Empty streets on Quds Day Tehran-Sep.3,2010

'QODS DAY' - Sept. 3, 2010

'QODS DAY'

Tehran- reports on Quds Day march

Sept. 3, 2010

The seven paths that the Iranian regime had determined for the Quds Day March was so empty that the government was forced to park public transportations automobiles in these paths and streets. From Azadi Square to Enqelab Square in all the paths, the crowds barely reached one thousand. Regime supporters were walking in groups of two or three towards Enqelab Square which was the main site of the gathering in despair because of the lack of public participation Millions of colorful posters, pictures and other writing were left unused in the hands of regime forces because there were no mass crowds to distribute the posters to. The crowds participating in the Quds state-run marches were those who usually participate in Friday Prayers. Even those who usually came just to get food and drinks did not participate in the march.

Tehran – Karim Khan Zand Street 
Security forces were out on force on the streets. A young man was arrested after passing by a number of security forces. They would arrest anyone they deemed suspicious and a van full of arrested young people was seen in this street.

Valiasr Street 
There were clashes between security forces and the people in this region. Special Guards Forces were also on the scene in the Square. Cell phones were also down at that time in this region.

In the Karimkhan and Farahani intersection which is actually Haft Tir Square about 100 people who came out of the metro were chanting ‘no to Lebanon, no to Gaza, I will only sacrifice for Iran’.

13:30 in Friday Prayers
Today instead of fruit juice which is usually distributed by the regime to gather crowds for a bigger turnout, they were giving out pens with six colors and key chains to participants because of the month of Ramadan.


Sept. 3, 2010

- Last night the sound of 'Allah O Akbar' which was being chanted by people could be heard in the following regions:
Dolatabad, Qetareyh,Tajresh, Shah Abdol Azim, and the street leading to Hamaran Street.

- Last night a number of youths were arrested while writing slogans in the public areas in Arak (West of Iran).

- In the Sadat Abad region in Tehran people chanted 'Allah O Akbar' last night.
The notorious Bassij forces have been stopping people from 2am to body search passersby. The police forces have announced that they will do anything in order to control the security atmosphere.



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Cries of Allah O Akbar in Tehran Quds Day - Sep. 2, 2010

UPDATE ON IRAN - Aug. 26, 2010

The Beginning of the End of the Clerical Rule in Iran

No.691

Sanctions & Downfall

Sanction and Crisis in Economic Situation of Iran

Plastic Factory of Kian tyre
Situated in Saveh –ChaharLang road with 1200 workers, this factory due to repression and pressures which was manipulated on workers is a critical factory, which in different occasions many protests took place. These facts were repeated in this factory over and over again. The latest protest gathering took place on 19th of August this year by 400 workers seeking for their unpaid salary of 5 months since the year 2009 and unpaid lawful premium since 2007.  All of these are happening in the hot days of Ramadan and in the situation of living under poverty line. The manager of this factory called Sharafi who is one of the government’s relatives, has done nothing to consider or change the situation of this factory.

Industry Company of Azarbaijan
Based in Tabriz, in the past it used to produce agricultural machinery with combine is now faces crisis. The remained workers of this facture are about 70. They have not been paid since 5 months ago and they have not received their unpaid salaries of last year.

Neopan Company of Ahwaz 
Based near cane complex in the old road of Ahwaz- Khoramshahr  - Salary of 7 months of more than 800 workers of this company have not been paid. This company was built in 2001 and used to have about 1500 workers and it was same as other critical factories.

Tabriz car making Factory
Now this factory is divided into three departments of car making and Industry Company and one other. The industry company is facing problem due to not having any sale and is in crisis.  One of the employee’s of this company said that car making department because of lack of نقدينگي and also problem of providing parts from foreign countries is facing downfall and crisis. For example they used to use electrical pipes made in America, now they have to get it from Turkey with less quality which high prices and by long time of preparation.

Chinandegan company of Marand
This Company produces incombustible bricks and their materials, and has 800 workers. These workers despite hard works have not received their salary for more that 4 months and they are facing with many living problems.

Varaghkaran Company 
110 workers of this company have not received their salary for more than 3 months.
This company is in Eastern Azarbaijan in Tabriz city. The workers of this company are asking for their unpaid salaries but they don’t get any reply.

Pipe making workers of Khuzistan- 
22nd of August 2010, more than 80 workers of this company gathered and asked from the representative of Ahwaz city in parliament, and other authorities for 17 months unpaid salary and raised they voice and protests against them.
Workers shouted "Ramadan month came but our salaries didn’t come Rights should be taken and we will do that".

Carpet and blanket factory of Tabriz-
 This factory started in 1976 and in the year 2000 it had more than 475 workers. After privatizing it faced crisis and started to expel the workers and now it has 65 workers. This factory due to lack of materials is in the verge of closing down. The original materials and strings used to be imported from Turkey, which now is impossible because of sanctions.

