NEWS
FROM INSIDE IRAN
REPORT
7
PERIOD
18
NOVEMBER 2018 TO 20 NOVEMBER 2018
(PLEASE NOTE THAT
INFORMATION SOURCES ARE NOT PUBLISHED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF OUR
INFORMANTS. UNDER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES CERTAIN INFORMATION CAN BE MADE
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18
November 2018
HAFT TAPPEH SUGAR CANE WORKERS' DEMONSTRATION, WIDELY ACCOMPANIED BY
PEOPLE, FAMILIES AND STUDENTS OF SHUSH
On Saturday morning, November 17,
the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Mill hard-working workers gathered in front of this
complex and marched to the governorate office in dense ranks.
Young people, students and
workers' families participated extensively in the demonstration. Women played a
significant role in front of the demonstrators. This massive demonstration took
place in spite of repressive measures and the creation of a climate of fear and
terror, including the presence of scores of the special anti-riot and other
repressive forces in the governorate and the city.
The protesters chanted: “We are
workers of the Haft Tappeh, we are hungry, hungry”, “Down with the oppressor,
hail to the worker”, “Worker dies, does not accept humiliation”, “One less
embezzlement, our problem will be solved!”, “the betrayal of the authorities
must be announced”, “we do not want incompetent officials”, “Government,
embezzler, happy marriage!”
Protesters, including students,
carried hand written banners reading: "We are children of Haft Tappeh , we
are hungry”, “Dad gave water, Dad gave bread, is no longer our slogan; Dad gave
his life”, “We do not want false promise, we want our rights.”
In their protest to unemployment,
poverty and hunger, workers symbolically put up empty tables in front of the
market and the governorate.
Representatives of the workers
protested in their speeches to the anti-workers' plans of the regime and the
assignment of this economic pole of the country to the plunderer gangs
affiliated with Jahangiri, the first deputy of Rouhani, and emphasized the need
for continued protest to achieve their rights.
At the same time, Ahvaz Steel
hard working workers, who last week went on strike to protest non-payment of
their four months' salaries and benefits, once again gathered in front of
Khuzestan governorate in Ahvaz and then march to the city governorate office.
They called for payment of their arrears, setting up production lines, and
guaranteed occupational safety and payback. They chanted: “Steel, Haft Tappeh,
Unity, Unity; Neither threats nor prison has no longer any effect; Lest we
accept humiliation; No nation has seen this much injustice; Down with this
deceiver government; Our enemy is here, they falsely say it is the United
States.”
Maryam Rajavi, saluted the women
leaders in the passionate demonstration of Haft Tappeh workers on Saturday who
cried freedom and justice by chanting "Worker dies, does not accept
humiliation”, and said: "Leadership of women in the strikes of Iranian
teachers and workers is a pride and flares up the flames of uprising and
justice.” She called the voices of the brave strikers of Haft Tappeh and Ahvaz
Steel as a voice for the freedom and justice of the Iranian people, calling on
all young people to support these leading workers. She urged all international
human rights organizations and trade unions around the world to support the
striking workers in Iran.
18 November
2018
PMOI/MEK network responding to leader’s
message
Members of “Resistance Units” across Iran, affiliated to
the opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), are responding to a message from Iranian Resistance leader Massoud Rajavi by
increasing their anti-regime activities.
A member of Resistance Unit 910 in Abhar, northwest
Iran, responds by saying they heard the message and support the calling.
A member of Resistance Unit 400 in Qaemshahr,
northern Iran, also sent a message conveying the unit is ready for the regime’s
overthrow.
In Gilan, northern Iran, a resistance unit member
said millions of Iranians are ready to take on the mullahs’ regime.
Members of resistance units in Tehran, Qarchak and
Zibashahr also sent similar messages and set fire to images of Iranian
regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
A member of Resistance Unit 739 in Mashhad took
to graffiti and wrote, “Khamenei is a murderer – His rule is void – We shall
return.”
In West Azerbaijan Province (northwest Iran),
members of Resistance Units 540 and 533 put up posters in support of the
message saying the fire of the Iranian people’s protests will never die.
A member of a resistance unit in Kermanshah, western
Iran, took to graffiti and quoted the message saying protests will
increase.
In Shiraz, south-central Iran, a member of
Resistance Unit 6067 put up a tract expressing the unit’s readiness for the
regime’s overthrow.
Members of resistance units in Isfahan, central
Iran, distributed a pamphlet containing images of Iranian opposition President
Maryam Rajavi and her ten-point plan for future free Iran.
A resistance unit member in Shahin Shahr, central
Iran, put up a sign also containing excerpts of Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point
plan.
Members of resistance units in the cities of Amol,
Karaj, Kermanshah, Tehran, Arak and Zahedan took to graffiti writing,
“Death to Khamenei, Hail to Rajavi.”
18
November 2018
Is the European Mechanism for the Iranian regime in Coma?
The “European package”, the “European mechanism”, or more
recently the “European financial channels” have been the area of constant
struggles and fights between different factions of the Iranian regime and also
the Iranian regime as a whole with the EU.
On November 14, Karimi Qoddusi, member of the security
commission in the Iranian regime’s parliament, attacked Rouhani saying: “The EU
has given [foreign minister Javad] Zarif and the foreign ministry team and
Rouhani’s person nothing except for issuing a declaration five months after the
U.S. left the JCPOA.”
Zarif also accused the European Union and said that they
are not willing to pay a political price for keeping the JCPOA.
In short, five months after the U.S. exited the JCPOA, the
European version of the agreement was supposed to replace it. But it is in an
elusive state as the European package, after much waiting, shows. This has
raised questions both inside the Iranian regime and on the international level.
Where
does the European mechanism stand right now?
The European mechanism: the odyssey between words and
deeds
On August 6, Rouhani said: “The Europeans have paid the
utmost price politically, made statements, talked and passed regulations and
have clearly called America’s actions unacceptable.”
Rouhani himself was fully aware that the Europeans just
used rhetoric.
They “should plan practically how they want to compensate
for America’s exit,” he added.
Three months later Zarif says that “the Europeans are
still not ready to pay a political price for keeping the JCPOA.” Araghchi,
Zarif’s deputy, says that “we’ve respected our commitments according to the
JCPOA and expect the European Union to implement its economic commitments
according to the JCPOA in addition to respecting its political commitments.
[That’s] because Europe’s measures until now have not yet lead to functioning
solutions.”
