UPDATE ON IRAN - Oct. 16, 2010

Iran arrests mother and sister of missing protestor
Oct. 14, 2010
The mother and sister of Saied Zinali were arrested in their home. Saied Zinali was a political prisoner who went missing when arrested in the 1988 Tehran student uprising. He never came home after being arrested in June 1999 and wherever his family followed up his whereabouts, prison officials said they did not know anything about him. It is still not clear what happened to this student 11 years ago.
According to reports, the Intelligence Department of the Revolutionary Guards Corps was responsible for the arrest of this young man. After the post election events, Mother Zinali once again asked that the head of the RGC tell her what happened to her son.
The Zinali family went to prison every week asking about their missing son. They wanted to know what happed to Saied and if he is still alive.
Security forces arrested Saied’s mother and sister after a raid to their home and confiscated their personal belonging including their computers.
The family and friends of the Zinali family, who were very sad about the painful faith of the son of this family, are now severely worried about the fate of this mother and sister.

Student prisoner banned from family visits and phone calls for expressing solidarity with her detained lawyer
Oct. 14, 2010
According to reports, the visits and telephone calls of student prisoner Shabnam Madadzadeh were cut off on orders of intelligence agency interrogators.
On Thursday October 24, her contacts to the outside were cut off because she supported her lawyers who were arrested and jailed.
Shabnam Madadzadeh went on a hunger strike in protest to the arrest of her lawyer Nasrin Sutodeh and the ongoing detention of Mr. Oliayi Fard. After her hunger strike, she was taken to the Intelligence Unit of the Gohardasht (Rajayi Shahr) Prison where she was interrogated and threatened for hours.
The head and assistant head of the Gohardasht Intelligence Unit, Kermani and Faraji, interrogated Madadzadeh while putting her under pressure. They threatened her that they would add other charges to her case and would issue a heavy sentence for her warning that they would transfer her to Bandar Abbas Prison or Ahwaz Prison.

Birjand student refused university degree for participating in post-election protests
Oct. 14, 2010
Birjand University refused to give student activist Himan Khoshvaqt his university degree after he graduated last year.
Khoshvaqt finished his units in this university in 2009 and went to the university in 2010 to get his degree.
He tried in vain to receive his university degree but the heads of the Protection Department in this university announced that they would not give his degree because he participated and was active in the post election protests in 2009.
This is while Khoshvaqt says that all his activities which were related or unrelated to protests to election results were carried  out outside of university and in all this time, he did not even set foot in his university.

Iran hangs 5 people in Isfahan
Oct. 13, 2010
The Isfahan Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor said, “Yesterday, five …. were hanged in the Central Isfahan Prison yard”.
“These five people were arrested by the police and were sentenced to death after a legal procedure and after their requests for amnesty were denied and were hanged yesterday in Isfahan Prison”, Mohammad-Reza Habibi added. (Fars state-run News Agency) 

Detained lawyer of political prisoners needs urgent treatment for cancer
Oct. 13, 2010
Mohammad Oliayi Fard, a lawyer of political prisoners who is detained in Evin Prison’s cellblock 350 needs to be urgently sent to special medical center outside of prison.
Today at dawn, this lawyer who has been sentenced to one year of prison and is currently serving his time went to the prison infirmary because of his deteriorating physical health.
According to reports, the doctor in prison diagnosed a lump in his body as ‘blood cancer’ and said that he had to be checked by a specialist.
In light of his critical state, this lawyer who represented political prisoner in court has to be sent to a medical center outside of prison.
Dr. Mohammad Oliayi Fard was arrested on May 1, 2010 to serve his one year prison sentence on charges of propagating against the government by giving interviews (to the media) and is currently in cellblock 350 in Evin Prison.

Jailed student activist denied treatment
Oct. 13, 2010
Jailed student activist Majid Dori needs to see a specialist for the treatment of his illness but Evin Prison officials refuse to send him to a specialist outside of prison.
Dori is suffering from very severe headaches. The internal Evin Prison doctor told him one month ago that he had to be sent to a brain and nerve doctor and receive a MRI scan.
According to reports, he has still not been visited by a brain and nerve doctor. He is suffering from severe dizzy spells which sometimes plague him for up to 48 hours.
This student was banned from continuing his education and was arrested on June 15, 2009. He was sentenced to 6 six of prison to be served in Izeh Prison. In the past few weeks, Izeh Prison was changed to Ahwaz Prison. He is currently in cellblock 350 in Evin Prison.

State run daily says Iran has arrested 4 ‘Mourning Mothers’ 
Oct. 13, 2010
The state-run Iran daily reported that four members of the ‘Mourning Mothers’ group were arrested.
“Four members of the Mourning Mothers group were arrested while intending to go to Germany to see an important contact of the Monafeqin grouplet (PMOI). They were arrested after their contact with this group became apparent”, this daily said. (Fararou state-run website) 

Juvenile political prisoner arrested at 15 still in prison after 15 years 
Oct. 13, 2010
Jamal Amin Zadeh is a political prisoner who has been detained in the Gonbade Kavous Prison without any leaves or visits for more than 15 years.
According to reports, this prisoner was arrested when he was 15 years old and sentenced to life in prison on charges of being a member of a Kurd dissident party.
Amin Zadeh does not have any family members to follow up his case after his mother and father passed away.
He has also been denied of a lawyer in all of his trials.
Gonbade Kavous Prison lacks normal facilities and is used to detain non-political prisoners.

