Freedom: massacre

Showing posts with label massacre. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

CALL ON U.N. : NOBEL LAUREATES CONDEMN EXECUTIONS BY IRAN REGIME PERPETRATORS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

A group of Nobel laureates expressed grave concerns over continuing human rights violations in Iran. 21 Nobel laureates from the United States, Canada, Germany and Norway issued a letter asking United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to use his good offices “through the UN Human Rights Council to closely monitor the human rights situation in Iran,

inform the world of the violations taking place in that country and to strongly condemn such violations …” and “an immediate halt to intractable arrests, torture and arbitrary executions. The perpetrators of such executions must be held accountable.” Pejman Amiri an Iranian dissident and freelance writer wrote in an article in ‘News Blaze’ on July 22, 2017 and the article continues as follows:

The 21 Nobel laureates have praised the Secretary-General’s last report on the human rights situation in Iran, in which he referred to the 1988 massacre of more than 30,000 innocent human beings in Iran on the charge of loving freedom, said Dr. Richard J. Roberts, a Nobel laureate in medicine from the US who led the initiative. The 1988 massacre has currently become a very challenging internal matter for the brutal clerics in Iran.

The prominent laureates reiterated their previous communications with the UN about the fate of members of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq who were under constant missile barrage attacks.

“In previous communications, we had expressed our utter abhorrence over the massacre of refugees in camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq, all of whom were opponents of the crackdown and human rights violations in Iran. We also voiced our support regarding their safe and sound transfer outside of Iraq. Fortunately, under international community supervision, these residents have now been transferred to other countries, including Albania.

We are witness to your direct efforts as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in aiding the issue of Ashraf and Liberty residents, and we express our humble gratitude,” they wrote.

Nobel Laureates Condemn Executions in Iran.

Nobel Laureates.

From 2011 to 2016, as the top UN refugee officer, Guterres UNHCR supported a safe and secure transfer of MEK members out of Iraq. He personally intervened with former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to prevent attacks against the residents. Al-Maliki and Iran-backed Shiite militias regularly stormed the MEK members at the behest of Tehran.

“We are seeking that you in your new position call on the Iraqi government to pay the compensation to these Ashraf and Liberty residents for their property in Iraq, valued at $600 million. During their confinement in Iraq the government did not permit them to sell their property and refused to provide compensation. This money would have allowed the residents to pay for their current accommodation in Albania, which from a humanitarian perspective is both necessary and vital,” the Nobel laureates’ letter to Guterres continues.

“In addition to our scientific obligations to advance science and improve human life, we also consider defending human rights across the globe as our duty. We believe the two endeavors of science and human rights must advance in lock-step to establish a better world. The wanton trampling of basic human rights in the 21st century is completely unacceptable,” they added, shedding light on their motivation behind this humanitarian initiative to condemn executions in Iran as it has highest number of executions per capita in the world.

Executions have continued since the May farce presidential election in Iran that the incumbent Hassan Rouhani remained in the presidency. For the past few months many people have been hanged in public. The hangings are despite the Iranian regimes’ lobbyists around the world, particularly in the U.S., portraying the Iranian government and Hassan Rouhani as moderate.

In the early days of this regime after the 1979 revolution, Rouhani had called for the public execution of dissidents during Friday prayers. His justice minister is a member of a four-man commission that supervised the execution of more than 30,000 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience back during the 1988 massacre.

Currently, the relatives of the executed victims are active in social media calling for justice to be done and bring the henchmen and those who ordered the executions to justice. The Nobel laureates letter to the United Nations Secretary General emphasizing that “The perpetrators of such executions must be held accountable” is certainly giving a new international dimension to this issue and a stronger voice to the demand for justice to be done.

Source:CALL ON U.N. : NOBEL LAUREATES CONDEMN EXECUTIONSBY IRAN REGIME PERPETRATORS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

FORMER INTELLIGENCE MINISTER TALKS ABOUT 1988 MASSACRE OF MEK PRISONERS IN IRAN

By INU Staff

INU - Ali Fallahian, a former Intelligence Minister of Iran, participated in an interview with Tarikh Online – a state-affiliated news website, earlier this month. He admitted that the Supreme Leader at the time, Ayatollah Khomeini, ordered the execution of anyone linked to the Iranian opposition (MEK) in a fatwa in 1988.

During the summer of 1988, more than 30,000 political prisoners, most of whom were members or supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK), the main Iranian opposition group, were executed.

