Iranian Alert -- August 3, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"

The US media still largley ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” Most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

Support the Movement in the counter suit against Kerry's main fundraiser

SMCCDI (Urgent Action)
Aug 3, 2004

" To sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men. The human race has climbed on protest. Had no voice been raised against injustice, ignorance and lust, the inquisition yet would serve the law, and guillotines decide our least disputes. The few who dare, must speak and speak again, to right the wrongs of many..." - ( Ella Wheeler Wilcox )

Dear Principled Americans, Dear Freedom loving Iranians,

Finally, the legal venue of the "Nemazee Vs. SMCCDI and Aryo B. Pirouznia" cases have been transferred from Harris County Houston/TX) to Dallas County (Dallas/TX). These two transfers were made based on the legal ground advanced by "Payma & Kuhnel Law Firm" which represents along with "Brady & Cole Law Firm" the SMCCDI and its Coordinator in this affair.

A case number was attributed, by the Dallas District Court, and a counter suit introduced immediately, on August 2, 2004. Legal proceedings can now start in what is believed, by many, to be a case which will shed light on many controversies and which might touch some aspects of the Kerry campaign in reference to the upcoming US Presidential elections and promises made to the Mullahs in Iran.

More than ever, your help is needed in these very critical and decisive times when Iranians are subjected to repression and America's sons and daughters are leading a common war against tyranny and terror!!!

As a reminder, Mr. Nemazee, who's of Iranian origin himself, is Senator John Kerry's main fundraiser and a notorious advocate for legitimizing the Islamic Republic which is well known as being a tyrannical and terrorist regime. He has sued the Movement and its coordinator, for 10 Million Dollars, in what is believed to be an attempt to muffle or force SMCCDI to cease its operations. The Movement and its members have consistently exposed and denounced Nemazee and his colleagues' misdeeds and tricks while shedding light on their activities and hidden goals. It's to note that in addition to many evidences, the freedom slowing role of Nemazee and some of his colleagues, such as, Akbar Ghahary and Soosan Akbarpoor, who are also part of the highest level of the Kerry Campaign, has been praised by some of the Islamic governmentally linked newspapers, such as Etemaad daily, which are praising the gang for having been able to neutralize some of the opposition's activities in the US.

Indeed Nemazee's intentional acts and later his law suits, in addition to having bought more time for the Islamic regime, have caused, so far, many damages and harms to many Iranians, the Movement and some of its members. In addition to different psychological impacts, they have slowed the well known prompt activities of SMCCDI in exposing the Mullahcracy's crimes and demagogy. They have also taken many of the necessary and vital time needed for defending some of the NGO and media recognized Iranian students and secularist elements who are victims of the Islamic regime's repressive policies.

Should we let such misdeeds to go on and on???

NO, and It seems that it's by understanding the depth of the will of the Movement to fight and its coordinator's firmness in accepting the challenge, that Mr. Nemazee has tried, at several occasions in the last weeks, to back off from his initial hasty decision of suing with most likely the desperate hope of being able to close the Pandora box and avoiding an unprecedented domino effect. Indeed "some" rejected proposals were made, by different channels to SMCCDI and Aryo B. Pirouznia, most likely following the understating, by Mr. Nemazee, of some of the ramifications that his caught Poker Bluff and its subsequent noisy legal proceeding can have for Mr. Kerry's Campaign and especially for his own targeted future opportunities in case of his Protégé's win in the next US Presidential elections.

Should we let such misdeeds to go on and on???

It's in reaction to such misdeeds and illegitimate goals that SMCCDI and its Coordinator have chosen to fight and are needing all kind of support especially any financial donations helping the legal process to go on and the justice to prevail !

