IRANITABAR

Iran's Cities a Sea of Poverty

2011-03-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

by Homylafayette for Frontline

Half Iranian urban population under poverty line says report.
Between 44.5 and 55 percent of Iran's urban population lives under the poverty line, according to a new report titled "Measurement and Economic Analysis of Urban Poverty."
The paper was presented by three senior government researchers at a conference organized two weeks ago by the national statistics center (Markazeh Amareh Iran), under the aegis of several ministries, Tehran University, and the United Nations Population Fund. It was included in a compilation published by the conference, 50 Years of Household Economics, and made available to the general public on Wednesday, reported the Islamic Students News Agency (ISNA).
The study provides a rare statistical glimpse into the country's economic welfare, a topic generally treated with secrecy by the Ahmadinejad administration.
The authors, Mansour Kiani, Khalil Attar, and Jila Habibi, determined that at least 23.3 million city dwellers are under the poverty line and cannot subsist on their households' incomes. Iran's rural population was not included in the report.
The researchers found that the average poverty line for urban households with 3.7 members is 653,000 tomans (about $630) a month if normal goods are consumed. Tehran province had the highest poverty line, 813,000 tomans a month, while Qom province had the lowest with 523,000 tomans monthly. Using this gauge, 55 percent of the country's city dwellers are under the poverty line.
The average figure falls to 547,000 tomans a month if cheaper substitutes, for example chicken instead of red meat, are used. In this scenario, 44.5 percent of urban households live under the poverty line.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's governments, over the course of his two terms, have consistently refused to provide proper statistics concerning poverty, although the 4th Development Plan that was passed into law by the Majles six years ago clearly requires that the Welfare Ministry regularly issue figures concerning the poverty line (article 95.3).
"None of the laws state what should be done or indeed what use it is to know if the poverty line is 100,000 or 400,000 tomans," then Welfare Minister Abdolreza Mesri told a television interviewer in January 2008. "Calculating the poverty line is good for the country's planners, but telling the people that if you make 300,000 tomans, then you are poor, only creates mental issues for them and has no other use."
Mesri's successor, Sadegh Mahsouli, has not been more cooperative. Mahsouli, a Revolutionary Guard officer who has managed to become a multimillionaire in between stints in various governments, is known as "Ba-Mahsouli" (roughly, "bountiful"). Before taking the reins at the Welfare Ministry, he served as interior minister in the previous administration and, as such, oversaw the 2009 presidential election.
On the eve of the subsidy reform vote in the Majles, he told Jameh Jam daily last November that the poverty line did not 'have any meaning in our country," but insisted that the bill being presented by the government would help the poor and "make the meek more powerful."
In February of last year, the Welfare Ministry took the curious step of denying the poverty line figure presented a week earlier by the Central Bank.
"Determining the poverty line is one of the duties of the Welfare Ministry, but this ministry has yet to fulfill its obligations," Majles representative Sirous Borna Boldaji, who is on the legislature's Social Affairs Committee, told Farda News (close to Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and not to be confused with Radio Farda). "Previously it was said that the poverty line was 900,000 tomans, but it is currently being declared that it is 500,000 tomans. Meanwhile, the Welfare Ministry doesn't accept either one of these statistics."
A lack of hard figures has not prevented government officials from maintaining an optimistic outlook. "The measures taken by the ninth and tenth administrations [Ahmadinejad's first and second terms] have considerably reduced malnutrition and severe poverty in the country," Seyed Abdollah Emadi, in charge of the poverty alleviation office of the Welfare Ministry, told Borna News in January of last year.
But the authors of the recent report see the outlook differently. "The conclusions of the poverty model confirm the complexity of poverty and its institutionalization in urban society," they write. "It appears that poverty will continue to exist as a social and economic phenomenon, at least over the next ten years."
Homylafayette, a Tehran Bureau contributor, blogs here.
Copyright © 2011 Tehran Bureau

Read more: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/03/irans-cities-a-sea-of-poverty.html#ixzz1FcI2k5uo

Al Arabia Reports that Iran has Several Military Basis in Libya

2011-02-28T02:08:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, February 27, 2011 a reliable source within the Sepah Pasdaran divulged to Al Arabia that Iran has a number of military bases in Libya.

