Thursday, September 29, 2011
Strikes in Tehran Bazaar
Scenes of protests and strikes in Tehran's Bazaar as Merchants protest new taxes.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Fatemeh Karroubi's Letter to Judiciary
In this stinging letter to the judiciary, she highlights the illegal and unconstitutional detnetion of her self and her husband:
My greetings to you Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, Head of Iran's Judiciary. I write to you in order to describe the events Mr. Karroubi and his family have endured over the past 7 months. Event that began on February 10th, 2011, when our residence was first surrounded by security agents and continued on February 25th, when our children and family members were banned from stopping in front of Yasaman alley for even an instant and notorious plain clothes agents descended upon our neighborhood shouting out insults and using abusive language against my husband, Mir Hossein Mousavi and other individuals close to our noble Imam Khomeini for six consecutive nights from 1:00 - 3:00am in the morning [Enclosed please find a number of audio tapes capturing the insults that were freely shouted outside our residence on the aforementioned consecutive nights.] On the last night, in addition to using inappropriate language that led to the distress and disturbance of all those who live in the neighborhood [audio tape also attached], while supported and led by security forces, the thugs outside our residence even threw sound bombs into the building, adding insult to injury. On the anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, on Monday February 21st, 2011, more than 60 security agents raided our house, disregarding all basic legal and religious standards and unlike the Savak [Shah's secret service] that was only concerned with important and valid documents, with the exception of a few items, they confiscated everything in sight, literally vacating the house and changing all the keys including the key to our bedroom. They also arrested our son Ali who had been contacted by the same security agents regarding the raid and had come to our house to make sure we were okay, transferring him to Evin prison on the same night.
From the very start I personally requested that they present an official warrant authorizing the raid of our residential complex, the presence of security agents inside our home and the ruling that led to the supposed house arrest. My request was never fulfilled and with the exception of the search warrant they presented to my husband on the very first night, to date the judicial authorities have never provided us with an official court ruling authorizing "our house arrest", "the occupation of our residential complex" and "the presence of security agents inside our home". If we base the raid by the security forces on the words uttered by Mr. Jannati [fundamentalist cleric and conservative Chairman of the Guardian Council] then we would have been subjected to house arrest, much like the fate of the late Ayatollah Montazeri. What happened in reality, however, was much more cruel and considerably harder to endure than solitary confinement. Those who have experience with the Savak prior to the Islamic Revolution are fully aware that the Savak never disregarded an individual's privacy without a legal warrant. My personal experiences during that time and those of so many other activists are testament to this fact. At that time, even if courts handed down a sentence leading to the house arrest of well known figures, security agents were never allowed to occupy the residential complex, home or apartment of the individual in question. [Even in 1975 when Mr. Karroubi was arrested on grounds that he colluded against the Shah's regime, we did not experience such a raid and search of our house.] Perhaps the son of Ayatollah Mirza Hashem Amoli, renowned for his piety and devotion to God, would be interested to know that during this raid, men who on the surface claimed to be religious, insisted upon searching all my personal belongings without any regard for modesty and Islamic values.
In the past 210 days, Mr. Karroubi has been denied the basic rights afforded to every prisoner, such as the access to books, newspapers, telephone contact, regular visitations and even fresh air. According to Mr. Karroubi's accounts of his various arrests in the past, including the time when he was incarcerated at Ghaz Ghaleh prison, after one or two weeks of solitary confinement, he was eventually allowed access to fresh air. This time around however, after six months of house arrest, he was still denied access to fresh air in a yard surrounded by iron bars. As a result, Mr. Karroubi's physical well being is at great risk, rendering his examination by independent physicians trusted by the family both necessary and essential.
The current situation and the refusal of the ruling government to recognize the rights of a prisoner who is under the jurisdiction of security agents without judicial due process, has led to extreme physical and psychological pressure on my husband. My concerns are not regarding the events that have occurred, for as I have repeatedly explained, my husband has prepared himself for conditions far worse than this. What is unfortunate and regretful, however, are the acts of a group of individuals who justify their illegal behavior based on unwritten laws and do as they please all in the name of governance.
Allow me to point to a recent example that was particularly strange and out of the ordinary. After our residential complex was occupied, the other homeowners were deprived of their legal rights while security agents began benefiting from their ownership rights. This unlawful seizure led to numerous complaints by Mr. Karroubi, including a letter addressed to Tehran's Prosecutor. From the very first day, Mr. Karroubi announced that he would be willing to move to any location including Evin prison, but he would never agree to the unlawful seizure of property belonging to the other owners of the residential complex in which we live. After five months of consultations [with government officials], our children arranged for a house in Jamaran to be prepared so that the illegal house arrest that had been imposed without a warrant or ruling by the judiciary could continue at a new location without causing any further harm and restrictions upon the other home owners. After complying with all their requests we were informed by security agents that Jamaran is not an appropriate location and they must decide on the final location for Karroubi's continued house arrest. After my husband insisted on moving, on July 31st, he was temporarily transferred together with a number of security agents to a one bedroom apartment, making it impossible for me to be present. This small apartment has hosted Karroubi and his various prison guards for the past 45 days. It goes without saying that no matter where the security agents take him, that location will never be considered his home.
Security officials cognizant of the family's concerns regarding Mr. Karroubi's health, particularly as it relates to his cardiovascular and respiratory well being, allowed him to leave our residence, announcing that he is allowed to move to a new location, stating:
1) We will decide on the new location
2) The person signing the rental agreement cannot be a member of the family
3) The person signing the rental agreement must provide pre-signed checks, covering the rent for a duration of one year, without knowledge of the address and/or other details regarding the location where Mr. Karroubi will be held.
As a result of these demands, we provided them with a down payment last month and they received the rest of the checks from a former member of Karroubi's office who was asked to sign and deliver the checks. It looks as though the latest trend is for the ruling government to make the family pay for the cost of incarceration and prison guards so that they can tell the world that Karroubi is under arrest in his own home! My husband is willing and prepared to pay any price, but we cannot deny that in order to intimidate him, they are imposing a collective punishment on his entire family. God only knows that my husband continues to fight with the same fervor that he had in 1962 at the height of his youth when he entered politics and became an activist. During all these years his determination has never wavered and he continues to stand strong behind his covenant with the people and our martyrs and the noble ideals and promises of the Islamic Revolution.