He said that the fatwa ordered the execution of the MEK members who insisted on maintaining their beliefs. To deal with the logistics of it, a commission was formed, he said. This is what has become known as the “Death Commission”. Fallahian said that the purpose of the commission was in actual fact to see who would be pardoned instead of being executed.

He explained that the people could have escaped execution by saying that they no longer hold their beliefs and do not support the MEK or any other opposition. If they declared their commitment to the Supreme Leader they would have remained alive.

Mr. Hossein-Ali Montazeri released an audio recording of him warning the other members of the death commission about what they were partaking in. He said that such an act would go down in history as an unforgettable and horrific event. He was also concerned that it was not a good image of Islam. Fallahian said that he also clashed with Khomeini on other matters, and he was instructed to carry out his religious duties, in this case to participate in the 1988 massacre, without any regard for “history’s judgement”.

The Iranian regime has commented that the people who were executed in 1988 were armed when they were arrested, but Fallahian explained that this was not the case. Not all of the people who died were part of armed rebellion activities. Fallahian said that they did not distinguish between those who were armed and those who were not – if they were faced with a member of the MEK then they were treated as if they were armed.

The interviewer, clearly shocked by what they were hearing, asked Fallahian to clarify what he said. They asked him that if someone was carrying a MEK newspaper, would they have been arrested. Fallahian said yes, because they were part of the MEK.

The people of Iran are still waiting for justice despite repeated calls by the international community.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

IRAN REGIME'S SUPREME LEADER ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION OF MOVIES AGAINST MEK

By INU Staff

INU - Following the ignominy of the movie “Adventure of Nimrooz (Midday Adventure)", made against the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran ( PMOI/MEK), the news agency of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) released the news about the meeting of Iranian regime's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with film producers which exposes Khamenei’s role in the production of this movie. The IRGC was also involved in the production of the movie in February/March 2017

The news was first released by the IRGC following confessions and protests among various government bands due to the ignominy of this scandalous film. It was then published by other state-run news agencies

According to state-run news agencies, Khamenei who was after production of this movie against the MEK, in the meeting with his subordinates who produced the movie said: “This film ‘Midday Adventure’ was very good. All the components of the movie were great; it was a great director; excellent play and great stories. The film was well-made

The reports show that Khamenei in the same meeting ordered the production of a movie to and whitewash the crimes of the Evin executioner, Assadollah Lajevardi, and show the facts upside down and misrepresent this criminal

Funding for the movie against MEK by the Revolutionary Guards

The story of “Adventure of Nimrooz” was written and directed by Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian andproduced by Sayyed Mahmoud Razavi

Synopsis of the film is a narrative of direct interrogators, torturers and killers of the MEK in 1980s. The movies goal is confronting the rise in popularity of the MEK particularly among the youths who were borne on or after 1981, in order to tarnish the MEK's image and prevent the youth from joining theMEK.

The IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence have been producing numerous movies against the MEK including “Cyanor” and “Adventure of Nimrooz” with the same intention

Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian, the director and author of the movie “Adventure of Nimrooz,” produced the film under the direct supervision and support of the “OUJ Artistic and Media Organization

The Artistic and Media Organization called ‘OUJ

The ‘OUJ Artistic and Media Organization’, affiliated to Cultural Deputy of the IRGC, was formed in 2011 following the sum up and conclusion of the 2009 uprising in Iran. The sum-up of the reports by the intelligence organs including the Eltaqat (Eclectic) Department of the Ministry of Intelligence (specifically dealing with the MEK) indicates that based on the arrests, control of phone calls and emails… it was concluded that 60% to 65% of the 2009 uprising was organized by the MEK and their supporters

On the basis of this sum-up, Khamenei's regime has taken several steps to confront the uprising in the future. Among these measures was the upgrading of the IRGC deputy information department to the Sepah (Gurads) Intelligence Organization, with the purpose of specifically taking the same role as the Third SAVAK Department in the time of the Shah, known as the “Anti-Sabotage Office,” as well as using the Basij and Plainclothes Organization… as the executive and operational arms of the IRGC

Alongside these security intelligence agencies, the IRGC’s Cultural Affairs Deputy was expanded and deployed to combat and counteract the awareness of young people using psychological warfare and the injection of reactionary thoughts. (In the last transformation in the second half of 2016, Pasdar Naghdi was transferred from commanding Khamenei's Basij to the IRGC Cultural Deputy position)

Since the people and youth despise and hate the Revolutionary Guards, the IRGC’s Cultural Affairs Deputy created the “Artistic and Media Organization of Peak" as a cultural executive arm in 2011 to pursue the goals of this deputy as an artistic organ