Reuters reported on November 15 quoting Brian Hook, the
U.S. State Department’s Special Representative for Iran, saying that European
banks and firms that engage in a special European Union initiative to protect
trade with Iran will be at risk of newly re-imposed U.S. sanctions.
“European banks and European companies know that we will
vigorously enforce sanctions against this brutal and violent regime,” he said
in a telephone briefing with reporters.
What
is the safety factor of the U.S. waivers?
Considering the wide range of U.S. sanction waivers—most
importantly in the energy sector allowing eight countries to import Iranian
crude oil—and the European mechanism, won’t the Iranian regime be able to
shield itself from the economic consequences for some time?
It’s important to note that the waivers are very limited,
both in terms of applicable time and scope.
Countries that get waivers under the revived sanctions
must pay for the oil into escrow accounts in their local currency. That means
the money won’t directly go to the Iranian regime, and it can only be used to
buy food, medicine or other non-sanctioned goods from its crude customers.
Analysts widely consider the waivers temporary
precautions to prevent oil prices to dramatically rise while buyers have time
to adapt and find new energy sources.
Where
is the European Special Purpose Vehicle’s (SPV) office located?
Up until now, no European
country has been willing to host the SPV, fearing U.S. sanctions.
Austria has publicly declined
the European Commission’s request to host the SPV while
Belgium and Luxembourg are reportedly among the countries who’ve quietly turned
down the possibility of hosting the SPV.
The Financial Times sums it up in a
comical way: “So up to now, the [European] commission
has been unable to find a home for the SPV. Not even a post restate address. No
EU country has offered to host it. The sad SPV has been wandering between
railway stations and airports, without a nationality, a bank account or even a
real name. If I passed it on the street, I would put a euro in its hat.”
Is Europe serious in its endeavour to help the Iranian
regime?
The whole highly publicized ups and downs of the European
initiative to counter U.S. sanctions on Iran begs the question whether the EU
is serious in its quest to play the hero in rescuing the Iranian mullahs.
The
short answer is: yes and no! Here’s the long answer:
It’s only reasonable to assume that the EU—or more
accurately the dominating school of policy that advocates of appeasement with
the theocracy ruling Iran as the only realistic means to deal with the mullahs,
represented by its high representative for foreign affairs and security policy,
Frederica Mogherini—acts out of self-interest. It’s also self-evident that the
EU as a whole, and on a lower level its member countries, have a colourful set
of interests that can roughly be categorized in a hierarchy in which Iran takes
a rather tiny place near the base.
There are two distinct types of interests that the EU harbours
in the Iran deal: Economic and political. Economically, the EU has a much
greater stake than the U.S. in trading with Iran, but at the same time, its
economic interests in trading with the U.S. dwarfs the former by orders of
magnitude.
Politically, the EU likes to paint itself as an
independent and strong coalition that isn’t coerced by extraterritorial U.S.
sanctions. This would potentially give the Union a better position in future
negotiations both with the U.S. but more importantly with countries opposed to
the United States. On a national level, some European leaders are also eager to
paint themselves as strong leaders who are able to counter the U.S. They
calculate that such a flair will resonate more with their power base giving
them an edge in the next election.
But Europe is also heavily dependent on the U.S. for its
security and economic prosperity. And that makes the European position the
result of an optimization equation which aims to stretch the cost-benefit ratio
as much as possible in its favour.
And so, Considering the U.S’. apparent willingness to
enforce the Iran sanctions at virtually all costs, it’s all too natural for
European countries to balk at the idea of hosting the SPV on their soil.
The
Iranian people’s role in the regime’s foreign policy dead-end
January this year, shortly after the popular uprising
that reached most major Iranian cities, Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme
Leader, said in his first remarks about the protests: “Enemies will land like
flies on injuries of difficulties and weaknesses. Therefore, you should heal
the injury and don’t let it happen, because if we don’t have internal problems,
the propaganda machine of foreigners won’t have any impact and the Americans
can’t do a damn thing.” Later in his speech, Khamenei clarifies that with
“injuries” he means the “weaker classes who are under [economic] pressure.”
The popular uprisings that flared up across the country
this year were mostly composed of the poorer classes of the Iranian society, a
population that the regime has historically presented as its base of power.
Late in August, Rouhani mentioned the same dilemma the
Iranian regime faces. In a speech in the Iranian parliament, he said that
everything was according to its normal and natural routine until the country’s
climate changed in December 2017 and some people started to cry disruptive
chants in the streets.
In fact, the 2017-2018 popular protests in Iran were the
beginning of a series of developments, on every level concerning the Iranian
regime, which led to the current situation.
And that’s a good thing. Both because the Iranian people
show their willingness and need for fundamental change on a massive scale
despite a ruthless crackdown by the regime, and because it makes the cost to
benefit ratio equation for Europeans, and other countries for that matter, who
wish to make a quick gain out of the current and future interests of the
Iranian people, to think twice about the costs before committing to anything
serious.
18
November 2018
14th day of Haft Tappeh sugar mill strike,
show of support growing
Employees
of the Haft Tappeh sugar mill company in Shush, southwest Iran, are continuing
their strike and protests on Sunday for the 14th consecutive day. This
movement is gaining momentum despite measures by authorities dispatching
anti-riot units to prevent any such gatherings.
The
protesting workers entered the city of Shush and rallied outside the mayor’s
office to voice their demands.
Rally has reached the city governor's office today despite security measures by regime authorities.
Iranian
opposition leader Maryam Rajavi voiced
her support for the protesting
workers.
“Workers
of the Steel Factory of Ahvaz and Sugarcane Factory of Haft Tappeh thus
demonstrated their resolve to achieve their rights, and declared their
detestation of the entire clerical regime and particularly of Rouhani’s
charlatanism.”
In
Ahvaz, employees of the National Steel Group also rallied on Sunday outside the
provincial governor’s office.
“The
provincial governor & mayor are hand in hand with this mafia”
Employees
of the Haft Tappeh sugar mill in Shush, southwest Iran, continued their strike
by holding a gathering in early morning hours of Saturday. More than 1,000
employees rallied in the city’s main square, joined by their families and
children.
A
child of a Haft Tappeh employee holds a sign says promises can’t fill a hungry
child’s stomach
Sources
and reports indicate more people are joining the crowd and various storeowners
in Shush are also joining the Haft Tappeh employees’ ranks. The protesting
employees and their family members are chanting:
“We
don’t want incompetent officials”
Fearing
these protests spreading and turning into even larger rallies, Iranian regime
officials are dispatching oppressive forces and anti-riot units from Ahvaz,
capital of Khuzestan Province, to the city of Shush.