Shoe factory and manufacturing workshops of Tabriz
Due to the sanctions and not entering foreign goods and high price of original materials, workshops and manufacturing units can not continue to produce shoe and these sections are facing with closing down such as Jaroobi and Azin shoe.

Mullahs' judiciary confirms suspension of three officials linked to infamous detention center
24 August 2010
The Iranian regime’s General Prosecutor on Monday confirmed reports that three judiciary officials linked to the heinous crimes committed at Kahrizak death camp have been suspended from work.
Gholamhossein Ejei added that the case of crimes committed by the regime’s agents at the University of Tehran’s dormitory is also being investigated separately.
During the unprecedented nationwide protests against the ruling theocracy, suppressive forces rounded up scores of demonstrators and placed many under cruel torture. Some of the detainees were transferred to the infamous Kahrizak detention center later dubbed as the Kahrizak death camp. A number of the detainees died under torture there, provoking public outrage which forced the regime to “launch investigations” as a way to deflate the growing protests.
The announcement of suspension of three judiciary officials comes as three of the fathers of victims killed by the regime at Kahrizak declared that they will not rest until justice has been served for their sons. The fathers are Abdolhossein Ruhol-Amini, Ali Kamrani, and Ali Javadifar.
The three officials have not been identified yet, but a well-informed source who requested anonymity said they are Saeed Mortazavi, Hassan Haddad and Ali Akbar Heydarifar.
There were complaints already filed against Saeed Mortazavi, Tehran’s former prosecutor, who had rejected all allegations related to Kahrizak against him. The case was reopened several weeks ago at the regime’s courts.
On June 30, following a closed hearing in February regarding the allegations against 12 suspects in the Kahrizak case, Tehran’s military tribunal announced that 11 have been convicted and one has been freed due to lack of evidence.
Four young men are known to have lost their lives under cruel tortures by the regime’s agents in 2009 in Kahrizak detention center. They were Mohsen Ruhol-Amini, Mohammad Kamrani, Amir Javadifar, and Ramin Aqazadeh Qahremani.
According to the state-run Fars news agency, Ejei also made reference to the violent attack by regime agents against the University of Tehran’s dormitory, saying, “This case is being investigated at Tehran’s military prosecution office. It is also monitored by the head of the judiciary and a 3-member panel. The investigations are going very well.”


Suppression

Iran hangs three drug traffickers: report
Aug 23, 2010
Iranian regime has hanged three men, including an Afghan, in the central city of Isfahan.
The Iranian men, identified as Akbar Z., 33, and Hamid Reza H., 28, and the Afghan Shah S., 38, were hanged on Sunday in a prison in Isfahan (state run Kayhan Newspaper).

Female student activist sentenced to another year of prison
Aug. 23, 2010
Another year of prison was added to the prison term of student political prisoner Mahdieh Golroh.
“What we were afraid of finally happened and the suspended one year prison term for Mahdieh was carried out”, her husband Vahid Lalipour said.
According to the Evin Prison Court, Mahdieh Golroh was sentenced to three years of prison which consists of two years of prison and a one year of suspended prison.
This is while only one day after the one year suspended prison term was announced, Mahdieh was arrested and in this short time, she did not commit any crimes and also the sentence was not effective when she was arrested. Therefore, the sentence is illegal in practice.