This source, who has talked on condition on anonymity, has stated that most of these bases are near libya's borders with Chad and Niger. According to this individual, these bases where primarily used for arms smuggling and logistics assistance to anti-government elements in the western and central African countries.

The source has further added that Iranian Guard elements enter Libya under the guise of oil industry employees and that most Iranian companies in the area are connected to the Sepah and are covers for the activities of this military group. According to this individual roughly 500 Sepah elements have been stranded in Libya due to the internal strife in that country.

White House Slams IRI's "Intimidation Campaign" Against Dissidents

2011-02-28T01:54:00.000-08:00

By Laura Rozen for Politico:
February 27, 2011

The White House condemned an Iranian government "intimidation campaign" against political and human rights activists, students and journalists in a statement Sunday, as the United States sought to push back against Iran feeling emboldened by the unrest threatening the hold of several Arab regime rivals.
"The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government's organized intimidation campaign and arrests of political figures, human rights defenders, political activists, student leaders, journalists and bloggers," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement. "The Iranian government also continues to deny its citizens access to information by jamming satellite transmissions and blocking internet sites."

"The United States and the world will continue to bear witness to the Iranian government's blatant violation of the universal rights of its citizens and its ongoing hypocrisy," Vietor said. "The Iranian government should allow active dialogue among its citizens, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly without fear. Iranians deserve the same justice and rights that their government extols the virtue of abroad."
The statement came as European diplomats said they were preparing to discuss issuing sanctions on several dozen Iranian security officials, militia and police commanders, prison guards and ministry bureaucrats alleged to have perpetrated human rights abuses against Iranian citizens in the wake of Iran's disputed June 2009 presidential elections.
The United States has already issued two rounds of such sanctions against Iranian officials on human rights grounds.

Corruption in Iran- China Railway Contract Nets Khamenei and Clan Hundreds of Millions

2011-02-28T01:22:00.000-08:00

Exclusive from the Green Reporter:

Khamenei’s Children Involved in Huge Embezzlement from Iran’s Railroad Development Project

by Azita Eraani on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 5:19am

“Green Experts of Iran”

GreenCorrespondents.com

Iran recently hosted a group of 38 Chinese delegates accompanied by Transportation and Railways Ministers of China who spent 5 days in Tehran and 2 days in Kish Island. The Chinese who happen to be the focal point of nearly all major oil contracts and general trade with Iranian regime and security forces dominating Iran’s economy; this time have entered into a lucrative $13 billion contract entitled “Iranian Railroad Development Project”. Unlike the principals of all international commercial contracts, this one includes an escalator clause that allows unlimited increases of the agreed amount as deemed necessary! A contract which upon investigations by Iran’s Green Experts, has proven to be a front for laundering billions of dollars of painstakingly earned national wealth, into offshore “private” bank accounts!
From the onset of talks regarding this contract, every piece of evidence pointed to its unsavory nature. Particularly noteworthy was the fact that “Massoud Rahnama’ CEO of the company in charge of production and development, kept referring to the “emphasis made by the Supreme Leader” on the importance of this strategic project, which he cited as the main reason for the need to expedite the process. He added: “Therefore, during their visit to Iran, the high ranking Chinese delegates signed a $13 billion contract for the construction of 5300 kilometers (3300 miles) of railroad in Iran.” However, later pursuits and documents revealed the real motives behind the interfering and insisting by the Supreme Leader.
Iran’s Green Experts’ efforts in finding access to inside information behind this contract – as with previous Iran-China contracts – have revealed that over $2.7 billion of the said contract has been embezzled to bribe the Iranian brokers involved in the deal which with the knowledge and consent of the Chinese Railway Minister, were deposited into accounts of Iranian nationals in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau. According to obtained records, 76 Iranian officials were involved in the deal with China, all of whom having pocketed portions of the colossal bribe.
Among those involved in this crime, the following well-known figures have been identified and their cuts determined:

Massoud Khamenei, $50 million
Mostafa Khamenei, $85 million
Maysam Khamenei, $90 million
Hasan Khamenei, $120 million
Mojtaba Mesbah-Yazdi, $12.2 million
Ali Akbar Velayati, $12 million
Morteza Bakhtiari, $2.2 million
Rouhollah Hoseinian, $4.1 million
Seyed Massoud Mir Kazemi, $11 million
Hosein Shariatmadari, $37 million
Mostafa Olama, $1.2 million
Ahmad Vahidi, $1.6 million
Mojtaba Zolnour, $1.1 million
Ali Nikzad, $1.6 million
Kamran Daneshjou, $1.1 million
Abdollah Araqi, $10.7 million
Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, $45 million
Gholam Hossein Elham, $9.8 million

The remaining names will be released, as soon as their banking information is confirmed.
It is of interest to emphasize that the largest cut was that of Mojtaba Khamenei’s, the exact total of which to follow, upon confirmation. Similarly, the Chinese Minister of Railways has received $75 million of the bribe funds. Additionally, 19 other Chinese officials have collectively received $300 million as bribe and hush money.
Consequently, three weeks after the closing of the contract and the subsequent follow up by the Chinese government and revelation of wide-spread corruption surrounding Iran-China trade relations which had also met with angry objection of several Arab leaders; China’s Deputy Prime Minister discharged the Railway Minister, and ordered an investigation of the case, citing that the widespread corruption has made this a national issue.
The firing of Minister of Railways and the case of this staggering financial corruption involving scores of Chinese statesmen is on the agenda of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) which commenced yesterday and will continue through tomorrow.
In recent years, with the growing number of various security and Mafia-like entities such as “Khatamol Anbia” dominating Iran’s economy, the scope of organized corruption surrounding Iran-China trade relations has also grown proportionately having engulfed all diplomatic, security and legislative units of the country.
At the present time, the decisive role that the Supreme Leader’s children, the Revolutionary Guards, and the intelligence officials play in the country’s Mafioso economy, has become so utterly transparent and undeniable, that in order to block any related information, they will resort to any criminal act. Besides, for having committed such acts, the loyal servants of the regime get rewarded a bonus – above and beyond their regular wages – so as to boost their ‘moral’ and keep them motivated to stay vigilant in their job of crackdown and trampling the rights of the people.
And now, in the wake of the discharged Minister of Railways, in an attempt to prevent the publicity of the disastrous and treasonous secret dealings with China, Iranian officials have rerouted the entire “Iran Railroad Development” Project and all related China connections, to the Khatamol-Anbia section of the Revolutionary Guards, so that they can do with the national interest, as ‘they” please…
***
Original
http://www.greencorrespondents.com/2011/02/blog-post_25.html

خبرنگاران سبز/کارشناسان ایران سبز:

چندی پیش هیاتی 38 نفره از چین به همراه وزرای راه و راه آهن این کشور به ایران سفر کرد که 5 روز در تهران و 2 روز در جزیره کیش اقامت داشتند. چینی ها که نقطه تمرکز قریب به اتفاق معاملات کلان نفتی و تجاری اخیر با دولت حاکم و نیروهای امنیتی مسلط بر اقتصاد ایران محسوب می شوند این بار قراردادی به مبلغ 13 میلیارد دلار تحت عنوان طرح توسعه راه آهن ایران امضاء کردند. قراردادی که بر آن اساس و بر خلاف روال قراردادهای بین المللی ، امکان افزایش نامحدود رقم مورد توافق وجود دارد!
قراردادی که پیگیری های کارشناسان ایران سبز نشان می دهد انعقاد آن ، بهانه و سرپوشی برای واریز میلیاردها دلار از منابع مالی مردم ستم کشیده ایران به حساب های شخصی در خارج از کشور است.