Following Friday’s
protests, authorities were attempting to prevent Saturday’s rally yet the brave
protesters in Shush proved their efforts futile. The large crowd of Haft Tappeh
employees, along with their families, are courageously continuing their
protests and steadfast in opposing privatization plans and demanding their
delayed pay checks.
Jafar
Azimzadeh, Director of the Free Workers Union called on all locals in Shush,
domestic and international labour unions and organizations, and employees of
the Oil Company in Khuzestan to rise in support of the protesting Haft Tappeh
workers.
Employees
of the Haft Tappeh sugar mill in Shush, southwest Iran, continued their strike
on Friday for the 12th consecutive day. They resorted to a new and bold
measure by disrupting the regime’s Friday prayer farce.
The
workers were seen chanting:
“We
have all come in support of the workers.”
These
protesting workers continued their rally inside the city of Shush and many of
the locals were witness to the large gathering as many protesting workers were
expressing their anger at regime officials. The protesters also raised a
symbolic casket, portraying the Haft Tappeh sugar mill company being nothing
but a dead corpse.
The
Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a statement on
these ongoing protests.
The
brave workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Mill interrupted state Friday
prayers in the city of Shush on the twelfth day of their strike:
"Frustrated
workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Industrial Complex continued their strike for
the twelfth day on Friday, November 16, with a rally in front of the
governorate of Shush and demonstrations in the streets of the city. They
chanted: "Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, we are all together",
"Lest we accept humiliation". In protesting against the destruction
of this economic magnet of the country by the clerical regime, in a symbolic
action, workers carried the coffin of the Haft Tappeh sugar cane and chanted:
"Today is a day of mourning".
The
workers who are from different parts of the mill then gathered at the venue of
the Friday prayers show of the regime, and by turning their back to the speaker
of the ceremony, and by chanting "Facing the homeland, back to the
enemy", "the worker dies, he does not accept humiliation",
"Death to the oppressor; Peace be upon the Worker" interrupted these
hypocritical and deceptive ceremonies.
The
Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Industrial Complex has about 4,000 official permanent
and on contract workers. The new round of workers strike is taking place in
protest against the non-payment of months of salary, insurance claims and other
arrears, and the livelihood conditions of all the workers. Workers call for the
establishment of independent labor councils and the determination of the status
of this large economic complex of the country. The regime's authorities and
plundering employer refuse to deal with the legitimate demands of workers by
giving hollow promises.
Saluting
the strikers, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian
Resistance, said:
"The
workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Mill, with the slogan ‘Neither threats,
nor imprisonment, has no longer any effect’, have risen up against the
oppression on the workers, and with the slogan ‘We are hungry’, call on every
noble human being for the uprising against the clerical plunderer regime."
She urged the international human rights organizations and trade and labour
unions around the world to support the striking workers in Iran.
18 November
2018
Strikes by merchants flares up again in Tabriz
On Saturday, the merchants of Tabriz went on strike
again, closing down their shops and refusing to open for business. Shops in
Tarbiat Street, the fruits and vegetables market, as well as other parts of the
city’s bazaar were closed in protest to high prices, shortage of goods and
deteriorating economic conditions.
Meanwhile, in the cities of Hamedan and Astara, many shop
owners went on strike in protest to poor economic conditions. A similar
situation was observed in the cities of Sanandaj and Maragheh.
In the past months, merchants in
different cities have intermittently went on strike in protest to the Iranian
regime’s corruption, its mishandling of the country’s economy and the nosedive
of the value of rial, Iran’s national currency.
In April, merchants in several western
provinces of Iran went on strike in protest
to the closure of border gates and the increase in tariffs. In June, strikes in Tehran’s grand
bazaar led to clashes between merchants and
security forces. In the past decades, the Iranian regime has relied on the
bazaar as its traditional base of support. The regime is now seeing its power
dwindle as merchants and shop owners from more cities join the strikes.
The strikes of merchants are happening against the
backdrop of ongoing protests across the country. On Saturday, Iran’s truckers
entered the 17th day of their nationwide strike in protest to poor economic conditions. This
week, Iran’s teachers also held a
two-day strike in protest to government
corruption and lack of funding for school and education among other demands.
In December, protests erupted
across the country in more than 140 cities over poverty, unemployment and
government corruption. The protests soon turned into anti-government
demonstrations that called for regime change in Iran. Since then, protests and
strikes have been regularly flaring up in different parts of the country.
The Iranian regime has tried to
blame economic woes on foreign states. But for the people of Iran, who have
been living under the duress imposed by the regime for the past four decades,
there’s no doubt as to who is to blame for the country’s economic problems. In
their protests, the people are calling the regime off for squandering the
country’s riches in fuelling sectarian violence in neighbouring countries and
wars in Yemen and Syria. On social media, Iranian users are posting pictures
and videos that are comparing the luxurious life of the ruling elite to the
miseries of the people.
As strikes and protests continue,
the regime of Tehran is finding itself in an inescapable impasse.
18 November 2018
Planned executions in Zanjan
According to news
reports, seven prisoners are to be executed in Zanjan prison on Monday, 19th of
November.
The families of
these prisoners gathered in front of Zanjan's jail and demanded that their
children be stopped.
The names of these
prisoners are:
Raheem Muharrami /
Davoud Zand / Vahid Asgari / Hossein Jafari / Masoud Bayat / Mohammad Habibi /
Mansour Norouzi
18 November 2018
Workers of the Haft Tape Sugar arrested
News just received that by the end of the day, the workers of the Haft Tape Sugar Cane on Sunday, November 18th, were arrested and sent to the security police station of Shush.
All representatives of the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Sugar
Company Workers' Contest together with a number of other workers were arrested
by the security forces.
All of these workers were then transferred to Shush's
headquarters in the city of Daniel and are now detained in the area.
The arrest of these workers has taken place when the
workers of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company have not received any rights for
four months, and the clerical anti-worker government has resorted to arresting
their agents instead of addressing the demands of the workers.