In that line, the IOLTA account (Trust Fund) of "Payma & Kuhnel Law Firm" is ready to receive the principled people of good will and freedom lovers' financial donations of any amount, in order to allocate them for the costly defense of SMCCDI and Aryo B. Pirouznia against Hassan Nemazee and the counter suit made yesterday by the defendants. This IOLTA account's references for any wire or deposit are as follow: "Wells Fargo Bank of Texas, Routing #111900659, Account #1376125793, for SMCCDI & Aryo B. Pirouznia Defense Case." It's to note that these non tax deductible donations, made to the Lawyer's IOLTA account, have the benefit of keeping legally anonymous the names of the contributors and are not subjected to any deposit limitation.

Also, you can make direct credit or debit/check card financial contributions to the Movement via the well trusted "Paypal Banking System" which is used by many famous NGOs or organizations, such as, Ronald McDonald. SMCCDI-Daneshjoo is subscribed to Paypal and its account can be reached via the Movement's website by clicking on the Paypal logo or by clicking directly on the following link: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=smccdi%40daneshjoo.org&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_code=USD (NOTE: I) If you do not have a Paypal account: A) On first page: 1) Enter your donation's amount, 2) Choose the option "If you do not currently have a PayPal account", B) On second page: 1) Select the "No shipping required", 2) Write your billing address; C) On third page: Fill all the sections related to your credit or debit/check card information, email, billing address, phone and do not forget to fill the security measure code unique to each donation D) Continue check out on fourth page); II) If you do have a Paypal account: Process as for your other usual donations or shoppings)

Any help in that sense is a contribution to the case of Iran's Freedom and the War Against Tyranny and Terror !!!

Help us for the creation of a better Iran and a safer World for all! Help yourself and the future of your children!

(For a better understanding of this case, you can check, from August 10th, www.RegimeInfluence.com (a very informative website under construction) or read the SMCCDI (Public Announcement) of April 29, 2004, entitled "Kerry's main Iranian fund raiser sues the Movement". This detailed document, including many arguments and media reports, is located at:
http://www.daneshjoo.org/article/publish/article_3162.shtml )

For more information, you can contact Michael Payma (214) 999-0000, Bob Jenevin (214) 744-2780 or Aryo B. Pirouznia (214) 906-8181.

The "Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran" (SMCCDI)

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_7408.shtml

Iran: U.S. Vows Tough Stance On Tehran, But Will Europe Follow?

By Jeffrey Donovan

The Bush administration is warning that Iran will come under increasing pressure and be internationally isolated if it refuses to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its nuclear program. U.S. President George W. Bush says he hopes to get the support of France, Britain, and Germany for a tough stance on Iran. But analysts say the European trio, wary of confrontation, might not be prepared to end their bid to engage Iran on programs Washington says are meant to build nuclear weapons.

Prague, 3 August 2004 (RFE/RL) -- In perhaps the strongest signal yet of Washington's emerging policy on Iran, Bush administration officials say Tehran must be "confronted" and "isolated" over its nuclear activities -- and not "engaged."

Bush and White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice made it clear on 2 August that Washington intends to intensify international pressure on Tehran for failing to cooperate fully with the IAEA -- the nuclear watchdog agency of the United Nations.

But whether European nations engaged in negotiations with Iran are prepared to go along with that hard line remains unclear, even after Tehran announced this week it would not honor a pledge it made with them to suspend some nuclear-related activities."The only thing the Americans are putting on the table are further pressure, isolation, and sanctions." -- Steven Everts, London's European Center for Reform

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Bush said the United States and the European Union's "big three" members are working together to ensure there is, quote, "full disclosure, full transparency of [Iran's] nuclear weapons programs."

"We are paying very close attention to Iran, and we have [been paying attention] ever since I've been in office here," Bush said. "We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the mullahs to listen to the demands of the free world."

Later, in an interview on Fox television network, Rice intensified the U.S. rhetoric, saying the regime in Iran "has to be isolated in its bad behavior, not 'engaged.'"

She added that Washington is working with the Europeans on what she called "a very tough set of resolutions" demanding Iranian compliance on the nuclear issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell recently warned Iran that its case is likely to be referred to the UN Security Council for failing to meet IAEA commitments. A Security Council resolution could lead to sanctions on Iran.