Reliable Source Reports Of Group Executions Inside Mashad’s Vakil Abad Prison
Aug. 24, 2010
An informed source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that over the past few months, the Iranian judicial authorities have ordered the hanging of over one hundred individuals inside Mashad’s Vakil Abad Prison. According to this source, most of those executed were sentenced based on drug-related charges and the executions continue. “Last Wednesday 68, people were hung and over the coming weeks the executions will continue,” said the source.
The source stated that the number of individuals on death row inside Vakil Abad Prison’s Wards 101, 102, 103, and 104 as well as the Quarantine Ward is “in the hundreds.” The Campaign refrains from publishing the reported statistics pending confirmation from other sources. The Campaign asks the Iranian judicial authorities to be accountable regarding news about the weekly group executions of drug-related convicts and to provide exact statistics about events taking place inside Mashad’s Vakil Abad Prison.
Sadegh Larijani recently wrote a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, asking him for directions about what to do with the convicts, the source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
In order to verify the accuracy of the reports about the executions of drug-related criminals in Mashad, we asked Ahmad Ghabel, a theological researcher and a student of the late Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. Ghabel was arrested immediately after Mr. Montazeri’s death on 20 December 2009, and served 170 days in prison before he was released on bail. The Campaign asked Mr. Ghabel whether he was aware of similar executions during his imprisonment at Vakil Abad Prison. “I never saw any of these prisoners up close. I never tried to see outside my cell through the door or the window, but I heard the news. Soldiers are people just like you and me and they transfer news. I learned through news I received during fresh air breaks that 50 people were executed during the 170 days I was there,” said Ahmad Ghabel. He told the Campaign that though he doesn’t have direct information about the executions of individuals under the age of 18, he does remember hearing the prison guards talking about two youths under 18 among those executed.
“Inside our ward, Ward 6/1, in addition to cells where prisoners would serve their long prison terms, there were also suites where those on the death row would be brought a few hours before the execution. The situation would change so drastically, everyone would know a death-row inmate was inside the ward. All doors would close and if this was during the times when prisoners could make telephone calls, the lines would be disconnected. Even other prison authorities could not move about at this time, because Ward 6/1 was directly managed by the prison Intelligence Unit,” added the theological researcher.
“I have not conducted my own research on this, and I have been following the media news about it. Unfortunately, I have no access to my ex-cellmates, either. All I know is that the families of those executed read the number [of those executed] on the forms when they came to take the bodies. I think it is fair to say that these facts are undeniable. Prison guards and other prisoners are also members of the society and people like to talk about events like this, spreading the news. Especially as events like this are not unprecedented in our country,” said Ahmad Ghabel about news of 70 executions over the past few days.
The Campaign asked Ahmad Ghabel whether it is conceivable for such a large number of prisoners to have death sentences. “It is quite customary to have people with death sentences remain in prison for a long time,” Ghabel replied.
“People convicted of murder get the death penalty, but their families are given time to seek the forgiveness of the victims’ families and to attempt swapping the death penalty with diya [blood money]. Also, there are people who are sentenced to death because of carrying illegal arms, but they also have a prison sentence which they must serve prior to the execution. As we speak, there are hundreds of people inside prisons who received their death sentences several years ago. Even inside Ward 1/6 where I was serving, there was an individual who had been in prison for 13 years for illegally carrying. He had a death sentence, too. Another case is another suspect I was handcuffed to one time when returning from the court. His charge was possession of 70 kilograms of crystal meth and while serving a long prison term, he had also received a death sentence,” he added.
The source who provided the Campaign with detailed information about the group executions of Vakil Abad Prison said that the death row convicts are held inside Ward 6 of the prison which is under the oversight of the prison’s Intelligence Unit. Each month there are two sets of executions and in each set between 30 to 40 individuals are hung at once. “For example, between September 2009 and May 2010, almost 150 people were executed, but there was only one public announcement about the executions of five people on 3 April 2010. But on that date 35 people were executed, eight of whom were women,” said the source.
Other information received by the Campaign indicates that the frequency of mass executions has increased from twice per month to four during the recent month. Sources say total number of people executed is between 60 and 70. “There are hundreds of people on the death row inside Mashad’s Vakil Abad Prison,” another source said.
According to the said source, on the days when group executions are to take place, Vakil Abad Prison’s telephone lines are cut off. Ward 6/1 does not have public telephones and prisoners are only allowed short telephone calls once or twice per week.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expresses its deep concern about the ambiguous conditions and statistics of executions offered by various sources and their discrepancies with the numbers announced by officials. The Campaign demands accountability and clear information about the group executions inside Vakil Abad Prison and other prisons in the country. (International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran)

Two abducted Kurd citizens announce their arrest by security forces after 20 days 
Aug. 24, 2010
Dalir Rouzgerd from Saqez who is a geology graduate from Tabriz University and Ghias Naderzadeh from Paveh who is a Tabriz University graduate were arrested by intelligence agents in Kurdistan.
According to reports, 20 days after their disappearance, a recent phone call indicated that they were detained. Afterwards, security forces went to the home of Dalir Rouzgerd and confiscated some of his books and personal belongings.
Notably, these two men were the founders of the Zagros Center in Tabriz University.
There are no reports on their charges and condition and security forces refuse to give information on their condition.

Iran kills prisoner in Orumieh prison; grieving mother self immolates outside of prison 
Aug. 24, 2010
On Sunday August 22, an ordinary prisoner in the Central Orumieh Prison was killed under torture in a solitary cell.
According to reports, Bahman Massoudi died after a prison guard identified as Khanzadeh struck him on the head with a baton.
After his family heard of his death, the mother of this prison doused herself in gas and set herself on fire yesterday outside the main door of this prison.
There is no information on how severely she was injured or her health.

Zanjan University dean sacked by Ahmadinejad ally
24 August 2010 
 The mullahs’ Minister of Science has dismissed a prominent university professor who chaired the Post-doctorate Physical Sciences University in the city of Zanjan.
Professor Yousef Sobouti was the founder of the current educational accreditation system in Iran and the architect of a famous observatory in the city of Shiraz. The Abu Reyhan Birouni Observatory, which was built in 1978, is the largest active observatory in Iran.
In the past 19 years, Dr. Sobouti has prevented his university from becoming a haven of the Iranian regime’s paramilitary Bassij Force and the intelligence service.
He was dismissed by Kamran Daneshjou, the Iranian regime’s Minister of Science. Daneshjou was the head of Ahmadinejad’s campaign office during the June 2009 sham presidential elections. He famously announced Ahmadinejad’s victory in televised remarks before the votes were counted.
Some media outlets in Iran have repeatedly questioned Daneshjou’s credentials saying that Ahmadinejad appointed him as Minister of Science as a reward for his services during the presidential campaign.
Daneshjou appointed Rasoul Khodabakhsh as the new dean of the Zanjan university, asking him to endeavour to educate “law-abiding students using an outlook respecting values and spirituality.”
According to the state-run Fars news agency on Monday, during Professor Sobouti’s farewell ceremony last night, students demanded that he be allowed to return to the post.
Picture: Professor Yousef Sobouti