The names of detainees and detainees are:
Saeed al-Kitab: security
Alizadeh: Guard
Saeed Mansouri: Research Agent
Jalil Ahmadi: Agricultural Representative
Dynamic Bashmeh: Animal Feed
Omid Freedom: Sugar Factory
Seyed Hassan Fazeli: Equipment Representative
Samir Ahmadi: Equipment
Engineer Salamat Nia: Mechanical Equipment Manager
Ismail Bakhsh: Equipment representative
Sepideh Ghilian: Reporter
Imad Kathir: Infrastructure Representative
Mahmoud Saadi: Equipment
Moslem Ermand: Equipment representative
Mohammad Khannifar: equipment
Khaled Tamimi: Transportation Manager
Massive Sorkh: Service Representative
Mehdi Davoodi: Support Services
18
November 2018
More news on the Workers’
Representatives Arrested At Haft Tappeh Sugar Mill Strike
Labor rights groups in Iran have reported that security
forces attempted to violently repress protests at the Haft Tappeh sugarcane
company in southeastern Iran arresting several protesting workers.
The Workers Syndicate at the Haft Tappeh sugar mill had
already reported on Sunday that two representatives of the plant’s labor force,
Esmail Bakhshi and Mosslim Armand had been arrested and taken to the security
office of Shush along with a female reporter.
Before being detained, Esmail Bakhshi delivered a speech
deploring the presence of Special Unit forces.
Esmail Bakhshi and Moslem Armand, representatives of the
protesting workers from the Haft Tappeh sugar mill, were arrested by the state
security forces.
Other workers and their representatives arrested today are Pouya Bashmeh, Saeid Mansouri, Jalil Ahmadi, Asim Sorkheh, Mehdi Davoudi, Saeid Alkasir, Alizadeh, Omid Azadi, Samir Ahmadi, Salamat Nia, Emad Kasir, Mahmoud Sa’di, Mohammad Khanifar.
Other workers and their representatives arrested today are Pouya Bashmeh, Saeid Mansouri, Jalil Ahmadi, Asim Sorkheh, Mehdi Davoudi, Saeid Alkasir, Alizadeh, Omid Azadi, Samir Ahmadi, Salamat Nia, Emad Kasir, Mahmoud Sa’di, Mohammad Khanifar.
The Governor-General of Khuzestan province acknowledge
that four workers have been arrested during labour protests but the he has not
identified the detainees by name.
The protesting workers, who were angry over long overdue
wages, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees.
Employees of the Haft Tappeh sugar mill company in Shush,
southwest Iran, continued their strike and protests on Sunday for the 14th
consecutive day. This movement is gaining momentum despite measures by
authorities dispatching anti-riot units to prevent any such gatherings.
Reports say anti-riot police had been stationed in and
around the complex in the early hours of Sunday, surrounding the workers. Up to
three busloads of security forces had been dispatched from different cities of
Khuzestan province on Saturday.
Anti riot units closed all entrance and exit gates of the
company, preventing the protesting workers from leaving the company.
18
November 2018
MARYAM RAJAVI: CALL FOR
SUPPORT OF THE HAFT TAPPEH AND AHVAZ STEEL STRIKERS AND URGENT ACTION TO
RELEASE THE ARRESTED
Maryam Rajavi, saluted the striking workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar
Cane factory and Ahvaz Steel, and said: "Shoosh has risen with the cries
of workers, and solidarity and strike of youth, teachers and merchants of
bazaar.
The enemy attempts in vain to
silence the Haft TAppeh deprived workers by suppressing and arresting them, but
the cry of "we are hungry, hungry" of the children of Shush, calls
the conscience of every human being to rise up against the oppressor mullahs.
Maryam Rajavi called on all youth,
especially in Khuzestan, to support the uprising of Shush and the Haft Tappeh
and Ahvaz Steel strikers, and urged international human rights defenders and
labor and trade unions to condemn the repressive measures of the religious
fascism ruling Iran against the workers and to take urgent action for the
immediate release of the arrested.
On Sunday November 18, the
protest of the brave workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane was held on the
fourteenth day of their strike, with extensive support from marketers,
teachers, workers' families, and students from the city of Shush. Following the
gathering of protesters in front of the regime's governorate in Shush, repressive
forces arrested at least two workers' representatives.
At least one of the workers was
also wounded by the criminal plainclothes agents.
The massive demonstrations of
steel and sugar cane workers began on Sunday despite the presence of the
suppressive forces.
On the protest rally, shopkeepers
shut down their businesses and joined the rally. The protesters chanted: “Shaft
Tappeh, (Ahvaz) Steel, we will stand together till
the end; Steel; Haft Tappeh, happy bond!; honorable marketer, support, support;
Worker, teacher, unity, unity; Down with the oppressor, hail to the worker; the
worker dies, he does not accept humiliation; Do not be afraid, do not be
afraid, we are all together; Neither threat, nor prison, has no longer any
effect; No threat, no surrender; we are all together; we do not go to our house
until we take our rights; our enemy is here, they falsely say it is the United
States.”
The people who joined the workers had handwritten banners
in their hands, reading: "I am also a Haft Tappeh (worker)."
It was written on the handwritten banners: Stop illegal
labor contracts; stop exploiting workers; a hungry child does not recognize
promises; I'm just a worker, I'm not a thug; I love my homeland; but my child
is hungry.
Referring to the threats of the
repressive forces, the workers' representative said: "If I die, too, you
do not have the right to bury me. You must bring my coffin to the strike. My
dead body also chants: "No threats, no surrender, we are all
together". Massive crowds repeated this slogan, reiterating their resolve
to continue their protests.
Meanwhile, the Ahvaz Steel
courageous workers continued their strike for the second week in protest to
non-payment of their four months' salaries and benefits, and expressed their
solidarity with the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane factory. On the protest
rally from the factory to the regime's governorate in Ahvaz, they chanted: “No
nation has ever seen this much injustice; The premier and the governor, are
collaborators of this mafia; Haft Tappeh Sugar cane, we are present and we
stand together; our country is a thief house; it is exemplary in the world!;
the worker dies, he does not accept humiliation.”
18 November 2018
The farmers of Isfahan persist in their
protests
The farmers of Isfahan continue to protest over lack of
access to the waters of Zayanderud River. They’re demanding their due right to
water because their livelihoods are in danger. Protests to the conditions of
water in Isfahan started seven years ago in 2011 and have continued ever since.
The farmers are protesting to the plundering of Iran’s
water sources by government institutions and the policies of distributing water
in the province.
Due to these problems, the people of Isfahan have been
staging demonstrations and strikes in protest to the Iranian regime’s policies.
The farmers of Isfahan have become fed up with unfulfilled promises and the
lies of government officials.
The new round of demonstrations that began this week are
in protest of the destructive water distribution policies of the government as
farmers are undergoing their autumn planting.