Do you truly believe that you will find one rational human being on this planet who will confirm that Karroubi is at home rather than under imposed house arrest? Will the silence by the judiciary not lead to a new trend in which security institutions will impose the costs associated with such house arrests on the shoulders of the families of those arrested? Is this type of behavior worthy of the Islamic Republic? Although you are fully aware that this newly devised and ridiculous tactic will be recorded in history as such, the family has nevertheless chosen to comply with your demands in order to protect the physical well being of Mr. Karroubi.
In conclusion I am obliged to refer you to the words of Imam Ali [Shia's first Imam], the father of deism who stated: " As God is my witness, I prefer to lay on thorns, deprive myself of all sleep and be shackled in chains, rather than having to meet God on judgment day knowing that I have wronged any of his children."
Fatemeh Karroubi
September 22nd, 2011
آنچه موجب شد این نامه را به جنابعالی بنویسم شرح مطالبی کوتاه بوده است که در طول این ۷ ماه اخیر برای من و آقای کروبی رخ داده است از تاریخ ۲۱ بهمن ۱۳۸۹ ماموران امنیتی منزل مسکونی مان را به محاصره درآوردند و بعد از ۲۵ بهمن ماه در حالیکه اجازه توقف چند دقیقه ای به فرزندان و دیگر اعضای خانواده در کوی یاسمن داده نمی شد ، لباس شخصی های معلوم الحال را در شش شب متوالی به منطقه گسیل داشتند تا از ۱ نیمه شب تا ۳ بامداد به فحاشی و هتاکی نسب به همسرم ، مهندس موسوی ودیگر یاران نزدیک امام (ره) و بیت آن بزرگوار مبادرت کنند ( نوار مستندی از بعضی شعارهایی که آزادانه در شب های متوالی سر می دادند به پیوست تقدیم می گردد ) درشب آخر علاوه بر بکارگیری الفاظ سخیف که دراین ایام به شدت مورد ناراحتی اهالی محترم منطقه گردیده بود (نوار کاست پیوست) باحمایت و هدایت نیروهای امنیتی بمب صوتی هم به داخل ساختمان پرتاب گردید تا این فتح بزرگ را به فتوحات قبلی خود بیافزایند . همزمان با میلاد رسول رحمت (ص) در روز دوشنبه شب برابر با ۲/۱۲/۱۳۸۹ بیش از شصت نیروی امنیتی به منزل یورش آوردند و بدیهی ترین مسائل انسانی و شرعی را در تفتیش رعایت نکردند و برخلاف ساواک که تنها بدنبال اسناد مهم و معتبر بود، به استثنای وسائل، هر آنچه درمنزل بود با خود بردند و در واقع خانه را تخلیه کردند و کلیه کلید های داخل منزل حتی اتاق خواب را تغییر داده و در اختیار داشتند، و فرزند سومم علی را نیز همان شب که با تماس همین مامورین جهت دیدن ما آمده بود به اتهام جاسوسی دستگیر کرده و به اوین بردند.ـ
از بدو امر شخصاً خواستار ارائه مجوز تصرف مجتمع و حضور در واحد مسکونی مان و نیز حکم اعمال بازداشت خانگی بودم؛ خواسته ایی که هرگز اجابت نگردید. به استثنای حکم تفتیش که شب اول به رویت همسرم رسید، تاکنون هیچ حکمی از مراجع ذی صلاح قانونی مبنی بر “حبس” “اشغال منزل توسط نیروهای امنیتی” و “حضور آنان در داخل منزل” دریافت نکرده ایم. اگر مبنای یورش نیروهای امنیتی را سخنان جناب جنتی بدانیم باید در منزل شخصی خودمان نظیر مرحوم حضرت آیت الله العظمی منتظری حصر می گردیدیم، اما آنچه در عمل اتفاق افتاد از زندان انفرادی نیز بدتر و بی رحمانه تر بوده است. دوستانی که پیش از انقلاب سابقه ای دارند، می دانند که ساواک هیچگاه بدون حکم قانونی به حریم منزل اشخاص ورود نمی کرد. تجربه شخصی اینجانب در موارد متعدد و سایر مبارزان آن دوران گواهی است بر این ادعا. درآن زمان حتی برای بزرگانی که نسخه حصر خانگی اعمال می گردید، هرگز امنیتی ها در منزل و یا واحد آپارتمان شخص محصور شده حضور نمی یافتند. (حتی در زمان بازداشت سال ۱۳۵۳ حجت الاسلام والمسلمین کروبی، که نیروهای ساواک ایشان را به اتهام مبارزه علیه رژیم ستمشاهی بازداشت کردند، چنین بازرسی و تفتیشی از منزل ما صورت نگرفته بود) و شاید برای فرزند آیت الله میرزا هاشم آملی که به تقوا و زهد شهره بودند ، جالب باشد که بداند در جریان این حمله، مردان به ظاهر دین دار، تمام البسه و لوازم شخصی من را نیز بازرسی نموده و متاسفانه هیچ حیا و حجابی در ورود و بررسی وسایل شخصی من از خود نشان نمی دادند.ـ
آقای کروبی طی ۲۱۰ روز گذشته از حقوق اولیه یک زندانی نظیر حق دسترسی به کتاب، روزنامه، تلفن، ملاقاتنظم، هواخوری و … برخوردار نبوده است. ( در زمان بازداشت های مکرر آقای کروبی که خود ایشان نقل کرده اند من جمله در دوران بازداشت درزندان قزل قلعه سرانجام بعد از یک یا دو هفته زندان انفرادی، امکان هوا خوری هفتگی پیدا می کردند اما این بار پس از شش ماه حبس، اجازه استفاده از حیاط محصور درمیان میله ها و هواخوری را نیافتند) وضعیت جسمی ایشان بشدت در خطر قرار دارد و معاینه ایشان توسط پزشکان مستقل و مورد اعتماد خانواده امری ضروری است.ـ
فقدان تعیین وضعیت موجود و به رسمیت نشناختن حقوق زندانی که بدون طی کردن مراحل دادرسی و برگزاری دادگاه در اختیار امنیتی ها قرار گرفته، بستری مناسب برای اعمال فشارهای متعدد جسمی و روحی به همسرم گردیده است. نگرانی اینجانب از وقایع حادث شده نیست زیرا همانطور که قبلا متذکر شدم ایشان خود را برای شرایط بدتر از این هم آماده کرده است، لیکن آنچه موجب تأسف و تأثر است حاکمیت گروهی است که رفتار غیر قانونی خود را قانون نانوشته تلقی کرده و هرآنچه را که اراده می کنند بنام حاکمیت اعمال می کنند.ـ
اجازه می خواهم به نمونه اخیر که اتفاقا بدعت عجیبی است اشاره کنم. بدنبال اشغال و تصرف مجتمع مسکونی، سایر شرکاءِ ملکِ تصرف شده از اعمال حقوق مالکانه و انتفاع از ملک خود محروم و نیروهای امنیتی به جای آنان منتفع گردیدند! این تصرف خلاف شرع و قانون، موجب برخورد جدی آقای کروبی درموارد متعدد، از جمله نگارش نامه هایی به دادستان تهران گردید. از روز اول آقای کروبی اعلام کردند که آماده انتقال به هر مکانی از جمله زندان اوین هستند، اما راضی به تصرف غیر قانونی اموال سایر شرکاء نمی باشند. بعد از ۵ ماه رایزنی، فرزندان منزلی در جماران تهیه کردند، تا حبس بدون حکم، بدون ایجاد مزاحمت در حقوق دیگران و در منزل شخصی مان ادامه یابد. بعد از انجام کلیه امور و انتقال سند قطعی ماموران اعلام کردند که جماران منطقه مناسبی نیست و مکان حبس باید به انتخاب آنان باشد. بدنبال پافشاری همسرم در تاریخ ۹ مرداد ماه، بطور موقت ایشان با حضور تعدادی از نیروهای امنیتی به آپارتمانی یک خوابه منتقل شدند و عملا امکان حضور من در آنجا منتفی گردید. این آپارتمان کوچک پذیرای ۴۵ روزگذشته کروبی و زندانبانان وی بوده است. گرچه هرجایی که ایشان توسط نیروهای امنیتی منتقل شوند بمنزله واحد مسکونی ایشان نمی باشد.ـ
