Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Newsletter for Monday 9th of November 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

 Newsletter for Monday 9th of November 2009


Future Plans:

--Iranian-style protests, Thursday evening, go to parks and around in the city with family.

-- Accompanying the mothers of the green movement victims in Laleh Park – every Saturday afternoon.


Summary of the News:

--Jamaran News website:Mir Hossein Mousavi in an interview gave his opinions about the history of factional competition and the current situation of the Islamic Republic. He said: " It is not fair to tell people to stand behind the regime, in spite of all the badness, weaknesses and the corruption." He added: "multi-billion dollar contracts with Revoultionary Guard neither benefits the national economy, not the revolutionary guards, and nor the unity of the country, and this approach alone can risk the whole country." With regard to the role of the constitution in creating unity, he said that currently some of the principles of the constitution has been highlighted and some others are left out, and added: "even the constitution itself is not the word of God, and if necessary, its principles can be revised." Full text of the interview will be attached to the email.

 

--BBC News: Mehdi Karroubi Referred to the dual behavior of the Iranian government in connection with the nuclear program and the relations with America, and said that the Iranian government is suffering from confusion. In a video message distributed in social networks, he said that on one hand the Iranian government tries to open the door to relationship and dialogue with America about the nuclear program, and on the other hand it tries to prevent it. He said: "Iranian nation's interests can not be played with every day, on the basis of analysis that people are unaware of." Karrubi, while referring to the dichotomy in the government's behavior, said that the dual behavior will result in people's distrust of the government, and indeed they "have every right not to trust."

 

--Radio Farda: On Monday, Tehran's public and revolutionary prosecutor accused three American climbers that had entered Iran from Kurdistan border about three and a half months ago, of espionage. Simultaneously with the announcement, Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, once again demanded the immediate release of three climbers.

 

--Norouz: Islamic Association of Azad University of Tabriz, in an statement, protested against the arrest of Hassan Alizadeh and Behnam Nikzaad, two students of the university who had been arrested on 13th of Abaan in campus shuttle station, by plain clothes security forces.

 

--BBC: According to two Iranian news agencies, the government has announced that 40 other people who had been arrested for being in the street on 13th of Abaan have been released.

--Parlemannews: Mohammad Khatami said the conditions for achieving national unity and understanding is that firstly, the authorities must accept that the society is in crisis and secondly, while all opinions and tastes should have freedom of expression, all facilities and immunities should not only be in the control of a particular opinion whose only thought is elimination of others, and that everyone should have the chance to talk.

 

--Noruoz: The second meeting to address charges of Behzad Nabavi, a senior Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization member, was held in a private court, despite his request otherwise. During the meeting he rejected all charges.

 

--Radio Farda: Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, Shiite grand ayatollah, urged the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic to hold the court of the attackers of the university dormitories and the defenders of the Kahrizak prison disaster. He said the lack of fast action in this case will lead to people's distrust of the judicial system.

 

--Norouz: Mohsen Armin, Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization spokesman said:" Conservative flow no longer has the support of the high level clergy and grand ayatollahs, and the Religious singers have replaced the grand ayatollahs in this current." He called the green movement a generator for the reform movement, and said "the green movement is the mass instantiation of the reform movement. The reform movement, despite its vast coverage, had only been performed by political elites and activists before."

 

--Taghir: Seyed Mohammad Khatami paid a visit to Mehdi Karroubi's home to give his comforts with regard to the events which occurred for Karrubi in 13th of Aban.

 

--Parlemannews: Family of "Saeed Abbasi" who had lost his life in the events after the election told the "Hayat-e No" newspaper to write about the offending to their young son's tomb, and to protest to this action, showed the newspaper the pictures of before and after breaking of the tomb stone. Previously, similar news was published about damaging the grave stone of Neda Agha-Soltan.

 

--BBC News: Oxford University in Britain established a scholarship called Neda Agha-Soltan, one of the victims of the events in Iran's presidential elections. Queens College, Oxford University, in the news published in their website has announced that from the gifts of two knowledge loving people they have created the Neda Agha-Soltan scholarship, to be given to the philosophy Master students of this college.

 

--BBC: Nine cinema communities, in an open letter to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, protested to the travel ban to three Iranian filmmakers and asked for the follow up and resolving of their issue. Jafar Panahi, Fatemeh Motamed-Aria, and Mojtaba MirTahmasb are three filmmakers who were banned from traveling outside the country at the Iranian border at the airport.

 

--Blog of the Mourning Mothers: Last Saturday, police and plain clothes figures prevented mothers' gathering in Laleh park, and urged them to move out of the park and disperse.

University News:

--Bamdaad News: Following arrest of two students of Electrical and Computer engineering department in Khaje-Nasir University of Technology, on Saturday and Sunday, students of the University went on an unprecedented hunger strike in front of the campus self-service, and gave slogans of "Allhakbr". After student protests in the presence of Saffar-Harandi, secutiry forces attacked Soheil Mohammadi and Ali Parviz's homes and illegally transferred them to an unknown location. A short film of the stike will be sent in the email.

 

--BBC News: Again with the presence of former Culture Minister of Ahmadinejad's government, Hossein Saffar Harandi, in the University of Guilan, students attended his speech with protesting slogans. On Sunday in the Hekmat attrium in Gilan University Harrandi had an speech, which was met with chants of "Our shame, our shame, our Minister of Culture" and "poor dictator, the movement will go on."  A video of this event is attached to the email.

 

News of Arrested, and Deceased: 

--BBC News: Hadi Heidari(cartoonist), Ebrahim Shirkavand, Mohammad-Amin Shirzad, Mohammad-Javad Mozaffari and Maysam Vare who had been arrested weeks ago during the Komail prayer gathering were released.

 

 

Recommendations and Warnings:

Mohsen Sazgara mentioned in his talks on Sunday and Monday:

--He referred to the interference of Police in the mourning mothers' gathering in Laleh park, and said that people's accompanying them and the families of the prisoners are both necessary and positive.

-He referred to the strike of the workers of Communication company of Doorshir, and said that we should support them.

--About the revelation and identification of the Coup thugs, he said it is very important, and that in work and at neighborhoods these people should be rejected so that they stop supporting the coup government, and said that in return, as soon as they return from their path they should be accepted and forgiven. (He said contacting their homes would be a good way to pressure them.)

--He mentioned the rare violence of the government in 13th of Abaan in Shiraz University, and said for future actions, we should think of solutions to protect green movement members from harm.

