NEWS))))))

UN rights chief says torturers will face justice

Associated France Press reported that the UN human rights Chief Navi Pillay on Friday warned torturers that they could not escape justice even if they might benefit from short term impunity.’Torturers, and their superiors, need to hear the following message loud and clear: however powerful you are today, there is a strong chance that sooner or later you will be held to account for your inhumanity,’ Pillay said. ’Torture is an extremely serious crime, and in certain circumstances can amount to a war crime, a crime against humanity or genocide,’ she added in a statement to mark Saturday’s International Day for the Victims of Torture. The High Commissioner for Human Rights urged governments, the United Nations and campaign groups ’to ensure that this message is backed by firm action.’ ’No one suspected of committing torture can benefit from an amnesty. That is a basic principle of international justice and a vital one,’ Pillay added. ’I am concerned, however, that some states rigidly maintain amnesties that save torturers from being brought to justice, even though the regimes that employed them are long gone. ’As a result there are a number of well-established democracies that generally abide by the rule of law, and are proud to do so, which are in effect protecting torturers and denying justice,’ said Pillay. That often, as a result, denied their victims reparations. The UN human rights chief noted that more people were being prosecuted for torture every year, including recent prosecutions in Chile and Argentina for cases dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. She also highlighted the looming verdict in Cambodia’s war crimes tribunal on former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known as ’Duch’ which is due on July 26. ’There is one aspect of all this that should cause even the most ruthless and self-confident torturers to stop and think: in time, all regimes change, including the most entrenched and despotic. ’So even those who think their immunity from justice is ironclad can -- and I hope increasingly will-- eventually find themselves in court,’ Pillay added.

Iran: Intelligence agents raid residence of elderly mother of imprisoned union activist

According to reports on Saturday at around 16:00 local time, agents of the Iranian regime’s intelligence agents raided the house of the elderly mother of a union activist. The ailing mother was harassed and insulted by the assailants, who were acting as the protection office of the Greater Tehran Bus Company. After hearing about the attack, neighbors began to protest strongly against the raid, frightening the intelligence agents who quickly decided to flee the scene. The 60 year old woman is the mother of Mr. Saeed Torabian, the head of public relations at the Bus Company Syndicate in Tehran. She suffers from heart complications and lives alone. Lack of information about her son’s condition has worsened her anxiety. Separately, on June 18, Reza Shahabi, the syndicate’s treasurer, filed a complaint against the protection office after his wife was kidnapped. Also Mr. Osanloo’s daughter –in-law has been arrested and was beaten in an undisclosed location. She then was threatened not to tell about it. She was 2 month pregnant and as a result of the beating has lost her baby. Mr. Osanloo the head of the syndicate of Tehran’s bus company has been sentence to 5 years in prison. He’s been in jail for 4 years now.

NEWS))))))

Protest gathering outside martyr’s house in Tehran, marking uprising anniversary

A large crowd of people gathered outside the home of Sohrab Aarabi, commemorating the anniversary of his death in last year’s uprising, and chanted 'Death to dictator' and 'God is great'. Plainclothes agents present at the scene, beat up the participants. According to reports, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) raided the home of Sohrab Aarabi, vandalizing and damaging the facilities. MOIS agents also arrested a number of people present at Aarabi’s grave. On June 20^th the anniversary of Neda Aghasoltan’s death by a bassiji militant, Neda’s mother has asked people to light a candle in her daughter’s memory. Agha sultan family were told by the officials not to hold a memorial for their daughter. Despite the regime’s threat, Neda’s family and more than 4000 people gathered at her grave and paid their respect. 5 women were arrested and taken to an undisclosed location. The street where Neda’s house is located was blocked by the authorities and plain clothes agants heavy presence was evident.

Iranian Regime announced closure of university dorm on anniversary of protests

The Iranian regime has announced that the University of Tehran dormitory, where a massive student protest against the theocracy was sparked in 1999, will be closed on the anniversary of the protests on July 8. Although the regime’s fears of student gatherings on July 8 and subsequent days is a clear motive behind the decision, the director of the university’s dormitory has cited “much needed extensive changes” as the reason for the closure. The dorm director, Dariush Esmaili, added that the students have from June 19 until June 26 to evacuate their rooms. Esmaili asked students to transfer their belongings to storage facilities, adding, the dormitory will be closed from June 30 to July 15. Esmaili added that during this time much needed extensive changes will be made to the dormitory.

******

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued a statement on June 12, 2010, marking the anniversary of Iran’s 2009 presidential election, which precipitated a serious deterioration in the country’s human rights situation. It reads: One year ago, in the wake of Iran’s presidential elections, the world bore witness to the Iranian regime’s violent repression of its citizens, who were exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly in protest against the conduct of those elections. Iran has made absolutely no progress in the last year toward addressing the legitimate aspirations of its people. In fact, its regime has been even more repressive. Iran’s continued blatant disregard for the rights of its citizens must end. “Canada calls on the Iranian regime to uphold its human rights commitments by allowing freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly; protecting religious minorities; respecting the human rights of prisoners and detainees; and ensuring equal treatment of women and girls. “Canada also calls on the Iranian regime to conduct an independent investigation into the killings, violence, arrests and detentions that occurred in the wake of these demonstrations. 'Canada strongly urges the Iranian regime to respect diverse social and political groups and their freedom of expression, and to engage these groups in a constructive dialogue that will serve to strengthen the rich fabric of the Iranian nation. “Canada further urges the Iranian regime to respect the rights of the country’s Baha’i community and cease persecuting it, discriminating against it and detaining its members. We note the trial of the seven leaders of the Baha’i community was to take place today, and we call on the Iranian regime to ensure that due process is respected.