The head of this organization is Ehsan Mohammad Hassani, who in addition to the IRGC cultural deputy, has connection with the Ammarion (Plainclothes) base and is sponsored and financially supported by Tehran's mayor, Pasdar Qalibaf

IRAN MURDERED THOUSANDS OF MEK MEMBERS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1988

A professor of political science in Tehran University, Sadeq Zibakalam, who is also a close confidant of Ali Akbar Hashem Rafsanjani, former head of Iran’s Expediency Council, stated that Iran, similar to those who murdered Imam Hossein (the grandson of Prophet Mohammad), has murdered thousands of members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in the course of 10 years following the 1979 revolution, most of them during the summer of 1988 in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. This was reported by al-Quds al-Arabi daily on February 11th, 2017, in an article written by Mohamed al-Mazhaji.

“Guya News” website also published excerpts of Zibakalam’s remarks on the sideline of Iran’s annual “Fajr” film festival in Tehran marking the 1979 revolution anniversary

Iran has murdered thousands of opposition MEK members during the years after the 1979 revolution, without any judicial process or proving any crime, Zibakalam reiterated, referring to events of the summer 1988, and issues raised in the sound file of a meeting between the Islamic republic’s “Death Committee” with Hossein Ali Montazeri, the former successor of the Islamic republic’s founder

Zibakalam also strongly criticized the movie produced with the support of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), “Majaraye Nimrooz” (Midday Adventures), which was previewed at the Fajr film festival. He said that the film does not replicate the truth about what took place between the IRGC and MEK during that period

“We accuse the MEK of conducting a series of assassinations back in the 1980s. Did MEK members carry out these measures for no reason at all?” this Rafsanjani confidant aske

This film retells the events from the Iranian regime’s point of view, depicting an image of the IRGC as kind individuals defending truth and humanity, and not the truth, he added. Instead, we killed thousands of MEK members in Evin Prison without due process, Zibakalam continued, and added that the country was witnessing a civil war at that period of Iran’s revolution, between the IRGC and the MEK, costing the lives of thousands of people

The MEK is one of the main organizations that, beginning in 1965 played a pivotal role in the 1979 revolution, through armed resistance and popular movements against Iran’s monarchial regime. In fact, MEK leader Massoud Rajavi was the leading candidate in the presidential elections after the revolution, and the MEK played an important role from 1979 to 1983 inside Iran

Then, due to the conflict between the state and revolutionary forces, Khomeini, founder of the Islamic republic, prevented many MEK members from holding any possible official jobs in governmental administration, and deprived its members from political activities

Montazeri’s sound file, released by his son, Ahmad Montazeri, made significant revelations, especially since “Death Committee” members explained the reason for condemning and executing thousands of MEK prisoners in 1988. In response, Montazeri had said not according to sharia, morals or humanitarian principles is it permitted to kill an individual who has been condemned once in court for maintaining their position, because they have not committed a new crime and they were already in prison. The “Death Committee” members emphasized to Montazeri they had to be executed because they approved the MEK

The “Death Committee” members are still active in high positions in the regime

Mostafa Pour Mohammadi is one of the most important members of Iran’s

“Death Committee” and he currently is the head of the Ministry of Justice in Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet

Ibrahim Reisi is now the Supreme Leader’s representative and head of the organization managing the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad, northeast Iran

Hossien Ali Nayeri is now deputy head of Iran’s highest court

Reports by the United Nations confirm the execution of at least 3,600 MEK prisoners in Tehran’s prisons. Other security reports, obtained in 1998, indicate the “Death Committee” executed over 30,410 MEK members across Iran in the summer of 1988. This is in addition to the execution of 3,500 prisoners of leftist parties who were behind bars since the first years of the 1979 revolution

Ahmad Khatami, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts Board of Directors and the Qom Religious School and a Friday prayer leader in Tehran, in response to the “Death Committee” sound file, stipulated for the first time that the execution of MEK prisoners in 1988 was carried out on charges of “moharebe against God and his Messenger” (enmity against God and his Prophet) and according to an order issued by Khomeini. He added that this measure was in line with implementing orders of the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence and a revolutionary measure that has served in the better interest of Islam and Iranian people

Pour Mohammadi admitted to the accuracy of the issues raised in the sound file and added, “I am proud of implementing Khomeini’s orders against MEK members.” He stated further, that God’s order against them has been carried out

The Qom Islamic revolution court sentenced Ahmad Montazeri to 21 years behind bars and stripped him of his clerical authority for publishing the sound file.