--About the future of the green movement, he emphasized that there should be growth in three levels: Geographical, social, and quality(organization and information). He said these growth dimensions are essential for the maturity of the movement.

--About 16th of Azar (7th of December) he said this action would be most prominent in Universities, and that we should spread the action to high schools and schools, and contact teachers as well.

--He said finalization of contract of Revolutionary guards in buying the communication company is close, and said that after this, large scale sanctions of the communication company should be planed.

--About reaction to Coup he emphasized on three principles: removing their legitimacy, Weakening them, and creating division and paralyzing them, and said Revolutionary guards is the right target for these three acts because it has a central role in the Coup.

-- He said the presence of green movement in Tasousa and Ashoura religious ceremonies and how much that leads to finalization of the green movement, depends on how much we are able to weaken the Revolutionary guards' and its greed of controlling all resources.



Friday Agust 14th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 14th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
-- Tomorrow, the greens human chain of bloggers and on Monday, the demonstration of green supporters of E'temad-e-melli will be held.

NEWS

--BBC: In an unprecedented move, Friday prayer imams in several big Iranian cities called for Mehdi Karroubi's trial following his request to pursue the rape claims in Iranian jails.  The imams in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad called Karroubi's letter to Hashemi a series of "false allegations" and "lies" in their August 14 sermons, and asked that he be punished.

--Saham News: Referring to a declaration distributed (reportedly by Ansar-e Hezbollah) in today's Friday prayer and in some news websites which asks Etemad-e Melli [the newspaper of Karroubi's party] critiques to gather in front of the said daily's headquarters on Saturday, Karroubi said they looked forward to this gathering and asked his supporters to do the same thing on Monday.  Etemad-e Melli [National Trust] party's secretary-general added they would hear out any suggestions and criticisms.  He asked the newspaper's supporters not to go to the headquarters on Saturday so that they can listen to the opposite views in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.  Karroubi said he, along with his supportes, would go to the daily's headquarters at 4pm, Monday, as a sign of support and gratitude towards its employees as well as to communicate comments and suggestions to them.  He warned the propagandists and warmongers in the end that they should follow the path of positive interaction, and lest they think pressure, threats, or defamation may prevent him from defending people's rights.  "I will not take a single step back," he said.

--BBC: Yadollah Javani, head of Sepah [IRGC: Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] Political Bureau, said in a meeting with the clergies from Defense Ministry's Beliefs and Political Organization (Aqidati-siasi) that Mir Hossein Mousavi has to be tried in a court of law.


--Radio Farda: The "Nowrooz" website, associated with the Jebheye Mosharekat ,  reports that the National Security Council of Iran discussed a plan to arrest Mir Hossein Mussavi and 10 other reformist leaders. This plan is proposed and backed by AhmadiNejad and is sent to the  National Security Council of Iran. Based on this report,  the plan suggests that Mousavi and 10 other leaders of reforms in Iran should be arrested or  the protests won't end. According to "Nowrooz" website, the list includes Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karrubi, Mohsen Alviri, Mohammad Reza  Khatami , one of Hashemi Rafsanjani's  sons or daughters and a number of others. "Nowrooz" also adds that some members of the National Security Council disagreed with the plan because of the consequences of such  arrests and Ayatollah Khamenei has said that this plan will make the regime fall.


--BBC: The inauguration ceremony of the new head of judicial system of Iran that was scheduled to happen tomorrow (Saturday, August 15), was postponed. Sadegh Larijani, was supposed to succeed, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi who was officially appointed by Ayatollah Khamenei as the head of the judicial system for a period of 10 years till August 14, 2009. 
"Nowrooz news" website quoted an informed source in Tehran: "Mr Larijani had asked for an investigation into the issue of the political prisoners arrested in the protests after the election. This has not been done so far and so the inauguration is delayed until the release of the official report." Based on latest news by Radio Farda, this ceremony has been postponed to Monday because the religious leaders are traveling and could not attend the ceremony on Saturday. 


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED
--Radio Farda: France's ambassador to Iran on Friday visited a young French academic in the Tehran prison where she is being held on spying charges, the foreign ministry said here. "He explained to her that the French authorities are doing all they can to obtain her release as soon as possible," a spokesman said. The visit was ambassador Bernard Poletti's second trip to Evin prison to see Clotide Reiss, who was among at least 110 defendants tried last week on charges related to huge post-election protests across Iran.


ANALYSIS

-- Mohammad Hashemi, the brother of Akbar Hashemi, in an interview with ILNA, in addition to pointing out the deep rift in the society after election also mentioned that the 9th administration failed to garner the acceptability of Messrs. Moussavi, Hashemi and Khatami. He also pointed out the efforts to marginalize the chairman of the Expediency Council in an effort to abolish the "republican" side of the government and reach an ideal regime for the coup members. He also highlighted the public's lack of trust and the fact that imprisonment, violence and show trials cannot alleviate the problem. He also talked about the inauguration ceremony and how the regime transformed the capital to an army garrison for this event. He believed that if they continue in this path, they'll have to pay a high price. This member of the Expediency Council also talked about the prisoners and how no information is available about their physical and mental conditions. For example, he said, "Mr. Attrianfar emphasized on the conditions of his imprisonment in realizing the fallacy of the rumor that the election was rigged. But the question is how did he come to this conclusion in the prison? For this you need access to documents.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS

-- Mohsen Sazegara published his August 14th video. Regarding the activists in small towns, who are afraid of being identified by the agents, he said that they can engage in certain activities such as demonstrations at night or graffiti. He also talked about the potential dangers of using "Iran Cell" cell phones for political activities for the fear of being traced (a possible sign is repeated problems in connections). In these cases, he said, instead of removing the battery, give your cell phone to an inactive member of your family for a while.


Wednesday August 12th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)


Wednesday August 12th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
-- Mohsen Sazgara, in his daily address, urged the people to show up in Friday's prayers regardless of the presence or absence of Hashemi in the sermons.

NEWS
-- BBC, Radio Farda: Mir Hossein Mousavi, one of the opposition presidential candidates, asked for deep reforms in Iran in a meeting with the Coordination Council of the Reforms Front.  What happens in the prisons these days, he said, is a clear indicator of the necessity of a major reform.  He criticized IRIB's and Kayhan's coverage of the news, and branded that as serving the Foreigners' interests.  He added "A certain political will is trying to link people's spontaneous protesting movement to Foreign interference, via waging psychological war and propaganda.  If we look closely, however, we find out that no one has benefited Foreigners' interests better than they did in the past two months."  Mousavi said that the people seek to express their demands and objections in a quiet atmosphere, and those who oppose peaceful gatherings and shed blood are the ones who serve the Foreigners.