But asked whether France would go along with U.S. plans to increase pressure on Iran, Rice said Washington will "just have to keep working with the French and the British and the Germans to make certain" that they follow the American position.

Whether they will is far from clear.

Analyst Steven Everts of London's European Center for Reform says there is growing frustration in Europe over Iran's failure to live up to vows that it has made on its nuclear activities. But Everts says Europe is unlikely to accept purely negative sanctions against Iran, noting that decades of similar sanctions have sparked n-o change in countries like Cuba.

"The only thing the Americans are putting on the table are further pressure, isolation, and sanctions -- and possibly more down the road," Everts said. "Europeans say Iran's a complex place; different people want different things. It should be possible to construct some form of positive incentives as well, whereby you say to the Iranians: 'If you accept denuclearization and the verification of denuclearization, here's what you can get in return, also from the United States.'"

A study released in July by the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York policy institute, also urged the United States to offer more incentives and fewer punishments as it seeks to effect change in Iran.

But the tough talk from Washington on 2 August appeared to reject the recommendations of that study, which also called for more engagement with Iran.

The Bush administration's warnings came after Iran announced that it had resumed building nuclear centrifuges, which the United States says are intended to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told a news conference in Tehran on 31 July that Iran would respect a pledge -- made in October to Britain, France, and Germany -- to suspend all uranium-enrichment-related activities.

But he added that a separate deal on halting centrifuge-building would not be respected: "[Based on our agreements in October], we have accepted [suspending] uranium enrichment and we are continuing that uranium-enrichment suspension based on our definition -- meaning that we have not restarted enrichment. But we are not committed to our agreement in Brussels in February on halting building centrifuge parts, because the three big European countries have failed to meet their commitments toward us. We said we could resume making centrifuges. As previously announced, we have started building centrifuge parts at our factory after we took the decision."

Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, under which signatory countries vow to refrain from acquiring atomic weapons and can be punished by Security Council action for violations.

The oil-rich Persian Gulf state denies any interest in nuclear weapons, saying it needs enriched uranium for nuclear power stations to meet increasing domestic demand for electricity.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/08/e68f85f7-60f4-45eb-8457-6dbf762bb5d8.html

Newspaper Editor Freed on Bail

August 03, 2004
Reporters Without Borders
RSF

Iraj Jamshidi, the editor in chief of the business daily Asia, was freed yesterday by the 36th division of the Tehran revolutionary court after his family paid bail of 450 millions tomans (about 440,000 euros). He had been detained for nearly 13 months.

Jamshidi and his wife, Saghi Baghernia, the newspaper's managing editor, were arrested on a charge of "propaganda against the regime" on 6 July 2003, a day after they ran a photo of People's Mujahideen leader Maryam Rajavi. The newspaper was immediately closed down at the behest of Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi and the homes and offices of its journalists were searched.

Baghernia was freed after being held overnight but Jamshidi was kept in solitary confinement in an unidentified location for 200 days, and was barred from receiving visits from his family or lawyers for many months.

When his trial opened on 6 February, his lawyer was not present and was not given a copy of the prosecutor's allegations until the following day. Jamshidi was accused of "acting against national security" and "spying by passing information to western secret services through foreign media." When the trial ended on 14 July, no verdict was made public.

Jamshidi's name also appears on a black-list of journalists meant to be barred from working that was compiled by the Tehran prosecutor.

28.06.2004

European Union challenged about the Middle East's biggest prison for journalists

Reporters Without Borders today addressed an open letter to the European Union asking about the EU delegation that was in Tehran on 14-15 June taking part in a dialogue about human rights with the Islamic Republic. The organisation criticised the continuing threats against members of the news media and the deterioration in the situation of imprisoned journalists.

"This dialogue, launched in 2001, has not yet led to any decrease in repression but it allows the Iranian regime to maintain 'good relations' with the European countries," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard pointed out in his letter.

