Free Republic

http://www.democracyforiran.de/Iran_Eng_HQ.html

http://www.pressreleases.be/script_UK/newsdetail.asp?nDays=d&ID=27152
Time: 21:36
Date: June 9,2005
Sender Name: PR Newswire


PR Newswire: Iranians Feel America's Presence in the Region Helps Their Chances at Freedom

WASHINGTON, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Historic Survey Finds Plurality of Iranians Uneasy if Regime Were to Develop
WMD's

A recent public opinion survey of Iranians, conducted by The Tarrance Group,
surprisingly found that a vast majority (74%) of Iranians feel America's
presence in the Middle East will increase the probability of democracy in their
own country. The survey, which was the first of its kind, found two-thirds of
Iranians believe that regime change in Iraq has been a positive for both
neighboring countries: with 66% believing that it served Iran's national
interests, while 65% believed the Iraqi people will, in the long-run, be better
off.

Commissioned by the Iran Institute for Democracy, the survey discovered that a
solid majority (65%) of Iranian adults consider fundamental change in Iran's
system of government, especially its Constitution, a must to bring freedom and
more opportunities to their homeland.

Validating reports of widespread discontent with the clerical regime,
three-fourths of Iranians (73%) support the call for a national referendum
through which Iranians are given a chance to choose the form of government of
their choice. Significantly, almost all Iranians reject their government's
attempts to keep exiled Iranians out of the political and economic equation of
Iran. Fully 84% of all Iranians say Iranians living abroad should have a role
in shaping the political and economic future of their homeland.

Presidential Election:

Regarding the forthcoming Presidential elections, in a troubling sign for the
regime, nearly four of every five Iranians (79%) say that the upcoming
elections should not be held unless they are free, fair and transparent.

While more than 70% of Iranians feel the world is closely monitoring the June
17 election process, in a telling sign, 57% of the population would be inclined
to support a boycott of the elections if conditions for a free, fair and
transparent election are not met.

Demonstrating disinterest in the pool of candidates, only 39% of adults were
able to choose a candidate representing their viewpoint, with Hashemi
Rafsanjani only leading (32%) among those who could identify with a candidate.
Hence, Mr. Rafsanjani only enjoys 13% support among all Iranians, including
those who could not identify an acceptable candidate. That said, when asked to
make a prediction, 42% of all surveyed predicted Rafsanjani would be declared
the winner of elections, indicating a perception of a predetermined conclusion.

Nuclear Issue:

On the nuclear issue, a solid majority of surveyed respondents inside Iran
(60%) feel that the international community's worry about the prospects of
terrorists obtaining weapons of mass destruction is real. Further, a plurality
(42%) says the Islamic Republic gaining access to nuclear weapons would add to
their anxiety, discomfort and inability to sleep comfortably at night, while
only 37% say it would not burden their peace of mind.

Methodology

Commissioned by the Iran Institute for Democracy, the survey was conducted
among N=758 adults age 16+ (voting age) in Iran, from May 26 through June 4,
2005. Sample design, questionnaire design, and data processing were conducted
by The Tarrance Group. Random digit dialing (RDD) was used to generate the
sample, and interviews were conducted via telephone from a call center in the
United States using Farsi-speaking interviewers. The margin of error associated
with a sample of this size of +/- 3.6%, at the 95% confidence level. The
average interview length was 24.6 minutes.

Wed.June 8/ 05

Statement by " Committee for the Freedom of Zarafshan"

Homa Zarafshan is arrested !

6 people who staged a protest in front of Evin prison including Mrs. Homa Zarafshan the wife of Naser Zarafshan on Wed. June 7 /05 have been arrested by security agents.These people in solidarity with the hunger strike by Naser Zarafshan staged a peaceful protest in front of Evin prison.
Shahla Entesari, Najaf Rahimi, Asadollahi brothers and another lady are among the people who have been arrested in front of Evin prison."Committee for the Freedom of Zarafshan " has published a statement and while protesting to the action by security agents has announced that will continue its actions in solidarity with Naser Zarafshan and other friends who have been arrested.