Farmers insist that the government’s policies have caused
serious problems for their livelihoods
On Monday, the farmers of east and west of Isfahan
demonstrated in Khourasgan for several days. The protesters stressed that they
will claim their rights and threatened to take more serious measures if regime
officials continue to lie and renege on their promises. On Thursday, as
officials had still not responded to the demands of the protesters, the farmers
continued their demonstrations.
The farmers of Varzaneh also continued their protests on
Monday. The protesting farmers persisted on their demands to their right to
water sources.
On Friday, the farmers of Ghahdarijan continued the
protests and strikes they had begun the previous day. They too demand their
most basic rights, which is to have suitable access to water.
In Najaf Abad too, farmers continued their protests and
chanted: “The water of Zayandehrudis our right!”
The farmers stressed that none of the promises made by
government officials have materialized yet and they will not be deceived by the
government’s trickery. The farmers insisted on solidarity with each other.
The farmers insist that the government’s policies have
caused serious problems for their livelihoods.
In an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency,
Hessam Nazari, head of the Islamic Council of Isfahan, said that the banning of
farming by the government has caused unemployment for many of the citizens of
the province who have no other source of income.
In a video posted on social media, a Ghadarijan farmer is
saying, “What is our crime? We have been deprived of water for 18 years! The
incumbent energy minister is the same person who redirected the [province’s]
water to Yazd.”
Hassan Kamran, a member of the Iranian regime’s
parliament, said, “The energy ministry is allocating 20 times more than the
current capacity to the steel and foundry industries, which is more than 15,000
million cubic meters.”
While the farmers of Isfahan are deprived of access to
water, regime officials are making hefty profits from selling the province’s
water to other places.
One of the farmers said, “We want our basic rights. A
person from Shahr-e Kord has come here and has stolen our water in three
provinces, has destroyed the harvest in Isfahan and has cultivated peach trees
for himself. He has destroyed our livestock. He has destroyed our rights.”
Previously, Yusef Tabatabaei, the Friday prayer leader in
Isfahan, had called the protesting farmers “seditionists” and said they had no
right to protest.
But the farmers of Isfahan don’t need permission from
anyone to raise their voices for their rights. Along with other social classes
and communities across Iran, the farmers of Isfahan have continued their
protests in full fervour in the past months. They are among the millions of
people whose lives have turned to misery because of the destructive ideology
and policies of the ruling mullahs.
The persistence of Isfahan’s farmers is the continuation
of the uprising that began in December and has targeted the regime in its
entirety, marked by slogans such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Rouhani”
and “Mullahs! Have shame and let go of the state!”
As their protests show, the farmers of Isfahan will
achieve their demands when the regime of the mullahs topples.
19
November 2018
150 MEPs Condemn the Iranian Regime’s Human
Rights Abuses and State-Sponsored Terrorism
150 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have come
together to sign a statement opposing the Iranian clerical regime’s human
rights abuses and violent attempted terror attacks.
The MEPs from 27 European states and six different
political parties voiced their concerns over the plight of the Iranian public
and members of the Iranian opposition living abroad.
Among the signatories were four former Vice-Presidents of
the European Parliament and 14 Chairs of European committees and delegations.
Their statement reads, “we are very worried about the
deteriorating situation of human rights and repression of women in Iran”.
Violent
and Bloody Punishments
The signatories cited Iran’s widespread use of capital
punishment as one such example of the regime’s human rights abuses. Their
statement said, “the country has maintained the highest number of executions in
the world per capita during the presidency of the so-called ‘moderate’ Hassan
Rouhani”.
Iran is responsible for more than half of all executions
on earth. Under Hassan Rouhani the number of executions has surged. The
People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) reported that under the current
president 3,602
executions have taken place.
Eliminating
the Political Opposition
The MEPs also drew attention to the regime’s violent
campaign targeting the MEK and members of the Iranian opposition.
Tehran and the regime leadership have been responsible
for coordinating a series of terrorist attacks against MEK members living
abroad. The most recent plot saw a Belgian-Iranian couple attempt to detonate a
car bomb at the MEK’s annual Gran Gathering in Paris. The plot was foiled in
the final stages, but it drew international condemnation from the international
community, including former
Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani.
In another plot, the Iranian regime attempted to
assassinate an opponent in
Denmark. Two Iranian regime agents were also apprehended before
they could execute a violent attack on the MEK members living in exile in Albania
earlier this year.
The statement from the MEPs called the regime’s plots a
“new wave of terrorism” and condemned any planned terror attacks on foreign
soil.
Holding
Those Responsible to Account
In the wake of the foiled terror attacks, the French government
expelled an Iranian diplomat and froze assets belonging to the Iranian Ministry
of Intelligence (MOIS).
However, beyond these gestures, there has been a muted
response from the European community.
The 150 MEPs addressed the need to change this. Their
statement read, “the EU’s silence in the face of brutal human rights violations
in Iran and lack of any response to the serious terror plots in Europe is
unacceptable”.
The MEPs concluded that Europe must take a firmer stance.
They said, “we must hold the Iranian regime accountable for its terror plots
and expel Iranian Intelligence Ministry operatives from Europe”, adding, “we
must also condition our relations with Iran to an improvement of human rights
and women’s rights, and a halt to executions”.
MEP Gérard Deprez, the chair of Europe’s Friends of a
Free Iran, added in a statement from Brussels that “human rights in Iran cannot
be compromised or marginalized on the excuse of political considerations, trade
or the nuclear deal”.
The statement represents the latest step in Europe’s
gradual end to a policy of appeasement towards the mullahs. However, for the
statement to truly be effective, it must lead.
19
November 2018
The faceoff between Iran’s truckers and the
regime
Since November 1, Iranian truck drivers in numerous
cities started the fourth round of their strikes. The first and foremost demand
of the truckers is the release of their colleagues who had been arrested by the
Iranian regime’s security forces in the third round of strikes, which took
place in September.
In a message addressed to the detained drivers, one of
the truck drivers said, “I wanted to declare that, as your brother and a
driver, it’s been 8 days that I have parked my truck in homage and respect to
those who are now in prison. Our colleagues are now in prison, but those of us
in our homes are also imprisoned. In these conditions working is useless, and
even if you go to work, your entire income will be spent on paying for the
expenses of your car.”
The truck drivers say that despite the 300-percent
increase in the price of truck parts, they still haven’t seen any changes to
their income. For instance, the price of repairing a gearbox has increased
five-fold.
Regarding the price of repair and maintenance, one of the
truck drivers said, “We are in full support of the strikes that began on
November 1, because none of the promises the government made during the
previous round of strikes has been fulfilled. We are still faced with high
prices, shortage of tires and spare parts. We will continue the strike until
all the imprisoned drivers are released.”