-- Radio Farda: Following the opposition's decision to go on "green shopping" on Wednesday, the Grand Bazaar and nearby streets were under strong security measures today.  The people opposing the election results went to the Bazaar while a lot of security forces were stationed in Naser Khosrow, Boozarjomehri, and several other streets.  Some reports indicate that the gold market as well as some shops in the shoe market was closed due to security measures and their sensitivity.  ILNA reports there were many police motorbikes in the area.  Unverified reports say that Mrs. Rahnavard, Mousavi's wife, was seen in the Bazaar shopping.

-- BBC: Jamshid Ansari, Zanjan's MP, wrote an article in the Parliament-News (which is the website of Path of Imam Faction) on Wednesay, August 12, and named Brigadier Esma'il Ahmadi Moghaddam, the Police Chief, responsible for all the police's illegal measures in the post-election unrest, and called for his dismissal and for the prosecution of the violators.  Ahmadi Moghaddam tries to avoid the charges after the video clips of the police beating the protesters and intentionally sustaining damage to public property was released, says Ansari.  He calls what happened in the prisons "crimes" and "illegal and inhumane actions against some detainees".  Zanjan's MP accuses the Police Chief, who has called some of these actions "natural", as trying to handle the case by "dismissing and punishing a few low-ranking officers."

-- BBC: In a meeting with the "Iranian Lawyers Association Defending Human Rights", Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Council, said "if these allegations are true, all the people in charge should be removed from office, and taken to the court."  Rezaei's personal website says most members of this association are the "imposed war veterans."  Nabiollah Ahmadloo, head of this group, tells Mr. Rezaei that they have prepared a report regarding the post-election events and are pursuing the matter through "legal authorities."  After hearing their report Rezaei adds "if an individual officer commits such obscenities in the Islamic Republic, we should call for a national mourning period, let alone several citizens being violated in this manner."

-- BBC: After Karroubi's letter to Hashemi regarding raping of the detainees was publicized, Larijani assigned the task of clarifying the matter to the parliament's special committee, primarily formed to investigate the presidential election and its following events.  Larijani quoted the committee's verdict that scrupulous investigation indicates none of the Evin or Kahrizak detainees were subject to sexual violation.

NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

-- RadioFarda: News agencies inside Iran reported on Wednesday that the young French woman being held in Tehran might be released, citing an "informed political source". It is said that, in an offical note, the French embassy has requested that the French detainee, Clotilde Reiss, be released "on bail" and "in accordance with Iranian Law".

 

-- RadioFarda:Four lawyers, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, Nasrin Sotoodeh, Mohammad Mostafai and Mina Jafari, who represent the recently detained political prisoners, wrote a public letter, addressed to Ayatollah Shahroodi (the head of Iran's Judicial Branch), and protested against the trials that are being broadcasted in the Iranian TV. These lawyers have requested the legally problematic aspects of these trials to be addressed.  They have indicated some of the limitation that they face, including lack of accountability from the officials, the impossibility to meet with their clients to conduct due process, lack of access to their files and not being informed about the trial times. Furthermore, they have claimed that the Judge and also Tehran's prosecutor have prevented the legitimate lawyers to attend trials and, in addition,  they have been asked not to interfere with the process, since the court has already appointed its own lawyers for the defendants. These four lawyers have indicated that court can appoint lawyers only in cases when the criminal sentence involves execution, retribution, stoning and life-sentence and when, in addition to all these, the defendant does not introduce a lawyer. Those on trial in the current situation, however,  were able to choose and introduce their own lawyers, and, therefore, had no need for court-appointed lawyers.

 

-- RadioFarda: Ala'eddin Boroojerdi, the head of parliament's committee for national security and foreign policy, told the reporters today that some of the members of the special committee that had been appointed by the parliament to oversee the conditions of those detained in the aftermath of protests,  will visit Evin prison today.  He has also noted that most of those arrested are kept in Evin and the committee members are not planning visits to Pasargad, Eshratabad or Shapoor prisons. He further added that Mostafa Tajzadeh, an arrested opposition member, is in good health, but he does not know whether they will be given to meet [during the visit]. Boroojerdi has requested Alireza Behesthi and Morteza Alviri, the representatives of Mousavi and Karroubi, to provide complete information about the recent detainees, including their father's name and ID number, so that a thorough list of those arrested [in the past few weeks], could be put together.


-- BBC: Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist and political activist, in a letter to Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the UN, asked him to "heed the widespread protests of the Iranian people and to take immediate and urgent action". The letter has been signed by 265 intellectuals, activists and defenders of rights from around the world and expresses that  in Iran "elections are not free, competitive or fair, and they never lead to a real transformation in the country's political structure". The letter ends with asking the secretary general to take immediate and urgent action by
1) Forming an international truth-finding commission to examine the electoral process, vote counting and the fraudulent manipulation of the people's vote in Iran

2) Pressuring the government in Iran to annul fraudulent election results and hold democratic, competitive and fair elections under the auspices of the UN

3) Pressuring the government of the Islamic republic to release all those detained in the course of recent protests

4) Pressuring the government of the Islamic republic to free the media that have been banned in recent days and to recognise and respect the right of the people to free expression of ideas and the nonviolent protesting the results of the recent elections

5) Pressuring the government of the Islamic republic to stop its harsh and barbaric treatment of the people of Iran

6) Refuse to recognise Ahmadinejad's illegitimate government that has staged an electoral coup, and curtailing any and all forms of co-operation with it from all nations and international organisations

The letter has been signed by the following plus 246 more:
1. Akbar Ganji, journalist
2. Jürgen Habermas (JW Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt)
3. Noam Chomsky, MIT
4. Charles Taylor, McGill University
5. Martha Nussbaum, University of Chicago
6. Jose Ramos-Horta (Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1996)
7. Orhan Pamuk (Recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 2006)
8. Nadine Gordimer (Recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1991)
9. Mario Vargas Llosa (Novelist, Peru)
10. Robert Bellah, UC-Berkeley
11. Seyla Benhabib, Yale University
12. Cornel West, Princeton University
13. Hilary Putnam, Harvard University
14. Benjamin Barber, senior fellow, Demos
15. Craig Calhoun, Social Science Research Council
16. Howard Zinn, Boston University
17. John Esposito, Georgetown University
18. Michael Walzer, Princeton University
19. Adam Michnik, essayist, Poland
20. Ahmad Rashid, journalist, Pakistan
The complete text of the letter is attached.