Pictures of last night's celebrations:
http://www.iranian.com/Sports/2005/June/Tehran/index.html

http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/007645.shtml

Statement of political prisoners


http://etesabghaza.blogfa.com/




We, the political prisoners, are going to start a strike on June 10th.

Our reasons and demands:

1. In protest of the exhibited, conditioned and undemocratic presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

2. In protest of humanrights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

3. Freedom of expression and publication of one's opinion.

4. An unrestricted and unconditioned release of all the political and idiological prisoners.

We invite every freedom-lover, specially the students, to protest against this exhibited elections and show support for the political prisoners hungerstrike, by holding the Persian 3 coloured flag and flowers with the colours of the flag (green, white and red).

And once again we invite every persian to participate in this urban protest by boycotting the elections, by their civil disobedients, by working less and by participating in peaceful protest meetings.

We suggest to make June 17th (=election day) the "National hunger strike" day.

We request all members of independent press and media to support this movement from June 10th until July 9th.

Undersigned,

the political prisoners:

· Ahmad Batebi

· Hojjat Bakhtiari

· Mostafa Joukar

· Behrouz Javid Tehrani

· Dr. Farzad Hamidi

· Amir Heshmat Saran

· Heshmatollah Tabarzadi

· Omid Abbasgholinezhad

· Amir Abbas Fakhravar

· Saied Kamali

· Fattah Madani

· Akbar Mohammadi

· Manouchehr Mohammadi

· Shahram Hasanjani

Also a group of political prisoners who are in Rajaee Shahr of Karaj prison, who have already started their hunger strike since May 30th:

· Bina Darabzand

· Arzhang Davoodi

· Amir Saran

· Mehrdad Lohrasbi

· Valiollah Feyzmahdavi

· Khaled Hardani

Live update from iran (Radio Sedaye Iran)
On the PHONE Live, I am transcribing:
People are dancing in the streets of Iran and screaming Down with "dictatorship"

....it's like a wedding. In tehran trafic completely stopped. people are leaving the cars and dancing.
....tearing up campaign posters....

Theran: mid-town...people evrywhere dancing...

Karaj.... people evrywhere....laughing, dancing... NO POSTERS left anywhere ....no police, basijii , so people dancing....He wants to walk towards the prison....
announcer: Pahlavi, 3 days hunger strike...
you can hear people on the phone.....
Cars completely stopped and are walking...burning posters being found...People "guns, tanks, no use" screaming against candidates....
Karrubu, Rafsanjani pictures ablaze....

WOW

Reza Pahlavi is on the radio. He will join the hunger strike on friday with the political prisoners of Iran for three days.

these pictures are a ploy!
why would they print those in English?
PURE PROPAGANDA!

THE iranian.com site HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN BLOCKED IN IRAN as of TODAY! surprise, surprise.

A VERY VERY IMPORTANT ARTICLE

http://www.iranian.com/Opinion/2005/May/Rafsanjani/index.html

Elections
America's President
The multifaceted Rafsanjani family has converted Iranian wealth into billions-dollar investments in the United States, Canada and Europe



Farhat Quam Maquami
May 30, 2005
iranian.com

On June 17 Iranians are going to the polls to pick a president in an election which can hardly be called democratic. For propaganda reasons, and to provide cover for its dwindling legitimacy, the IRI is offering people a handful of candidates from a list of over one thousand applicants for the job. In the last two elections, Mullah Khatemi was selected to be the emasculated reform candidate to provide a semblance of hope in an otherwise demoralized society, and he proved to be a failure. This time around the morally bankrupt system, faced with public apathy and certainly running out of credible candidates, has put forward the Millionaire Mullah Rafsnajani to save its corrupt and un-Islamic system. On the surface, Rafsanjani might prove to be the lesser of thousands of evil for Iranians; but, in reality he personifies what is wrong with Iran.