Iran arrests mother and sister of former detained protester
Oct. 13, 2010
The mother and sister of Hesam Tarmasi who was arrested after the election protests and was detained in Evin Prison for one year were arrested after security forces raided their home on Saturday night. Hesam Tarmasi was only recently released from prison.
He was arrested in a post-election protest march by security forces. After being released from prison, he came down with a kidney and liver illness and has been hospitalized ever since.
He was also attacked by unidentified persons and according to his family, the knife he was stabbed with was contaminated with an unknown poison and he contracted a blood infection.
His mother and sister were arrested while he was in hospital. His family was not involved in any political or social activities and the reason they were arrested is completely unknown…
Termasi is very concerned about his mother and sister.


Iran Students Committee (Supporters of PMOI)

UPDATE ON IRAN - Oct. 14, 2010

The Beginning of the End of the Clerical Rule in Iran

No. 716

Downfall

Khamenei’s trip to Qom

Oil Company pays for Khamenei’s trip to Qom
Oct. 13, 2010
Based on their informed sources media controlled by the minor faction of the Iranian regime disclosed that Iran’s oil company was tasked from Khamenei’s Household to provide the expenses for Khamenei’s trip to Qom in complete cooperation with Qom’s governor and the Revolutionary Guards Corps Imam Sadeq Brigade.

Reporters banned from being present in Khamenei’s visit with Qom’s clerics 
Oct. 13, 2010
Khamenei banned reporters from being present in his visit with Qom clerics.
Nabavi, the head of the Khamenei’s publicity staff for his trip to Qom announced Khamenei’s plans and said, “The Leader will also have friendly visits with clerics and religious sources but without the presence of reporters”.
“The Leader of the revolution naturally makes trips to other provinces and therefore the analyses and speculations regarding this trip show the foreign media’s imprecision. In the time of the sedition they lied and claimed that clerics and religious sources had distanced themselves from the Islamic government”, he said trying to hide the rifts in the government and Khamenei’s lack of credibility among religious circles.
Nabavi called the lack of credibility of the head of the Islamic Republic and the fact that the people were not afraid of him ‘the differences of opinion between religious sources and the leader’ and said, “Some groups misused the events of last year and spread rumors and busied their supporters with them… In these groups and movements, inside and outside of Iran, supporters of the hypocrites united and caused sedition”.


Effect of Sanction

Oil minister of Ahmadinejad cabinet confessed the reduction of gas importation
Oct. 12, 2010
Masoud Mirkazemi oil minister confessed: due to the international sanctions, gas importation has been reduced from 23 million liter in the last few months to 800,000 liter.





Iranians rush to pull out money from banks and buy foreign currency
Oct. 13, 2010 
According to reports from Tehran, from October 9, Iranians started pulling out their money from banks in Iran to exchange them to foreign currency especially the US dollar and rushed to foreign exchanges which led to a state much like that of last February.
People wait in long lines to get 2,000 dollars. Every dollar costs 1,060 tomans. In one of the foreign exchange shops in a north western street in Tehran, lines start from 9 am. At about 10 am they distribute forms, take a copy of the national card and money form their customers and give the dollars to customers from 2 pm. They tell their customers that they cannot promise that they will give them dollars and will only give the dollars in the order that the forms were handed in.
This condition shows the fear of the people that their money might get blocked which is a result of the decaying state of the Iranian regime and the probability of its demise in the near future.

Progressive rise in the price of plain tickets in Mullah’s regime
Oct. 11, 2010 
Airways manager announced: Plane tickets will become even more expensive! Farhad Parvaresh said: increase of 30% in Plane tickets price have no relation with the law of tax, the increase in the price of oil, have risen the price of tickets.

Increase in repression of bazaar owners with security police of guilds 
Oct. 13, 2010
According to received reports, mullah’s regime for repressing bazaar strikers, has established a new force called 'security police of guilds'.

Rahimi threatened bazaar strikers for serious clash with them
Oct. 12, 2010
ATI News wrote on behalf of Mohammad Reza Rahimi, they will take serious actions against those who want to make trespasses and disorders in Bazaar.


Crack within Regime

Some of heads of universities have been expelled from work because of their disbelief in veil law
Oct. 12, 2010
Supreme leader of the regime has put commission of literature in charge of implementing the so called law of veil.
Minister of Science in reply to the questions of the commission, has declared that the reason for the defeat of veil plan, was slender activity of some the university headers. He also mentioned the reason of expel and the change of some university headers was because of this matter that they didn’t believe in these orders.