-- BBC: The United Nations denies reports suggesting Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Iranian president for controversial elections' win.

UN spokeswoman, Marie Okabe, tells Fox News that the letter was not an endorsement of Mr. Ahmadinejad, but "takes advantage of the occasion of the inauguration to express the hope that Iran and the United Nations will continue to cooperate closely in addressing regional and global issues."


-- Radio Farda: The Mojahedin Enghelab Eslami Organization announced Mahmud AhmadiNejad, chairman of the supreme national security council, and Sadegh Mahsooli, the interior minister, responsible for the "catastrophe" in Kahrizak prison. The Mojahedin Enghelab Eslami Organization says that Kahrizak prison was not supervised by the supervising authorities in the governmental incarceration and adds:
"The police commander is working under the supervision of the interior minister and the evidences suggest that the president and the interior minister not only did not make slightest efforts in the last two month to stop the police forces from doing their illegal activities including what they did in the Kahrizak prison, but they also backed and supported such deeds."
The letter also adds:
"Now that after two months, new dimensions and details about this horrible prison are discovered everyday, the government media are trying to distract people's attention from the story and make them forget the issue."


-- The website of Ayatollah Dastgheib: Ayatollah Dasteghib has publish a statement regarding legitimacy and acceptability in Islam. In parts of this statement, we read: "a cleric, in every location and time, rules over those who accept him, meaning he has passed the divine exam and people have accepted him. But it doesn't mean that he rules over every one in all the corners of the easth... in recent events, the public discontent stems from the lack accountability in the election process. If it was according to law, they wouldn't have objected, because they have chosen the law themselves." He also supported the previous expresident [Khatami] and he challenged the 9th adiministration for its lack of response to the cleric socitey. In the end, he urged the Elite Council to form a public meeting and address the complaints put forth by the people and their representatives, Mr. Moussavi and Mr Karoubi.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS

Mohsen Sazgara issued his Wednesday's address. In his speech, he further emphacized on the continued active yet inviolent presence of the green movement in Friday's movement even in the absence of Hashemi and he urged everyone to join. He also asked everyone to forward his group any information on the companies and institutes managed by the Revolutionary Guards. He also mentioned that products such as foreign cigarettes brands or opiums are the major sources of funding for the revolutionary guards; while boycotting these products seem difficult for the users, it is vital for reducing the funds available for the public crackdown enforced on the people. In the end, he noted Safar Harandi's address now available to the public and mentioned that such information should be gathered for other supporters of the cop as well.
(An audio version of this speech is attached)




Friday August 28th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 28th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
Iranian style protest is organized for protesters to be present in parks around the city to mourn at the side of the grieving mothers. Also, on Thursday, protesters should come out on the streets after Eftar (breaking of fast during Ramadan).

NEWS

-- BBC: Former President Seyyed Muhammad Khatami stressed that reformist groups should continue their activities. 'Despite all pressures aimed at ousting reformists and unprejudiced wise elements out of the political sphere.' said President Khatami in a statement released on the reformist website Baran on Friday August 28, 2009.'Reformist should maintain their strong presence in the political sphere and keep up with their activities.'


-- BBC: In the 21st anniversary of the mass execution of political dissidents of Islamic Regime in 1988, The Iranian Center of Human Rights Records released a report claiming that 1988 mass executions had been planned yet in advance of Ayatollah Khomeini's Fatwa [religious verdict] asking for their execution. This report entitled 'Mass Murder of Iranian Prisoners in 1988' points to documents obtained through interviewing the survivors and families of victims, which are suggestive of the fact that a plan for getting rid of Khomeini's opponents was under way before the MEK-launached military operation in summer 1988.


-- Radiofarda: [Noble Prize Winner Iranian Attorney,] Shirin Ebadi[,] condemned the trials of reformist leaders, journalists and other individuals detained in post-election events. She called those tribunals a 'show trial and stated that any confession made in these 'theater-like' trials is of no legal value.


-- Radiofarda: 'In my opinion, Ayatollah Khamenei's speech is a step on his side to back off his [heated provacative] speech at Friday prayers right after the election, which was the biggest misstep in his political career' said Dr. Abbas Milani, author and Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's recent speech 'but it is too little too late.'


-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: The members of the Jury of the 33rd World Film Festival of Montreal, which is headed by an Iranian Director Jafar Panahi, all went green to express their support for the Green Movement of Iranian people. According to this report, the members of the Jury showed up with green scarves in the Opening Ceremony yesterday, August 27, 2009.


--
Gooya quoting DW: "Tehran Emrouz" newspaper in its Wednesday issue, Aug 26, reported that the revolutionary guards would most likely be a major buyer of the "Iranian Communication Company" when the stocks of this company go public shortly. The Mehr Financial Institute and Mehr-e-eghtesad-e-Iran would also be among the shortlist of the buyers; however, the revolutionary guards would own 51% of the company's stock.

NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED
-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: Fakhr-Sadat Mohtashami Pour, reported that Mostafa TajZadeh's parents met with him, and said: "His spirit was excellent, but unfortunately his neck disk is bothering him."
She also denied the false news of Iran newspaper on Tajzadeh's call for arrest and trial of Mehdi Hashemi and said: "If these news were true, they would have allowed my husband to have a press conference after the trial and say these words himself."

-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: New details on Mohammad Javad Parandakh, the martyred student who was buried on Thursday in Gilan Gharb: He was summoned and interrogated a few times and the last time he disappeared after being summoned to Isfahan's office of information and then his dead body was returned to his family. The legal medicine office in Isfahan has announced the cause of his death to be "hitting a hard object on hist skull." Security officials are forcing the family of this Kurdish student to announce that their son died in a "car accident".


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
Mohsen Sazgara published his Friday video. He admired that distributing CDs of movement in Isfahan and Mashhad would help communicating and informing people. He also suggested writing the movement's demands on the walls of the universities and schools, which can lead to a new movement in the begining of the academic year. He also announced that the labours in "Pars Vagon" factori have gone to hunger strike, demanding an increase in their salary, and stated that it is the Green movement's task to conduct its goals to them.He even considered writing in support of the workers as another positive attempt. He invited people to disturb the TV broadcasting system, in order to show the Green movement demands, even for a few moments, from the public broadcast service. He finally stated that Mr Khatami may have speech in ghadr nights, in which the attendance of the Green members will be crucial.
 