مقامات امنیتی که نگرانی خانواده نسبت به وضعیت سلامتی ایشان بویژه قلب و دستگاه تنفسی را درک کرده اند، تنها راه خروج از آپارتمان مذکور را منوط به اجاره مکان دیگر اعلام نموده اند:ـ
ـ۱) انتخاب مکان با ما است.ـ
ـ۲) امضا کننده قرار داد اجاره نباید عضوی از خانواده باشد.ـ
ـ۳) امضا کننده قرار داد در هنگام امضا باید پیشاپیش چک های یکسال را تقدیم کند و نباید از آدرس ملک و جزئیات باخبر باشد.ـ
دراین راستا یکماه پیش مبلغی بعنوان پیش پرداخت از من دریافت کردند و سایر چک ها را از یکی از اعضای سابق دفتر که برای امضا و تقدیم مال الاجاره خوانده شده بود، اخذ کردند. دراین بدعت جدید حاکمیت هزینه زندان و زندانبانان را برعهده خانواده گذاشته تا به جهانیان بگوید کروبی درخانه خود زندانی است!!! ایشان خود را برای پرداخت هر هزینه ای آماده کرده اما غافل از آنکه امروز در این سرزمین و به هدف مرعوب کردن وی، مجازات جمعی علیه خانواده اعمال می گردد. خدا را گواه می گیریم که همسرم با همان نشاطی که درسال ۱۳۴۱ و دراوج جوانی پا به عرصه سیاست و مبارزه گذاشت، دراین سال ها و در راستای عهد خود با مردم و شهدا و تحقق آرمان های اصیل انقلاب و وعده های داده شده دراین مسیر، هرگز خللی در اراده اش ایجاد نشده است.ـ
آیا جنابعالی فکر می کنید عاقلی در این کره خاکی پیدا شود که آن زندان تحمیلی را منزل کروبی تلقی کند؟ آیا سکوت دستگاه قضائی موجب این بدعت در دستگاه امنیتی نمی گردد که در آینده هزینه بازداشتگاه های خود را از خانواده زندانیان مطالبه کند؟ آیا چنین رفتاری شایسته جمهوری اسلامی است؟ اگرچه می دانید این دستور مضحک بدعتی تاریخی محسوب می گردد، اما خانواده بخاطر نگرانی از وضعیت جسمی آقای کروبی این خواسته را اجابت کرد.ـ
درپایان لازم می بینم نظرتان را به این فرمایش مولی الموحدین جلب کنم که می فرماید: ” به خدا قسم روی خارهای گزنده بخوابم و خواب را برچشمانم حرام کنم و با زنجیرهای گران بسته شوم، برای من بهتر است از اینکه روز قیامت خدا و رسول او را درحالی ملاقات کنم که به بعضی از بندگان خدا ستم کرده باشم ” .( بحار الانوار، ج ۴۱ ، صفحه ۱۶۲)ـ
My greetings to you Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, Head of Iran's Judiciary. I write to you in order to describe the events Mr. Karroubi and his family have endured over the past 7 months. Event that began on February 10th, 2011, when our residence was first surrounded by security agents and continued on February 25th, when our children and family members were banned from stopping in front of Yasaman alley for even an instant and notorious plain clothes agents descended upon our neighborhood shouting out insults and using abusive language against my husband, Mir Hossein Mousavi and other individuals close to our noble Imam Khomeini for six consecutive nights from 1:00 - 3:00am in the morning [Enclosed please find a number of audio tapes capturing the insults that were freely shouted outside our residence on the aforementioned consecutive nights.] On the last night, in addition to using inappropriate language that led to the distress and disturbance of all those who live in the neighborhood [audio tape also attached], while supported and led by security forces, the thugs outside our residence even threw sound bombs into the building, adding insult to injury. On the anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, on Monday February 21st, 2011, more than 60 security agents raided our house, disregarding all basic legal and religious standards and unlike the Savak [Shah's secret service] that was only concerned with important and valid documents, with the exception of a few items, they confiscated everything in sight, literally vacating the house and changing all the keys including the key to our bedroom. They also arrested our son Ali who had been contacted by the same security agents regarding the raid and had come to our house to make sure we were okay, transferring him to Evin prison on the same night.
From the very start I personally requested that they present an official warrant authorizing the raid of our residential complex, the presence of security agents inside our home and the ruling that led to the supposed house arrest. My request was never fulfilled and with the exception of the search warrant they presented to my husband on the very first night, to date the judicial authorities have never provided us with an official court ruling authorizing "our house arrest", "the occupation of our residential complex" and "the presence of security agents inside our home". If we base the raid by the security forces on the words uttered by Mr. Jannati [fundamentalist cleric and conservative Chairman of the Guardian Council] then we would have been subjected to house arrest, much like the fate of the late Ayatollah Montazeri. What happened in reality, however, was much more cruel and considerably harder to endure than solitary confinement. Those who have experience with the Savak prior to the Islamic Revolution are fully aware that the Savak never disregarded an individual's privacy without a legal warrant. My personal experiences during that time and those of so many other activists are testament to this fact. At that time, even if courts handed down a sentence leading to the house arrest of well known figures, security agents were never allowed to occupy the residential complex, home or apartment of the individual in question. [Even in 1975 when Mr. Karroubi was arrested on grounds that he colluded against the Shah's regime, we did not experience such a raid and search of our house.] Perhaps the son of Ayatollah Mirza Hashem Amoli, renowned for his piety and devotion to God, would be interested to know that during this raid, men who on the surface claimed to be religious, insisted upon searching all my personal belongings without any regard for modesty and Islamic values.