Political activist on hunger striker put on trial
24 August 2010 
 The Iranian regime on Sunday tried a political prisoner on the fortieth day of his hunger strike, according to Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran.
Political prisoner Houshang Davoudi was summoned to a court chaired by Salavati.
Mr. Davoudi reportedly had trouble walking on his own but had very high morale and condemned the regime’s rights violations and injustices, saying that Iran is a country that has no laws or proper due process.
Mr. Davoudi’s family had no prior knowledge of the trial. The regime sought to exploit the deteriorating health of Mr. Davoudi on his fortieth day of hunger strike to put him on trial.
Picture: Iranian regime's notorious judge Salavati

Two political prisoners banned from calling family in Evin Prison
Aug. 24, 2010
Political prisoners Hengameh Shahidi and Hossein Marashi have been banned from using the telephone in prison.
According to reports, Hossein Marashi has only received one prison leave since March even as according to the law, a prisoner who is serving his/her time can go on a leave five days a months after serving one month of prison and has to be able to see his family in person once a week for at least 20 minutes.
This former Vice President only has visits from behind a glass partition which barely last 15 minutes and is banned from using the telephone to call his family.
According to other reports, Hengameh Shahidi has been banned from using the telephone from 11 days ago.
This jailed journalist was arrested after election events and sentenced to six years and three moths of prison. Political prisoners in cellblock 350 are also still barred from using the telephone.

Brother of slain student says he did not commit suicide 
Aug. 24, 2010
The brother of Mohamamd-Javad Porandakh broke his silence after one year on the eve of the anniversary of his brother’s death and announced that Mohammad-Javad did not commit suicide and that his family suit against agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and the judge presiding over his case has so far been without result.
Mohammad-Javad Porandakh was a chemical engineering student at the Isfahan Industrial University who was summoned to the Isfahan Intelligence Agency after students in this university protested election results. His body was found two days after he went to the Intelligence Agency.

Iran arrests two student activists
Aug. 23, 2010
Hassan Asadi Zeid Abadi and Ali Jamali, two members of the Central Council of the Office for Consolidating Unity were arrested on August 22 in Tehran.
Security forces arrested Zeid Abadi, the head of the Human Rights Committee in this organization in his home and Ali Jamali, the head of the Political Committee was arrested in his place of work.
Currently a number of the top members of this organization including Ahmad Zied Abadi (Secretary General), Abdollah Momeni (spokesman), and Ali Malihi (head of Public Relations) are in prison.
Hassan Asadi Zeid Abadi was arrested before this on November 3, 2009 and released about 40 days later on December 13.
He was trialed on August 3 in the 28th branch of the Tehran Revolutionary Court by Judge Moqiseh on charges of ‘assembling and conspiring against national security, propagating against the government, disrupting public order and insulting the president’. This court has yet to issue a verdict.

Iran arrests another Christian in Rasht
Aug. 21, 2010
Hamed Pishkar, a Christian living in the town of Rasht, was arrested on August 16 n his home for holding a session to answer questions (on Christianity) and carrying out religious rites.
Security forces initially conducted a search in his home and then took this Christian citizen to an unknown location.
In the past few months, there has been increased pressure on Christians in Rasht. Davoud Nejat Sabet and Shahin Taqi Zadeh who were both caretakers of the Church of Iran in Rasht were sentenced to one year of suspended sentence which can be carried out within five years.
Yusef Nodrkhani, another Christian has been jailed in the Lakan Prison in Rasht since last September waiting for his sentence to be issued.

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UPDATE ON IRAN - Aug. 24, 2010

The Beginning of the End of the Clerical Rule in Iran

No.690

Sanctions & Downfall

Fuel Shortage and long waiting cues to get fuel and gas in Gorgan
August 23, 2010
In Gorgan (the northern city of Iran), people suffer from shortage of fuel, queue to get fuel and gas, expensive goods and economical problems. One of Gorgan residents says: “my car uses two kinds of fuel but the queue are more than 2 kilometers and gasoline is not enough. I am more than evolved with my living problems like paying the bills and loans, which I don’t feel that how days are passing. This is only my situation who I have about 300$ income by working hard in a private company.