Resistance

Protest gathering of water and electricity industry university students 
Oct. 11, 2010
On Monday, 11th of October at 1130 in front of the university café, students of Water and Electricity University, held a gathering to reach their demands.
This gathering was for the invitation of administrative council of the university. This council will try to investigate the following problems:
-Closing down of one of university publishing place and reduction of publications
-Unsettled situation of education and bad behaviors of university employees.
-Unknown situation of university, to which ministry it belongs
-Unclassified situation of courses
-Bad status of food and health

Suppression


Prisoner to be hanged on Wednesday morning in Shiraz
Oct. 12, 2010
Judiciary officials have scheduled the execution of a man in Shiraz Prison on Wednesday morning.
According to reports, this man is from Dehdasht in Kohkiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad and his brother was also hanged on Saturday along with two other prisoners in Shiraz. Their bodies were transferred to Dehdasht for burial.
They were all charged with participating in the murder of two security agents.

Iran: 9 Executions including a woman during 2 days in Isfahan and Zanjan
Oct. 12, 2010
In a criminal act, 5 prisoners were hanged in central prison of Isfahan. According to the report of judiciary of Isfahan, one of the executed was a 32 years old Afghan man called Yaghoub. D. A day before, on the universal day struggle against execution, Judiciary system of Mullah’s regime executed 4 including a woman in the central prison of Zanjan. Mass execution of 7 prisoners in central prison of Kerman, a woman prisoner in Shirvan and two in Orumiyeh prison, have been other facts of this criminal and violated acts during 28of September till 7th of October.
Therefore the number of executed has reached to 20 in less than 2 weeks.
Regime is using increasing repression as the only way to stand against the growing crisis which is facing.

Issuing the anti-human sentence of cutting the hand of one prisoner in Mashad
Oct. 12, 2010
Iranian regime has cut off a hand of a man in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, the ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday.
ISNA said the hand was cut off in front of other prisoners.
Last July, Iran amputated the hands of five other people charged with theft in the northwestern city of Hamedan.
Also, Khorasan newpaper wrote on Tuesday 12th of October, this sentence was issued and done in central prison of Mashad today. (Source of news Fars state-run news agency and Khorasan newspaper)

It is worth to mention that because of increase of poverty inside Iran in recent years, robberies have been increased. Regime of Iran instead of solving the root of poverty and arrest the main robbers who are the members of this regime itself instead has started inhuman action against the poor people by cutting their hands. 


Prison guards brutally attack Rajayi Shahr prisoners
Oct. 12, 2010
On Monday October 11 at about 9:30 am prison guards raided cellblock 5 in Gohardasht (Rajayi Shahr) Prison in Karaj and beat the defenseless prisoners. As a result of this attack a number of prisoners were injured. One of the prisoners who was violently beaten was Farhangpour Mansouri. He sustained injuries in his hand and feet. Head guard Naser Zaiem threatened this prisoner to death. The attack continued until 12 pm.
These guards also broke and seized the personal belongings of these prisoners. Close to 30 guards participated in this raid. This attack was carried out on orders of Kermani and Faraji, the head and assistant head of the Intelligence Unit of prison.

Iran bans student activist from education
Oct. 12, 2010
The Selection Committee of the Evaluation Organization announced that Saied Moradi Naqdeh, a law student at Gilan University who is also a student activist and the former head of the student publication, ‘Qupouz’, was banned from continuing his education.
According to reports, Moradi Naqdeh was active in the reformer’s campaign in the 2009 elections. He is also a member of the Editorial Council of the Chagheri publication and the Secretary of the Shahriar Association.

No news on detained high school student and blogger 25 days after arrest  
Oct. 12, 2010
Twenty five days after the arrest of Navid Mohebi, a senior high school student in Mazandaran, his condition and health is unknown.
Sources close to his family say that his family is concerned for this student activist in light of the state of the Intelligence Agency Detention Center in Sari and the way this blogger has been treated.
Navid Mohebi was arrested by security forces on the morning of September 18 in his home in Amol and was then transferred to the Intelligence Agency Detention Center in Sari.
It is not clear why this blogger was arrested by security forces. He was reportedly brutally beaten upon arrest by security and intelligence agents in Mazandaran.
Mohebi is a student activist and a member of the One-Million Signature Campaign (advocating change in the constitution) who was summoned and beaten in the Amol Intelligence Agency after participating in a women’s day ceremony in 2009…
Mohebi is a senior high school student and was underage and unable to vote in the 2009 presidential elections.

Gifted student banned from continuing education to get master’s degree
Oct. 11, 2010
The Intelligence Agency has decided that Farzaneh Jalali, who scored sixth place in the nationwide master’s degree exams in Iran, does not have the right to continue her education to get her master’s degree.
Farzaneh Jalali, anthropology major in Tehran University’s Social Sciences School was a student activist in this university and a member of the student’s Islamic Association. She was also in charge of the Sobh (Morning) student publication in this university for one year.
Jalali was summoned to the Revolutionary Court and Intelligence Agency after security forces attacked the university dormitory during post election events.
This student activist was banned from continuing her education even as the head of the Evaluation Organization announced last month that they did not deprive anyone of education because of their political activities.

Political prisoners in cellblock 350 in Evin Prison are forced to use polluted water 
Oct. 11, 2010
According to reports, the water that political prisoners in cellblock 350 in Evin Prison use has been cut off in the past few days and when there is water, it is muddy and undrinkable.
To put more pressure and subject political prisoners to more limitations, they have almost been completely deprived of water in the past few days. The water shortage has also led to serious unsanitary problems for prisoners.
It is notable that the water political prisoners use in Evin Prison is provided from polluted water wells. This has also led to serious digestive and nephrogenic problems for prisoners.
Political prisoners are also deprived of warm water for bathing and are forced to shower with cold water. This is an ongoing limitation used to put pressure on political prisoners.

