” the source continued. “Security forces directly shot at Ali Afshari, severely injuring him. Subsequently, the fourth brother, Vali Afshari, was summoned to Mahabad Intelligence Office, where he was arrested and transferred to Mahabad Security Detention Center.”

The source, a Kurdistan human rights activist, also claimed that the four Kurdish brothers underwent four months of interrogations and torture inside Mahabad and Orumiyeh security detention centers, and their family members were not allowed any visits or given any information about them.

“After this time, Habib, Jafar, and Vali Afshari were transferred to Mahabad Central Prison, and Ali Afshari was transferred to Orumiyeh Central Prison. Six months later, three of the imprisoned brothers were transferred to the Orumiyeh Central Prison, but after several months they were all transferred to Mahabad Prison again. Following completion of their interrogation and investigation stages, the prosecutor forwarded their cases to the Revolutionary Court on charges of ‘moharebeh’ (enmity with God), and ‘cooperation with Kurdish parties.’ The four brothers were not allowed to select their lawyers and their four court-appointed lawyers announced that they were unable to defend their clients,” the source said.

According to the source, the trial of the four individuals began at the Mahabad Revolutionary Court on 5 December 2011. On 16 January, Ali and Razgar Habib Afshari were informed that they had been sentenced to death. Jafar Soltan and Vali Afshari were acquitted of “moharebeh” charges, and were sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “acting against national security.” Under Iran’s penal code, moharebeh is meant to criminalize acts of armed action against the government.

“All four political prisoners objected to their sentences, and their files have been forwarded to Western Azerbaijan Appeals Court. Ali Afshari is in poor physical shape as a result of bullet wounds he sustained during his arrest. He was transferred to an Orumiyeh Hospital last week due to severe intestinal bleeding. He was returned to Orumiyeh Prison immediately after his surgery,” the source said.

 

Source: iranhumanrights

Mousavi daughters threatened with arrest

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Mousavi daughters threatened with arrest

 

Iranian authorities are resorting to scare tactics to intimidate the daughters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, a leader in Iran’s opposition Green Movement.

On Thursday, Kaleme, a website close to Mousavi, reported that security agents had recently threatened the daughters of the opposition leader with imprisonment. Meanwhile, one of the daughters, who had been studying arts at Azzahra University, has already been barred from attending school.

During the June 2009 presidential election, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi ran against incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was announced the as the victor. The reformist pair however refused to acknowledge the results of the disputed election describing it as “engineered” and “fraudulent.” Following the fraud allegations, massive demonstrations questioning the validity of the vote erupted across the country.

Despite the authorities’ brutal crackdown on protesters, the opposition Green Movement dominated the streets for seven months with a series of highly disciplined yet mainly self-organised mass rallies across the country.

After almost a year of absence from the streets and in the wake of revolts in the Arab world, Mousavi and Karroubi called for rallies to be held in February 2011 in support of the pro-democracy movements in the region. However, shortly after their call for protests, the men were placed under house arrest along with their wives, Zahra Rahnavard and Fatemeh Karroubi, respectively.

The Coordination Council for the Green Path of Hope, the movement’s most important decision-making council, recently called for a fresh wave of opposition marches on 14 February to mark the anniversary of last year’s demonstrations.

On Tuesday, Kaleme published a statement by the children of Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi describing their parents’ on-going house arrest as “inhumane” and “illegal.”

“Echo our demand for justice,” they called on Iranians.

“We, the families of our dear ones, say with certainty and explicitly that, contrary to their free will and the law, they’ve been in prison for a year now. With the exception of a few limited, short and controlled phone calls and visitations, they’ve been deprived of any contact with the outside world. They’re deprived of their legal rights. Up till now, not a single official has accepted responsibility for this illegal act. There is no impartial body monitoring their food, health or medication. There are many ambiguities surrounding their security and place of detention and our concerns grow daily.”

According to the website, the latest episode of intimidation against the Mousavi household is not an isolated incident. Iran’s intelligence agencies regularly harass the girls by calling them and delivering death threats or telling them they risk losing their jobs.