During the third round of strikes, instead of addressing
the demands of the protesters, regime authorities arrested some 130 drivers.
But the intimidation tactics didn’t prevent Iran’s truck drivers from going on
strike for the fourth time.
While truck drivers are struggling to pay for their
expenses and make ends meet, Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of the
Iranian regime, told the state-run ISNA news agency, “The government is working
hard to fulfil the demands of the truck drivers. Truck drivers should bear the
current situation for a few more months until with put this period behind us.”
This regime official shamelessly tried to lay the blame
for the current situation on the sanctions that came into effect on November 5.
But the truck drivers, who are now in the fourth round of their strikes, will
no longer be deceived by false promises.
“The country’s transportation system is not concerned
about the drivers,” says one of the drivers. “If they were concerned with our
conditions, they would’ve given us basic services. The transportation system is
only concerned with having its cargo carried. Aren’t they encouraging us to
support national production? I bought a tire from Barez Company in March at
3.85 to 18 million rials. Now the price has raised to 90 million rials. These
tires are produced in Kerman, aren’t they?”
Several international labour federations and syndicates
have voiced their support for Iran’s truck drivers.
The truck drivers’ strikes are taking place in parallel
to protest movements in other parts of Iran. Last week, Iran’s teachers held
a two-day
strike which extended to dozens of cities. They earned
wide support from their students and the Iranian population. The farmers
of Isfahan are also continuing their strikes and demonstrations
in protest to the corrupt policies of the regime and the mismanagement of the
country’s water sources, which has lasted for months.
Other ongoing protests include the demonstrations and
strikes of the
workers of the Haft Tapeh sugar mill company in Shush,
southwest Iran, who have been protesting to unpaid wages and poor working
conditions for more than two weeks. In Ahvaz, steelworkers are also holding
strikes, which has almost lasted a week. The steelworkers have
not received their pay checks in months.
The undeniable truth is that the protest movement of the
Iranian people won’t be stopped, and they will continue until they restore
their rights. Most of these protests are organized and declared in advance.
The Iranian regime tries to prevent the protests by
deploying security forces and engaging in intimidation tactics. But these
tactics are becoming less effective as time passes.
The Iranian people are determined to continue their
protests.
19
November 2018
Haft Tapeh workers march towards regime
courthouse
On Monday, the workers of Haft Tapeh sugar mill in Shush,
southwest Iran, started their demonstration at the factory and marched toward
the city proper. Today’s demonstration is in support for the representatives of
protesters, who were arrested by the Iranian regime’s security forces yesterday.
In the city, the workers gathered in front of the mayor’s office and protested
to the arrest of their colleagues.
The workers of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Mill have been
protesting for 15 days to unpaid wages and the transfer of the company from the
private to the public sector. The protesters have been very vocal in their
criticism of the corrupt policies of the Iranian regime and have received wide
support from different communities across Iran.
On Sunday, at the end of the day’s protests, the security
forces of the Iranian regime arrested the representatives of the protesting
workers along with a number of the workers, and transferred them to the
security police headquarters.
The people of Shush gather to support the workers of Haft
Tapeh and join their voices to those of the unprivileged workers.
Protesters are chanting: “Imprisoned workers must be
freed!”
In an act of defiance to the regime’s attempt at
intimidation and threats, protesters chanted: “Neither threats, nor prison no
longer have any effect.”
The bazaar of Shush was shut down and different
communities join the protesters of Haft Tapeh. A group of drivers from the Haft
Tapeh Mohajer Agency expressed their support for the demands of the protesters
of Haft Tapeh and the imprisoned protesters.
The enraged people of Shush and the workers of the Haft
Tapeh Sugar Mill are marching toward the courthouse of the Iranian regime to
protest against the arrest and imprisonment of their colleagues.
The enraged people marched toward the courthouse of the
Iranian regime to protest against the arrest and of their colleagues.
Workers have gathered in front of the mayor’s office and
are demanding the release of their colleagues who had been detained by security
forces the previous day. Some of the slogans include the following:
Death to the anti-worker regime
Imprisoned workers must be freed
Workers are in prison. Thieves are running free
The workers of the Haft Tapeh sugar mill have been
protesting for more than two weeks to their four months’ worth of unpaid wages
as well as the transfer of the company from the private to the public sector.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi president-elect of the National
Council of Resistance of Iran, hailed the workers of Haft Tapeh and described
their protest as the will of the Iranian people to overthrow the Iranian
regime.
Workers of the Steel Factory of Ahvaz and
Sugarcane Factory of Haft Tappeh thus demonstrated their resolve to achieve
their rights, and declared their detestation of the entire clerical regime and
particularly of Rouhani’s charlatanism. — Maryam Rajavi
(@Maryam_Rajavi) - November
18, 2018
19
November 2018
Iran’s negative economic growth
On November 14, in a meeting with Iranian athletes, Ali
Khamenei, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader, said, “The economic problems
will be resolved provided that the national capacities are used properly.”
Earlier this year when Hassan Rouhani famously said that,
we do “hope therapy,” not “talk therapy,” he was referring to the Iranian
regime’s official policy towards sanctions and economic hardship of painting a
hopeful and manageable picture of the whole situation.
Meanwhile, Javad Zarif, the regime’s foreign minister,
doesn’t miss an opportunity to virtually beg the European Union to finally
implement the European Special Purpose Vehicle, some kind of a clearinghouse
that aims to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
Also worth mentioning is Kamal Kharazi, former Iranian
foreign minister and foreign policy advisor to Khamenei, who is peddling around
Europe to open a breathing hole for selling oil and trading goods.
A few days ago, Iranian state media reported about a
meeting between representatives of the private sector and Ali Aghamohammadi,
chief of the economic group in Khamenei’s office, to discuss unemployment,
economic recession, and the general business climate.
According to Jahan-e Sanat newspaper, Masoud Khansari,
Tehran’s Chamber of Trade chief, said in the meeting: “The current economic
situation is such that the noose of a blockade is tightened every day and
recession and unemployment is also spreading.” He also considered inaction or
late action one of the biggest weaknesses in facing the current situation and
reiterated the importance of timely decision-making when it comes to energy
prices.
Ali Sanginian, chief of the money market and investment
commission in Tehran’s chamber of trade, also said to Aghamohammadi: “The
second round of sanctions, which started on November 4, has worsened the
situation of monetary and financial activities for our banks even more than the
last period of sanctions.”