2 university students suspended for 2 semesters for political activities
Oct. 11, 2010
After several large gatherings were held in Tehran’s Science and Industry University following the 2009 presidential elections in Iran, the Disciplinary Committee in this university sentenced Hamid Bidar, a fifth year computer engineering student and Navid Atayi, a fifth year constructional engineer student to two semesters of suspension from university. Their sentences were upheld by the Appeals Council of the Science Ministry’s Central Committee.

Iran’s public prosecutor warns political prisoners against publishing statements from prison
Oct. 11, 2010
‘If someone commits the same crime after receiving a sentence for the previous crime and is serving his/her sentence or has finished serving his/her sentence, he/she will be prosecuted and punished and this punishment will definitely be more severe’.  Public Prosecutor Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejeie said regarding a letter by political prisoners sent outside of prison and a number of statements by political prisoners (published in websites).  (Mehr state-runNews Agency)

61 post election protesters sentenced to prison terms
Oct. 11, 2010
Sixty Four people charged in the events of 2008 received their sentences in the last month. (Public Prosecutor) Golam-Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, said in a news conference, “From these (64) three were cleared of the charges and 61 people received prison terms from 6 years to 19.5 years”.
“These sentences are initial and the court of review procedures has still not ended”, he added.
“From those who were convicted, one person was sentenced o 19.5 years of prison, another person was sentenced to 15 years of prison and the rest were sentenced to less than 15 years of prison”.
“Some of them were also sentenced to social limitations and flogging”, Iran’s Public Prosecutor added. (IRNA state-run news agency)


Other News

Iran jams internet from mosques 
Oct. 13, 2010
In the West Townships in Tehran, a few streets from the Milad Tower, the Abolfazl Mosque is used by Iranian regime to send noise and jam internet signals.
This mosque is one of the many mosques that have noise senders installed on them. Regime forces constantly change the direction of the noise.
Companies that provide internet services were not aware that the regime was sending this noise on the internet and were confused and thought that the problem was with their own systems.
It is worth noting that this mosque is also a Bassij base.


Students Committee in Iran (Supporters of PMOI)

UPDATE ON IRAN - Oct. 12, 2010

Prisoner in danger of death under torture in Rajayi Shahr Prison
Oct. 10, 2010
According to reports, prisoner Reza Jalal Shariat who has been transferred to a solitary cell in cellblock 1 in Gohardasht (Rajayi Shahr) Prison known as the ‘doghouse’ is in serious danger.
On Friday at about 8:30 pm, a prison guard who is also a torturer in the ‘doghouse’ attacked Reza Jalal Shariat and violently beat him…
After other prisoners clashed with the guards (in his defense), the internal manager of prison, Gerami, asked that prisoners hand over Shariat to them but prisoners in cellblock 1 refused the order. Gerami then threated the prisoners that they would bring the prison guards to beat them.
Shariat voluntarily gave himself up to prevent guards from beating his inmates. A few moments later Jalal Shariat was taken to a solitary cell in cellblock 1 and other prisoners could hear his sobbing and cries as a result of the brutal tortures.
In addition to Gerami, Kermani and Faraji the head and assistant head of the Intelligence Department were also present for his torture. Head guard Mirza Aqayi and Zinali who are known torturers in this cellblock also participated in the torture.
This prisoner is in serious danger of death.
Mirza Aqayi and Zinali are in charge of torture in solitary cells in cellblock 1. These men use various torture methods such as rape, sodomy with batons, breaking the hands and legs of prisoners and other forms of torture.
Shariat, 25, is in prison on charges of murder. He is respected by other prisoners because he stands up to the guards and always expresses his protest which has angered prison guards.

Wife of death row political prisoner threatened and harassed by security forces
Oct. 10, 2010
According to reports, threats against Mahin Saremi via telephone calls by Salavati, the so-called judge of the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court are ongoing.
Mahin Saremi was summoned and tried in the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court by Salavati. She was told that the sentence would be announced to her lawyer but after a while Salavati’s assistance called Mrs. Saremi and told her to come to court to receive her sentence. Saremi refused to go and said that the sentence has to be announced to her lawyer…
Threats continued against Saremi and her guarantor was also called several times and told that he had to hand over Mrs. Saremi to court and if he does not the bail that was submitted to court for her release would be seized and he would be arrested.
Due to the fact that the legal procedures, charges, trials and sentences for political prisoners are against the law and a clear violation of the minimum rights of political prisoners, interrogators of the Intelligence Agency and Salavati who carries out the whims of the Intelligence Agency avoid giving an official written verdict to the lawyers of political prisoners and political prisoner for fear that their illegal methods would be disclosed. This inhumane method has turned into a common routine. Lawyers and political prisoners are not allowed to keep a copy of the file and the verdict is not even given to the lawyer so that he/she could at least request for an appeal in the court of view. On the other hand, the court of appeal and Supreme Court say that they cannot see to the case without a written verdict…
Mahin Saremi, 56, was a political prisoner in the 80’s and was jailed from 1982 to 1983. She was also once again arrested in 2005 along with her husband Ali Saremi after an attack by agents of the Intelligence Ministry for participating in a ceremony to commemorate the memory of Doctor Mohammad Mosadeq on the anniversary of his death. They were jailed in cellblock 209 in Evin Prison for close to a month. She was also arrested in 2007 for participating in the 19th ceremony of the anniversary of the massacre of political prisoner in 1988 and was imprisoned for 2 months in a solitary cell in Evin Prison’s cellblock 209.

