Iranians Demonstrate in Washington outside State Department
On Friday Aug. 26gh thousands of Iranians and supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), the main Iranian Opposition movement, gathered in front of the State Department in Washington, calling for immediate removal of the name of the group from the United States terror list. The demonstrators also called for the US government to ensure about the protection of the residents of Camp Ashraf where an assault by the Iraqi government earlier this year claimed the lives of 36 men and women in that camp. Organizers say that the participants had come from 40 states of the United States and Canada. The Rally was moderated by Patrick Kennedy, current U.S. Congressman and son of late Senator Edward Kennedy. The speakers called on the US to live up to its commitments regarding 3400 Ashraf residents. Brian Binley (MP) from United Kingdom, announced the support of 4000 parliamentarians from across the globe, including a significant number of members of the UK Parliament and House of Lords, for delisting the PMOI from the U.S. FTO list. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, addressed rally via satellite. She said that State Departments delay in removing the MEK from the terror list is unjustified and the MEK has paid a dear price for it with lives of those who died in the camp last April and those executed In Iran by the Iranian regime. She emphasized that the Iranian regime uses the US terror tag as a justification for execution of MEK supporters in Iran.
Peaceful Demonstrations Turned Violent in Azerbaijan
HRANA News Agency reported that peaceful demonstrations by Azerbaijani citizens turned violent when the Iranian security forces interfered with a gathering to save Lake Urmia in Azarbayjan province, Northwestern Iran. According to HRANA, anti-riot police in the city of Tabriz shot tear gas directly at the crowd and injured a number of the protestors. The demonstrations began when the Mullah’s Parliament rejected the water plan to Lake Urimia which is drying up fast. The Iranian regime has rejected a plan to redistribute water resources in the region and redesign irrigation systems, a plan which hopes will save Lake Urmia and the people and wildlife that depend on it. Three Environmentalists Remain in Police Custody
According to HRANA News Agency, 3 Kurdish Environmentalists in Marivan, Kurdistan Province, will remain in temporary police custody for another month. HRANA added that: Sharif Bajour, Behrooz Darvand and Iraj Ghaderi were arrested on July 23, 2011 by security forces in the city of Marivan. On August 23, 2011, the prosecutor granted a request made by the Intelligence Agency’s interrogator to keep these three prisoners behind bars for an additional month because investigations surrounding their cases have not yet been completed. These three social activists have been permitted to call their families only for a few minutes during the last month.