Kaleme also reported that one of Mousavi’s daughters had been suspended from Azzahra University without receiving any form of written explanation. Azzahra is the only university in Iran only women can attend. Mousavi’s wife Zahra Rahnavard used to be a professor and chancellor at the university for a number of years.

During a brief encounter with his daughter during the holy month of Ramadan, Mousavi reportedly told his daughters, “If you want to know about my situation in captivity, read Gabriel García Márquez’s News of a Kidnapping.” “Under the status quo, one can’t be hopeful about the upcoming [parliamentary] elections and taking part in them,” he told his daughters.

“The future is bright,” he told them.

When news of the meeting leaked onto green websites, authorities further isolated the opposition couple from the outside world, while queues formed in some bookshops after the book became a rare commodity in a matter of days.

 

Source: irangreenvoice

Human Rights violations in Iran Yearly Statistical – Special Year 2011

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Human Rights violations in Iran Yearly Statistical – Special Year 2011

 

In a prediction report, it contains Statistical Data (2010-2011) of Human Rights violations in Iran. The statistical basis of this report, that has been prepared, will provide analytical, statistical efforts of institution, and the publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran.

Certainly, due to the Iranian government not allowing human rights defenders to work properly in reporting Human Rights violations and preventing the free flow of information, it does not recognizes the independence of the civil activities, and at the moment, reporting these issues are something with many limitations, difficulty and dangerous in Iran.

Obviously, in such situation for Human Rights defenders, despite great difficulties, only a very small volume of human Rights violations are being monitored, researched and documented in relation to media reports, and finding other groups. However with regards to the restrictions, we can» t deny the analytical error of the content, but the Human Rights entity have known the statistical content and analysis repots with %3 margin of error, rare in its own kind.

As in the first section of the report, it is necessary to notice the human Rights group activities and effort in Iran to improve the reporting of human Rights violations, however, statistics can make dramatic differences in terms of the reports focused on the center of the country compared to other parts of the country as one of the weaknesses of Iran «s civil society entities.

With regard to the Human Rights statistics, 1120077 cases of Violation and protocols documented in Iran with the total repots of 2751, see the map below.

As you can see, there are dramatic differences between the center and other parts of the country, according to published reports.

The terms of the population (Census 1390), Tehran holds 12 million citizens, and other parts of the country holds 62,961,702.

However, according to Focus on Human Rights Defenders in 2011, 42 percent in Tehran and 58 percent in other parts of the country.

The following tables contain the names of the cities that make up the annual reports of Human Rights violations in Iran. Also reports that the transmission rate from that area, it is obvious by not mentioning the name of a city, means there is no report on the region.

The provinces have reported based on the volume of human Rights violations

Name of province number of reports Name of province number of reports Name of province number of reports
Tehran 1129 Kermanshah 58 Zanjan 15
Kurdestan 152 Sistan& Balochestan 30 Markazi 19
Alborz 125 Qazvin 44 Hamedan 10
West Azarbayjan 202 Unknown 25 Ardabil 15
East Azarbayjan 141 Qom 32 Yazd 21
Khozestan 110 Kerman 35 Kohkiloye& Boir Ahmad 13
Mazandaran 121 Lorestan 19 South Khorasan 11
Khorasan Razavi 97 Semnan 20 Hormozgan 22
Esfahan 61 Gilan 21 North Khorasan 6
Fars 88 Golestan 17 Ilam 11
Chahar mahal bakhtiyari 8
Boshehr 16

In the graph circle is to compare the volume of reports submitted by the provinces.

For seedlings of human rights violations in the past year, first we should look at the chart where the categories on the basis of comparable and the volume of reports, annually.

Ethnic minorities – National

In this category 181 cases reported by the statistics unit and recorded by publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran and 606 citizens were arrested, 113 beaten, 72 killed, 30 were summoned to the authorities, and 93 other jurisdictions have also been reported.