Kurd political prisoner on death row in Orumieh Prison
Oct. 10, 2010
Jailed political prisoner Hossein Khezri, 28, who is in the Central Orumieh Prison, has been sentenced to death on charges of ‘waging war with God’ and his sentence has been confirmed by officials. This political prisoner is under hard conditions in Orumieh Prison and his death sentence might be carried out at any moment.
One of his relatives said in an interview: “The death sentence was issued for Hossein after he was in solitary cell for seven months and after he was transferred to the Orumieh Prison in 2008. He was tried in a 7 to 8 minute trial with the presence of the representative of the prosecutor and the representative of the Intelligence Agency in the first branch of the Revolutionary Court, which was his first and last court session.
His lawyer was present with him in court but neither him nor his lawyer were allowed to defend his case. A few days before the trial, his lawyer was threatened by unidentified men who demanded to know with ‘what right he was defending an anti-revolutionary’.
Hossein was arrested in 2008 by the Nabi Akram Revolutionary Guards Corps base in the Kermanshah Terminal. He was transferred to a detention center in a military base from the very beginning without being informed of why he was arrested and was brutally tortured to the point of losing conscious several times.
He was kept in that detention center for 49 days. In this time he was taken with chained hands and feet down the stairs to the cellar and would be hanged from the roof while shackled.
They would close his mouth and nose with a cloth and he had to move his leg if he wanted to talk. He was tortured in this way many times. He was also electrocuted and beaten with batons and lost 30 percent of his vision, developed bleeding in his kidneys because of the brutal strikes  and kicks and punches and also suffered a lung infection as a result of the unsuitable prison conditions and he is still suffering from this disease but officials refuse to treat him.


Iran Students Committee (Supporters of PMOI)

UPDATE ON IRAN - Oct. 11, 2010

Mullahs’ regime worries about exposure of secret information of nuclear program
Oct. 11, 2010
Salehi, head of Nuclear power organization, expressed his worry about the exposure of secret information and said: in past people used to reach news very easily but this is not possible anymore. It is not necessary for every people to know about everything. In past western countries used to attract Iranian specialists by suggesting education and better occupations outside Iran. Now the nuclear engineers of Iran have good residence and better education for their children.
Because of schism inside the regime, high ranks of the regime are afraid of even small exposure of news and information on nuclear power and they are looking for elements who try to pass news to others.

Strike of gold sellers continued on Saturday in Tehran, Shiraz, Hamedan, Babol, Ardebil and Orumiyeh
Oct. 10, 2010
Despite pressures and treats of Mullahs regime, strike of gold sellers continued on Saturday in Tehran, Shiraz, Hamedan, Babol, Ardebil and Orumiyeh.
Gold sellers of Babol joined the strike from Wednesday.
Strike of gold sellers in Hamedan continues.
Gold Bazaar of Shiraz was closed on Saturday.
Gold Bazaar of Ardebil and Orumiyeh was in complete strike on Saturday.
According to reports, on Saturday, the first deputy of Ahmadinejad went to Bazaar and asked gold sellers to reopen their shops but they didn’t agree. Iron Bazaar and fabric sellers also joined the strike in Tehran Bazaar.

Brave youths of Isfahan welcomed 4th of November, the student day
Oct. 10, 2010
The slogan which is written by aggressive youths in all over Isfahan is 4th of November comes, it is the end of khamenei’s life. It attracts the attention of people passing by. Another example, on a tree this slogan was written: Dictator be ready, 4th of November and 7th of December is coming
Slogan writings against the Mullah’s regime in Isfahan have increased by the start of October.
According to reports, students in Isfahan have welcomed 4th of November and 7th of December.

International Bank doesn’t give loan to Mullah’s regime
Oct. 10, 2010
Minister of Economy in Mullah’s regime, attacked the international bank for refusing to give loans and said: International bank has prevented giving proved loans, but they get its profit from Iran.




Expulsion of regime’s representative in international atomic energy agency
Oct. 10, 2010
Khorasan newspaper gave the news of expulsion of Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, regime’s representative in international atomic energy agency and announced that Reza Najafi was replaced.
This newspaper wrote: Salehi, the head of nuclear power organization said: Najafi was replaced instead of Soltaniyeh , it may take time for his replacement. He added: najafi has worked for 20 years in this field and he is a right person for this position.

