Saturday December 5th, 2009 Newsletter
Student Information Center (SIC)
Newsletter Issue 138 - Saturday December 5th, 2009
Future Plans:
--Chanting on the roof tops the night of Dec 6 (Azar 15th).
--Spreading news about Dec 7 (Azar 16th) demonstrations on the anniversary of Student Day in private and public universities across the country; inviting people and students to attend these ceremonies in universities.
--Iranian-style protests, Thursday evening, go to parks and around in the city with family.
--Accompanying mothers of the green movement victims in Laleh Park – every Saturday afternoon.
News:
--Radio Farda: With only two days till December 7, Student's Day, government officials have slowed down the internet in their attempt to control anticipated protests planned for Monday. There have also been reports of international journalists being banned from any news coverage for three days.
--Radiofarda: Office of Foreign Media of the Ministry of Culture has suspended the licenses of all foreign journalists in Iran during the days of Dec. 7-9. Meanwhile internet and cell phone network are down in Tehran from Saturday.
--Radio Farda: According to some reports from Tehran, plainclothes security forces attacked the gathering of 'the mourning mothers' [which takes place every Saturday] in Laleh Park, arrested over fifteen of them and took them to an unknown location. According to these reports, the mothers of the victims of the post-election violence were attacked by the security forces and the plainclothes while entering Laleh park on Saturday afternoon.
--BBC Persian: The Freedom Movement of Iran by releasing a statement announced that by the order of Ministry of Intelligence, activities of news portals related to this party have been banned and stopped. Mohammad Tavassoli, head of the political branch of this party has been summoned to hear the related command on prohibition of these websites' activities.
--Advar News: Fazli, IRGC Tehran province commander in a speech about post-election incidents while mentioning assaults and attacks made by plain-clothes forces to Tehran University dormitory residents, claimed that Farhad Rahbar, current chancellor of University of Tehran had asked the police to enter to the dormitory of University. He also claimed that the attackers to the University dormitories were neither basiji nor IRGC forces.
--Radio Farda: Hanif Mazroui, an Iranian reformist journalist, received the award of "International Society for Human Rights" in Germany. This prize was awarded to him on Thursday December 3 at the Foreign Ministry of Germany in Berlin. At the ceremony Dr Norbert Lammert, president of the Bundestag Federal Parliament of Germany, handed Mr Mazroui an appreciation gift as the "Media Human Rights" award.
--Radio Farda: On the 11th murder anniversary of Mohhamd Jafar Pouyandeh and Mohammad Mokhtari [two victims of 1998 chain murders in Iran], Islamic Republic police and security forces prevented their commemorative ceremony to be held. The Iranian Writers' Association had announced that its members would gather in Emamzade Taher cemetery in Mehrshahr,Karaj, to held their commemorative ceremony of along with their friends and families.
--BBC Persian: Three days prior to holding planned Student Day anniversary, Ministry of Health and Azad University officials have announced that university classes will be in session on Dec 6 (Azar 16th).
--Norooz: The talk session of Ali Shakoori Rad and Mohsen Armin planned to be given during Dec 7 (Azar 16th) anniversary in the University of Arts has been canceled.
--Radio Zamaneh: The Iranian Writers' Association released a statement on the occasion of Dec 4 (Azar 13th), the "day to fight against censorship". It declared that following expansion and intensification of public protests, "oppression agents" by applying "more severe and comprehensive" censorship attempt to "silence" the "public objections" and "deny" its existence. Last year, the Iranian Writers' Association announced December 4 (Azar 13) as the "day to fight against censorship".
--VOA: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described the dispute among the Islamic Republic leaders as being serious and said this dispute cannot be kept secret. According to ILNA, Chairman of the Expediency Discrement Council of Iran who has traveled to Mashhad said that only the Leader of the Islamic Republic can form unity [among the officials].
--Parleman news: "Jomhori Eslami" newspaper quoted Parsineh website as saying: In the following days Saeed Mortazavi will be appointed as the new head of the presidency inspection office. Saeed Mortazavi, former Tehran's prosecutor, is one of the main accused individuals in incidents occurring at Kahrizak Detention center.
--Reporters sans Fontiers/Radio Zamaneh: Reporters Without Borders is supporting the lawsuit which Stephan Hashemi has brought against the Islamic Republic of Iran before a Montreal court in an bid to obtain reparation for the detention, torture and death of his mother, photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi, in a Tehran prison in July 2003. Kazemi had Iranian and Canadian dual citizenship and lived in Montreal. After two years of legal stalling and postponements in February and May of this year, the Quebec province superior court in Montreal began hearing the case yesterday and is due to continue until 8 December. The Canadian section of Reporters Without Borders plans to attend all the hearings.
--Norooz: The Commaner of Seyyed-Al-Shohada of Tehran province, with regards to Student day stated: "The plan we have is cultural: we are planning to dedicate flowers to university students all over Iran, especially Tehran. According to "jaras" (A Green Movement organization), in an interview with Irna, Ali Fazli also said: "the responsibility of Sepah is to fight against "soft war". Although we have heard small noises about some demonstrations in universities during student's day, we do not predict anything significant to happen".
--Radio Farda: While security officials in Tehran have announced that any protest on the day of December 7 is illegal, several opposition websites have asked people to join these protests. It is told that [in Tehran] University of Tehran [main campus] will be the starting point of those rallies for which massive mobilization efforts have been undertaken.
--Deutche wellet: Akbar Karami, medical doctor and civil activist in the city of Qom, has been under arrest since November 24. He had published various articles criticizing the regime in out-of-country websites; he was also active in Mahdi Karroubi's presidential campaign [in June 12 presidential election].
NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED
--BBC Persian: Neda Agha Soltan's parents condemned the street theater performed to stage their daughter's murder scene and named the government officials as agents of her murder. They also stated that they were arrested for a short time during November 4 (Aban 13th) protests.
--BBC Persian: Neda Agha Soltan's parents condemned the street theater performed to stage their daughter's murder scene and named the government officials as agents of her murder. They also stated that they were arrested for a short time during November 4 (Aban 13th) protests.
--Norouz: Mahboobeh Haghighi and Negar Sayeh, two young members of the reformist party Participation Front were released from prison.
-- Kalameh: Seyyed Hassan Khomeini [Ayatollah Khomeini's grandson], visited Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the counselor of Mohammad Khatami and Mehdi Karroubi, who had been arrested after Iran's elections in June and him on his release from prison.
-- Kalameh: Foad Shams, the student of Geography department in University of Tehran, was arrested on Wednesday while leaving the faculty by the security agents.
--Radiofarda: Behzad Nabavi, a senior member of the Sazman-e-mojaahedin-enqelab-eslami- a major reformist party- who had returned to Evin prison after his ten-day vacation ended Saturday, was [immediately] transferred to hospital due to some health complications arising from his recent surgery [last week].
--Advarnews: Saeid Kalanaki and Saeid Jalalifar, two detained members of the Human Rights Watch Commission, informed their families that they are being kept in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin 209 Prison.
--Advarnews: Hayedeh Tabesh, an activist of the One Million Signature Campaign in the central city of Esfahan, was arrested Saturday morning.
Recommendations and Warnings:
--A new anti-filtering strategy: 1- Visit AOL.com, 2- register an account (sign up for a free email), 3- download free software (AOL 9.5), 4- sign into your account in AOL 9.5, 5- enjoy surfing high speed internet without filtering.
Sazegara mentioned the following points in his Thursday video:
-Ahmadinejad's unsuccessful trip to Isfahan and the right thing Isfahan's residents did to not welcome him.
-There had been student protests in the Department of Literature in Allameh Tabatabaei University.
-When Mr. Zakani (conservative MP) wanted to give his speech in Allameh University, at first students were listening to him as he had made some remarks recently against Mortazavi (former Tehran's prosecutor), but as soon as he started to assault popular key figures of the Green Movement such as Mr Mousavi, Mr Karroubi or Mr Khatami, students did not allow him to continue and expressed their objection.
-Students of Khajeh Nasir University assembled in front of basij headquarters on campus and chanted slogans saying that no espionage should occur in universities. Some students had even put coins on the ground in sarcasm to show that innuendos should not have any activities on campus.
-Many people believe that most probably the government does not have enough power to send agents to all universities on Monday afternoon when simultaneous ceremonies are to be held on campuses across the country. Therefore, they will focus on a number of key universities and assemble their forces in University of Tehran, Amir Kabir (Poly Technic) or Sharif in Tehran, as well as Shiraz, Tabriz, Isfahan and Ahvaz Universities to prevent students from holding Dec 7 (Student Day) ceremonies. That is why it is very important to have ceremonies in all public and Azad universities on Monday afternoon. People and K-12 students who want to join university students can go to the nearest campus as well.
On his Friday video broadcast, Mohsen Sazgara mentioned the following points:
-Regarding Mr. Rafsanjani's recent speech [in Mashad] the following points are important: 1- Mr. Rafsanjani has been in Mashad simply to avoid attending Supreme Leader's special cermon for Eid-e-qadir [which is supposed to take place on Sunday]. 2- He has mentioned that the Supreme Leader is the only individual who has the power to resolve the existing differences; therefore he has kicked the ball into Khamenei's field [bearing him responsible to control the situation]. 3- Once again, he emphasized the existing rift [in the regime] and mentioned that some [senior] clerics including himself are dissatisfied with the current situation. Considering the fact that Khamenei's attempts to use Rafsanjani as a mediator [to appease opposition leaders] and to project a sense of unity through the Unity Event in Majlis have both failed, one can conclude that Khamenei is unable to control the situation [as he wills].
- In a ridiculous statement, Mr. Fazli, the Revolutionary Guards Commander in Tehran, blamed the attacks on the University of Tehran dormitories [two days after the election] onto a suspicious group of unknown rouge elements; It is interesting that IRGC is unable to identify and arrest those people while they easily arrest [protesting] students. Prior to him, Mr. Naqdi [the Commander of Basiji militia] had made similar statements. The goal of such statements is obviously not to persuade people- since people no longer believe in what they say-, it is rather an attempt to persuade some elements among the revolutionary guards [who are unhappy with what IRGC is accused of doing after the election.]
- Students in the Western city of Sanandaj have teared photos of Khamenei. In Ardabil, students have welcome Saffar-Harandi, the Culture Minister in Ahmadinejad's first Administration, chanting 'A General without any stars is not worth throwing a shoe at'.
- As December 7 approaches, the regime tries to control the Dec. 7 protests by arresting political activists.
- Do not forget to take photos and shoot videos of the Dec. 7 protests.
In his video broadcast on Saturday, Mohsen Sazgara mentioned the following points:
- He pointed to a statement released by some Amirkabir University students in which they have asked the campus security officials to be on the side of students on Dec. 7 and have threatened to expose their names and identities to public if they do otherwise.
- He also welcomed recent comments of an IRGC Commander that the revolutionary guards will give students flowers on Dec. 7 and said that in any case IRGC is responsible for any violence on that day since all students are advocates of peaceful [non-violent] actions.
- According to him, the fact that coup government stopped Mokhtari and Pouyandeh's families from holding the eleventh anniversary of their death shows how concerned they are about any gathering.