Iran: Senior parliamentary deputy admits diminishing influence of Khamenei in regime
23 August 2010 
A ranking member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament) confirmed on Sunday that the mullahs’ Supreme Leader has been discredited among the various factions, adding that some are refusing to comply with his views.
According to the state-run Fars news agency, Mohammad Dehqan, a member of the presiding board of Majlis, said there are some who want to remain in the establishment yet refuse to follow the orders of the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and thus are harming the entire system.
The deliberate refusal on the part of officials to align themselves with the views of the mullahs’ Supreme Leader means that they have rejected the entire establishment, Dehqan said, adding, “These kinds of people are occupying their positions illegitimately and their salaries are not permitted in accordance with Sharia.”
Dehqan added, “Currently, the fundamentalist faction must first and foremost think of unity among officials, the three branches of government and the people. Those who disregard the need for unity would be dealing irreparable blows to the country.”
Suppression

Lockup plot for youth’s cars, rising up repression under Ramdan’s name
23 August 2010 
The Mullahs regime in order to increase the repression have setup of control points in squares and central shopping areas and they stop the youth’s cars and after getting the cars papers and documents, they transfer the cars to Police parking and they take the drivers to police stations.
Some of the reasons for arresting them are model of the hair, radio voice, ladies veil, eating or drinking.
Some of these investigation stations can be seen in west of Tehran in Ponak square and Sattarkhan.
This plot has increased more hate from the people toward the regime.
  
Mullah’s regime confessions about the dreadful situation of Khamenei’s prisons
23 August 2010 
Mehr news agency one of Mullah’s agencies declared: 20% of the country’s prisons suffer from different diseases.
Farnia added: The total annual budget of this department is 140000$, for food and clothing of the prisoners is less than 1$ per day and the health care of each prisoner is 0.24 $ per day.

Political prisoner on 39th day of hunger strike in critical condition and denied treatment
Aug. 22, 2010
According to reports, political prisoner Arjang Davoudi is on his 39th day of hunger strike and in critical health. He is in danger of death.
He is suffering from low blood pressure, and general weakness. He is almost unable to move and does his personal tasks with the help of other prisoners and he cannot stand and his vision has been impaired to a very high degree. He has also lost more than 15 kilograms and is also suffering from headaches and dizzy spells.
Davoudi has been deprived of treatment and has not been taken to the infirmary for close to 3 weeks.
All the evidence shows that interrogators of the Intelligence Agency and the heads of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj intend to physically eliminate this political prisoner. Decisions about political prisoners are made by Khamenei and announced to the Intelligence Agency via his office. Intelligence agents then give the orders to the heads of prison to carry out the inhumane measures against prisoners.
Political prisoner Arjang Davoudi, who is currently jailed in cellblock 3 known as the Worker’s Cell, went on a hunger strike on July 14 in protest to prison conditions and inhumane limitations. Davoudi has demanded his minimum rights like ending the visitation and telephone ban to his family, medical treatment for his physical condition, and ending the (illegal) seizure of his home which has made his family homeless. He has also demanded that his complaint against the head of Gohardasht Prison, Ali Haj Kazem, be dealt with.

Iran arrests several people for advertising banned satellite channels
Aug. 21, 2010
Security forces arrested a number of people working for satellite channels after getting reports that they were using a secluded pedestrian bridge near Tajrish to carry out advertising activities for this network.
These people, who were carrying placards with foolish love words in English and Farsi, were trying to film the scene from different perspectives and intended to sendp the clips to networks outside of the country. (Fars state-run News Agency) 

Christians under pressure in Tabriz
Aug. 21, 2010
Security and intelligence forces in the Eastern Azarbaijan province threaten Christians in this province by prosecution, summoning and interrogation. According to reports, in one of the last measure by security forces on Wednesday July 28, four agents of the Intelligence Agency went to the home of converted Christian Jamal Zarin Kamari, after showing a search warrant from the Ministry.
These agents confiscated his personal belongings while Zarin Karimi and his wife were out of the house. On their way out of the house with the confiscated belongings, they gave a summons without a stamp and signature issued by the Tabriz Intelligence Agency to Jamal and told him he had to go the address on the summons on August 1.
Before this, two newly converted Christians in Tabriz were accused of participating in Christian ceremonies in home churches, teaching Christian sacraments to Muslims who have converted to Christianity, attempting to baptize converted Christians and establishing and cooperation in the establishment of home churches. Initially a 200 million toman bail was set for the release of these Azeri Christians by the Tabriz Islamic Revolutionary Court but since they could not afford such a bail, they were temporarily released after the bail was lowered by the Revolutionary Court.