Islamic Republic is a trade name, a slogan used for propaganda, and an empty phrase which has been coined to subjugate people who believe in Islam all over the world. It is a strange dictatorship, baptized in blood baths and terror established in 1979. It is ironical that the system which murdered many as "Corrupt on Earth" and "Warrior against God" has become the symbol of corruption and socioeconomic oppression. In order to repress the growing opposition to clerical rule, the regime relies not on soldiers or uniformed police; but, on the enforcers of Hezbollah, death squads Bassijis and the equally thuggish Revolutionary Guards. Mostly recruited from the same wretched of the earth lumen proletariats whose siblings spearheaded the overthrow of Mossaddegh in 1953.

The mullahs who control this weird republic claim that the regime drives its legitimacy from Allah; but they remain on top with gangster like methods of intimidation, violence, murder and draconian system of terror. In reality the regime is neither Islamic nor a republic and basically was created, supported, sustained and designed under Zbigniew Brzezinski Doctrine to fight communist ideology. On the one hand, it utilizes the terminology Islam and its utopian ideals to prevent any philosophical convergence of socialism and Islam, on the one hand it propagate a perverted theological justification of Neo-liberalism and the so-called Free Market Economy to enrich the mullahs.

The political system has been basically a "dictatorship of mullahs" achieved by a Bolshevik-type blood bath and run by a shadow government that terrorizes Iranians inside and finances shadowy groups outside to protect a corrupt economic system. Its economy is dominated by shadow business empires controlled by the Rafsanjani family and its related gangs of collaborator mullahs, and its power is protected by a shadow army of mafia-type enforcers.

Ironically, the man who came out of nowhere and put in charge of the secretive power structure of the Republic has been America's poster child Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is now the Godfather who is being pushed as the leading candidate to save the bankrupt Islamic Republic. That is why nothing short of revolution may save the country from the path of moral corruption, cultural deprivation and economic hardship of the majority of Iranians whose national wealth has been siphoned by the Godfather and his gang of mullahs.

Rafsanjani came into power in a secretive pact with General Huyser in which in lieu of the American assistance to dismantle the Shah's regime, which did not fit in with the American new strategy of fighting Communism. The monarchy was replaced with an Islamic Republic and that is how a bunch second rate businessmen and pistachio farmers became billion-dollar conglomerates and millionaire mullahs draining Iran and devastating its economy. Rafsanjani is what is wrong with Iran and Iran would take another step backward with him as president again.

In order to discover how the Iranians left, right and the center were duped into revolutionize Rafsanjani's family fortunes rather than revolutionizing Iran, the buck stops at Rafsanjani's door. Rafsanjani was getting his instruction from American Neo-Cons economists before it became fashionable in the U.S. The 1979 revolution transformed the Rafsanjani clan into commercial Rubber Barons. One brother headed the country's largest copper mine; another took control of the state-owned TV network; a brother-in-law became governor of Kerman province, while a cousin runs an outfit that dominates Iran's $400 million pistachio export business; a nephew and one of Rafsanjani's sons took key positions in the Ministry of Oil; another son heads the Tehran metro construction project.

Today, Rafsanjani's octopus family is in control of everything from narcotics, prostitution rings, and illicit alcohols to investments in U.S. satellite TV stations, Canada's private toll ways, Australia meat packing and wherever his multi-national corporation can operate. The Rafsanjani family operates through various foundations and front companies, that is why he innocently claims that he is a humble man with no assets. The family is also believed to control one of Iran's biggest oil engineering companies, a plant assembling Daewoo automobiles, and an airline company.

Rafsanjani has always been in the background assuring that the economic system would privatize and follow the Neo-liberal guideline of establishing a "free-market" economy for exploitation of the wealth of Iran by global corporations. He is the Godfather of Iran's "privatization" program during which mullahs and their allies took over public companies at dirt cheap prices. They expropriated the old regime's properties for free and established a new "crony capitalism" in Iran. It is this new class of Westernized mullahs who control many satellite TV and Internet sites, exploiting fugitive Iranians from Australia to Canada and from London to Los Angeles.