Friday August 28th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 28th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
Iranian style protest is organized for protesters to be present in parks around the city to mourn at the side of the grieving mothers. Also, on Thursday, protesters should come out on the streets after Eftar (breaking of fast during Ramadan).

NEWS

-- BBC: Former President Seyyed Muhammad Khatami stressed that reformist groups should continue their activities. 'Despite all pressures aimed at ousting reformists and unprejudiced wise elements out of the political sphere.' said President Khatami in a statement released on the reformist website Baran on Friday August 28, 2009.'Reformist should maintain their strong presence in the political sphere and keep up with their activities.'


-- BBC: In the 21st anniversary of the mass execution of political dissidents of Islamic Regime in 1988, The Iranian Center of Human Rights Records released a report claiming that 1988 mass executions had been planned yet in advance of Ayatollah Khomeini's Fatwa [religious verdict] asking for their execution. This report entitled 'Mass Murder of Iranian Prisoners in 1988' points to documents obtained through interviewing the survivors and families of victims, which are suggestive of the fact that a plan for getting rid of Khomeini's opponents was under way before the MEK-launached military operation in summer 1988.


-- Radiofarda: [Noble Prize Winner Iranian Attorney,] Shirin Ebadi[,] condemned the trials of reformist leaders, journalists and other individuals detained in post-election events. She called those tribunals a 'show trial and stated that any confession made in these 'theater-like' trials is of no legal value.


-- Radiofarda: 'In my opinion, Ayatollah Khamenei's speech is a step on his side to back off his [heated provacative] speech at Friday prayers right after the election, which was the biggest misstep in his political career' said Dr. Abbas Milani, author and Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's recent speech 'but it is too little too late.'


-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: The members of the Jury of the 33rd World Film Festival of Montreal, which is headed by an Iranian Director Jafar Panahi, all went green to express their support for the Green Movement of Iranian people. According to this report, the members of the Jury showed up with green scarves in the Opening Ceremony yesterday, August 27, 2009.


--
Gooya quoting DW: "Tehran Emrouz" newspaper in its Wednesday issue, Aug 26, reported that the revolutionary guards would most likely be a major buyer of the "Iranian Communication Company" when the stocks of this company go public shortly. The Mehr Financial Institute and Mehr-e-eghtesad-e-Iran would also be among the shortlist of the buyers; however, the revolutionary guards would own 51% of the company's stock.

NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED
-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: Fakhr-Sadat Mohtashami Pour, reported that Mostafa TajZadeh's parents met with him, and said: "His spirit was excellent, but unfortunately his neck disk is bothering him."
She also denied the false news of Iran newspaper on Tajzadeh's call for arrest and trial of Mehdi Hashemi and said: "If these news were true, they would have allowed my husband to have a press conference after the trial and say these words himself."

-- Green Movement Network [Jaras]: New details on Mohammad Javad Parandakh, the martyred student who was buried on Thursday in Gilan Gharb: He was summoned and interrogated a few times and the last time he disappeared after being summoned to Isfahan's office of information and then his dead body was returned to his family. The legal medicine office in Isfahan has announced the cause of his death to be "hitting a hard object on hist skull." Security officials are forcing the family of this Kurdish student to announce that their son died in a "car accident".


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
Mohsen Sazgara published his Friday video. He admired that distributing CDs of movement in Isfahan and Mashhad would help communicating and informing people. He also suggested writing the movement's demands on the walls of the universities and schools, which can lead to a new movement in the begining of the academic year. He also announced that the labours in "Pars Vagon" factori have gone to hunger strike, demanding an increase in their salary, and stated that it is the Green movement's task to conduct its goals to them.He even considered writing in support of the workers as another positive attempt. He invited people to disturb the TV broadcasting system, in order to show the Green movement demands, even for a few moments, from the public broadcast service. He finally stated that Mr Khatami may have speech in ghadr nights, in which the attendance of the Green members will be crucial.
 





Wednesday August 19th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Wednesday August 19th, 2009


FUTURE PLANS

-- The "Green Movement" activists have suggested a complete boycott of bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays of every week.


NEWS

-- RadioFarda: Mehdi Karroubi, in a letter to Iran's Speaker of the Parliament, has requested for a  meeting to be organized between the heads of the government's three branches (Judicial, Legislative and Executive) and also the head of the Expediency Council (Mr. Rafsanjani), in order to put forth the evidence that points to sexual harrasment of the detainees of recent protests. Three weeks ago, Mr. Karroubi had asked for investigation of such accusations, in an initially unpublished letter to Mr. Rafsanjani. That letter was, however, left unanswered and was subsequently published. Attached you may find today's letter.

 

-- RadiFarda: Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat Zanjani, one of Shiite Supreme Ayatollahs, has announced his support for Mehdi Karroubi's call to preserve the rights of the detainees arrested in the aftermath of the presidential elections. He has warned the Islamic Republic's officials that the Islamic Republic will not endure with such "injustice".

 

-- RadioFarda: Morteza Tamaddon, Tehran's governor, has asked Officials in the Judiciary branch to persecute Karroubi, if his allegations of sexual harassment are not proven to be right.

 

-- RadioFarda: While Iranian News Agencies have published a list containing the names of 18 new cabinet members of the Executive branch, the Parliament's Head Committee has announced that they have not received any official nomination yet, as of Wednesday afternoon. Mohammad Reza Bahonar, the Provost Speaker of the Parliament, has said: "no official announcement of the nominations has been received by the parliament as of Wednesday and if the President (Mr. Ahmadinejad) does not send the list of the nominees by the end of Wednesday, this will be the first legal violation of the 10th president.

 

-- BBC: Bashar Asad, the President of Syria, one of the closest allies of Iran, met with Mr. Ahmadinejad, during his one-day trip to Tehran. Four years ago also, he was the first foreign official to travel to Iran, only five days after Mr. Ahmadinejad took power. In this meeting, Mr. Asad congratulated Mr. Ahmadinejad on his win in the recent controversial election. "What occurred in Iran was a very important event and gave a magnificent lesson to foreigners, who are, therefore, extremely annoyed', he said.


--BBC:  Shimon Perez, Israeli President, says Russia will not sell S-300 air-defense system to Iran. Perez said so after meeting Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. There has been no reaction from the Russian side yet.