از ابتدای گفتگوها در باره این قرارداد همه شواهد حاکی از ناسالم بودن روند آن داشت. بویژه آنکه "مسعود رهنما" مدیرعامل شركت ساخت و توسعه " از تاكیدات مقام معظم رهبری " برای انعقاد چنین قراردادی یاد می کرد و آن را علت تسریع در انجام این پروژه استراتژیک می دانست. وی می افزاید: به همین جهت در سفر هیات عالی رتبه چینی به ایران، قرارداد ساخت بیش از 5300 كیلومتر خط آهن به ارزش حدود 13 هزار میلیارد تومان میان جمهوری اسلامی ایران و چین منعقد شد. (1) اما پیگیری ها و اسناد بعدی نشان داد که اصرار و دخالت رهبر حکومت از کجا ناشی می شده است.

تلاش کارشناسان ایران سبز برای دستیابی به اخبار پشت پرده این قرارداد ( همانند دیگر قراردادهای قبلی بین حکومت ایران و چین که افشا شده اند) نشان می دهد بالغ بر 2 میلیارد و 700 میلیون دلار از کل مبلغ این قرارداد ، اختلاس و رشوه ای است که نصیب واسطه های حکومتی ایران می شود و با توافق و اطلاع وزیر راه آهن چین به حساب افراد حقیقی ایرانی در شانگهای ، هنگ کنگ و ماکائو واریز شده است. طبق اطلاعات بدست آمده 76 نفر از مقامهای ایرانی برای واگذاری این قرارداد به چینی ها دخیل بوده اند که هر کدام از آنها بخشی از این اختلاس و رشوه کلان را نصیب خود ساخته اند. از جمله سرشناس ترین کسانی که در این خیانت نقش داشته و مبالغ دریافتی آنها مشخص شده می توان به افراد ذیل اشاره کرد: مسعود خامنه ای 50 میلیون دلار – مصطفی خامنه ای 85 میلیون دلار – میثم خامنه ای 90 میلیون دلار – حسن خامنه ای 120 میلیون دلار – مجتبی مصباح یزدی 12 میلیون و 200 هزار دلار – علی اکبر ولایتی 12 میلیون دلار - مرتضی بختیاری 2میلیون و 200 هزار دلار - روح الله حسینیان 4 میلیون و یکصدهزار دلار- سید مسعود میر کاظمی 11 میلیون دلار- حسین شریعتمداری 37 میلیون دلار- مصطفی علماء 1 میلیون و 200 هزار دلار- احمد وحیدی 1 میلیون و 600 هزاردلار- مجتبی ذوالنور 1 میلیون و 100 هزار دلار- علی نیکزاد 1 میلیون و 600 هزاردلار - کامران دانشجو 1 میلیون و 100هزار دلار - عبدالله عراقی 10 میلیون و 700 هزاردلار- محمد تقی مصباح یزدی 45 میلیون دلار- غلامحسین الهام 9 میلیون و 800 هزار دلار. اسامی تعداد دیگری از افراد این لیست هم به محض تایید خبری بانکی منتشر می گردد.

لازم به تاکید است که بیشترین سهم این مبلغ نصیب مجتبا خامنه ای گردیده که میزان دقیق آن متعاقبا اعلام می شود. در همین رابطه وزیر راه آهن چین نیز 75 میلیون دلار از این مبلغ را شخصا به عنوان رشوه دریافت کرده و 300 میلیون دلار دیگر نیز به 19 نفر از مقامهای ذیربط چینی بعنوان رشوه و حق السکوت پرداخت کرده است. به همین سبب حدود 3 هفته پس از امضای قرارداد و پیگیرهای انجام شده از سوی دولت چین و فاش شدن فساد گسترده مناسبات اقتصادی این کشور با مقامهای ایرانی که خشم و اعتراض برخی دولت های غربی را به همراه داشت ، معاون نخست وزیر این کشور با اعلام اینکه چنین پرونده ای به دلیل فساد گسترده " اهمیت ملی " یافته ضمن عزل وزیر راه آهن چین از سمت خود ، دستور رسیدگی به پرونده فساد اقتصادی را صادر کرد (2) عزل وزیر راه آهن چین و تبعات گسترده فساد مالی دولتمردان چین در ارتباط با قرارداد اخیر همچنین در دستور جلسه کمیته دائمی مجلس ملی چین قرار گرفته که از دیروز آغاز بکار کرده و تا فردا ادامه دارد