Rafsanjani somehow became the power behind Khomeini and worked behind the scene with Huyser and Fardoost and Ghareh Baghi (two turn coat generals) to make sure the Shah's nationalist generals would not derail the American designed Islamic Revolution. Later on when Death Squads blew up the entire emerging nationalist leadership, mysteriously Rafsanjani survived. He thanked God in public and the CIA in private for his miraculous survival. He made sure that economic system would be privatized and follow the Neo-liberal free market economy. He has run Iran for the past 25 years.

He assumed the powerful position of the Speaker of Parliament and the brain behind Khomeini in the 1980s. As a show of gratitude to his American masters he secretly negotiated a deal to help the Contra's in Nicaragua. He was the Iranian counter revolutionary who received and ate the infamous key shaped cake with Iran Contra front-man Oliver North. They both conspired to finance Death Squads to sabotage the revolutionary Sandanistas and indiscriminately kill civilians in order to ensure the failure of Sandanistas semi-socialist system. He was the recipient of the Bible signed by Ronald Regan which signaled the beginning of the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal. He was president from 1989 to 1997 and is now the chairman of the powerful Expediency Council, which is the seat of actual political power in Iran.

Compared to Ayatollah Taleghani, whom I had the privilege of being his cellmate in Quasr Prison, Rafsanjani has no revolutionary credentials. Yet Taleghani, who could have been a real revolutionary was set aside in favor of money hungry mullahs, led by the deal maker businessman Mullah Rafsanjani. He is the man who has done what the American Neo-cons would have loved to see in America: complete privatization of the economy and human beings to the point that one million Iranians would enjoy everything the West has to offer and the other 69 million live in exploitation, poverty, destitution and economic deprivation. Yet the population has been sedated by an ideology which makes them believe that it's all God's will. This is Calvanism pure and simple, not the revolutionary Islam of Ali and Hossien.

Rafsanjani and his gang never espoused revolutionary Islam. They used Islam in a pejorative way, the same way George Bush uses the term "liberation", "oppression" and "democracy". These are empty words used as propaganda to achieve certain aims and a smokescreens behind which they accomplish their real design. Revolutionary Islam can never condone the Pinochet type rein of terror that gave birth to the Islamic Republic; nor would have let public companies be privatized and given to mullahs or even would have let them rule a civic society and expropriate the means of production. Revolutionary Islam would have never permitted exploitation of man by fellow man.

It was Khomeini who proudly declared -- but never acted on -- a government of the oppressed by the oppressed to share and divide the communal wealth of a nation. Rafsanjani not only subjected Iran to Neo-liberal foreign trade but opened up the oil sector to private companies and put Iran's assets on the auction block for Conoco and Shell. Most of the Iran's finest properties and top contracts have ended up in the hands of mullahs, their relatives, associates and supporters. The multifaceted Rafsanjani family has converted Iranian wealth into billions-dollar investments in the United States, Canada and Europe. The Islamic Republic has really revolutionized and transformed the lives of a small pistachio farmers in Rafsnajan and changed them into billionaire mullahs in a quarter of a century while 80 percent of Iranians live in abject poverty.

Iran's social, economic and cultural problem cannot be solved by an election or a referendum. Iran needs a revolution. This generation of disillusioned young people need fresh blood, a person uncorrupted by power who wants to be a mirror image of pain, deprivation and grievances of its populous. He must promise to bring the utopian idea of government of the "oppressed" by the "oppressed" and punish those blood suckers who in the name of Islam have brought capitalist corruption to the country. He must promise to re-nationalize and expropriate assets and return them to the treasury and public ownership. If none of the candidates succeed to arouse public enthusiasm and participation in the political process, chances are that the alienated public, especially the youth, would fall prey to cause disturbances which might be followed by a public uprising to overthrow the whole system of reactionary Islam.

