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On Wednesday, February 20, a conference titled “France and Prospect for Middle East and Iran in 2013, Humanitarian Crisis in Liberty” was held at Colbert Hall of French National Assembly with the presence of dozens of Members of Parliament from political groups. In the conference, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, warned that Camp Liberty, home to 3,100 members of the Iranian Resistance in Iraq, might be subject to another massacre at any time any day. She added that the only way to ensure their relative security until their resettlement in third countries is their immediate return to Ashraf.
Stressing on the responsibility of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Maryam Rajavi stated that the UNHCR interviews was the pretext for the residents’ relocation to Liberty. Now 18 months after the residents submitted their asylum applications and a year after their relocation to Liberty, to secure the residents’ protection, the UNHCR must immediately declare them all as refugees who should be returned to Ashraf. A number of French mps and lawmakers, judges and former members of French National Assembly gave speeches at the conference described Iranian Resistance as the only solution to Iran’s current crisis and called for dialogue with this resistance movement.

In a related story a delegation of American congressman of both US parties travelled to Paris to meet with Maryam Rajavi, the president elect of the Iranian resistance on Wed. Feb. 17. In this meeting Mr. Dana Rohrabacher, Judge Ted Poe, Brian Higgins, and Paul cook, emphasized that US should start talking to the Iranian resistance instead of pointless talks with the Iranian regime.

Preventing interpreters to accompany patients at camp Liberty

On Wednesday, the Iraqi forces upon the orders of committee in the Iraqi Prime Ministry, prevented interpreters from accompanying the Patients in their visiting Iraqi physician at Liberty clinic, according to National Council of Resistance of Iran statement on Feb. 20th. This is contrary to what used to be over past year. This is while most of the patients are not familiar enough with English or Arabic languages to be able to share their medical problems with the doctor.
Regarding this problem, representatives of residents and patients turned to UNAMI representatives and monitors and asked for their intervention to remove this restriction. They took no serious measure in this regard.
This measure is in continuation of psychological and physical torture of Liberty residents by denying them free access to medical services that has been imposed since the very beginning of assuming protection of Ashraf by the Government of Iraq in early 2009 and has led to the death of a number of residents so far. On December 23, 2012, Behrooz Rahimian suffered cardiac arrest and passed away because of Iraq’s intelligence service prevented him from being hospitalized.
NCRI's statement adds: Members of suppression committee in Iraq’s Prime Ministry, intelligence agents and the Prime Minister himself, that all these restrictions, including preventing interpreters to accompany patients, are being carried out under their supervision, are responsible for all losses caused by these restrictions and lost lives, and they should be prosecuted and tried. UNAMI and Martin Kobler should also be held accountable for their silence about this siege and the losses caused due to it.

45 prisoners were executed in Iran in just 5 days

According to reports, the Iranian regime on Tuesday, February 19th, collectively executed 11 inmates in Ghezzel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran.
These reports also indicate that the regime also hanged 9 inmates on the same day in the courtyard of Gohardasht Prison, also in Karaj.
The Iranian regime, in the midst of an unbridled infighting for power and fearing an outburst of popular uprisings especially with its presidential elections approaching, has resorted to increasing executions in public. The mullahs, with at least 45 counts of executions in just five days, has set a new record in crimes and brutality. In Karaj on Feb. 19 20 prisoners were executed, 11 in Ghezel Hesar and 9 in Gohardasht prison. In Shiraz 11 inmates were hanged on February 17th. Eight were executed in the city’s Adel- Abad prison and three were hanged in public.

In Arak, three prisoners were hanged in public on February 20th. Three days prior to this 3 others were also hanged in this city’s central prison.

In Kermanshah, three prisoners were hanged on February 20th. On February 18th, nine prisoners in Diesel Abad prison of this city were informed of their death sentences. Malaki, Kermanshah’s prosecutor, threatened further executions, saying that he will take “serious action against criminals and there will be no condoning.”

In Boushehr, one prisoner was executed after enduring 7 years in prison, on February 17th.

In Zahedan, four prisoners were executed in the city central prison on February 16th, and in the same day, a prisoner named Omar Shahbazi was executed in Sanandaj prison.

In Ahwaz, a prisoner of fellow Arab minority, called Sabah Lovaimi, 38, was executed in Karoon prison.

 

A number of Gonabadi Dervishes arrested in front of Evin Prison in Tehran

On Thursday, February 21, the Iranian regime intelligence agents arrested a number of Gonabadi Dervishes who were gathered in front of Evin Prison protesting the arrest of the lawyers of the Dervishes. The regime’s intelligence agents and plainclothes agents had control over all routes to Evin prison in order to prevent this gathering, which was announced before. Anti-riot guards also were stationed in front of the Evin prison since early morning.
Gonabadi Dervishes were gathered to protest the detention of their lawyers and other fellow Dervishes who have been imprisoned in solitary cells of section 209 of the Evin prison for more than five weeks.
Followers of Ahl-al-Haq have always been under suppression and pressure during the rule of Velayat-e-Faqih (Supremacy of the Supreme Leader). Ban on holding religious and dervishi meetings, attacks on the monasteries, Hussainiehs and Dervish community halls in various cities, including Tehran, Boroujerd , Shiraz, Isfahan, Qom, Share Kord and Kish island, attack on worshipers and beating and arresting them, torturing and insulting dervishes on charges of “disturbing national security”, exile, banning visitors and denial of medical services ... are amongst suppressive measures against the dervishes.
Due to these tortures and pressures, Omid Behrouzi, a Dervishes’ lawyer, who was severely beaten by the regime’s intelligence agents during his arrest, has lost hearing of his left ear because of denial of medical treatment. Saleheddin Moradi, a Gonabadi dervish in Shiraz Adel Abad prison, suffers kidney pain and internal bleeding, and due to lack of minimum medical attention, is in serious condition.

Regime attempts to outlaw nation’s fire festival or Charshanbe souri

The Iranian regime is attempting to outlaw the nation’s ancient fire festival because it represents ‘negative cultural behaviour’. The population has traditionally used the event on the last Wednesday of the Iranian year to air their grievances against their leaders. But senior clerics now fear the looming festivities could escalate into nationwide anti-government protests and the burning of Khamenei posters ahead of the June presidential elections. Damavand City governor Saeid Afshar Naderi said on Tuesday: “Despite our country’s Islamic values, the fire festival ceremony on the last Wednesday of the year has changed into a negative cultural behavior. “The fire festival has no philosophical existence, scientific base and logical explanation.” His comments come after senior regime cleric Mahdavi Kermani who called on parliament in January to uproot the Chaharshanbe-suri (Fire Festival) celebrations. During the festival - which dates back to the 7th Century - Iranians traditionally celebrate by lighting bonfires and hopping or jumping over the flames. In recent years, security forces have been cracking down on celebration up to two months before it begins by banning firecrackers, sparklers, rockets and even home-made grenades.