In the past 210 days, Mr. Karroubi has been denied the basic rights afforded to every prisoner, such as the access to books, newspapers, telephone contact, regular visitations and even fresh air. According to Mr. Karroubi's accounts of his various arrests in the past, including the time when he was incarcerated at Ghaz Ghaleh prison, after one or two weeks of solitary confinement, he was eventually allowed access to fresh air. This time around however, after six months of house arrest, he was still denied access to fresh air in a yard surrounded by iron bars. As a result, Mr. Karroubi's physical well being is at great risk, rendering his examination by independent physicians trusted by the family both necessary and essential.
The current situation and the refusal of the ruling government to recognize the rights of a prisoner who is under the jurisdiction of security agents without judicial due process, has led to extreme physical and psychological pressure on my husband. My concerns are not regarding the events that have occurred, for as I have repeatedly explained, my husband has prepared himself for conditions far worse than this. What is unfortunate and regretful, however, are the acts of a group of individuals who justify their illegal behavior based on unwritten laws and do as they please all in the name of governance.
Allow me to point to a recent example that was particularly strange and out of the ordinary. After our residential complex was occupied, the other homeowners were deprived of their legal rights while security agents began benefiting from their ownership rights. This unlawful seizure led to numerous complaints by Mr. Karroubi, including a letter addressed to Tehran's Prosecutor. From the very first day, Mr. Karroubi announced that he would be willing to move to any location including Evin prison, but he would never agree to the unlawful seizure of property belonging to the other owners of the residential complex in which we live. After five months of consultations [with government officials], our children arranged for a house in Jamaran to be prepared so that the illegal house arrest that had been imposed without a warrant or ruling by the judiciary could continue at a new location without causing any further harm and restrictions upon the other home owners. After complying with all their requests we were informed by security agents that Jamaran is not an appropriate location and they must decide on the final location for Karroubi's continued house arrest. After my husband insisted on moving, on July 31st, he was temporarily transferred together with a number of security agents to a one bedroom apartment, making it impossible for me to be present. This small apartment has hosted Karroubi and his various prison guards for the past 45 days. It goes without saying that no matter where the security agents take him, that location will never be considered his home.
Security officials cognizant of the family's concerns regarding Mr. Karroubi's health, particularly as it relates to his cardiovascular and respiratory well being, allowed him to leave our residence, announcing that he is allowed to move to a new location, stating:
1) We will decide on the new location
2) The person signing the rental agreement cannot be a member of the family
3) The person signing the rental agreement must provide pre-signed checks, covering the rent for a duration of one year, without knowledge of the address and/or other details regarding the location where Mr. Karroubi will be held.
As a result of these demands, we provided them with a down payment last month and they received the rest of the checks from a former member of Karroubi's office who was asked to sign and deliver the checks. It looks as though the latest trend is for the ruling government to make the family pay for the cost of incarceration and prison guards so that they can tell the world that Karroubi is under arrest in his own home! My husband is willing and prepared to pay any price, but we cannot deny that in order to intimidate him, they are imposing a collective punishment on his entire family. God only knows that my husband continues to fight with the same fervor that he had in 1962 at the height of his youth when he entered politics and became an activist. During all these years his determination has never wavered and he continues to stand strong behind his covenant with the people and our martyrs and the noble ideals and promises of the Islamic Revolution.
Do you truly believe that you will find one rational human being on this planet who will confirm that Karroubi is at home rather than under imposed house arrest? Will the silence by the judiciary not lead to a new trend in which security institutions will impose the costs associated with such house arrests on the shoulders of the families of those arrested? Is this type of behavior worthy of the Islamic Republic? Although you are fully aware that this newly devised and ridiculous tactic will be recorded in history as such, the family has nevertheless chosen to comply with your demands in order to protect the physical well being of Mr. Karroubi.
In conclusion I am obliged to refer you to the words of Imam Ali [Shia's first Imam], the father of deism who stated: " As God is my witness, I prefer to lay on thorns, deprive myself of all sleep and be shackled in chains, rather than having to meet God on judgment day knowing that I have wronged any of his children."