This might be the last chance to save whatever is left of the Islamic Republic which has become an EMPTY SHELL OF PROPAGANDA covering its rotten seeds of crime and corruption. Public apathy and non-participation in election would be the last times that the bell would be ringing for the American mullahs. It is the last chance to save a morally corrupt regime which its proponents have become "Warriors against God" and "Corrupt on Earth" and now would be waiting for the "Allah the Avenger."

Students protesting the NOT FREE elections at the Tehran University:

see pics at:
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/005245.htm

According to the regime's news agency:

"Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for media affairs, Seyed Mohammad Sohofi attended a press conference on Tuesday and briefed the media on the upcoming election.

Speaking to reporters, Sohofi said that over 150 foreign radio and television networks as well as news agencies and dailies from 30 countries have requested to visit Iran and give coverage to June 17 presidential election. "
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0505311179171731.htm


How many do you think would be allowed?

the cause of Ganji is enough for a revolution in itself. Reporters without borders just released a statement as well.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=13945
I am very frustrated by the damn mullahs. 26 years of misery....

Akbar Gangi ( investigative reporter that revealed Rafsanjani's involvement in political prisoner and dissident killings) still on hunger strike while the government denies his health is bad(which is deterriorating everyday.)

this according to Radio Sedaye Iran.

Iran Press news in their persian section say that Moein
s party has declared that they would not boycott the election (as they had said they would) but Moeen himself according to sedaye Iran radio will not say so until saturday.

Some persian blogs are saying : "we boycott and then what? what will happen? who would be in charge?"
It'll still be the hardliners and we are still screwed.

PRESIDENT BUSH NEEDS TO COMMENT on these elections and support a Boycott for the world to see. The iranians need to hear that.

From Marze Por Gohar Organization:
http://www.marzeporgohar.org

IRI Agents Preparing Islamic Presidential Elections in the ... US
Thursday, May 26 @ 06:00:00 EDT


Roozbeh Farahanipour, Chairman Marze Por Gohar Organization roozbeh@marzeporgohar.com
Roxanne Ganji, Political Activist axs2rg@aol.com
Aryo Pirouznia, Coordinator SMCCDI smccdi@hotmail.com

May 26, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

We have learned that the Clerical regime in Iran is planning to set up “Voting Stations” for their upcoming Presidential Elections in different locations throughout the United States. There is currently no diplomatic relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Officials of the Islamic Republic in New York, at the United Nations and in Washington DC (at Iran’s Interest Section in the embassy of Pakistan) are prohibited to travel beyond a certain limited area (in New York no more than 12 miles and in Washington not past 25 miles of their offices). According to the Islamic Republic’s laws any ballot box has to be monitored by an IRI official representative. Therefore it is both against the United States regulations and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s laws for any such voting stations to be set up throughout the United States.

Four years ago in Los Angeles such voting stations were set up in different hotels where certain IRI representatives had reserved meeting rooms under false pretences. At that time Iranian democratic opposition groups in Los Angeles tracked down those venues and with the help of responsible officials at those locations and the LAPD were able to shut-down all those illegal "voting stations" down.

Now we are contacting you in advance to seek your assistance in stopping this illegal activity once we are notified of their exact locations. That diehard terrorist regime will not stop the spread of its anti-American brand of Islamic Fundamentalism throughout the world. The Islamic Republic has recruited, trained, funded, harbored and provided safe-haven for terrorists and terrorist organizations in the past 26 years and continues to do so today. The United States and the free world must stand united against the theocratic mullahs and their terrorist mercenaries and support the movement of Iranians for the establishment of a democratic, free and secular government.

