Monday, February 22, 2010

Monday February 22nd, 2010 Newsletter

Student Information Center (SIC)

Newsletter Issue 175 - Monday February 22nd, 2010

FUTURE PLANS
--Efforts focused at increasing non-violent civil disobedience in the society.
--Allah o Akbar during the nights
--Writing slogans on the walls and bills

NEWS
--BBC News: A new film was sent to BBC showing the events of last summer nightly attack on Tehran's University dormitory. The video which was shot by the attackers shows security forces and plain clothes Basij attacking students in the dorm. It also reveals that Tehran's police commander Mr. Rajabzadeh as the person who ordered the raid. The video also implies that this attack was coordinated and pre-meditated. This video can be accessed from here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSn5Se3HHA (video shown by BBCPersian, 7min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52wtg1BROk (complete and uncensored footage, 18min)

Download links:
http://www.4shared.com/file/227620581/681d796d/Attack_of_Plain_Cloths_and_Gua.html (flv file) 
http://www.4shared.com/file/227628814/4d98d17/Attack_to_Tehran_Uni_Dorm-_Mob.html (3gp file) 

SIC encourages all readers of this newsletter to spread these videos and inform the public about the undeniable brutalities of the riot police and basiji miliatia against the students. 

--Radio Zamaneh: Mr. Mehdi Karroubi released a statement criticized the government's "confiscation" of peaceful assemblies on February 11th. He asked that the government give permission for the gathering of opposition supporters so that once and for all it becomes clearer which side has more weight.

--Radio Zamaneh: Mr. Mohammad Khatami released a statement while visiting families of political prisoners. Regarding the February 11th rallies, he said that it is clear who has the majority's support. He also added that "the people's rights, national interests, respect and human freedom are never wrong and it is a right to demand them". 
--Jrs: Human Rights Association wrote a letter to head commissioner of the UN human rights and asked her to "with all his power in the UN prevent the fall of civil society in Iran". Authors of this letter, asked that first and foremost, everything be done for the release of political and social activists imprisoned inside Iran. 

--Jrs: Hana Makhmalbaf who was a judge for the "generation" panel during the sixtieth Berlin Film Festival, brought the color green to this festival. As a sign of their support for the Iranian people's movement, the jury of the festival wore green scarves during the closing ceremony. 

--Jrs: The speech of Mr. Hashem Aghajari who was supposed to speak on the occasion of the death of Prophet Mohamad was cancelled due to the interference of security forces. 

--Jrs: "Asra" a group activists residing in the south of Tehran launched an online newsletter recently. This group consists of supporters of M Mr. Mousavi and Mr. Karroubi. To view this site in persian, go to jtcamp.blogfa.com.

--Jrs: A group of women activists wrote a letter to Mr. Karroubi and Mr. Mousavi and asked that they pursue issues of women's right in Iran so that the Iranian public remains aware of these issues. 

--Jrs: France has once again called for the immediate release of Clotide Reiss who is not yet allowed to leave Iran since her arrest past summer. 

--Radio Farda: While Ahmadinejad announced that the economic growth was 6.9% last year, a parliamentary representative predicted that next year's will be zero or even in the negatives. Iranian banks stated the growth rate was 2.3% last year. 

--Kalameh: Ayatollah Dastgheyb was asked by a reporter why Iranians turn to foreign news sources. He answered that Iranian media is responsible for this. Itis the people's rights to know what is happening in Iran. 
--Kalameh: Hossein Kashefi, spokesman for the participation party made comments regarding the upcoming 12th annual congress of the party and he said despite the arrest of certain of tehir members, the party will continue its work in the following year.

NEWS OF THE ARRESTED
--Kalameh: Sara Tavassoli who was arrested after Ashura, was released hours ago after spending over 50 days in Evin prison. 

--Norooz: Abdolreza Tajik, a journalist jailed for two months was allowed to meet with his family after two months of no news or contact with his family. It is not yet clear what the charges against him are. 
--Kalameh: the family of Majid Tavakoli (the student activist whose arrest sparked a serious of protests from around the world where men wore scarves in his support) are extremely worried since it has been over a month that they have no news from Majid. This is despite constant pleading with the authorities. The last news from him was that he was in Evin.

--Kalameh: Amir Sadeghi, Photographer / journalist was released on 300000$ bail. He was arrested because he was accused of having published pictures of Ashura day protests. 

RECOMMENDATIONS AND WARNINGS
Mr. Sazegara said the following in his Sunday speech: 
He mentioned civil disobedience as a strategy in resisting the government. As an example he explained the refusal of a large group of workers to honor Khamenei when asked by authorities. He also added that 500 bus drivers asked for early retirement because of the difficulties of their jobs. Their demands have not yet been considered. Textile workers in Kashan also gathered because they have not been paid their wages for 6 months. 
Families of political prisoners gathered in front of key officies in Tehran. This change in location allows for more exposure. It also allows the public to join them. 
Mr. Ahmadi Moghaddam, the commander of Tehran police has started to threaten people regarding the upcoming new years festivities. Sazegara added that the regime can only control 5% of the opposition so they try to intimidate and scare the other 95%. He added that the movement should advance slowly and patiently and not lose hope. 

Mr. Sazegara said the following in his Monday speech: 
There are rumors that the government will release political prisoners by new years and they will change election laws. while these are good news, they are not enough and they should not be reasons for accepting the government. 
the presence of 1000 people on front of Evin resulted in the release of 20 prisoners. spirits are high. Sazegara once again urged the slow and steady resistant movement where low cost movements allow maximal people participation.



















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