Fatemeh Karroubi
September 22nd, 2011
آنچه موجب شد این نامه را به جنابعالی بنویسم شرح مطالبی کوتاه بوده است که در طول این ۷ ماه اخیر برای من و آقای کروبی رخ داده است از تاریخ ۲۱ بهمن ۱۳۸۹ ماموران امنیتی منزل مسکونی مان را به محاصره درآوردند و بعد از ۲۵ بهمن ماه در حالیکه اجازه توقف چند دقیقه ای به فرزندان و دیگر اعضای خانواده در کوی یاسمن داده نمی شد ، لباس شخصی های معلوم الحال را در شش شب متوالی به منطقه گسیل داشتند تا از ۱ نیمه شب تا ۳ بامداد به فحاشی و هتاکی نسب به همسرم ، مهندس موسوی ودیگر یاران نزدیک امام (ره) و بیت آن بزرگوار مبادرت کنند ( نوار مستندی از بعضی شعارهایی که آزادانه در شب های متوالی سر می دادند به پیوست تقدیم می گردد ) درشب آخر علاوه بر بکارگیری الفاظ سخیف که دراین ایام به شدت مورد ناراحتی اهالی محترم منطقه گردیده بود (نوار کاست پیوست) باحمایت و هدایت نیروهای امنیتی بمب صوتی هم به داخل ساختمان پرتاب گردید تا این فتح بزرگ را به فتوحات قبلی خود بیافزایند . همزمان با میلاد رسول رحمت (ص) در روز دوشنبه شب برابر با ۲/۱۲/۱۳۸۹ بیش از شصت نیروی امنیتی به منزل یورش آوردند و بدیهی ترین مسائل انسانی و شرعی را در تفتیش رعایت نکردند و برخلاف ساواک که تنها بدنبال اسناد مهم و معتبر بود، به استثنای وسائل، هر آنچه درمنزل بود با خود بردند و در واقع خانه را تخلیه کردند و کلیه کلید های داخل منزل حتی اتاق خواب را تغییر داده و در اختیار داشتند، و فرزند سومم علی را نیز همان شب که با تماس همین مامورین جهت دیدن ما آمده بود به اتهام جاسوسی دستگیر کرده و به اوین بردند.ـ
از بدو امر شخصاً خواستار ارائه مجوز تصرف مجتمع و حضور در واحد مسکونی مان و نیز حکم اعمال بازداشت خانگی بودم؛ خواسته ایی که هرگز اجابت نگردید. به استثنای حکم تفتیش که شب اول به رویت همسرم رسید، تاکنون هیچ حکمی از مراجع ذی صلاح قانونی مبنی بر “حبس” “اشغال منزل توسط نیروهای امنیتی” و “حضور آنان در داخل منزل” دریافت نکرده ایم. اگر مبنای یورش نیروهای امنیتی را سخنان جناب جنتی بدانیم باید در منزل شخصی خودمان نظیر مرحوم حضرت آیت الله العظمی منتظری حصر می گردیدیم، اما آنچه در عمل اتفاق افتاد از زندان انفرادی نیز بدتر و بی رحمانه تر بوده است. دوستانی که پیش از انقلاب سابقه ای دارند، می دانند که ساواک هیچگاه بدون حکم قانونی به حریم منزل اشخاص ورود نمی کرد. تجربه شخصی اینجانب در موارد متعدد و سایر مبارزان آن دوران گواهی است بر این ادعا. درآن زمان حتی برای بزرگانی که نسخه حصر خانگی اعمال می گردید، هرگز امنیتی ها در منزل و یا واحد آپارتمان شخص محصور شده حضور نمی یافتند. (حتی در زمان بازداشت سال ۱۳۵۳ حجت الاسلام والمسلمین کروبی، که نیروهای ساواک ایشان را به اتهام مبارزه علیه رژیم ستمشاهی بازداشت کردند، چنین بازرسی و تفتیشی از منزل ما صورت نگرفته بود) و شاید برای فرزند آیت الله میرزا هاشم آملی که به تقوا و زهد شهره بودند ، جالب باشد که بداند در جریان این حمله، مردان به ظاهر دین دار، تمام البسه و لوازم شخصی من را نیز بازرسی نموده و متاسفانه هیچ حیا و حجابی در ورود و بررسی وسایل شخصی من از خود نشان نمی دادند.ـ
آقای کروبی طی ۲۱۰ روز گذشته از حقوق اولیه یک زندانی نظیر حق دسترسی به کتاب، روزنامه، تلفن، ملاقاتنظم، هواخوری و … برخوردار نبوده است. ( در زمان بازداشت های مکرر آقای کروبی که خود ایشان نقل کرده اند من جمله در دوران بازداشت درزندان قزل قلعه سرانجام بعد از یک یا دو هفته زندان انفرادی، امکان هوا خوری هفتگی پیدا می کردند اما این بار پس از شش ماه حبس، اجازه استفاده از حیاط محصور درمیان میله ها و هواخوری را نیافتند) وضعیت جسمی ایشان بشدت در خطر قرار دارد و معاینه ایشان توسط پزشکان مستقل و مورد اعتماد خانواده امری ضروری است.ـ
فقدان تعیین وضعیت موجود و به رسمیت نشناختن حقوق زندانی که بدون طی کردن مراحل دادرسی و برگزاری دادگاه در اختیار امنیتی ها قرار گرفته، بستری مناسب برای اعمال فشارهای متعدد جسمی و روحی به همسرم گردیده است. نگرانی اینجانب از وقایع حادث شده نیست زیرا همانطور که قبلا متذکر شدم ایشان خود را برای شرایط بدتر از این هم آماده کرده است، لیکن آنچه موجب تأسف و تأثر است حاکمیت گروهی است که رفتار غیر قانونی خود را قانون نانوشته تلقی کرده و هرآنچه را که اراده می کنند بنام حاکمیت اعمال می کنند.ـ
اجازه می خواهم به نمونه اخیر که اتفاقا بدعت عجیبی است اشاره کنم. بدنبال اشغال و تصرف مجتمع مسکونی، سایر شرکاءِ ملکِ تصرف شده از اعمال حقوق مالکانه و انتفاع از ملک خود محروم و نیروهای امنیتی به جای آنان منتفع گردیدند! این تصرف خلاف شرع و قانون، موجب برخورد جدی آقای کروبی درموارد متعدد، از جمله نگارش نامه هایی به دادستان تهران گردید. از روز اول آقای کروبی اعلام کردند که آماده انتقال به هر مکانی از جمله زندان اوین هستند، اما راضی به تصرف غیر قانونی اموال سایر شرکاء نمی باشند. بعد از ۵ ماه رایزنی، فرزندان منزلی در جماران تهیه کردند، تا حبس بدون حکم، بدون ایجاد مزاحمت در حقوق دیگران و در منزل شخصی مان ادامه یابد. بعد از انجام کلیه امور و انتقال سند قطعی ماموران اعلام کردند که جماران منطقه مناسبی نیست و مکان حبس باید به انتخاب آنان باشد. بدنبال پافشاری همسرم در تاریخ ۹ مرداد ماه، بطور موقت ایشان با حضور تعدادی از نیروهای امنیتی به آپارتمانی یک خوابه منتقل شدند و عملا امکان حضور من در آنجا منتفی گردید. این آپارتمان کوچک پذیرای ۴۵ روزگذشته کروبی و زندانبانان وی بوده است. گرچه هرجایی که ایشان توسط نیروهای امنیتی منتقل شوند بمنزله واحد مسکونی ایشان نمی باشد.ـ
مقامات امنیتی که نگرانی خانواده نسبت به وضعیت سلامتی ایشان بویژه قلب و دستگاه تنفسی را درک کرده اند، تنها راه خروج از آپارتمان مذکور را منوط به اجاره مکان دیگر اعلام نموده اند:ـ
ـ۱) انتخاب مکان با ما است.ـ
ـ۲) امضا کننده قرار داد اجاره نباید عضوی از خانواده باشد.ـ
ـ۳) امضا کننده قرار داد در هنگام امضا باید پیشاپیش چک های یکسال را تقدیم کند و نباید از آدرس ملک و جزئیات باخبر باشد.ـ
دراین راستا یکماه پیش مبلغی بعنوان پیش پرداخت از من دریافت کردند و سایر چک ها را از یکی از اعضای سابق دفتر که برای امضا و تقدیم مال الاجاره خوانده شده بود، اخذ کردند. دراین بدعت جدید حاکمیت هزینه زندان و زندانبانان را برعهده خانواده گذاشته تا به جهانیان بگوید کروبی درخانه خود زندانی است!!! ایشان خود را برای پرداخت هر هزینه ای آماده کرده اما غافل از آنکه امروز در این سرزمین و به هدف مرعوب کردن وی، مجازات جمعی علیه خانواده اعمال می گردد. خدا را گواه می گیریم که همسرم با همان نشاطی که درسال ۱۳۴۱ و دراوج جوانی پا به عرصه سیاست و مبارزه گذاشت، دراین سال ها و در راستای عهد خود با مردم و شهدا و تحقق آرمان های اصیل انقلاب و وعده های داده شده دراین مسیر، هرگز خللی در اراده اش ایجاد نشده است.ـ
آیا جنابعالی فکر می کنید عاقلی در این کره خاکی پیدا شود که آن زندان تحمیلی را منزل کروبی تلقی کند؟ آیا سکوت دستگاه قضائی موجب این بدعت در دستگاه امنیتی نمی گردد که در آینده هزینه بازداشتگاه های خود را از خانواده زندانیان مطالبه کند؟ آیا چنین رفتاری شایسته جمهوری اسلامی است؟ اگرچه می دانید این دستور مضحک بدعتی تاریخی محسوب می گردد، اما خانواده بخاطر نگرانی از وضعیت جسمی آقای کروبی این خواسته را اجابت کرد.ـ
درپایان لازم می بینم نظرتان را به این فرمایش مولی الموحدین جلب کنم که می فرماید: ” به خدا قسم روی خارهای گزنده بخوابم و خواب را برچشمانم حرام کنم و با زنجیرهای گران بسته شوم، برای من بهتر است از اینکه روز قیامت خدا و رسول او را درحالی ملاقات کنم که به بعضی از بندگان خدا ستم کرده باشم ” .( بحار الانوار، ج ۴۱ ، صفحه ۱۶۲)ـ
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Religion and the Fight for Freedom