Also 105 citizens were tried by the Revolutionary Courts and for 168 people were sentenced to 1862 months of imprisonment, and 676 months of suspend imprisonment, also has been issued the Fine of 160 million Riyals, 1720 lashes and 372 months of denial of social Rights.

From the total of 181 cases reported to this district, 215 cases of Human Rights abuses for 1, 182 people have been registered.

In the following reports you see the violation rights of national minorities according to the monthly breakdown.

Comparison chart Available in the following areas:

In this category, Kurdish with 57% are on the top of Human Rights Watch reports respectively, Azeris, Baluchis, Arabs are 34%, 5% and 4% in the classification categories of Human Rights watch report.

Religious Minorities

In this category during the past year of 214 recorded reports from the statistics entity, 378 citizens were arrested, 9 cases have been blocked to perform religious rituals, 4 beaten, 13 destroyed or sealed places of religious minorities, 30 cases of harm to job security, 3 preventing the burial of corpses, 18 cases of blocking businesses activities of religious minorities, 106 were summoned to the authorities and 186 of other cases of violations for the religious minorities have been reported.

116 Religious minorities were sentenced in the judicial entities to the total of 3572 months imprisonment, 204 months of suspended sentences; fined 25 million Rials in cash, 250 lashes and 1716 were sentenced to deprivation of social Rights.

Extracted from the total of 214 reported cases to this district, 274 cases of Rights violations for at least 876 people in religious minority has been registered.

Human Right Monitoring, Baha «i Faith followers with 100 cases are at the top of the reports, dervishes of gonabadi reporting 46 cases, 29 cases reported of Christians, 26 cases of Sunnis and 6 cases of violation for the Right group.

In this category, Baha’i faith with %47 are at the top of Human Rights Watch’s report and in order, Dervishes of Gonabadi with 21%, Christian’s 14% and 12% Sunni are in the group categories.

Thought and expression

In this category during the year of 2011, 631 reports from Statistics Agency recorded, 33 cases of Internet filtering has been reported 23 seized magazines, 15 intentionally disrupt the network, 3 deliberate disruption in telecommunication networks, 336 cases of arrest, 339 cases of assault, 35 cases prevented from holding rally, 47 cases of threats and intimidation, 90 were summoned to the authorities and 147 other security issues in other areas of expressing their thoughts has been reported.

In this area in the year of 2011, 181 persons were sentenced from the judiciary entities to 9, 398 months of imprisonment, 156 months of suspended sentences, 10 billion 413 million and 500 thousand Riyals fine, 818 lashes and 846 months of deprivation of social Rights.

Extracted from the total of 631cases in this district, 734 cases of violation of Human Rights have been recorded for 4328 people.

Trades

In this category in 2011, 115 reports from the statistics entity has been recorded which in the total of 112 cases of the arresting of trade Rights activists, 257 places were closed in this regard, 3 permits termination of organizations, 1 case of preventing the organizations working, 2 cases of canceling the event, 40 cases were summoned to the security authorities and 24, 308 of other cases have been reported.

In this category 17 people were sentenced from the authorities to 434 months of imprisonment, 150 months of suspended imprisonment, 3 million Rials of cash fined and 180 month suspension of Civil Rights.

In total of 115 collected reported cases in this category that is included of 124 cases of Human Rights violation for 24, 818 individuals.

Student

In this category in 2011, 276 reported cases from the statistics entity and publications were recorded which is included in the total of 169 cases of arresting the students, 11 cases of disruption in the assembly, 35 beaten, 4 cases cancelation of the student magazine license, 48 were summoned to the security authorities, 60 cases summoned to disciplinary committees, 50 cases attempt to separation of the gender, 5 places and offices closed formations, 267 case of expulsions of study, 28 cases of expelled or suspension of study and 125 cases were other violations of academic Rights.

In this category in the last year of academic, 86 students were convicted from the country «s judiciary to 1128 months of imprisonment, 111 months of suspended sentences, fine of 40 million Rials in cash, 398 lashes and 36 months were sentenced to deprivation of social Rights.

From the total of 276 collected reported cases, 334 cases of violation of Student Rights were recorded for 1495 students.