Privatizing universities another step in destroying higher education in Iran 
Oct. 11, 2010
The Incorporation Commission of the Iranian Parliament in charge of privatizing universities and giving them to regime officials who are known for plundering the country’s assets ratified the Fifth Program Bill and therefore another step in destroying higher education in Iran was taken.
This bill says on privatizing universities: “The government will be allowed to use various methods including surrendering education and research units to the non government sector or autonomously running these units and getting all or part of the expenses paid by students in cash or in installments to better run the country’s higher education system”.
It is clear that this measure which is against the benefits of the Iranian people is an excuse to hand over universities to regime officials or institutions like the Revolutionary Guards Corps under the name of privatization which will have very bad consequences including the fact that financially deprived students will find it harder to go to university. Also universities will turn into non credible institutions used for the trade of forging degrees.

Former RGC head calls Ahmadinejad a demagogue and backward thinker
Oct. 11, 2010
Rezayi, the former head of the Revolutionary Guards Corps called Ahmadinejad a demagogue and backward thinker and said, “It is better that statesmen stay away from making decisions individually and self-centeredness, for if this is carried out knowingly, it is demagoguery and if done without knowing, it is a mental backwardness”.
He cited a small part of the Iranian regime’s shameful report card and said, “With the existence of more than 8 million criminal files in the judiciary, thousands of accidents that take place because automobiles made in Iran are not standard, not taking seriously the issue of health and not encouraging the culture of exercise in the county, financial problems like unemployment and high prices all show that statesmen are not in tuned with the expectations of the people in their planning”.
 “Unfortunately today a group has blocked the path of the revolution under the name of supporting the Islamic Republic and another group is leaving the path of the revolution under the name of supporting freedom. They should know … one should not stop in the path of the Islamic Revolution and one should also not exit this path”, he added.

Iran Students Committee (Supporter of PMOI) 

UPDATE ON IRAN - Oct. 10, 2010

The Beginning of the End of the Clerical Rule in Iran

No. 715

Downfall

Complicated arrangements for Khamenei’s expensive visit to Qom
October 8, 2010
There are new reports about Khamenei’s expensive visit to this town. Complicated arrangements by government officials show that this trip will take place around October 10 to October 13.
All the main roads in the town of Qom are being controlled by security cameras. Plain clothes agents can be seen all over this city. All universities have been told to hold conferences and record all student problems, even family and financial problems, and try not to let in these kinds of students into conferences held by the leader to prevent protests in the middle of the conference.
All shops on the streets which will welcome Khamenei will also be shut down. (Ati News, Mehr News Agency)It is important to note that all these security measures for Khamenei’s trip show how much the Iranian people hate him forcing the Iranian regime to take out these measures. This shows that the people are not afraid of the ‘leader’ and his taboo has been broken.

Mullah Lari, defended from the crimes of regime in university
Oct. 9, 2010
Lari, Internal Minister of Khatami cabinet, defended of the crimes done on students in the year 1999 and said, as a responsible in security department, I am satisfied police force and how they controlled the incidents of that year in university. He also said: as a person responsible for the security of the society at that time, I can defend them.
This minister of Khatami by reminding the uprise of 1999 of students, said: security zone at the time of incident wanted to do as that this contrast not to become permanent contrast.
He expressed his satisfaction of police forces’ crimes and added: “in the last day, some came to the city with mask and set fire to banks, which showed that they are from rioters but their acts were stopped by force of security forces of the country.

Top cleric: we have to believe in the existence of the enemy
October 9, 2010
Ahmad Khatami, the temporary head of Friday Prayers in Tehran warned that the regime should believe in the existence of the enemy and said, “The leadership is the main target of the enemies of the government”.
According to Fars state-run news Agency and the Mehr state-run news agency on October 8, Khatami counted five ways that the ‘enemies’ are fighting with the Islamic Republic and said, “The third way of the enemy is cutting down the pillar holding up the revolution which is the leadership… therefore the enemies do not even for a moment subside the weakening of the leadership and the leader”.
“Foreign enemies announce their animosity with the leadership openly and of course internal enemies weaken the place of the leadership with hints and gestures and taunts”, he said in another part of the Tehran Friday Prayer sermon.

Ardabil gold bazaar in strike after two weeks
October 9, 2010
Despite constant threats and warnings by judicial officials against the ongoing strike of Bazaar merchants and while a number of gold officials talked about an agreement with the government, the Ardabil Gold Bazaar is still on strike since 14 days ago in protest to valued added tax.

Resistance

New wall writings in support of sanctions against regime and public protest
Oct. 9, 2010
According to reports following region in Tehran Nezam abad, Shariati, Yaghchiabad and shahr Rey, new wall writings in support of international sanctions and public protests by active youths have been done. Some of the slogans were: “wide strikes-down with supreme leader” and “don’t be afraid of sanctions we are all together-down with Khamenei”

A Call on Tehran active youths to protest in the day of students on 7th of December
Oct. 9, 2010
According to residents of Narmak, Lavizan and Tehran no, on Thursday, 7th October, new slogans have been written by youths on walls which the newest were inviting people for 7th of December demonstration. The following slogans were written on the walls:
"Khamenei should know that he will soon be over thrown".
"7th of December will comes student fights and Khamenei shakes", "Don’t forget 7th of December".