NEWS))))))

Bassij commanders voice fears and confess to extensive protests and clashes in Tehran

In a confidential document, obtained by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, commanders of the paramilitary Bassij Force confessed to the breadth of protests and clashes on June 12. Hit and runs occurred in various locations of Tehran. Among other things, the report refers to protest acts by people including in Tehran, Sharif, Science and Technology and Arts universities as well the vicinities, in addition to the streets of Azadi, Azarbaijan, Khoush, Navab, Amir-Abad, Molla Sadra, Karimkhan, Vali Asr Square and Vali Asr intersection, Enqelab Square and Enqelab Street, Ferdowsi Square and Ferdowsi Street, Fisher-Abad, Vanak Square, Towhid Square, and Palestine Square. The report also mentions that people set tires ablaze in order to neutralize the effects of tear gas in several parts of the city, including Shahrak-e Gharb. The internal document also refers to the protest act at Rasht University as well as its suppression by the clerical regime’s forces, in addition to graffiti writing in various cities, including Bushehr and towns in the province of Mazandaran, and protest acts and distribution of pamphlets in Shiraz.

On Saturday afternoon, the students of Elm va Sanaat (Science and Technology) University staged a protest gathering despite a heavy presence of suppressive forces. A large number of people also gathered in front of the university in support of the students. According to reports at 7:15 Pm local time, a large number of people also gathered in front of the University of Tehran in solidarity with the students, chanting “Khamenei shame on you, let go of our country”. The suppressive forces attacked people, wounding and arresting some of them, in order to force the population to disperse. At least 12 people were arrested in these skirmishes and were taken to undisclosed locations. Regime agents on motorbikes wielded batons as they patrolled surrounding university streets, seriously wounding youths as a result. One of the injured was a young girl. Inside the University of Tehran, members of the paramilitary Bassij Force and intelligence agents from Herasat Office (Protection Office, a branch of the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence on campus) attacked students with batons and sticks, wounding many of them in the process. The university’s front gate has been locked with a chain. According to reports some 900 people were arrested during the anniversary of the people’s uprising in Iran.

Iranian says he was kidnapped

The Iranian dissident who went missing for almost two weeks in Germany told The Associated Press on Thursday he was kidnapped by four Arabic-speaking men who threatened to kill him for a film he made that is critical of the Iranian regime. In his first interview since his ordeal, Daryush Shokof said he thought the kidnapping was orchestrated by the regime in Tehran even though his captors didn’t speak in Farsi, which is spoken in Iran. 'I am convinced that there is a connection between my kidnapping and the Iranian regime,' Shokof said in a phone interview from Cologne, where he’s under police protection. 'This was the act of this horrendous regime' he told AP.

The Campaign for Removal of the Islamic Regime's Flag (Canada):

http://www.vimeo.com/12225084

A clip by: Joseph Akrami

NEWS))))))

European Parliamentarians protest Motaki’s visit

Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister Manuchehr Motaki, arrived as European Parliamentarians showed posters of Nada, a woman who was killed by security forces in Iran, at the European Parliament in Brussels , Belgium on June 1^st. The parliamentarians called Motaki “murderer” and were asking him how many did your government killed today?

Police say Iranian artist found after 12 days

Associated Press reported on June 4th that the German police said a renowned exiled Iranian artist and filmmaker had been missing for 11 days and authorities were trying to determine his whereabouts. Berlin police spokesman Guido Busch said Friday, they had no information on where Daryush Shokof was. He said that ’as of now we don’t have any evidence that a crime took place. ’The 55-year-old Berlin resident was last seen May 24 in Cologne, where he planned to board a train to Paris. Kazem Moussavi, a friend of Shokof’s, said that Shokof was ’a harsh critic of the Iranian government and constantly received threatening phone calls.’ Last month, two new Shokof films critical of the Iranian government were shown in Berlin. On Sunday the police said that Mr. Shakof was found. His disappearance made the Iranian community in Germany panic.

Iranian authorities step up arrests of women for ’immodest’ dress

Washington Post reported on June 2^nd that the Iranian authorities have begun police patrols in the capital to arrest women wearing clothes deemed improper. The campaign against loose-fitting veils and other signs of modernism comes as government opponents are calling for rallies to mark the anniversary of the disputed presidential election, and critics of the crackdown say it is stoking feelings of discontent. Iran’s interior minister has promised a 'chastity plan' to promote the proper covering 'from kindergarten to families,' though the details are unclear. Tehran police have been arresting women for wearing short coats or improper veils and even for being too suntanned. Witnesses report fines up to $800 for dress considered immodest. Some here say the new measures are part of a government campaign of intimidation ahead of the election anniversary this month.