در سالهای اخیر با حضور هرچه بیشتر گروههای امنیتی و مافیایی مانند قرارگاه خاتم الانبیاء در اقتصاد ایران ، فساد سازمان یافته در مناسبات اقتصادی ایران و چین به شدت گسترش یافته و تمامی نهادهای سیاسی و امنیتی و قانون گذاری کشور را درگیر خود ساخته است. درحال حاضر نقش تعیین کننده فرزندان رهبر ایران و مقامهای سپاهی و اطلاعاتی در مافیای اقتصادی کشور چنان آشکار و غیر قابل انکار است که برای جلوگیری از افشای اطلاعات مربوط به آن از هیچ جنایتی رو گردان نیستند. بعلاوه ، هر بار برای گروهی از افراد سرسپرده به حکومت واریز های کلانی در بانکهای خارج کشور صورت می پذیرد تا علاوه بر دریافت مزد " بصیرت " انگیزه های لازم برای تداوم سرکوب و پایمال کردن حقوق ملت را داشته باشند.

هم اکنون با حذف وزیر راه و ترابری ایران برای عدم انتشار فجایع کلان اقتصادی در پس پرده همکاریهای ایران بر باد ده با دولت چین ، مقرر شده تا کل پروژه " توسعه راه آهن ایران " و مراودات با چینی ها به قرارگاه خاتم الانبیاء سپاه پاسداران واگذار گردد تا آن کنند با منافع ملت که خود دانند

یک/http://www.bornanews.ir/Pages/News-15598

دو/http://www.ghatreh.com/news/6935157

سه:/ http://persian.cri.cn/141/2011/02/16/1s112685
/

The Green Reporter: Ayatollah Sanei's Comments about the HOuse Arrest of Mousavi & Karoubi

2011-02-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

خبرنگاران سبز/ جامعه: آیت الله العظمی صانعی با صدور بیانیه ای به دفاع همه جانبه از میرحسین موسوی و مهدی کروبی و همسرانشان پرداخته و نسبت به حصر خانگی و «محرومیت آنها از حقوق اولیه انسانی» بدون برگزاری هر گونه دادگاه و محکمه ای و بدون اجازه دفاع به آنها، به شدت اعتراض کرده است. در قسمت دیگری از بیانیه مذکور، نسبت به حمله و زندانی کردن معترضین سیاسی انتقاد و وقوع اینگونه رفتارها ناشی از «درماندگی و ضعف سیاسی» حاکمیت در «اقناع افکار عمومی» دانسته شده است. وی همچنین اظهار داشته است که هیچ یک از این رفتارها «با موازین شرعی، قضایی، حقوقی و اجرایی هماهنگی نداشته و ندارد». متن این بیانیه بدین شرح است:

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بسمه تعالی

« وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَار »

در چند هفته اخير شاهد اتفاقاتی هستيم که هر چند در گذشته نيز سابقه داشته است اما روند بعضی از اين اقدامات از نوادريست که با هيچ يک از موازين شرعی، قضايی، حقوقی و اجرايی هماهنگی نداشته و ندارد؛ در صورتی که قدرتهای استبدادی نيز از برگزاری دادگاه و استناد به قوانين کشور و اجازه دفاع به متهم (هرچند به صورت محدود) در جهت گرفتن قيافه قانونمداری و حاکميت قانون استفاده می نمودند.

هنوز فراموش نکرده ايم که دادگاههای سياسی در رژيم گذشته، فارغ از احکام ظالمانه و فرمايشی بودن آنها مانند دادگاههای نظامی دکتر مصدق و فدائيان اسلام و دهها محاکمه سياسی ديگر، چگونه برگزار می شد و متهمان چگونه از اعمال و افکار خود دفاع می کردند که خود حکايت از اين توجه در سيستم حقوقی و قضايی دارد.