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UPDATE ON IRAN - Aug. 22, 2010

The Beginning of the End of the Clerical Rule in Iran

No.689

Suppression

Political prisoner details abhorrent condition of Rajayi Shahr Prison
Aug. 20, 2010
Letter of PMOI political prisoner Saleh Kohandel from Rajayi Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison: Today, 250 people have to sleep in 100 cubic meters of space and hundreds of prisoners are forced to sleep compressed next to each other on their sides and sometimes even sleep on top of each other.
About 40 to 50 people are brought to this prison every day. The new arrivals are left in prison without the minimum necessary items and it only takes a few minutes for them to realize that in order to escape the beatings and abuse, they have to become blind, deaf and mute and to give in to the hell like conditions of prison.
If they have someone on the outside to at least transfer 250,000 tomans a week to their account, they will be able to buy narcotics or have a place to sleep but otherwise, they have to give in to the derogatory conditions and it does not take long for them to either commit suicide or cut their wrists as a result of the pressure. Or they go mad and sit around in the prison yard completely nude. Every once in a while a young handsome new arrival is hunted down by other prisoners and is group raped on the first or second night. Afterwards he pounds himself to the walls in a crazed fashion. You barely find anyone who is safe from the lice and groups of people can be seen sitting under the sun in the yard looking for lice in their underwear…
Only one overflowing bathroom exists for hundreds of people…
There are old men who stink of urine and excrement from meters away and mentally ill young men who urinate on each other at night or go to the bathroom anywhere they want, whether it is in their own pants, the area where they sleep, or the praying hall.
This place is filled with young and old men who have lost hope in everything and it is as if they have surrendered to death and there is no one to save them from torments of life…
I have nothing to say to the regime and its mercenaries whose sole responsibility is to be at animosity with the people of Iran and other countries, but I have a few words with human rights organizations.
The world that you human rights activists see is completely different from the world of Rajayi Shahr Prison. You talk of human rights, but here prisoners are even deprived of animal rights. You talk about sanitary facilities but the word ‘sanitation’ is like a dream for a prisoner and is so unheard of that prisoners easily transmit the most dangerous diseases to each other. You talk of the lack of fruits and vegetables in prisoners’ diets while prisoners here have to look in the trash for a piece of bread…
Your idea of the real pain of prison is much smaller than what I see in prison and if someone has experienced Rajayi Shahr Prison, they would protest and ask me why I was not able to convey the condition of this prison in these few sentences. I ask their forgiveness beforehand because they are right.

Iran cuts tongue of Kurd political prisoner
Aug. 20, 2010
Evin Prison interrogators cut the tongue of Kurd political prisoner Matin Arjan who is from the town of Batman in Turkey’s Kurdistan and he is in danger of death in prison. Arjan suffered two brain strokes in the past year in prison and is now paralyzed in both legs. Zaki Arjan, his brother, confirmed this report and said that he has gone to Iran four times to visit his brother.
“Matin is continuously tortured and is kept in solitary most of the time. They have cut his tongue and he has not received treatment and is close to death”, his brother said.
“They asked for 20,000 Euros for my brother’s release but they not only did not release him, they threatened that if I don’t leave Iran, I will be killed”.

Man sentenced to death on fabricated charges of murder of security forces
Aug. 19, 2010
According to reports, Amir-Abbas Tavakoli Berazjani was sentenced to death by the 71st branch of the Tehran Penal Court on false charges including murdering security forces.
On Tuesday August 17, Berazjani was taken to the Tehran Penal Court without prior notice and was trialed by Norollah Aziz Mohammadi. This prisoner is detained in cellblock 6 in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj.
He was accused of complicity in the death of a security agent, 5 counts of armed and unarmed robbery, the possession of and carrying arms and ammunition, addiction and beating security forces…
The Judge did not allow him to defend himself in court…
Judge Aziz Mohammadi charged Berazjani with addiction even as this prisoner does not even smoke cigarettes…
On the same day after the trial, state-run media published false reports on Tavakoli’s trial and announced that he was sentenced to retribution (death) because of intentional murder, 10 years of prison on charges of armed robbery, and 74 lashes.
Before this, Tavakoli defended jailed teacher Rasoul Bodaqi in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj after he was attacked by security forces and was summoned to the office of the head of the prison intelligence department where he was abused and threatened.
Three agents of the intelligence agency went to the home of Soudabeh Shahpour, his mother, and after threatening her told her that she is not to mention in court that she was shot in the neck by security forces else she will be charged with apostasy on charges of becoming a Christian and will be executed. She was also threatened that they would harm her other children and nephew.
Notably on July 17, 2008, Tehran's security and intelligence agents raided the apartment of the Tavakoli Berazjani family arresting all the members of this family present at the time. Agents shot Soudabeh Shahpour, the 50 year old mother of the family in the neck. Abbas Tavakoli and his brother Hossein Tavakoli Berazjani were beaten and tortured in front of their other family members in their home for several hours.
All the arrestees were taken to this city's criminal intelligence department. Some of the people arrested were, Tan-naz Abolhusseini Ahmadi (16 year old female), Khosro Qaedi (17 years old), Mahnaba Tavakoli Berazjani (26 year old female), Fatemeh Farahani (female), Soudabeh Shahpour (50 year old female), Abbas Tavakoli Berazjani (38 years old), Hussein Tavakoli Berazjani (33 years old), and Mohsen.
The tortures inflicted on this family were as follows:
The skin of the sensitive parts of the prisoner's body were pressed with pliers which sometimes led to wounds and injuries
Toe nails were pressed with pliers
Beatings with clubs and other objects for a prolonged amount of time
Tying the hands and feet of the prisoner from the back and keeping him this position for a long time
Hanging the prisoner from the ceiling until the prisoner passed out
Depriving the prisoner of drinking water in the hot summer temperatures
The prisoner was only allowed to use the restroom twice in 24 hours
The judge handling their case threatened the female detainees with rape
Pulling a bag over the head of the prisoner while he was being tortured
Jumping on the hands and feet of the prisoner while handcuffed
The prisoners witnessed the torture of his/her family members or heard their cries while they were being tortured
Hussein Tavakoli Berazjani whose whole body was black and bruised from the torture, died in this detention center.