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--Radio Farda:  Amidst reports of Syrian mediation for the release of the Frenchwoman accused of espionage, Clotilde Reiss, Syrian President Bashar Asad entered Tehran on Wednesday, and was received by his Iranian counterpart.  Asad went to the presidential palace, and immediately started a private meeting with Ahmadinejad, say Iranian media.

--BBC:  Saeed Hajarian's family says he is not in good conditions.  Hajjarian needs special medical care since his assassination in 2000.  The prosecutor general's office has previously said Hajjarian had been taken to a house with a swimming pool.  Hajjarian's daughter, Zaynab, says a few motorcyclists appeared in front of their house and disturbed the family.  Regarding her father's detention place, she says, it is like a road police station, and it is located inside a military facility.  Feyzollah ArabSorkhi, a member of the Central Council of Mojahedin of Islamic Revolution Organization, is another detainee whose wife, Maryam Qods, has received no news about her husband's conditions.

ANALYSIS

-- Radio Farda: General Yadollah Javani, head of Political Bureau of IRGC (Islamic Republic Guards Corp), says "the recent events have taken the country into a major trouble."  He reiterated his demands for Mir Hossein Mousavi's trial.  Fars News Agency reports, Javani pointed to the incidents before and after the election, and added, some people were trying to overthrow the regime following the example of a velvet revolution.  "The flames of the fire have gone out, however, the situation is like fire under the ashes, and the fire should be put out completely," he said, "those who caused this trouble should be eliminated so as to prevent similar problems in the future."  In an interview with Radio Farda, Mahdi Fattahpour, a member of Iranian Republicans Association in Germany, said there is only one element of reality in the General's statement: "Fire is under the ashes, and the protests may become more serious at any time."


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS

-- In the beginning of his talk, Mohsen Sazgara thanked people regarding the reports he got  about the recent events which happened close to the "Etemad Melli" newspaper office. He stated overthrowing the  Coup government of Mr Ahmadi-Nejad and recognizing Mr Mousavi as the legal president as the main goal of the Green movement.
He added that the other requests are respectable as well but the above goal should be recognized as our main target. Mr Sazgara then described the importance of forming unions. He mentioned the Google Mail Service as a secure and convenient method for distributing the informaiton. He the introduced the small-word networks and the use for more effective protests. The audio file of his speech is included in the appendix.

Friday August 21st 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 21st, 2009


FUTURE PLANS

-- The "Green Movement" activists have suggested a complete boycott of bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays of every week.


NEWS
--BBC: After the controversial presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is under pressure from different sides, has given faithfulness more importance than experience in picking the minister nominees. Some nominees are young and less-known. Others are accused of not having sufficient knowledge or expertise for their respective ministries. Their nomination is done despite Parliament's repeated demands for a more efficient cabinet.

--Radio Farda: Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam criticized not arresting those who are "heads of the unrest and roots of the problem." Ahmad Jannati, who is also the secretary of Guardian Council, said that several people have been arrested, but those who started and led the protests are still at large.  Another Friday Prayer Imam, Ahmad Khatami, had previously pointed indirectly to Mousavi and Karroubi and demanded that the Judiciary should ruthlessly press charges against "the heads of unrest who are associates of the US and Israel."

--Radio Farda: In an open letter addressed on August 20 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) invited the High Commissioner to conduct an official personal visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran to investigate the "crimes committed" by the regime.

--Radio Farda: While Ahmadinejad was introducing his cabinet nominees in a live televised interview, some Tehrani citizens held demonstrations.  Some residents of Apadana apartment complex spontaneously took it to the streets and chanted slogans objecting to the results of the election.

--BBC: Iran has allowed the IAEA inspectors into a reactor under construction. In the past year, Iran had not allowed such inspections. But today, according to Reuters, the inspectors were given permission to visit the nuclear reactor site in Arak.

 

--BBC: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the first time, made comments on the controversial dismissal of Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the former minister of intelligence. He has indirectly alluded to the fact that this dismissal was connected to the mishandling of the post-election crisis. Shortly after Mr. Ahmadinejad was announced the winner in that election and following the massive demonstrations protesting against this result, he dismissed Mr. Ejei, just a few days before the cabinet was to end its four year period.

 

--BBC: Germany has requested for tougher sanctions against Iran if the nuclear talks fail to make optimal progress. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has stated in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that if the nuclear talks between 5+1 and Iran fail to give results, more sanctions should be imposed on Iran.


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--BBC: The relatives of the three American tourists who are currently detained in Iran have created a website, in which they have asked for their release. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal had made a "regrettable mistake" when they crossed into Iran from Halabje, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in July, relatives said. They were "totally harmless" and "cared deeply about the world", they said.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
--Mohsen Sazegara has published his speech today. In this clip, he has underlined four important points:
- He acknowledged the demonstrations and Alloh-o-Akbar cries last night, in response to a simultaneous speech from Ahmadinejad.
- He urged people to show up in the Azadi stadium and turn in green in every game.
- He also called upon a general boycott of the bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays (as much as possible)
- In the end, he emphasized that people should remain hopeful and refrain from contemplating about a potential die out of the green movement in the near future.
Attach, you may find an audio version of this speech.





Friday August 21st 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 21st, 2009


FUTURE PLANS

-- The "Green Movement" activists have suggested a complete boycott of bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays of every week.


NEWS
--BBC: After the controversial presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is under pressure from different sides, has given faithfulness more importance than experience in picking the minister nominees. Some nominees are young and less-known. Others are accused of not having sufficient knowledge or expertise for their respective ministries. Their nomination is done despite Parliament's repeated demands for a more efficient cabinet.

--Radio Farda: Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam criticized not arresting those who are "heads of the unrest and roots of the problem." Ahmad Jannati, who is also the secretary of Guardian Council, said that several people have been arrested, but those who started and led the protests are still at large.  Another Friday Prayer Imam, Ahmad Khatami, had previously pointed indirectly to Mousavi and Karroubi and demanded that the Judiciary should ruthlessly press charges against "the heads of unrest who are associates of the US and Israel."

--Radio Farda: In an open letter addressed on August 20 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) invited the High Commissioner to conduct an official personal visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran to investigate the "crimes committed" by the regime.

--Radio Farda: While Ahmadinejad was introducing his cabinet nominees in a live televised interview, some Tehrani citizens held demonstrations.  Some residents of Apadana apartment complex spontaneously took it to the streets and chanted slogans objecting to the results of the election.