با اين حال پس از سی سال از انقلاب اسلامی که شعار آن حاکميت آزادی و جمهوريت بر مبنای موازين اسلام و نفی استبداد بود، شاهد حملات مکرر غير اسلامی و انسانی به معترضان سياسی و حبس آنها هستيم و ناباورانه می بينيم که شخصيت های خدومی همچون زبدة السادات و الاخيار، ذوی العز و الاحترام؛ جناب آقای مهندس مير حسين موسوی و همسر مکرمه و فاضله ايشان و يار ديرين و معتمد امام، حضرت حجت الاسلام و المسلمين آقای حاج شيخ مهدی کروبی و همسر مکرمه ايشان بدون برگزاری هر گونه دادگاه و محکمه ای (هرچند صوری) و بدون اجازه دفاع به آنها در حصر خانگی با محروميت از حقوق اوليه انسانی، قرار می گيرند. اعمال و رفتاری که نشان از درماندگی و ضعف سياسی عاملان و آمران آن از اقناع افکار عمومی دارد.

جای بسی تاسف و تعجب است که برخی از افراد، اعتراض معترضين سياسی را در جامعه فاقد هرگونه پايگاه و جايگاهی دانسته و آنرا دروغ و حيله پنداشته ولی با داشتن تمامی قدرتهای تبليغی و رسانه ای از برگزاری يک دادگاه صالح علنی عاجز هستند تا در آن معترضان و منتقدان سياسی نيز بتوانند از نظرات خود دفاع کنند و در نهايت جامعه خود قضاوت کند که حق با کيست؟

اميد آنکه هرچه زود تر خداوند متعال با رهايی آن بزرگان و ديگران از حصر و حبس، توفيق خدمت در جهت احقاق حقوق ملت را عنايت فرمايد.

Last Will and Testament of Ayatollah Boroujerdi from Evin.

2011-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

2011-02-27T01:21:00.000-08:00

Are Iranians supporters of Mousavi and Karoubi, or are they seeking freedom?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the shape of the government on Iran, if and when the current government finally falls. Some ask whether Mousavi and Karoubi, having initially taken part in the Islamic Republic, are fit to govern? Some argue that although the Green Movement has placed its trust in these two individuals, it is really the movement that is the flag-bearer and these two gentlemen are voicing the very desires of this movement. In other words, the Greens believe that now is not the time to bicker about the future form of government in Iran, but to join the only successful movement since the inception of the Islamic Republic, and leave the issues of future governance to a time when in fact the movement has succeeded.

This argument is embodied in the clip you see here between Shahram Homayoon and Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh. What do you think?

Hamrah Sho Aziz - By Young Nava

2011-02-27T00:47:00.001-08:00

Mir Hossein Mousavi's Pre-Election Speeches

2011-02-27T00:45:00.001-08:00

Pro-Government Demonstrators Calling Rafsanjani the Iranian Mubarak

2011-02-27T00:42:00.000-08:00

Woman Crying out During Arrest of Young Man

2011-02-27T00:37:00.001-08:00

Hassan Shariatmadari, Son of Famous Ayatollah Responds to a Pro- Government Caller on VOA

2011-02-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

BBC Reports on teh Upcoming Demostrations on Tuesday, 10 Esfand

2011-02-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Birth of the Green Movement in Iran

2011-02-26T00:12:00.001-08:00

Two New Elements of the Regime Designated for Sanctions by U.S. State Dept.

2011-02-26T00:11:00.001-08:00

Protest and Demonstration on 10 Esfand- Mousavi's Birthday

2011-02-26T00:09:00.001-08:00

Karoubi & Mousavi Arrested

2011-02-25T23:47:00.001-08:00

A neighbor to Mehdi Karoubi has commented that today there is no sign of the police and security officers that had congregated in front of Karoubi's house. Given the fact that there was a number of security operatives present at the site for a number of days, their sudden disappearance can only be interpreted as a clear sign that they have been arrested and taken to another location.

Video of Attack on Faezeh Hashemi

2011-02-25T23:44:00.001-08:00

Nothing New. Mousavi Khoeiniha's speech in Majlis

2011-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

Hashemi Rafsanjani's Home Targeted by the Regime

2011-02-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

If Only We All Take to the Streets

2011-02-17T23:46:00.001-08:00

Iranian Security Forces Tagging Protestors with Paint Ball Bullets

2011-02-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

Protest Crackdown in Iran: A Report from Faraz Sanei of Human Rights Watch

2011-02-17T23:20:00.000-08:00

Democracy Now Writes:

In Iran, tens of thousands of people took to the streets Monday in the largest Iranian protests since the aftermath of the nation’s disputed 2009 election. At least one protester died and several were injured as security forces used tear gas, pepper spray and batons in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Dozens of protesters were detained.