Hard control on the road from Salmas and Mahabad to Sananaj by regimes grubs
Oct. 9, 2010
According to reports, following the military attack by two motorcyclists to Guards corps in Sanandaj on Thursday 7th of October, which a number of police agents were killed and wounded, regime in fear of continuation of such attacks has ordered his grubs, to take control of Salmas-Mahabad to Sanandaj road and to investigate all cars.

Protest gathering of Teacher training department of Tehran University In front of the Parliament
Oct. 8, 2010
Students of Teacher training department yesterday held a protest for bad situation of university chambers and the unknown employment situation in front of parliament.

Taking refuge of students of Qom University in protest against the unsuitable situation of the university
Oct. 9, 2010
Hundreds of students of Qom university in protest against the situation of the university and the replacement of the building shouted slogans of “student dies but does not accept bow down”, refused going to classes and took refuge in the university yard.
According to reports, university authorities for scattering the students asked for help from police forces, but there was no news of arrest.
Besides, at the same time on the first day of university of Rasht was opened, police of the university had physical contact and they were hit, students in protest against the arrests, held a gathering in front of the university and asked for their freedom.


Suppression

Limits in sleeping rooms for Tehran university students
Oct. 9, 2010
This year, the residential areas of Tehran University dormitory were emptied and regime has scattered all the students over different region of the city. Even sleeping rooms are not given to the overnight students. Islamic society of Tehran University is closed down and in active because all the members and leaders are either suspended or arrested. Security forces all the day and night have heavy security control on the university and they cut off the internet lines.

Cleric: dealing with improper veiling is necessary
Oct. 9, 2010
The temporary head of Friday Prayers in Qazvin said, “Those who do not follow the chastity and veil in an Islamic society should be seriously and legally dealt with”.
“A group of norm breakers who do not care about the veil and are looking to promote the western culture in the society have to be careful of their actions and we expect the judiciary and state security forces to deal with them more seriously”. (state-run Mehr News Agency)

Mashhad cleric: unveiling is the source of all problems
October 8, 2010
Ahmad Alamhoda stressed in his Friday Prayer sermon that all the problems of this country in the 200 years of the rule of the colonialism is because the educational system was secularized.
This member of the Assembly of Experts stressed that an unveiled woman is the key and source of all destruction and added that the “State Security Forces have to deal with these instances with more power”. (State-run ISNA news agency)

Details of brutal torture of death row political prisoner
Oct. 5, 2010
Death row political prisoner, Seyed Sami Hosseini who is in the Orumieh Central Prison detailed the tortures he was subjected to in a letter from prison.
Some sections of his letter which has been given to Harana News Agency are as follows:
I was arrested on June 4, 2008 and it was written in my files that I was interrogated in the first branch of court on June 5, 2008 even while I was detained in the Salmas Intelligence Agency then and was subjected to the most severe torture for 6 to 7 days by intelligence agents. Due to the torture I lost my speech and was sent to the Khomeini Hospital in Orumieh. Therefore how could I be present in the first branch of the Salmas court in this condition? I did not go to court until August 24 and I was completely in the hands of the Intelligence Agency. I was unconscious for 18 days after being tortured in the Western Azarbaijan Intelligence Agency and was hospitalized in the private intelligence agency hospital.
My friend Jamaloddin Mohammadi and I never actually saw the claimed evidence of the Intelligence Agency and Revolutionary Court even while we were sentenced to death based on this so-called evidence…
Interrogation methods by heads of the Intelligence Agency in Salmas and Oruimeh:
I was punched and kicked and beaten for hours… I was hanged with a rope from my wrists and given electric shocks. I had a 20 cm long gash in my shoulder because of the torture and after 2 years, the signs of the gash are still evident on my body and judges in the court of review even saw and confirmed this sign of torture. I was flogged on the soles of my feet and thighs. Because of these tortures, I was unconscious for 18 days and I was unable to eat for a week after I regained conscious and was nourished through an intravenous drip. My interrogators recorded my inability to eat as ‘hunger strike in detention’ in my file. I was banned from seeing my family and even from calling them for 3 and a half months. I was interrogated for a prolonged amount of time and sometimes up to 48 hours and was deprived from sleep so that my mental state and moral would decrease in order to force me to accept what they pleased.
Political prisoner Seyed Sami Hosseini – Orumieh Prison cellblock 12

Prisoner becomes paralyzed in both arms in Tabriz Criminal Intelligence Department from excessive torture
Oct. 8, 2010
Hamid Jahangir Vandian who is a resident of Tabriz has become paralyzed in both arms as a result of prolonged torture in the Tabriz Criminal Intelligence Department.
A person close to him said that Jahangir Vandian was transferred to the Criminal Intelligence Department after being accused of robbery and was subjected to severe torture which led to his hands being paralyzed from the shoulder down.
He was hanged with handcuffs for a few days by agents of the 3rd Team to Counter Robbery in the Tabriz Criminal Intelligence Department. These agents also hammered his fingers.
This Azeri citizen went to the doctor after leaving the Intelligence Department and was told that his hands had become paralyzed and would not go back to their original state.
Jahangir Vandian then filed a complaint against the three agents identified by their last names as Shahi, Atayi and Aqarbayi and the case was sent to the fifth branch of the Tabriz Judiciary.
Agents of the Criminal Intelligence Department then transferred him back to this department after being informed of the suit and he is currently under pressure to take back his complaint.
These agents told him that the judge seeing to this case was a former agent in the Tabriz Criminal Intelligence Department and was their friend and even if these agents killed him, no one would support him.