Execution

In this category in 2011, 244 reports have been registered from the Statistics entity and Human Rights Activists in Iran, including conviction of 498 people condemned to death and execution verdict of 529 people which 61 were executed in public, 323 were men, 6 women and 200 sexes were unknown.

9 bodies of those executed for political reasons and to prevent of rituals for the security reasons, have not been delivered to their families.

10 were executed on charges of waging war against God and their bodies have not been delivered to the families or if they were buried by the justice system, their location are unknown and have not been reported to tier families.

According to the report, 76% of those executed were executed in Iran on charges of drug-related offenses, 11% charges of rape, 5% murder, 2% Moharebeh, 2% charged with waging war – political, 2% on charges of waging war and corruption on earth, %1 charged with sodomy or homosexuality, %1 rape and murder of 1% on charges of mischief and corruption on earth and a very little percentage on the corruption were executed in Iran.

From the total of 244 reported cases, 280 cases of Rights violations have been recorded for 1077 people.

In the following chart issuance of verdicts of executions in the different courts in the country based on the crime being investigated is that of drug-related crimes in the lead with 76%, 11% rape, murder 5%, are in the category.

In the chart below examines the death penalty in different provinces of the country, Tehran province with 13%, 12% for West Azarbaijan, Khorasan Razaviwith 10% are counted.

In the charts below 12 percent of the executions were in the public

In this diagram, which is directly related to the execution of political prisoner and examined the body of those executed, based on this diagram 2% of the bodies of those executed had not been delivered to their families.

Cultural Rights

In this category last year with 57 reported human Rights violations by the statistics entity have been registered which the total of 134 people arrested, license revocation of four cultural associations, exclusion of the four cultural programs, expulsion of two cultural activists, 52 people were summoned to the judiciary – Security, 4 persons of banned from leaving the country, 2 persons of banned to act on cinema and 125 other cases of Rights violations have been reported.

At this district 5 activists were sentenced from the judicial system to 162 months of imprisonment, 60 months of suspended, 90 lashes and 240 months to deprivation of cultural activities.

In this category from the total of 57 reported under review, 61 cases of Rights violations for at least 339 people have been extracted.

Labors

In this category in 2011, 288 reported in the survey was compiled based on a total of 22 arrests, 83 cases have been reported in workers «strike, 46, 309 workers were fired or adjusted, 1877 workers didn» t get paid, 162, 316 workers have lost their jobs, 112 were killed in work accidents, 76 cases of physical injuries to workers on the job has been reported, 13, 105 cases were reported to not having insurance for workers, 971 workers have been working in the field of undecided, 35 labor activists were summoned and 26, 981 others have been with other issues.

A total of 15 people of labor activists were sentenced from the Judiciary to 438 months imprisonment, 26-month suspended sentence and 240 were sentenced to deprivation of social Rights.

This report compiled the total of ,,288 cases which 380 are legal Rights cases for 2, 542 people have been registered.

Children «s Rights

In this category in the 2011 in the total of 41 reports which was made by the statistics entity a total of 44 cases of child abuse, 7 issuance or execution, 600, 001 cases of children labor, 32, 000 children without identity, children» s Rights activists arrested in 3 cases, A sale and trafficking of children, 20 cases of rape and sexual abuse of children, 436 cases of child marriage, 2 child Rights activists condemned and 7 as well as other violations of the law is derived.

Two children Rights activists were sentenced from the judiciary in total of 54 months imprisonment.

The total collected reports in this district are 41 and estimated of 46 cases of human Rights violation for 633, 048 people.

Women

55 cases were reported in this category in the 2011, based on a total of 10 women «s Rights activists were arrested, Women self-burning-reported 11 cases, 8 cases of honor killing, 1 case of rape, 18 cases of activists summoned to the judiciary – General Security and 11 other cases have been reported.

7 activists were sentenced from the judiciary in the country to 68 months imprisonment, 9 months suspended sentence and were fined 500 thousand Rials.

Total of 55 reports collected in this district, which includes 60 women violation Rights out of at least 94 people.