I recently attended a discussion about the effort to spread democracy in Iran that featured a prominent exiled activist who gave his ideas about the current situation in Iran. His talk was well written and generally made good points about the state of opposition as well as what it will take to bring freedom to Iran. The discussion then opened up to the wider audience and that's when talk descended into triviality.
The main topic of contention was the role of religion both within a future Iranian state, but more broadly about the nature of Islam. Some in the audience believed that Islam was fundamentally anti-democratic and had no place in the future of Iran. The speaker felt that there are numerous iterations of Islam and the one practiced by this regime was obviously bad, but there could be a more benevolent Islamic society.
I obviously have my own opinions when it comes to these topics and my own vision for what Iran should look like in the future. Yet in a truly democratic society, everyone has their differing opinions and consensus is eventually reached through compromise. I think getting bodged down in philosophical arguments is a disservice to the cause of freedom in Iran. Our primary concern should be attaining freedom for the Iranian people and we should never forget that.
It is easy to argue and blame each other for the problems and it is a lot harder to come together for a common cause. I think we should stop our own internal bickering and focus on the goal of seeing a free and democratic Iran one day. Until that day comes, all other efforts are a distraction and play into the hands who try to keep power by ruling through division. There will be plenty of time to argue in a respectful manner when democracy comes to Iran, but until then we should work together to seek democracy under a common banner.
The only thing that matters is the people of Iran and their freedom, and we should never forget that.
The main topic of contention was the role of religion both within a future Iranian state, but more broadly about the nature of Islam. Some in the audience believed that Islam was fundamentally anti-democratic and had no place in the future of Iran. The speaker felt that there are numerous iterations of Islam and the one practiced by this regime was obviously bad, but there could be a more benevolent Islamic society.
I obviously have my own opinions when it comes to these topics and my own vision for what Iran should look like in the future. Yet in a truly democratic society, everyone has their differing opinions and consensus is eventually reached through compromise. I think getting bodged down in philosophical arguments is a disservice to the cause of freedom in Iran. Our primary concern should be attaining freedom for the Iranian people and we should never forget that.
It is easy to argue and blame each other for the problems and it is a lot harder to come together for a common cause. I think we should stop our own internal bickering and focus on the goal of seeing a free and democratic Iran one day. Until that day comes, all other efforts are a distraction and play into the hands who try to keep power by ruling through division. There will be plenty of time to argue in a respectful manner when democracy comes to Iran, but until then we should work together to seek democracy under a common banner.
The only thing that matters is the people of Iran and their freedom, and we should never forget that.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What This Regime Has Caused Outside Iran
Syrians burn the Iranian flag in protest of the regime's support for the tyranny in Syria. Instead of the lies of supporting freedom in the Middle East, we see the sad reality of what the policies of this regime have caused outside of Iran.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
UN Investigates Illegal Arrest of Mousavi and Karroubi
Full story here:
"UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances" has informed the International Federation for Human Rights, and its member organisation the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI), in its letter of September 2011 that it has considered the cases of enforced disappearance of Messrs Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, Ms. Zahra Rahnavard and Ms. Fatemeh Karroubi "which your organisation submitted… and transmitted them to the Government of Iran on 4 April 2011, under its urgent action procedure", so that "investigations would be carried out in order to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons and to protect their rights. Any information received from the Government of Iran concerning these cases shall be transmitted to you in due course."
Following their joint statement of 2 March 2011, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) had filed a complaint on the enforced disappearance of the four opposition leaders with the "UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances."
Referring to the letter of the UNWGEID, vice-president of FIDH and President of the LDDHI, Karim Lahidji said: "It is clear that the Iranian government has failed to respond to the United Nations after more than six months. We have informed Mr Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur for human rights in Iran, of the matter. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances shall examine this case in its 95th session from 1 to 11 November 2011. The international community must persuade the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect its obligations under the human rights covenants. The report of the special rapporteur for human rights and other actions shall gradually pave the way for raising the dossier of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations Security Council."
"UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances" has informed the International Federation for Human Rights, and its member organisation the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI), in its letter of September 2011 that it has considered the cases of enforced disappearance of Messrs Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, Ms. Zahra Rahnavard and Ms. Fatemeh Karroubi "which your organisation submitted… and transmitted them to the Government of Iran on 4 April 2011, under its urgent action procedure", so that "investigations would be carried out in order to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons and to protect their rights. Any information received from the Government of Iran concerning these cases shall be transmitted to you in due course."