Iranian lawmakers denounced Monday’s protests and are calling for the execution of two opposition leaders and former presidential candidates, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, for inciting the February 14 demonstrations.

Faraz Sanei, researcher for Human Rights Watch, recounts the day’s events for Democracy Now!

FARAZ SANEI: Today the people of Iran heeded the call of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who are two opposition leaders in Iran, who had actually, on February the 5th, summoned the people of Iran to come out into the streets and demonstrate peacefully in support of the popular movements in Egypt and in Tunisia. They had actually written a letter, a public letter, to the Ministry of Interior asking for a permit for the public demonstrations on February the 14th, which was today, and the Ministry of Interior neglected to actually respond to or issue a permit, which is something that they have not actually done for any of the protests in the past year, year and a half or so since the disputed June 2009 elections. But regardless, the people came out, listened to the calls of Mousavi and Karroubi, and went out into the streets.

We don’t really have exact numbers on the numbers of individuals who participated in the demonstrations today, but we do know that thousands of individuals in Tehran, in Shiraz, in Isfahan, in Kermanshah, in Rasht—these are some of the larger cities in Iran—did actually participate in the protests.

And the protests in Tehran started at around 3:00, 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon. There were designated routes that had been predetermined prior to the demonstrations. And, of course, there was a very, very heavy security presence in the streets in Tehran and in other cities, as well, the security forces including the regular police units, the riot police and plainclothes militia, which usually work with the Basij, which is the Islamic militia that is—that was so prevalent in the 2009 elections in the aftermath, in terms of cracking down on protesters. They basically had positioned themselves and were ready for protesters.

And as protesters started to walk into the streets, in the beginning there weren’t that many clashes, but after a while, clashes began. Often the protesters would yell, they would chant slogans, and in response, the security forces would actually try to disperse them. They would go after them. There were lots of reports of violence in various parts of the the city, in Tehran and in other cities. The riot police, in particular, and the Basij, plainclothes militia, were responsible for going after individuals with batons, with tear gas and with sticks. And as far as we know, most of the demonstrations were peaceful. It’s just that the security forces were trying to disperse the crowds and not allow them to actually go to their final destinations in the various cities.

And the latest reports that we have are that one person was actually killed. It is not clear exactly who that person is. Their identity has not been divulged yet. But pro-government media, Fars News Agency, actually did claim that an individual had been killed. Of course, they blamed that on the protesters. Human Rights Watch has not been able to independently verify, again, that an individual has been killed during the protests. But again, that is the latest news out of Iran.

And at this point, I think the opposition is going to regroup. I think, in general, they consider today to be a success, in terms of the Green Movement actually is not dead, as far as the opposition members are concerned. And, you know, the protests in Egypt and in Tunisia did actually serve as a catalyst, in many ways, to allow the opposition leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Karroubi, to come out and call for public demonstrations today. And as I mentioned previously, thousands of Iranians did heed their call and came out into the streets.

Our position and the position of human rights organizations essentially is that these individuals came to protest peacefully. Under Article 27 of the constitution, they are allowed to come into the streets and protest peacefully. And there was no reason for the security forces to actually clamp down and to use violence against them, unless, of course, the protesters have used violence. But we spoke to several individuals who were at the protests today in Isfahan and in Tehran, and they claimed, of course, that they did not use any violence and that the security guards attacked them nonetheless. Of course, we can’t verify this information, because we don’t have a presence on the ground. Human rights organizations are not allowed on the ground in Iran. But this is the latest news that we have received out of Iran.

to view the article on Democracy Now :

A Revolution, 100 Years in the Making

2011-02-14T01:11:00.001-08:00

Our Destination : Meidan e Azadi - By Darioush

2011-02-14T01:08:00.001-08:00