Prisoners

In this category in 2011, a total of 1, 020 cases of torture of prisoners, 263 prisoners about the investigation or denial of medical services, 93 cases of illegal transfer of prisoners to solitary confinement, Restrictions on the prisoners out of 927, 189 about the hunger strike, 260 cases of forced transfer or deportation of prisoners, 2 cases of suicide in prison, pressure and threats of 235, 180 inmates, 83 prisoners were killed, 139 prisoners, uncertainty, 5 cases of prisoners on death, disease, 16 retribution for the execution and torture, 66 cases of no access to lawyers, building a case against 53 prisoners, about 1, 050 prisoners held in harsh environments, and 162 other reports are collected.

In total there were 649 reports collected in this district, 1365 cases for violating the Rights of prisoners for 240, 278 people.

Convictions

During the past year the Iranian government including the lower and appeal courts, applied for issuance of 18, 508 months imprisonment (suspended and the term) out of these numbers, 584 months for trades, 2538 months The field of national minorities – ethnic, 3776 months for religious minorities, 9554 months for thought and expression, 1, 239 months for students, 77 months for women, children 54 months, 222 months for culture and workers have accounted for 464 months.

It should be noted that these statistics only issue, rulings or profile the published information.

Figures reported from the judiciary system, 597 citizens were sentenced over 302 years of deprivation of social Rights, More than 1426 years of imprisonment and 116 years of suspended sentence.

The activists were also fined to a Billion and six and six Million Rials. Also were sentenced to 3, 276 lashes.

Arrests

Security forces have arrested 4, 615 civilians during the past year of which about 1770 case bases and 2845 cases to determine the identity or without knowing the identity of the arrested people.

In this regard, the trades were 112 cases of arrests; ethnic minorities 606 cases, religious minorities 376 cases, 3, 181 for thought and expression, 169 cases for students, 10 cases for women, 134 cases for cultural workers and 3 cases include children.

It is noted that the mass arrests in the above figure chart is not mentioned.

 

Source: insideofiran

Inhumane acts for defenseless prisoners

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Inhumane acts for defenseless prisoners

 

According to reports by “Human Rights and Democracy in Iran” the defenseless prisoners of Ghezalhesar prison are kept outside during heavy snowfalls and storms in temperatures below zero.

During daily hours, these prisoners of Ghezalhesar are forced to go out from their cells to the prison yards from 7:30am till lunch time and once again after the lunch hours.

The ill, elderly and those incapable of walking are not allowed to stay in their cells and are forced to be outside during extreme weather conditions where many suffer frostbite.

Those prisoners who are incapable of leaving their cells are forced out and later transferred to the section 8 where they are being brutally beaten up by prison guards

In order to increase the repression, these guards forcibly undress these prisoners naked to be in the sight of other prisoners for the purpose of humiliating.

These inhumane acts are being carried out systematically by the prison.

From another point of view, the food is insufficient and in poor condition where these prisoners have to share unequally amount with each other and are obligated to buy more from the prison shop.

Unhealthy prisoners must wait several weeks before they can visit the prison’s health center and when a patient’s turn arrives, they receive narcotics without examinations by the doctors.

The congestion of the prisoners is increasing which forces the prisoners to sleep at the corridors, stairs and even in the bathrooms.

These miserable and inhumane acts which exist are slowly leading to the increasing death toll of the prisoners.

Human Rights and Democracy activists in Iran condemns these repressions, barbaric and brutal acts and the High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for a delegation to be sent to these to review the prisoners deplorable situation.

 

Source: freedomessenger

Syria’s top Muslim cleric hails Iran support

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Syria’s top Muslim cleric hails Iran support

 

Syria’s top Muslim cleric has thanked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his unwavering support of Syria’s government as it deals with widespread unrest, the presidency website reported Thursday.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun conveyed the “thanks of the Syrian people and president for the stance of Ahmadinejad and our nation,” the website said after a meeting between the two late Wednesday in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad told the Sunni cleric, who was attending an Islamic conference, that “the main aim of the dominating and bullying powers (the United States and its allies) is to preserve the Zionist regime (Israel).”