Capturing 81 of youths in the name of gangsters
Oct. 9, 2010
Regime in the path of being overthrown has no way but to repress our people.
Head of repressive police station in Tehran gave news of 81 arrests in the name of gangsters.
News channel TV (state run) said: Deputy Head of Tehran police gave news of 81 arrests of gangsters in forth process of clash with gangsters. Alipour by pointing to last night maneuver of police said: agents of relief unit in this operation recognized and arrested some of fugitives. This clash will be continued in Tehran.

Two jailed Christian priests in danger of execution for ‘apostasy’
Oct. 7, 2010
The 11th branch of the Gilan Judiciary has requested the death sentence for Christian priest, Yusef Nodrkhani, on the charge of apostasy. His jailed wife has also been sentenced to life in prison. Another jailed priest in Shiraz, Behrouz Khanjani, also faces the threat of execution.
Nodrkhani is a Rasht resident and has been detained in this town’s prison since 2009. He was arrested after being summoned several times for encouraging Christianity in his home church. This 35 year old priest has two small children.
Reza Dehghani, a priest and member of the Leadership Council of the Iran Church said that Yusef Nodrkhani was sentenced to death on charges of apostasy.
“He was tried three times and the last time he went to trial was three weeks ago. His lawyer was informed over the phone that a death sentence was issued for him but they have not made officially announced this and have not given them a written sentence. This is a common practice carried out to evaluate the reaction of the public”, he said.
Fatemeh Pasandideh, the wife of Yusef Nodrkhani, has been jailed since June 2010.
Dehghani said that the children (of this Christian couple) are under six years old and live with their aunt.
“Mrs. Pasandideh has been sentenced to life imprisonment because in Islam, the sentence for a man who has committed apostasy is death and for a woman it is life in prison”.
Dehghani also cited the dangerous state of Behrouz Khanjani in Shiraz Prison and said that he had also been sentenced to death.
“His wife was also arrested and released on bail”, he added.

Women in Evin Prison face continuing water shortage and unsanitary conditions
Oct. 7, 2010
Prisoners in the Public Women’s Cellblock in Evin Prison have been facing serious sanitary problems in the last eight days because of the constant water shortage and lack of water.
This cellblock has had a water shortage and water cut off in the last few months. Since last week, because the lack of water lasted for a longer time up to 24 hours, these jailed women have been faced with serious problems.
According to reports, there are about 20 infants and children under two year of age who are kept along with their mothers in this cellblock and the lack of water has led to problems for these children.
Nazila Dashti, Atefeh Nabavi, Mahdie Golro, Zahra Jabari, Farah Vazehan, Kobra Zagheh Doust, Alieh Eqdam Doust, Saba Rezvani, Hengameh Shahidi, Bahareh Hedayat, Parvin Javadzadeh, Reihaneh Haj Ibrahim Dabagh, Sousan Tarinian, Manijeh Safar Elahi, Fatemeh Khoramjou, Motahareh Bahrami Haqiqi, Ozra Sadat Qazi Mir Saied, Kefayat Malek Mohammadi and Mahsa Rahmat are all political prisoners in this cellblock.
This is while despite this problem which has existed from months ago, prison officials have not taken any measures to solve it and today the problem has deteriorated.
Yesterday, Gholamhossein Ismaili, the head of the Prison Organization, said that the sanitary condition of prisons in Iran is ‘satisfactory’.

Two Kurd activist still kept in solitary after 65 days; families pressured into keeping silent
Oct. 7, 2010
Two months after the arrest of two activists in Marivan, there is still no news on their condition and their families have been put under pressure by security forces.
These two Kurd activists identified as Bakhtiar Memari and Hajir Ibarahimi who were arrested about two months ago by security forces are still in solitary cells in the Sanandaj Intelligence Detention Center. These two activists have been under severe pressure for 65 days in solitary cells and have not been allowed to contact their families.
A person close to these detainees said that their conditions are a cause for concern because they have been kept in solitary for such a long time.
This source also said that their families were pressured not to talk to the media about their arrest and therefore no information has been put out about their condition until now.
Notably, despite the constant visits of their families to the court and intelligence agency in Sanandaj to follow up their conditions, they have not been able to get any information on their loved ones and relevant officials refuse to give them information on their charges and condition. (Kurdish Perspective)

Other News

2500 non Iranian Islamic propagandist were exported from Qom zone
Regime's export of fundamentalism
Oct. 9, 2010
During the recent year more than 2500 non Iranian Islamic propagandist were sent to their own countries from Qom.
Fars agency, (state- run) Reza Khorasani nejad , manager of communication and international committee of high education of jurisprudence said: in propaganda fields, good activities has been formed. At the time of Ramadan and Moharam last year and this year Ramadan, more than 2500 non Iranian propagandist returned to their countries. These students when they return to their countries will set up scientific work shops.


Students Committee in Iran (Supporters of PMOI)