Ali Sanginian said that the list of sanctioned banks is
longer than the last time and continued: “Currently, because of the new
sanctions, the China and Turkish financial channels, which came to the rescue
of our money transactions last time, are inaccessible. In addition, our banks
are not optimistic about the promised EU financial channel becoming
operational.”
State-run Vatan-e Emrouz newspaper reported on November
15: “If we wanted to summarize, we had to say that Iran is in a situation where
its throat is tightly in the hands of its enemies.
“Iran is currently in a very difficult situation and is
suffering many limitations of which the following are the major ones: a limit
on selling oil, access to the dollar cycle, access to the international
monetary system, severe limitations in financial transactions and limitations
in accessing new technologies.”
Mohammad Hassannejad, a member of the economic commission
in the Iranian parliament, said: “SWIFT has been closed down, Total has left
Iran, Renault left Iran, despite [the fact] that it had all the automobile
manufacturing of the country in its hands and would receive uncountable
economic rents. None of the articles in JCPOA are implemented.
“It’s been six months since Europe is putting us on with
the promise of a Special Purpose Vehicle,” he added, referring to the EU plan
to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
The Persian edition of Euronews website writes: “One week
after the U.S. oil sanctions against Iran have been re-imposed, the
international west Texas intermediate crude oil price fell to a ten-month low
to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime’s financial capabilities, in
addition to Iran’s lower crude oil export quantities.”
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund reports: “In
the future, Iran’s economy will suffer severely from sanctions impact.
“Iran’s deeply oil-dependent economy will face a
1.5-percent negative growth this year and a 3.6-percent negative growth next
year,” the report adds.
Considering the wide-spread strikes and protests in Iran
and the risk of a social explosion, as Iranian officials warn, analysts believe
that the current situation harbours the ingredients that will ultimately lead
to more social unrest.
19
November 2018
Migrants from Iran land on British coast as
religious discrimination rises
An Iranian Christian girl seeking refuge in Scotland has
been speaking out about why she made a heart-breaking decision to leave her
family and friends to escape persecution in her own country.
She grew up in a relative wealthy family but a perilous
choice created serious challenges for her parents.
Mania Masoudi, 30, fled Iran after going to a house
church in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
“I don’t know how the government discovered the church
but luckily I was helped by my mother’s friends to escape my own country.”
Working as a ceremony photographer, she became familiar
with an Armenian church.
“I knowingly converted to Christianity even though I knew
about the dangers,” she said.
Mania believes the ruling regime forces people to believe
in Islam.
“There are certain things you can’t force on people”, she
says explaining how the Iranian government restricts people from having
relationships with religious minorities.
Like hundreds of other Iranian asylum seekers who have
left their families behind in Iran, Mania, a member of Easterhouse Church, is
hoping to find a safe haven in Glasgow.
Mania arrived in Scotland in December 2015. She found
herself stuck in the long asylum process, which inevitably led to her being
homeless for over a year. It also left her in a state of limbo, as asylum
seekers are banned from work or studying a full-time course. She said she has
to survive on £5.27 a day.
This circumstance has brought Scottish MSPs’ attention
calling the UK government to let asylum seekers take jobs as the Scottish
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf criticized the Westminster believing
that the immigration should be a devolved matter.
In September, The Herald Scotland reported that a
prominent Scottish judge, Lord Glennie harshly criticized the immigration
tribunal for disregarding evidence from churches in Glasgow.
During the interview, Mania was coy while speaking about
her challenges.
“Apart from being denied an identity, I always felt
embarrassed for having to live off my friends”, she said as her expression
showed that she did not expect such difficulties after escaping state
persecution in Iran.
Had Mania been arrested in Iran, she would have faced a
harsh prison sentence and ill-treatment as sexual assault is common in the
Iranian regime prisons. This is even if she had repented because as she
explains “the authorities don’t believe converts like me. We are considered an
enemy of the state”.
A
history of religious discrimination
Amnesty International reported in August that “four
Christian converts have been sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison.
They have been targeted solely for peacefully practicing their Christian faith.
The authorities have cited peaceful activities as ‘illegal church activities’
which ‘threaten national security’ in order to justify their convictions.”
This is not the first time that Iran’s judiciary
imprisoned family members of political and religious activists or relatives of
journalists who work abroad to advance its goals.
“My father was arrested, tortured and sentenced to two
years (in prison) for helping his daughter”, Mania said holding back tears as
her hands trembled.
In Tehran, another Christian convert, Ebrahim Firouzi has
been in jail since March 2013 on numerous charges including “actions against
national security, being present at an illegal gathering and collusion with foreign
entities”.
Along with dozens of other political prisoners, Mr
Firouzi went on hunger strike for about 40 days last year, which lead to a
deterioration in his health.
His elderly mother recently released a video clip saying
“I have not seen my son for a year”.
Meanwhile, British authorities say they found nine
suspected migrants from Iran after they landed on a coast in south-eastern
England.
The Home Office said the group landed Sunday at
Folkstone, near the town of Dover, on an inflatable boat. It said they will be
“processed in line with immigration rules.”
The BBC reported that a member of the public found them
“clambering up rocks” on the coast.
Border officials reported other incidents involving
Iranian migrants on the Dover coast in recent days.
On Wednesday, coast guard crews picked up three boats
carrying more than 20 migrants from Iran, including a woman and a toddler.
And on Tuesday, 14 men and three minors on a fishing
boat, also from Iran, were stopped at Dover Harbor.
19
November 2018
Brian Hook: Iran’s regime must stop destabilizing the Middle East or
collapse
In an exclusive interview with Al
Arabiya, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook has stressed that Iran
is the largest sponsor of global terrorism and said that “international banks
are afraid to deal with Tehran”.
Ten Iranian political factions form coalition aiming to ‘overthrow
regime’
Iranian parties and political
forces have reportedly agreed to ally together to set plans and political
preparations in motion that aims at “overthrowing the regime in Tehran”,
according to sources familiar with the groups.
Al Arabiya English received a
copy of the statement which stated: “Political parties and forces started a
‘joint activity’ to ‘form a broader coalition’ despite their clear ideological
differences”.
According to the statement the
forces and parties which agreed to align are the following:
“The Azerbaijan Democratic
Alliance, the Democratic and secular republic advocates movement, the Ahwazi
Democratic Solidarity Party, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the
Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the
Baluchistan People’s Party, the organization of Iranian People's Fedai, the
Provisional Council of the Socialist Left, the Kurdish rebels movement
(Komola)”.