He added: “The U.S. and its allies are seeking to launch a new war in the region and to break the line of Islamic resistance. But we believe that with wisdom and unity we can stand against them.”

Syria, Iran’s principal ally in the Middle East, is roiled by a near year-long uprising that has seen more than 6,000 people killed, according to human rights groups.

The Islamic republic has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, though it denies Western accusations that it is sending arms to Damascus in violation of a U.N. embargo.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last Tuesday warned against U.S. interference in Syria’s internal affairs while saying he backed reform for the Syrian people.

On Wednesday, an Iranian deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, was briefed in Damascus by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who outlined reforms Syria was said to be undertaking.

Abdollahian stressed Tehran’s support for the reforms and “confidence that the Syrian leadership and people will be able to overcome the current events,” Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

Source: alarabiya

Javad Lari’s death sentence replaced with 2 years behind bars, possibility of his imminent release

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Javad Lari’s death sentence replaced with 2 years behind bars, possibility of his imminent release

 

According to his lawyer Manijeh Mohammadi, the lower court had received this case for further review and handed down the new sentence of 2 years imprisonment.

Javad Lari’s lawyer Manijeh Mohmmadi said in an interview with Human Rights House of Iran that the Supreme Court recently overturned the death sentence and sent it back to the lower court, resulting in the new sentence of 2 years in prison.

Mr. Lari’s lawyer who has been representing him for over 2 years while he has been behind bars with a death sentence, said that her client could be released within the next 24 hours.

On September 16, 2009, agents from the Intelligence Ministry arrested Javad Lari at his workplace. On July 2010, Judge Salavati presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Lari to death.

After Branch 32 of the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, Judge Salavati presiding over Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court re-issued Javad Lari’s death sentence and the case went back to the Supreme Court a second time for further review. The Supreme Court struck down the death penalty again and a lower court reduced the sentence to 2 years behind bars.

The charges against Javad Lari stemmed from a visit he made to Iraq in 2008 in an unsuccessful attempt to visit some of his old friends. This trip prompted the authorities to accuse him of being connected with the Mujahedin-e Khalq party (MEK), which Mr. Lari and his lawyers have vehemently denied.

Source: rahana

Syria: Iran Military Chief Said to Be in ‘War Room’ with Assad

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Syria: Iran Military Chief Said to Be in ‘War Room’ with Assad

 

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is quoting an anonymous high-level Syrian official as saying on Monday that Kassam Salimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has arrived in Syria to aid in the country’s crackdown against its would-be revolutionaries.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-backed Al Arabiya news channel claimed Tuesday in a separate report that 15,000 troops from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recently arrived in Syria to aid Syrian President Bashar Assad in his battle against rebel forces in Homs and throughout the country.

Haaretz claims that Salimani, who is in charge of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s external operations as commander of the Quds Force, has “taken up a spot in the war room” alongside Bashar Assad and his closest family members, including his brother Maher, his brother-in-law Assaf Shaukat, and his cousin Rami Makhlouf.

The news of Salimani’s arrival in Syria came just a day before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Damascus on Tuesday, where he reaffirmed his support for an earlier Arab League resolution on ending the violence in Syria, although he did not endorse their call for President Assad to step down.

Russia has close relations with both Syria and Iran, and Iran is widely considered to be Syria’s best friend in the Middle East. Russia is Syria’s principal arms supplier, and is also Iran’s partner in the controversial Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Syrian forces pressed deeper into the rebelious city of Homs today, firing rockets and mortar rounds into opposition-controlled neighborhoods. Throughout the campaign against the city, now entering its fifth day, activists claim hundreds of civilians have been killed, leaving upwards of 7,000 dead since the initial outbreak of violence last year.

 

Source: FreedomMessenger

‘Echo our call for justice,’ say family of Green opposition leaders

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‘Echo our call for justice,’ say family of Green opposition leaders

 

The continued house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, the leaders of the Green Movement, go against international human rights provisions as well as Iran’s own constitution, their families say.

