Posted on 07/29/2006 8:32:21 PM PDT by FARS
This afternoon Ahmad Batebi, was arrested in front of his home in Tehran by plain clothes secret service agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At 5 pm on Saturday evening, as Batebi and his wife Somaya, exited their apartment building they were accosted by several agents, forcing Batebi and Somaya back inside for interrogation and inspection of their home.
Somaya Batebi said that the agents spent 3 hours inspecting their apartment and finally gathered and confiscated Batebi’s personal property, including his computer, cellular phone, CD’s, several files and family photo albums.
In a phone call, Ahmad Batebi’s father expressed fear and concern for his son’s safety and wellbeing; Batebi’s father said that if his son’s situation is not clarified by tomorrow, Sunday, July 30th, he and other members of the Batebi will start a hunger strike.
Batebi’s father also stated that Ahmad himself had communicated that should he be illegally re-arrested, he would go on hunger strike during the initial hours of his detention.
It appears that after interrogation that Ahmad Batebi would have been transferred to detention center 209 of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Ahmad Batebi was orginally arrested in 1999 during the massive student uprising in Tehran. He was arrested because of the humiliation the regime felt after this young man's photo appears on the cover of the Economist and has become a symbol of the Iranian student movement.
This photo appeared all over the world but sadly the western media failed to condemn the Iranian government for arresting this young man. Dr. Iman Foroutan also confirmed the report of his rearrest.
We need to spread the word on this arrest so the Iranian government will know the world is watching his fate.
Alan's Comment: Ahmad Batebi, general figurehead for the generic student movements in Iran, was reportedly in hiding and in fear for his life - yet he has been openly earning his living by selling advertising for a local newspaper for quite some time and his recent arrest was outside his own apartment, where he has been living with his wife! Does not sound like a fugitive to me.
In fact, the immediate announcement of a hunger strike by him and his family - while quite possibly a defensive reaction - smacks too much of a repeat performance of imprisoned journalist Akbar Ganji.
Ganji, truth be told now wanders the Western world, gathering information at the highes levels and making statements to divide and splinter the anti-Islamic regime Opposition groups.
What has been forgotten by the western intelligence agencies is that Ganji was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and while posted in Turkey by the Mullahs, did untold harm to Iranian refugees fleeing their country. INCLUDING use of brutal torture in his interrogations!
Suddenly we have the makings of another clandestine "envoy" of the Mullahs, who will suffer - like Ganji - then be allowed to reach the Western world and be embraced by top level people, who currently willingly discuss secrets with "dissident" Ganji and will also do so with Batebi when he shows up.
Trojan horses did not go out of style in Hellenic times.
The Mullahs send them at us as often as they can sneak them in. Some get as far as Canada and get stuck. Others infiltrate into the hallowed halls of our CIA with a push and a shove from radical left wingers like Chomsky, who has "adopted" Ganji and promotes him.
Wake up people. "All is never what it seems" as CIA trainers repeatedly tell their students.
Yet we tend to ignore the warning flags with bleeding heart liberal carelessness of careerists, who have taken over so much of our critical international policy from skilled operatives with useful in the field experience and good instincts.
bttt
I guess they want the photo album so they can arrest, harass and torture friends and family.
Vote Democrat -- you can have the same stuff in America.
Wheres the ACLU and the New York Times when you need them.
Ping
A revolution would be more likely to get official attention.
Who runs the Iran ping? DrZinn or something like that...I haven't gotten a ping from him in a few days, which concerns me.
Can someone ping him to this, or find out if he's ok?
(( ping ))
This might be of general personal interest to you, Salem, but not to your ping list.
I'm not ready to jump on your bandwagon yet. I remember reading about 6 months ago that he got married, and I read earlier today that he'd been out of jail on bail.
DoctorZin posted a thread this afternoon, so I assume he's ok. He seems to be very busy though.
Iran students ping.
"I haven't gotten a ping from him in a few days, which concerns me."
I was thinking the same thing. I haven't had a ping since 7-8. He posted today though.
http://regimechangeiran.blogspot.com/
He is fine EXCEPT financially and trying to put time into his work, leaving him less than enough to post his articles. He has started again but unless he gets some help he may not be able to continue. If anyone can help donate, he has set up a credit card system after doing a survey. Look on his site http://www.regimechangeiran.com
He also had a painful slip and fall a couple of days ago and probably has a hairline crack in his leg. The main problem is cash flow, which he is struggling to overcome.
My instincts are pretty good about these things. Please note: "dissident" Akbar Ganji REFUSED to meet with anyone in the White House - including our President - during his visit to the USA. Sound like a dissident or Mullah supporter?
I'm not sure about Batebi being turned but his being "in hiding" living at his own apartment and working openly selling advertising does cast some doubt on how dilligently the Mullahs want to get him. Probably because they have turned him and have him on stand-by for when needed.
What say you?
Aahh, this was from a movie: The Recruit.
Thanks, for your insight. 8^/
I don't believe a word about any supposed revolution. The "they can't all be crazy" rule doesn't apply to Iran.
I've read about Ganji. I think he's a reformer, kind of along the same lines as Shirin Ebadi. I think there could be several reasons he didn't meet with Bush, some more innocent than others.
As for Batebi, I don't believe he's been "turned", but I'll be reading more reports and following this news. I read elsewhere that he was out on bail, not in hiding. So, I'm not sure exactly what his status was, are you? Where are you getting info from about his selling advertising? Do you have a link?
He's made bold and daring public statements in the past, so if he has been in hiding, I could see him saying screw it, he's fed up with hiding and they can come and arrest me if they want. That sounds like the Batebi I've read about.
Why would they be arresting him in the first place if he's already been 'turned'?
The more I think about it, it doesn't make any sense.
Like I said, I can't jump on your bandwagon this soon. I need more information before I turn against Batebi.
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