"Reporters Without Borders would like to ask you in future to take account of the reports and recommendations provided by the independent and representative organisations of Iranian civil society," the letter said, urging the European Union to adopt a "firm position" with the Iranian authorities as regards putting a stop to the repression.

"We point out that 120 newspapers have been banned since 2001, more than 50 journalists have been detained and 11 are still in detention, making Iran the biggest prison for journalists in the Middle East," the letter continued. "One wonders what to make of the Iranian government's remark on 20 June that it is the European Union that should learn from Iran about human rights."

Eleven journalists are currently in prison :

Akbar Ganji, a journalist with Sobh-e Emrouz, held since 22 April 2000

Hassan Youssefi Echkevari of Iran-e Farda, held since 5 August 2000

Hossein Ghazian of Norooz, held since 31 October 2002

Abbas Abdi of Salam, held since 4 November 2002

Ali-Reza Jabari of Adineh, held since 17 March 2003

Siamak Pourzand, a contributor to several independent newspapers, held since 30 Mars 2003

Taghi Rahmani of Omid-e Zangan, held since 14 June 2003

Reza Alijani, the editor of Iran-e Farda and winner of the Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France prize, held since 14 June 2003

Hoda Saber, managing editor of Iran-e Farda, held since 14 June 2003

Iraj Jamshidi, editor of the business daily Asia, held since 6 July 2003

Ensafali Hedayat, a freelance journalist held since 16 January 2004.

On 20 June, the lawyers of Reza Alijani, Taghi Rahmani and Hoda Saber addressed an open letter to the head of the Iranian justice system, Ayatollah Shahroudi, protesting against the irregularity and illegality of their clients' arrests, trials and prison conditions. They described the mistreatment and torture undergone by the clients, reporting that, "They were interrogated, insulted and beaten for hours to make them 'confess' to the charges brought against them." The lawyers also said they never had access to their clients' files, they could not talk to their clients and they received no official notification of their clients' conviction.

Reporters Without Borders is also very concerned about the disappearance of journalist Iraj Jamshidi, who was imprisoned on 6 July 2003. There has been no word of him for some time. On the eve of the visit of UN special rapporteur Ambeyi Ligabo from 4 to 11 November 2003, Jamshidi was transferred from his solitary confinement cell in the basement of Evin prison to a communal cell but was subsequently moved back to the basement. He has received only one visit in almost a year, coinciding with the special rapporteur's visit, and he has still not been tried.

Journalists continue to be summoned and arrested despite the European delegation's visit to Tehran. Emadoldin Baghi, a journalist and rights activist, has been summoned to appear today before the Tehran revolutionary tribunal. Sentenced to three years in prison in October 2000, Baghi has been an active press freedom campaigner since his release last year and has created an organisation that defends prisoners of conscience. As he was given a one-year suspended sentenced on 4 December 2003, he is in danger of being re-imprisoned.

Iranian journalists in exile in Europe continue to be subject to pressure from the Iranian judicial authorities. Such is the case of Sina Motallebi, a journalist with the reformist daily Hayat-e Now and moderator of the website www.rooznegar.com, now in exile in the Netherlands. Motallebi was arrested and held in solitary confinement from 20 April to 12 May for allegedly "jeopardizing national security by means of an artistic activity."

The Iranian authorities have been embarrassed by the accounts of his personal experiences which Motallebi has given since leaving Iran. He has not hesitated to talk about his arbitrary arrest, the ban on his access to a lawyer, the confessions that were extorted from him, and the fact that he was held in secret for several weeks in Evin prison. Motallebi spoke at a press conference on 8 June at Reporters Without Borders headquarters in Paris. The account he gave of his imprisonment was reported by the print media and the Franco-German television station ARTE. His father was summoned by the judicial authorities in Tehran the next day. The authorities have said that if Motallebi does not turn up for his trial, set for 19 July, his father will be required to pay on-the-spot bail of 30 million tomans (about 30,000 euros at the official rate).

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10852

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