Sincerely,

Second night of student protests continue. It's brewing.....

pictures from last nights demos. it's just starting.

http://www.iranian.com/PhotoDay/2005/May/p1.html

Saeed Mortazavi, Prime Suspect in the Zahra Kazemi Case
Maryam Kashani



Another court session has been held to review the Canadian – Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi’s death. This is while lawyers representing Zahra Kazemi’s mother do not consider the court fit to handle the case; a court without reporters; a court whose presiding judge Saeed Mortazavi is the prime suspect in the case.

Dr. Karim Lahiji, who represents Zahra Kazemi’s son Stephan Hachemi, notes that reducing the crime from quasi - intentional to non - intentional manslaughter and handling it at a court supervised by the prime suspect (Saeed Mortazavi), contradicts all laws, including those of the Islamic Republic.

He adds that the nature of a crime determines which court handles the case. Non - intentional manslaughter means there was no intention of killing, but the situation and conditions led to the murder. But Zahra Kazemi’s case does not fall into this category, as proven by investigations conducted by representatives of both the legislative and executive branches of the Islamic Republic. Zahra Kazemi was arrested and detained illegally. During detention, she was beaten and not taken to the hospital in time. The beatings led to her death. This cannot be classified as non - intentional manslaughter. This is an act of murder, and the punishment for this crime is different, so is the court that qualifies to handle it. For this reason, lawyers representing Zahra Kazemi’s mother have objected to the court’s qualification from day one”.

Lahiji further remarks, “It’s not just the question of maltreatment and torture. There are numerous charges involved. Zahra Kazemi was illegally remanded in custody upon orders of Judge Saeed Mortazavi. She was maltreated and tortured. The illegal detention continued. Mortazavi, along with his colleagues, including his deputy Arjomandi, interrogated Kazemi in Evin Prison. Mohammad Bakhshi, director of Evin Prison Security, who works directly under Mortazavi, deals the first blows to Kazemi. These were actually the devastating blows that led to the ensuing bleeding. As eyewitnesses reported, instead of taking her to the hospital, they put her in a car and took her to solitary confinement in Evin Prison, even though she could hardly walk. From 10 pm until 2 am, Mortazavi and Arjomandi interrogated her, while she obviously couldn’t even answer (due to her physical conditions)”.

Judicial Mix-Up

Lahiji speaks of a judicial mix - up in which the prosecutor becomes the complainant, as evidently manifest in the case of Zahra Kazemi. “That day, the Mortazavi – Bakhshi team were on alert because of the anniversary of July 9th (huge student protests four years before). As soon as Mortazavi hears about the arrest of a foreign correspondent in front of Evin Prison, he thinks of espionage, especially as Kazemi had traveled to Iraq before arriving in Iran. Mortazavi even tries to sue Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s Director General for Foreign Press Khoshvaqt for giving work permit to a spy. He, however, fails in this attempt as Khoshvaqt is close to the Iranian Leader. He, therefore, subjects Kazemi to all the pressure. At this point, Mortazavi no longer acts like a prosecutor who orders investigation into a crime. He rather turns into someone who is preparing a criminal file against Kazemi and in turn feels free to treat her in whatever way he wants. Even when Ministry of Information officials reject the espionage charge leveled against Kazemi, Mortazavi does not let go. He keeps on pressuring the half-dead Kazemi who was loudly complaining of a headache and refrains from sending her to the hospital”.

All these, step by step drew Kazemi closer to death. As such, “before anything else, the type of death should be determined, so that, on its basis, a qualified court could see to the case. But, unfortunately, this (rightful demand) has been overlooked”.

Actually the situation is rather bad. Hadi Sepehrlou was working with the Dr that defected to canada last month and broke the news of all the abuses Kazemi endured. He was working with this guy and had arranged for him to meet with Canadian embassy for further delivery of official documents proving the horrible fate Zahra endured in the hands of the prosecuter general Mortazavi. Some how they found out about it and arrested him.
I believe that is why the canadians said they would not close the embassy in tehran or retreat thei ambassador:b/c they were getting these documents including x-rays...
This is a very grave situation for Hadi....

Today, there are protests in tehran!!!