The statement signed by these movements explained that
they all aim to achieve “a democratic regime by establishing a republic regime
based on separating the religion from the State. Admitting the national
identities and the democratic rights for the religious and national minorities.
Establish a federal regime, separating the religion from the State, support the
basic freedoms; on top of which freedom of religion and opinion. Provide
political freedoms, the democratic and civil rights of the people. Ensure
equality between citizens, commit to guarantee the rights and the freedoms
states in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Abolish the death penalty,
equality between men and women and the nationalities rights. Provide equal
opportunities for all Iranians in terms of housing, health services, education,
etc., accept the people’s sovereignty concept, maintain world peace, oppose
fundamentalism, and fight violence and terrorism”.
In the signed statement of the
political forces that it does not expect that the Islamic Republic regime would
witness real and influential reforms; meaning that none of the demands of these
forces can be achieved under the dominance of this group which is controlling
the regime inside Iran. Thus, the solution from the point of view of these
forces is to “overthrow the Islamic republic regime, and the dissolution of all
its institutions to establish a democratic regime in Iran” according to what
was mentioned in the statement.
The experience of the
political forces during the past decades indicates that “without cooperation,
it would not be possible to influence the situation in Iran.” the statement
pointed out.
The parties signed on this
statement belong to different Iranian peoples and nationalities, like “the
Ahwazi Democratic Solidarity Party” that represent the Arab Ahwaz, Balochistan,
Kurdish and Azerbaijani parties.
For the first time the
coalition includes total Persian parties and forces, like the Organization of
Iranian People’s Fedai, in addition to the Provisional Council of the Socialist
Left in Iran and the Democratic and secular republic advocates movement in
Iran.
14 November 2018
150 MEPs Call for Expelling
Iran Intelligence Agents from EU
We are very worried about the
deteriorating situation of human rights and repression of women in Iran. The
country has maintained the highest number of executions in the world per capita
during the presidency of the so-called “moderate” Hassan Rouhani. According to
Amnesty International’s Global Report on the Death Penalty, more than half of
all recorded executions in 2017 took place in Iran. It is also the leading
executioner of underage offenders.
Women are frequently harassed by
morality police for the way they dress, and hundreds of women are arrested
every day for improper veiling or “bad hijab”.
Since late December last year,
Iranian cities have been the scenes of major uprisings and anti-regime
protests. The social atmosphere is volatile, and people demand fundamental
change. The regime’s officials have acknowledged the role of “resistance units”
of the opposition PMOI in organizing protests and nationwide strikes.
Unable to defeat the protesters
at home, the regime launched a new wave of terrorism against the democratic
opposition activists in Europe and in United States. In March 2018, a car-bomb
plot targeting the Persian New Year gathering of Iranian dissidents in Tirana
was foiled, and two men were arrested by the police. The Albanian government, host
to nearly 3000 Iranian opposition refugees, should not permit Tehran’s agents
on its territory.
On 1 July 2018, German police
arrested an Iranian diplomat from the embassy in Vienna and charged him with
terrorist offences. He was later extradited to Belgium, and he is on trial
accused of handing over a highly-explosive device to an Iranian-Belgian couple
who were planning to bomb the opposition NCRI’s Free Iran gathering in Paris in
June. In August 2018, two Iranian agents were arrested by the FBI and charged
with spying on the PMOI in the US and preparing assassination plots.
In October, the French government
officially sanctioned Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and accused it of being
behind the Paris bomb plot. French ministers stressed: “This extremely serious
act, which was intended to take place on our soil, cannot go without a
response”.
Denmark foiled a new Iranian
terror plot on its soil in October. The EU’s silence in the face of brutal
human rights violations in Iran and lack of any response to the serious terror
plots in Europe is unacceptable.
We must hold the Iranian regime
accountable for its terror plots and expel Iranian Intelligence Ministry
operatives from Europe. We must also condition our relations with Iran to an
improvement of human rights and women’s rights, and a halt to executions.
MEP Signatories:
Gérard DEPREZ, Chair of Friends of a Free Iran,
Gérard DEPREZ, Chair of Friends of a Free Iran,
19 November 2018
ANALYSIS: What Iran fears even more than sanctions
Tensions in Iran’s society are
running high due to increasing poverty, skyrocketing prices and unemployment,
alongside escalating oppression. Public anger is on the rise due to drastic
economic/social pressures and we are reaching the tipping point. This is far
more alarming for those sitting on the throne in Tehran.
Growing
tension
The latest round of nationwide
strikes, including launched by Iran’s hardworking truck
drivers, have expanded to over 75 cities in at least 24 of
Iran’s 31 provinces. Further concerning for officials and authorities is the
support truckers enjoy among people from all walks of life.
Adding to the regime’s troubles are protests heard from
the international community in response to its oppressive measures. Amnesty
International has raised concern over the mass arrest
campaign and secret executions launched by authorities in Khuzestan Province of
southwest Iran.
Since 24 September, up to 600 Ahwazi Arabs have been
detained incommunicado in
a wave of arrests following a deadly armed attack that took
place in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, two days earlier.
“If confirmed, the secret executions of these men would
be not only a crime under international law but also an abhorrent violation of
their right to life and a complete mockery of justice, even by the shocking
standards of Iran’s judicial system,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty
International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North
Africa.
Sounds
of alarm
Push
comes to shove
20 November 2018
EU should include Iran regime’s Intelligence
Ministry on the terrorist list, prosecute its agents
European Union Foreign Ministers decided on
Monday to consider imposing sanctions on Iran’s regime over its role in
terrorist actions in Denmark and France.
Adopting a firm policy toward the religious
fascism ruling Iran is an imperative requisite for combating state terrorism.
The Iranian Resistance therefore calls for the blacklisting of the regime’s
Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) as a terrorist entity and
prosecution of its agents and diplomats who were directly involved in the
terrorist plots in Albania, France, the United States and Denmark, respectively
in March, June, August and September 2018.
The regime’s diplomat-terrorists and agents
must be prosecuted and held accountable.
The MOIS, Revolutionary Guards, and the IRGC
Quds Force are today the largest machinery for the export of state terrorism
around the world.
Several decades of the appeasement policy
toward the religious dictatorship in Iran, and all the economic and political
incentives that it has given the regime in these years, has only encouraged the
regime to further export terrorism, carry out human rights abuses and attempt
to obtain nuclear weapons.
20 November 2018
Regime change will ‘soon’ come to Iran, a US political magazine predicts
A change will be “soon” coming to
the current Iranian regime according to an American bimonthly international
affairs magazine.
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