Political prisoner under torture for more than 90 days
Aug. 20, 2010
According to reports, political prisoner Reza Sharifi Bukani has been under physical, sexual and mental torture for close to 82 days to give a confession on television.
This 29 year old prisoner who has a degree in the French language was arrested on May 10 in Tehran by agents of the Intelligence Department of the Revolutionary Guards Forces. He was jailed in solitary in the 2A cellblock. Sharifi was physically and mentally tortured in solitary for 22 days. One of the tortures was being placed in a solitary cell for 22 days which was pitch-black both night and day. He was also tortured with electric shocks.
After 22 days, he was taken to a solitary cell in cellblock 209 in Evin Prison and was tortured there by intelligence agents for another 70 days.
Intelligence agents of the RGC tried to force him to ‘confess’ on television to later use against him in court by physically, sexually and mentally torturing him.
Sharifi did not have any visits or any contacts with his family while in solitary in cellblock 2A or 209. His family was not aware of his condition in this time.
Reza Sharifi was a member of the RGC Intelligence Agency who was arrested on charges of having email communications with a Kurd party. He has been charged with espionage and cooperation with political parties.
Sharifi has been transferred to Gohardasht (Rajayi Shahr) Prison and is kept under medieval conditions.

Jailed kickboxing instructor becomes paralyzed in prison as result of torture
Aug. 18, 2010
Hossein Armin, a kickboxing instructor was arrested after police filed a criminal record for him and was tortured to accept the charges. As a result of the torture, his spinal cord was damaged and he has become paralyzed.
According to reports, he was falsely charged with murder but with time it was determined that the charges were made because the police were not able to arrest the real culprits and because of public dissatisfaction.


Iran: Rise in the abduction of ‘street children’
19 August 2010
According to a report from Iran Press News, with the economic pressures on a daily rise as a result of the Iranian regime’s plunder and looting, the number of ‘working children’ in the streets is on the rise and families are forced to send their children to the streets for work to provide their daily necessities. This has caused crimes against children to rise, and by luring children are forced into vehicles and kidnapped.
Such crimes have risen to the point that state run news agencies are forced to broadcast several reports on it. In one case, Jahan News wrote: Ali, a small child who is seen throughout all hours of the day with his clear plastic bags of pealed nuts in the Tehran Pars intersection, told the Jahan News reporter: “Last night at around 9:30 pm, while my mother was waiting for us on the other side of the street, a big black truck stopped in front of us and pulled my sister in. I screamed so much that the man had to let my sister go!”

Iran: Suppressive forces attack and arrest youth in Tehran on bogus charges
20 August 2010 
The Iranian regime’s State Security Forces (SSF) attacked youths and passersby in Tehran’s Narmak and Tehran Pars districts, according to reports on Monday, arresting more than 50 people under the pretexts of “mal-veiling” and as “hooligans and thugs.”
SSF forces went on alert on Monday afternoon in Narmak, Haft Hoz, and Javadieh streets in Tehran Pars, patrolling the areas and arresting and beating passersby. Youths, however, resisted the violent attack and clashes ensued. SSF forces fired tear gas to combat the protests.
In Haft Hoz Street, a number of young girls were arrested for “mal-veiling.” Motorcycle riders were also attacked and a number of them were arrested and later transferred to the police station in Haft Hoz.
On Sunday, there were reports of several hours of clashes between people and the regime’s suppressive forces, with gun shots being heard, in the southern Tehran district of Ghiasi.
A number of pictures have in recent days been published on the Internet showing the suppressive agents’ attacks against youths in Iran

78 workers of a company fired in one month
19 August 2010
78 workers from the Yassan Company have been fired from work. The Yassan Company is the manufacturer of various lifting cranes located on Arak Road, south of Tehran,  Hambastegi Meli website reported.
At the beginning of the month, these workers with different ranks in the factory were fired by the management and 200 other workers of this factory are also facing the possibility of being fired.