Following their joint statement of 2 March 2011, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) had filed a complaint on the enforced disappearance of the four opposition leaders with the "UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances."
Referring to the letter of the UNWGEID, vice-president of FIDH and President of the LDDHI, Karim Lahidji said: "It is clear that the Iranian government has failed to respond to the United Nations after more than six months. We have informed Mr Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur for human rights in Iran, of the matter. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances shall examine this case in its 95th session from 1 to 11 November 2011. The international community must persuade the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect its obligations under the human rights covenants. The report of the special rapporteur for human rights and other actions shall gradually pave the way for raising the dossier of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations Security Council."
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Civil Disobedience in Iran
An interesting article exploring the chaning nature of civil disobedience in Iran since 2009. Worth a read:
The Iranian regime faces a threat even more daunting than the 2009 Green Movement protests: a disparate yet potentially powerful civil disobedience movement motivated not just by politics, but by environmental, economic, and social issues. From demonstrations over the drying up of Lake Orumieh in northwestern Iran to organized youth water fights in Tehran, the resilience and spontaneity of protests in Iran have recently been on full display. But these protests differ from the 2009 protests. They are not necessarily motivated by Iran's contentious factional politics, and they are not wedded to the agenda of Iran's Islamist reform movement. Rather, they are the outpouring of popular frustration with daily life in Iran.
Lake Orumieh, one of the world's largest saltwater lakes, is in danger of disappearing in the next few years. Environmental activists and even members of Iran's parliament have blamed the government's policies and its overall lack of interest for the lake's dismal condition. The drying up of the lake could have serious environmental and economic repercussions for the region's inhabitants. It is no surprise that the region's Turkish-speaking population went into the streets in protest last week; Lake Orumieh is a symbol of Iranian Azerbaijan's historical and cultural heritage. The drying up of the lake was also a convenient reason for Iran's Azeris to express their discontent with the regime in Tehran. The Iranian government, fearing ethnic strife and separatism, responded with brute force and massive arrests, in typical fashion.
Civil disobedience, however, is not restricted to Iran's ethnic minorities. Iranian youth have engaged in water fights -- using plastic guns and balloons -- in Tehran's parks. These water fights, organized through social media sites such as Facebook, are meant to alleviate boredom but also to counter the Islamic Republic's stifling social regulations. Iran's Prosecutor-General, Gholam Hossein Mohsen Ejei, has called the water fights "a campaign orchestrated from abroad." Identified "conspirators" have been duly detained, along with their toy guns.
The Islamic Republic has good reason to fear Iranians protecting a dying lake or trying to have fun on a hot summer day. The 2009 protests shook the regime to its very core; any gathering of a large group of people is suspected as a prelude to revolt. Iran is also surrounded by the dying embers of neighboring authoritarian regimes, from Libya to its close ally, Syria. The Iranian regime may have been successful in crushing the Green Movement that emerged in 2009, but recent acts of civil disobedience could be much harder to control. They are spontaneous and leaderless and not tied to the reform movement led by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who still profess loyalty to the same Islamic Republic that they helped create. More importantly, recent acts of civil disobedience are motivated by multiple factors, and not just a result of dissatisfaction with a particular election or opposition to a specific figure such as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A typical Iranian has many reasons to disobey the government, whether he or she is young, an ethnic minority, a poor teacher or laborer, or a struggling student. The Azeri demonstrators are not merely motivated by a dying lake or ethnic aspirations. They are driven by the anger, frustration, and indignity felt by Iranians regardless of race, religion, or gender. The Islamic Republic has left many Iranians with no choice but to disobey. And they no longer have to await Mousavi and Karroubi's orders to go into the streets.
The Iranian regime faces a threat even more daunting than the 2009 Green Movement protests: a disparate yet potentially powerful civil disobedience movement motivated not just by politics, but by environmental, economic, and social issues. From demonstrations over the drying up of Lake Orumieh in northwestern Iran to organized youth water fights in Tehran, the resilience and spontaneity of protests in Iran have recently been on full display. But these protests differ from the 2009 protests. They are not necessarily motivated by Iran's contentious factional politics, and they are not wedded to the agenda of Iran's Islamist reform movement. Rather, they are the outpouring of popular frustration with daily life in Iran.
Lake Orumieh, one of the world's largest saltwater lakes, is in danger of disappearing in the next few years. Environmental activists and even members of Iran's parliament have blamed the government's policies and its overall lack of interest for the lake's dismal condition. The drying up of the lake could have serious environmental and economic repercussions for the region's inhabitants. It is no surprise that the region's Turkish-speaking population went into the streets in protest last week; Lake Orumieh is a symbol of Iranian Azerbaijan's historical and cultural heritage. The drying up of the lake was also a convenient reason for Iran's Azeris to express their discontent with the regime in Tehran. The Iranian government, fearing ethnic strife and separatism, responded with brute force and massive arrests, in typical fashion.
Civil disobedience, however, is not restricted to Iran's ethnic minorities. Iranian youth have engaged in water fights -- using plastic guns and balloons -- in Tehran's parks. These water fights, organized through social media sites such as Facebook, are meant to alleviate boredom but also to counter the Islamic Republic's stifling social regulations. Iran's Prosecutor-General, Gholam Hossein Mohsen Ejei, has called the water fights "a campaign orchestrated from abroad." Identified "conspirators" have been duly detained, along with their toy guns.
The Islamic Republic has good reason to fear Iranians protecting a dying lake or trying to have fun on a hot summer day. The 2009 protests shook the regime to its very core; any gathering of a large group of people is suspected as a prelude to revolt. Iran is also surrounded by the dying embers of neighboring authoritarian regimes, from Libya to its close ally, Syria. The Iranian regime may have been successful in crushing the Green Movement that emerged in 2009, but recent acts of civil disobedience could be much harder to control. They are spontaneous and leaderless and not tied to the reform movement led by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who still profess loyalty to the same Islamic Republic that they helped create. More importantly, recent acts of civil disobedience are motivated by multiple factors, and not just a result of dissatisfaction with a particular election or opposition to a specific figure such as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A typical Iranian has many reasons to disobey the government, whether he or she is young, an ethnic minority, a poor teacher or laborer, or a struggling student. The Azeri demonstrators are not merely motivated by a dying lake or ethnic aspirations. They are driven by the anger, frustration, and indignity felt by Iranians regardless of race, religion, or gender. The Islamic Republic has left many Iranians with no choice but to disobey. And they no longer have to await Mousavi and Karroubi's orders to go into the streets.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mousavi Allowed to Visit Family
After months of illegal house arrest, Mousavi was allowed to visit his family and affired his spirit is strong. Full story here:
After 7 months of house arrest, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard were finally allowed to visit the home of one of their daughters, spending some time with their three children.