--BBC: Iran has allowed the IAEA inspectors into a reactor under construction. In the past year, Iran had not allowed such inspections. But today, according to Reuters, the inspectors were given permission to visit the nuclear reactor site in Arak.

 

--BBC: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the first time, made comments on the controversial dismissal of Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the former minister of intelligence. He has indirectly alluded to the fact that this dismissal was connected to the mishandling of the post-election crisis. Shortly after Mr. Ahmadinejad was announced the winner in that election and following the massive demonstrations protesting against this result, he dismissed Mr. Ejei, just a few days before the cabinet was to end its four year period.

 

--BBC: Germany has requested for tougher sanctions against Iran if the nuclear talks fail to make optimal progress. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has stated in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that if the nuclear talks between 5+1 and Iran fail to give results, more sanctions should be imposed on Iran.


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--BBC: The relatives of the three American tourists who are currently detained in Iran have created a website, in which they have asked for their release. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal had made a "regrettable mistake" when they crossed into Iran from Halabje, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in July, relatives said. They were "totally harmless" and "cared deeply about the world", they said.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
--Mohsen Sazegara has published his speech today. In this clip, he has underlined four important points:
- He acknowledged the demonstrations and Alloh-o-Akbar cries last night, in response to a simultaneous speech from Ahmadinejad.
- He urged people to show up in the Azadi stadium and turn in green in every game.
- He also called upon a general boycott of the bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays (as much as possible)
- In the end, he emphasized that people should remain hopeful and refrain from contemplating about a potential die out of the green movement in the near future.
Attach, you may find an audio version of this speech.





Friday August 21st 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Friday August 21st, 2009


FUTURE PLANS

-- The "Green Movement" activists have suggested a complete boycott of bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays of every week.


NEWS
--BBC: After the controversial presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is under pressure from different sides, has given faithfulness more importance than experience in picking the minister nominees. Some nominees are young and less-known. Others are accused of not having sufficient knowledge or expertise for their respective ministries. Their nomination is done despite Parliament's repeated demands for a more efficient cabinet.

--Radio Farda: Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam criticized not arresting those who are "heads of the unrest and roots of the problem." Ahmad Jannati, who is also the secretary of Guardian Council, said that several people have been arrested, but those who started and led the protests are still at large.  Another Friday Prayer Imam, Ahmad Khatami, had previously pointed indirectly to Mousavi and Karroubi and demanded that the Judiciary should ruthlessly press charges against "the heads of unrest who are associates of the US and Israel."

--Radio Farda: In an open letter addressed on August 20 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) invited the High Commissioner to conduct an official personal visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran to investigate the "crimes committed" by the regime.

--Radio Farda: While Ahmadinejad was introducing his cabinet nominees in a live televised interview, some Tehrani citizens held demonstrations.  Some residents of Apadana apartment complex spontaneously took it to the streets and chanted slogans objecting to the results of the election.

--BBC: Iran has allowed the IAEA inspectors into a reactor under construction. In the past year, Iran had not allowed such inspections. But today, according to Reuters, the inspectors were given permission to visit the nuclear reactor site in Arak.

 

--BBC: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the first time, made comments on the controversial dismissal of Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the former minister of intelligence. He has indirectly alluded to the fact that this dismissal was connected to the mishandling of the post-election crisis. Shortly after Mr. Ahmadinejad was announced the winner in that election and following the massive demonstrations protesting against this result, he dismissed Mr. Ejei, just a few days before the cabinet was to end its four year period.

 

--BBC: Germany has requested for tougher sanctions against Iran if the nuclear talks fail to make optimal progress. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has stated in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that if the nuclear talks between 5+1 and Iran fail to give results, more sanctions should be imposed on Iran.


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--BBC: The relatives of the three American tourists who are currently detained in Iran have created a website, in which they have asked for their release. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal had made a "regrettable mistake" when they crossed into Iran from Halabje, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in July, relatives said. They were "totally harmless" and "cared deeply about the world", they said.


RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
--Mohsen Sazegara has published his speech today. In this clip, he has underlined four important points:
- He acknowledged the demonstrations and Alloh-o-Akbar cries last night, in response to a simultaneous speech from Ahmadinejad.
- He urged people to show up in the Azadi stadium and turn in green in every game.
- He also called upon a general boycott of the bureaucratic institutions on Saturdays (as much as possible)
- In the end, he emphasized that people should remain hopeful and refrain from contemplating about a potential die out of the green movement in the near future.
Attach, you may find an audio version of this speech.





Wednesday August 26th, 2009

Student Information Center (SIC)

Wednesday August 26th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
--Invitation by the Green Movement to join the Green supporters in the annual demonstration of Day of Quds (the last Friday of Ramadan). More details on this plan will be released accordingly.

NEWS
-- BBC: Deputy Chariman of Joint Chief of Staff implicitly expressed his concern about the re-emergence of the post-election crisis and asked for a more urgent and severe crackdown of protestors. Talking on Monday he warned his colleagues of 'false optimism' about that all 'threats and crises' have ended.


-- BBC: Mostafa Kavakebian, a member of Iranian Parliament, has issued a Constitutional Warning regarding recent trials of detainees of the post-election turmoils in courts without juries. This is an appropriate proposition.' said Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament 'Our courts are now defective since a jury is to attend every trial.'


-- BBC: Iranian Authors Association has issued a statement about the recent exposure of political detainees being raped in prison. 'Those young men and women who have been victims of rape should not consider speaking out loud about what has happened to them as degrading their personality and self-esteem; they should rather consider it as a clear example of freedom of speech.'


-- BBC: In a letter to Sadegh Larijani, the Head of Iran's Judiciary System, Mohammad Hossein Shamloo Ahmadi, Inspector General of Tehran on Murder cases has made new suggestions. Among them are mandatory inspection of all detainees by trusted physicians within the first hour of their arrest, a ban on arrest, detention and investigation of a individuals by those not affiliated to official law enforcement agencies, a ban on detention of arrestees in facilities not affiliated to the General Authority on Prisons and ban on the entrance of Armed Forces to student dormitories.


-- BBC: Mahdi Hashemi and Mohammad Khatami have denied allegations made by two of the confessors in the recent trial. In the fourth trial of post-election protestors held on Tuesday, Kian Tajbakhsh alleged Khatami of having clandestine relations with the US-based Soros Foundation.