According to websites affiliated with the two, the children of each leader issued a joint letter addressed to Iranians as well as “justice and freedom seeking people across world” on Tuesday, calling their continuing house arrest as “illegal” and “inhumane.” It comes exactly a week before Iranians take to the street next Tuesday, the first major opposition protest since 14 February 2011.

The statement dismissed claims by some Iranian officials that the decision to impose house arrest on the 2009 presidential candidates was to ensure their own safety. In late December 2011, the Ebtekar daily cited Hossein Taeb as saying that the house arrest had been enforced at the leaders’ own request. “They are under house arrest but not to obstruct their actions, but to prevent people from beating them.

“It was part of their own request. Stones were thrown at them as they travelled to various places … they themselves asked to have increased security,” Taeb alleged.

However, the opposition leaders’ families believe that their loved-ones’ captivity is against their will.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi spearheaded the Green Movement until mid-February 2011 when they were placed under house arrest after calling for protests in solidarity with the Arab Spring. The 14 February demonstrations were marred by the security forces’ violent crackdowns which left at least two dead. The Coordination Council of the Green Path of Hope, the movement’s highest decision-making body, has called for nationwide opposition demonstrations in protest at the worsening economic conditions as well as the continued detention of dissident figures, in particular Mousavi and Karroubi.

“We, the families of our dear ones, say with certainty and explicitly, that contrary to their free will and the law, they’ve been in prison for a year now. With the exception of a few limited, short and controlled phone calls and visitations, they’ve been deprived of having any contacts with the outside world. They’re deprived of their legal rights,” the families continued. “Up till now, not a single official has accepted responsibility for this illegal act. There is no impartial body monitoring their food, health or medication. There are many ambiguities surrounding their security and place of detention and every day our concerns grow.”

 

The families maintained that their parents’ absence in the public eye would not deter millions of Iranians from pursuing their rights.

They also warned that Iran’s ruling elite had lured Iran towards “war and destruction,” urging them to “the path of reason and the interests of the people and the country.”

“We call on our oppressed, suffering and sacrificing countrymen, as well as all those who seek justice and freedom, to, in line with our fellow compatriots in the country who seek the formation of true democracy, echo our call for justice to the entire world.  Convey our message to the world: ‘release our beleaguered yet steadfast detainees and all the political prisoners and [prisoners of] conscience across Iran. A country and nation with such dignity and valour does not deserve this level of economic and political hardship, or, God forbid, war’.”

Speaking to the Green Voice of Freedom, former reformist lawmaker Rajabali Mazrooei said the imprisonment of Mousavi and Karroubi demonstrated the authorities’ fear of the men’s influence amongst the wider public. “A few seemingly harmless statements by the Green Movement leaders about the forthcoming parliamentary elections are enough to infuriate the authorities,” he noted.

“The 14 February protests will offer a new opportunity for Iranians to show their protest at this illegal form of detention,” said Mazrooei, who was once economic advisor to former President Mohammad Khatami.

During a brief encounter with his daughter during the holy month of Ramadan, Mousavi reportedly told his daughters, “If you want to know about my situation in captivity, read Gabriel García Márquez’s News of a Kidnapping.” “Under status quo, one can’t be hopeful about the upcoming [parliamentary] elections and taking part in them,” Mousavi told his daughters.

“The future is bright,” he mentioned to his daughters.

When news of the meeting leaked onto green websites, authorities further isolated the opposition couple from the outside world, while queues were formed in some bookshops after the book became a rare commodity in a matter of days.

On Friday, Reporters Without Borders, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights issued a joint statement urging the international community to take a much firmer stance towards Iran’s human rights violations in the talks currently under way with the country’s authorities.

The organisations said Mousavi, Rahnavard (Mousavi’s wife) and Karroubi had been “deprived of all their rights for nearly a year. Their relatives have not been able to visit them for months and are very worried about their state of health.”