According to reports received by Kaleme, 200 days after their house arrest, Mousavi and Rahnavard were accompanied by a number of male and female security agents to the residence of one of their daughters. This sudden and unprecedented visit, with all three of their daughters present, was the first time Mousavi and Rahnavard were allowed to leave the confounds of their house arrest in a period of 7 months.
The future is bright...
In the meeting with his three children, Mir Hossein Mousavi made the following statement regarding the current developments in the country: "The future is bright" While pointing to the upcoming [parliamentary] elections, the former prime minister during the 8 year holy war against Iraq stated: " Given the current climate in our country, one cannot be hopeful regarding participation in the upcoming elections."
While discussing the restrictions imposed upon them, Mousavi stated that he is grateful for the grace of God, emphasizing that the pressures and restrictions on himself and his wife are as a result of their ideals and speaking the truth, principles they both strongly believe in.
It has been reported that during Mousavi and Rahnavard's long house arrest, they were both very concerned for the life, well being and security of their three daughters, particularly as one of the pressure tactics used by security agents was making sure that Mousavi and Rahnavard were in the dark when it came to their children's well being.
Presence of a high ranking judicial figure during the family visit and Mousavi's distinct reaction
It has been reported that a high ranking judicial authority was also present during Mousavi and Rahnavard's first visit in 7 months with their three daughters, a visit that took place outside the restricted confines of Pasteur street [the location of Mousavi's residence]. Mousavi is said to have strongly protested the presence of this individual, demanding to know why he was present and who had authorized him to be there.
Mousavi and Rahnavard denied all communication with the outside world, their personal art work confiscated
During the visit with their three daughters, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard reiterated that they have been denied all communication with the outside world, including access to newspapers, radio and even certain writing materials. They both emphasized that although these tactics are designed to erase their memories, the truth and the events of the past two years will be etched in their memories for ever. Mousavi and Rahnavard also stated: " A large number of our personal art work and paintings were confiscated and taken to an undisclosed location during the interrogations and searches conducted by security agents after the initial days of our house arrest."
Mousavi and Rahnavard both in good physical condition and high spirits
Mousavi and Rahnavard's daughters describe their parents as physically healthy and in excellent spirits. Reportedly when informed about the lies that had been published regarding his health by a number of pro government media outlets, Mousavi was surprised, strongly denying any reports eluding to the fact that he and his wife suffer from any serious illness.
Pressure on the family continued after the visit, all telephone contact once again banned
According to the latest reports received by Kaleme, after this unprecedented visit outside of the restrictions of Pasteur street and Mousavi's explicit statements to the judicial authority present, pressure on Mousavi and Rahnavard once again increased and all telephone contact between Mousavi, Rahnavard and their daughters was yet again banned.
This is the second time Mousavi's statements have reached Green media outlets in 2011. The first such occasion was when Mousavi was briefly allowed to visit and pay his respects to the body of his late father Mir Esmail Mousavi this past April, and he reportedly repeated to those present: "patience.... patience.... patience..."
After 7 months of house arrest, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard were finally allowed to visit the home of one of their daughters, spending some time with their three children.
According to reports received by Kaleme, 200 days after their house arrest, Mousavi and Rahnavard were accompanied by a number of male and female security agents to the residence of one of their daughters. This sudden and unprecedented visit, with all three of their daughters present, was the first time Mousavi and Rahnavard were allowed to leave the confounds of their house arrest in a period of 7 months.
The future is bright...
In the meeting with his three children, Mir Hossein Mousavi made the following statement regarding the current developments in the country: "The future is bright" While pointing to the upcoming [parliamentary] elections, the former prime minister during the 8 year holy war against Iraq stated: " Given the current climate in our country, one cannot be hopeful regarding participation in the upcoming elections."
While discussing the restrictions imposed upon them, Mousavi stated that he is grateful for the grace of God, emphasizing that the pressures and restrictions on himself and his wife are as a result of their ideals and speaking the truth, principles they both strongly believe in.
It has been reported that during Mousavi and Rahnavard's long house arrest, they were both very concerned for the life, well being and security of their three daughters, particularly as one of the pressure tactics used by security agents was making sure that Mousavi and Rahnavard were in the dark when it came to their children's well being.
Presence of a high ranking judicial figure during the family visit and Mousavi's distinct reaction
It has been reported that a high ranking judicial authority was also present during Mousavi and Rahnavard's first visit in 7 months with their three daughters, a visit that took place outside the restricted confines of Pasteur street [the location of Mousavi's residence]. Mousavi is said to have strongly protested the presence of this individual, demanding to know why he was present and who had authorized him to be there.
Mousavi and Rahnavard denied all communication with the outside world, their personal art work confiscated
During the visit with their three daughters, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard reiterated that they have been denied all communication with the outside world, including access to newspapers, radio and even certain writing materials. They both emphasized that although these tactics are designed to erase their memories, the truth and the events of the past two years will be etched in their memories for ever. Mousavi and Rahnavard also stated: " A large number of our personal art work and paintings were confiscated and taken to an undisclosed location during the interrogations and searches conducted by security agents after the initial days of our house arrest."
Mousavi and Rahnavard both in good physical condition and high spirits
Mousavi and Rahnavard's daughters describe their parents as physically healthy and in excellent spirits. Reportedly when informed about the lies that had been published regarding his health by a number of pro government media outlets, Mousavi was surprised, strongly denying any reports eluding to the fact that he and his wife suffer from any serious illness.
Pressure on the family continued after the visit, all telephone contact once again banned
According to the latest reports received by Kaleme, after this unprecedented visit outside of the restrictions of Pasteur street and Mousavi's explicit statements to the judicial authority present, pressure on Mousavi and Rahnavard once again increased and all telephone contact between Mousavi, Rahnavard and their daughters was yet again banned.
This is the second time Mousavi's statements have reached Green media outlets in 2011. The first such occasion was when Mousavi was briefly allowed to visit and pay his respects to the body of his late father Mir Esmail Mousavi this past April, and he reportedly repeated to those present: "patience.... patience.... patience..."
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Quote for Iran Today
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
-John F. Kennedy
-John F. Kennedy
Saturday, September 3, 2011
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