Students Committee in Iran (Supporters of PMOI)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iran-Students-Committee/222864894745?ref=ts
Iranstudentscommittee.blospot.com
Facebook Profile: Sarzamin Pak

UPDATE ON IRAN - Aug. 20, 2010

 Five Kurd citizens arrested in Marivan
Aug. 18, 2010
In early morning on August 14, five Kurd citizens from the ‘Ney’ Village in Marivan were arrested by security forces and taken to the Marivan Intelligence Agency.
According to reports, these five men were identified as Bahman Fatahzadeh, 35, Bariar Kaveh, 17, Borhan Derakhshani, 18, Borhan Khosravi, 17 and 33 year old Ekhtiar Kaveh. There are no reports on why they were arrested.


Iran sentences free press activist to two years of prison
Aug. 19, 2010
Mohammad Javad Mozafar, the assistant head of the Association in Defense of Prisoner’s rights, a member of the Central Council of the Association in Defense of Free Press and head of the Kavir Publications was sentenced to two years of prison in the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court headed by Judge Salavati.
According to news sources, this writer and cultural activist was arrested after Ashura events and was jailed in a solitary cell in cellblock 240 in Evin Prison for two months.

New limitations for political prisoners’ family visits in Ramadan
Aug. 18, 2010
The time that prisoners all allowed visits by their families has been reduced in the months of Ramadan in Evin Prison. This is yet another limitation which political prisoners have been subjected to in the recent months.
It has been some time that political prisoners have been barred from seeing their families in person without an order from the Tehran Prosecutor or a written letter. Also, only one member of their family can visit them. On the side of all these limitations, the time reduction for visiting hours in the month of Ramadan is another obstacle for political prisoners’ visitation rights.
In other months of the year, families of political prisoners can go to prison from 9 am to 4 pm to visit their loved ones for 20 minutes. In the month of Ramadan, the visitation hall closes at 12:30pm and many families did not have enough time to visit their loved ones. Because of the new time reductions, visits have also been shortened. Notably, some of the families of political prisoners come from cities around Tehran to visit their loved ones in Evin Prison.

Student activist sentenced to 3 years of prison and barred from education for protesting
Aug. 19, 2010
Hamed Omidi was sentenced to three years of prison based on article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code.
According to reports from Omidi’s lawyer, this student activist was sentenced to three years of prison on charges of assembling and conspiring against national security. Omidi has been detained for more than 6 months. He was arrested because of a film showing him in a protest gathering of Kurd students in Tehran’s universities and Judge Moqiseh sentenced him to the maximum punishment saying that he was in the front line of the protest and was carrying a picture (of Kurd political prisoner Ehsan Fatahian). In addition to his three year prison sentence he was also sentenced to being expelled from university and a ban on continuing his education in any university or academic level.
This student who is from the town of Tukab is a educational technology at Alameh University in Tehran who was arrested on February 10, 2010 after protesting the execution of Kurd political prisoner Ehsan Fatahian and has been jailed in Evin Prison’s cellblock 209 ever since.

Female political activist in danger of receiving death sentence
Aug. 18, 2010
According to reports, Salavati, the head of the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court intends to issue a death sentence or life in prison sentence for Zahra Bahrami who has a dual Dutch Iranian nationality. She was arrested in the Ashura protests (Dec. 27, 2009).
On Monday August 17, Bahrami, 45, who has been kept in an undetermined state in the notorious cellblock 209 in Evin Prison for more than 8 months, was taken to the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court headed by Salavati.
“You will be either given the death sentence or life in prison”, the judge told her.
Bahrami refused to defend herself because she did not have a lawyer and announced that she would only defend herself in the presence of a lawyer. After her protest, Salavati suspended the court session for another 10 days. Bahrami is still denied the right to a lawyer.
She has been charged with waging war with God, propagating against the government, being an active member of a monarchist association and forming an anti-government grouplet. Bahrami has denied all the charges and said that they were all extracted from confessions that she was forced into under physical and mental torture.
This 45 year old political prisoner is a mother of two and has a dual Dutch-Iranian nationality. She came to Iran to see her child and was arrested in the Ashura protests. She was then mentally and physically tortured while detained. Intelligence interrogators in the Sepah Cellblock in Gohardasht Prison and in cellblock 209 in Evin Prison have put her under severe pressure and torture and forced her into giving televised confessions against herself which was broadcasted from state-run TV. These interrogators have used these confessions against her in court .

Academic activist sentenced to 6 years of prison
Aug. 18, 2010
Rasoul Bodaghi who has been charged with participating in gatherings with the intention of disrupting national security and propagating against the government was sentenced to 6 years of prison and a 5 year ban on party activism.
This member of the Managing Board of the Iran Teacher Association who is also a member of the Solitary Council for Democracy and Human Rights in Iran was trialed in the 15th branch of the Revolutionary Court headed by Salavati.
He is also one of the former heads of the Human Rights Activists in Iran and is currently jailed in cellblock 6 in Rajayi Shahr (Gohardasht) Prison in Karaj.