-- Radio Farda: Office of Akbar Hashemi Rafsnjani, reacted to recent comments by Esfandiar Rahim Mashai. The announcement calls for Mashai and AhmadiNejad's trial in a neutral and independent court.
Esfandiar Rahim Mashai had said: "Mr. Hashemi would like to use the support of the people to put pressure on the supreme leader."
The announcement also adds: "Parts of  Mashai's comments were repetition of AhmadiNejad's comments in the infamous debate that the supreme leader  condemned it after the election. Also the claim that Hashemi contacted a foreign official in the first 6 months after AhmadiNejad became president should be taken to an independent and just court and those who said it should be held accountable for that".

-- Radio Rafda: Mohammad Ali Abtahi, VP of the ex-president of Iran, who has been under arrest since 70 days ago, posted a new post on his blog from the prison and said that he is still being interrogated.

-- Mowj: An important figure in the fraction of fundamentalists in the Iranian Parliament castigated the work of the truth finding committee, led by Ala-eddin Boroujerdi, and called this committee a part of the coup team. At the same time, a source from the parliament in an interview with the "Mowj Sabz Azadi", reported that the parliament representatives distrust the truth finding committee.

-- Mowj: Following the widespread publication of the so-called confessions of one of the accused yesterday, the office of ex-president Khatami, in a published memorandum, repudiated these comments and stressed that these confessions are drawn in a "specific" environment and lacks validity.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
Mohsen Sazegara in the recent issue of his daily talks that was published on Wednesday, talked about the show trial of Iranian reformists.
He said: "The government wants to show that all protesters have been arrested, people are intimidated and no more protests are taking place. This claim is challenged by people's movements very often."
Sazegara also discussed the velvet revolutions in the Eastern European countries and by comparing them with the green movement of Iran, he concluded: "Although Russians are behind the coup in Iran, the velvet revolutions are basically different from the green movement of Iranian people today. Only Poland shares some similarities with the current situation in Iran and hence studying it could be useful."
To that end, he recommended reading chapter 3 of the book "A Force More Powerful" by Peter Ackerman and
Jack DuVall called "Poland: Power from Solidarity" (Persian translation of this chapter is attached).
He also pointed at Jazayeri's (VP of Sepah) reaction towards the news regarding organization of the people's movements and the change in the stand of the IRIB regarding broadcasting Shajarian's "Rabbana", and said that the coup agents are afraid of people's movements and because of that fear, they change their stands.
In the end, Sazegara emphasized on the importance of actions on smaller scales such as writing slogans on the walls and chantings from the rooftops until the large demonstration of the Day of Quds.
The audio file of his talk is attached.






Friday August 7th

Student Information Center (SIC)

Thursday August 6th, 2009

FUTURE PLANS
-- Tomorrow
morning, on Saturday, we meet in front of the black trial. Location: Khayam st., north of Galoubandak cross, Davar st. For further information see: http://www.mowjcamp.com/article/id/11061

NEWS
--Radio Farda: Amnesty International reported on Friday, August 7: "In just over 50 days, we recorded no less that 115 executions. That is an average of more than two each day," said Irene Khan, secretary-general of the human rights watchdog.

--Radio Farda: In the eve of August 8, the Iranian Day of Correspondents, "Reporters Without Borders" and "International Federation of Journalists" condemned Tehran's actions against media and journalists.  While at least 33 journalists were arrested during the post-election unrest, Reporters Without Borders on Thursday condemned the arrests of three journalists in Iran over the past two days.


--BBC: The Council of National-Religious Activists issued a statement and objected to the arrest of Haleh Sahabi, a political activist, who is the daughter of Ezzatollah Sahabi [a prominent Iranian secular activist].  The statement introduces her as a Quranic researcher, and a social and political women's rights activist who was arrested on Wednesday, August 5, close to the Iranian Parliament [where Ahmadinejad was taking the presidential oath]. An eye-witness told BBC that she was beaten up by plainclothes agents and taken to an unknown location.

--BBC: The 40-day anniversary of Kianoosh Asa's death, a victim of the post-election unrest, turned into violence, with at least ten people arrested.  The ceremony started at 5:30 PM, Thursday, in Kermanshah's Abbasi Hall, however, the security agents resorted to force to disperse the attendees when they went to Mr. Asa's tomb.  After the ceremony, several guests accompanied Asa's famiy home.  This move was first opposed by the police before Asa's family talked the police into allowing it.  After some time, the crowd of hundreds decided spontaneously to march towards Asa's tomb, reported Kah Kermanshahi, a human rights activist.  They did not chant any slogans, but only had Kianoosh's photographs as well as flowers in their hands.  Some others held signs that read "do not live for death, rather die for life," or "our silence is full of unspoken words."  The police tried to prevent them from going to Asa's tomb, nevertheless, Kermanshahi says, several people could make their way to the burial place.  Other people who had gone to the tomb independently for paying their respects joined the crowd.  They chanted "Allahu Akbar" and sang "Yare Dabestani," the activist added.  This was accompanied by a small Tanbur performance, since the Asas are among the "Ahl-e Haq" Kurds.


NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--BBC: Zeinab Hajjarian, the daughter of Mr. Hajjarian, in an interview with BBC Persian announced the deterioration of his father's respiratory conditions. According to Ms. Hajjarian, her mother has noticed a grave increase in his respiratory ailment. Based ion this account, Vajihe Marsousi, Mr. Hajjarian's wife, in her last visit had noticed yellow skin and grave respiratory conditions in her husband. Now, after 12 days, the matters have actually become worse. According to Zeinab Hajjarian, his father's doctor believes this disease to be the result of pneumonia or possible mold infections in prison.


ANALYSIS

-- BBC: Sadegh Zibakalam, professor of political sciences in Iran, has published an article in "Etemad" newspaper in Tehran. In this article, he states that the "velvel revolution" accusation against the opposition equals acknowledging a widespread discontent among the public. He also underlined the strategies aimed at promoting the "republic" portion of the regime and wrote, "Nowadays, reformists are accused of promoting velvet and color revolutions. It should be noted that these revolutions are only possible in the face of a highly discontent and alienated public... these events have also happened in the past. For example, in 1952, the replacement of Mosaddagh with Ahmad Ghavam triggered a widespread demonstrations which resulted in a clear retreat by Shah and the reinstalment of Mosaddegh's cabinet. Therefor, if people are for the government and not aganist it, the accusation of velvet revolution is meaningless".





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