“The Islamic Republic must bring this unacceptable state of affairs to an end. Arbitrary arrest and the holding of political prisoners incommunicado violate international law. Such practices are tantamount to enforced disappearance, yet are widely and frequently used by the authorities.”

The three human rights organisations expressed their backing for the appeal of 39 political prisoners, journalists and intellectuals issued on 25 January, calling “upon all freedom fighting citizens across the globe to create public awareness regarding the upcoming sham and rigged parliamentary elections in March, and to continue to do everything in their power to ensure that the detained leaders of the Green Movement are released in the month of February.”

Members of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, who are also Nobel laureates, recently called for the “unconditional release” of the green leaders, urging “all freedom-loving people and human rights organisations throughout the world not to remain indifferent to the fate of the prisoners of conscience in Iran, in particular the aforementioned individuals, and to employ every means at their disposal to secure their release.”

In an interview with Radio Farda, RFE/RL’s Persian-language service, Reporters Without Borders spokesperson Reza Moini described the yearlong house arrest as a “crime against humanity.” “Today, the family of Mr Mousavi and Karroubi don’t know exactly where they are being detained, because there’s no record of their imprisonment anywhere.”

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran demanded that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “immediately release” the three opposition figures on Wednesday.

“Khamenei bears the ultimate responsibility for these house arrests, which indeed are nothing short of a kidnapping,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the Campaign’s spokesperson. “Khamenei is operating above the law of the land, and the intelligence and judicial apparatus are tools of repression in his hands, operating with impunity and without any regard for the law or the constitution,” he added.

Mind-altering drugs given to death row prisoner Vahid Asghari, political prisoner Hossein Asghari, and other inmates in Evin prison

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Mind-altering drugs given to death row prisoner Vahid Asghari, political prisoner Hossein Asghari, and other inmates in Evin prison

 

By Firooze Ramezanzadeh

According to recent reports from Evin prison’s Ward 350, authorities in the prison’s medical clinic are engaging in abusive practices against inmates, including the improper administration of mind-altering medication.

The clinic has reportedly stopped administering medications to some prisoners with prescribed medical needs, while other prisoners are given large doses of drugs that can result in serious mental side effects.

One such case involves Iranian blogger Vahid Asghari, who along with Iranian-Canadian Saeed Malekpour was recently sentenced to death for the management of ‘anti-Islamic’ websites.

Evin prison authorities committed 24 year old Asghari to Aminabad psychiatric hospital in Tehran for two weeks.  During that time, Asghari was handcuffed and his feet were shackled.

According to former cellmates, Asghari recounted that in Aminabad, he was handcuffed, shackled, and insulted when allowed to use the toilet and bathroom facilities.  Further, toilet trips were taken in a group.

When he was released from Aminabad, Asghari was transferred back to Evin prison’s Ward 350 in handcuffs and shackles.  The continuous nature of these physical restraints has reportedly had a deleterious effect on Asghari’s mental health.

The doctors in Evin prison’s clinic have reportedly prescribed numerous medications to Asghari that he must take every night before bed.  The medication has had a further negative effect on his mental health.  Now, as a direct result of his treatment by prison authorities, Asghari, a university student who was in sound health at the start of his imprisonment, suffers from mental illness that needs special and urgent medical care.

According to Asghari’s former cellmates, the severe mental and physical torture Asghari was subjected to means he cannot go back to ‘normal’ life even if he is released.

Hossein Asghari, another political prisoner in Evin prison’s Ward 350, has been given heavy doses of tranquilizers during his incarceration at Evin prison.  The medication has severely compromised his mental health.  He is now addicted to the medication and faces severe health problems on account of taking drugs not authorized by a medical doctor.

Asghari was arrested on charges of espionage in 2006 and sentenced to seven years and three months of ‘Tazir’ imprisonment (for crimes that do not have a specific codified duration of imprisonment in law).  Despite having already served five years of his sentence and suffering from severe mental and physical health problems, Asghari has never been granted conditional release.  In addition to the mental health problems he suffers from, Asghari suffers from teeth and gum infections for which he has not been given adequate medical treatment.

 

Source: iranhrdc
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