Western nations decry Iran space launch; US levies sanctions

Iran regime space launch

wASHINGTON, Washington Post, July 28, 2017 — The United States punished Iran on Friday for launching a satellite-carrying rocket into space by hitting six Iranian entities with sanctions targeting the country’s ballistic missiles program.

Three European nations that helped broker the landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2015 joined the U.S. in condemning the launch, and said it was too close for comfort to the type of intercontinental ballistic missiles used to deliver a nuclear payload. At the United Nations , U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Iran was “breaking its obligation” and added, “We can’t trust them.”

“Under this administration, the United States will not let Iran off the hook for behavior that threatens our interests and our allies,” Haley said. “We will continue to impose consequences until Iran stops its provocations and complies fully with Security Council resolutions.”

The U.S. sanctions hit six Iranian subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, described by the Treasury Department as “central” to Iran’s ballistic missiles program. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin cast the sanctions as part of an ongoing U.S. effort to aggressively oppose Iran’s ballistic missile activity, including what he called a “provocative space launch” carried out by the Islamic Republic on Thursday.

In another allegation against the U.S. adversary, Mnuchin said that missile attacks on U.S. partner Saudi Arabia over the weekend by Houthi rebels in Yemen had likely come with the support of Iran. The U.S. has long accused Tehran of shipping weapons to the Houthis, a Shiite group that controls part of Yemen and is being fought by a Saudi-led coalition.
The sanctions came a day after Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket into space, in what was likely a major advancement for the country’s space program. The “Simorgh” rocket is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 550 pounds (250 kilograms), Iran state television said.

The U.S. National Air and Space Intelligence Center said in a report released last month that the Simorgh could act as a test bed for developing the technologies needed to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

In a joint statement, the U.S., Britain, Germany and France called the launch “inconsistent” with the U.N. Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal, adding that such activities destabilize the region. The grouping represented all of the Western nations that are part of the nuclear deal, which also includes Russia, China and the European Union .

“We condemn this action,” the countries said. “We call on Iran not to conduct any further ballistic missile launches and related activities.”

Yet beyond the U.S. sanctions, it was unclear what, if anything, the group could do to increase pressure quickly on Tehran. Notably, the nations stopped short of saying the launch had “violated” the U.N. resolution, saying only that it was “inconsistent” with the text. That’s because the resolution calls upon, but doesn’t oblige, Iran to refrain from ballistic missile development.

Britain, Germany and France also said they were raising their concerns directly to the Islamic Republic. Despite brokering the nuclear deal, the U.S. doesn’t maintain regular diplomatic relations with Iran.
The U.S. penalties reflect an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to show it’s staying tough on Iran even though Trump has yet to scrap the 2015 nuclear agreement, despite threatening to do so as a candidate and labelling it a bad deal.

WH: Trump evaluating the Russia-Iran-N. Korea Sanctions Bill

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany

(CNSNews.com) July 28, 2017 – The U.S. Senate Thursday passed legislation targeting Russia, Iran and North Korea by an overwhelming margin, sending to President Trump’s desk a measure which the White House has not wholeheartedly endorsed.

The Senate voted 98-2 in favor of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act – the most consequential foreign policy legislation to pass since Trump took office – two days after the House passed it by a vote of 419-3.

The two “no” votes came from former 2016 presidential aspirants from either side of the aisle, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who ran as a Democrat in the presidential primaries.

Paul and Sanders also cast the only two opposing votes when the Senate last month passed precursor legislation targeting Iran’s missile program and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

While the reworked bill heading to the president’s desk seeks to punish three regimes for a range of belligerent actions and policies, it is the Russia element that has drawn resistance from the White House.

Specifically, the bill requires a 30-day congressional review of any plan by the president to ease Russian sanctions – a review that could end with a vote on a joint resolution of approval or disapproval.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has consistently denied claims of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election in favor of Trump, has vowed to retaliate against any new sanctions.

Earlier in the day, new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Trump might veto the legislation, but also indicated that if he did so it wouldn’t be because he views the sanctions as too tough on Moscow.
“He may decide to veto the sanctions and be tougher on the Russians than the Congress,” he told CNN.

“He may sign the sanctions, exactly the way they are, or he may veto the sanctions and negotiate an even tougher deal against the Russians,” Scaramucci added, describing Trump as “a counter-intuitive, counterpunching personality.”

“We’re going to wait and see what that final legislation looks like and make a decision at that point,” Sanders told a White House briefing.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), who introduced the bill earlier, praised the Senate’s vote “to give the administration much-needed economic and political leverage to address threats from Iran, Russia, and North Korea.”
“This bipartisan bill is about keeping America safe, and I urge the president to sign it into law,” he said.

A presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate.
Ahead of the Senate vote, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the bill’s progress “rather sad from the standpoint of Russian-U.S. relations and their future.”
“It is no less dismaying in terms of international law and international trade relations,” the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted him as saying Wednesday.

Welcoming the Iran-related provisions of the bill, the exiled Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ) called for its strict implementation.
“The immediate implementation of sanctions against the IRGC and its affiliated entities must be coupled with the expulsion of IRGC and its affiliated militias from the Middle East, in particular from Syria and Iraq,” said NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi .

She also called on other countries, especially in Europe and the Middle East, to enact sanctions on Tehran, “to deny the regime the opportunity to take advantage of its diplomatic and commercial ties with them and continue to suppress the Iranian people and export terrorism and war to the rest of the region.”

US seeks to test Iran deal with more inspections

FILE - This Jan. 15, 2011 file photo shows the heavy water nuclear facility

WASHINGTON, Arab news, 29 July 2017 -  The Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump desperately wants to cancel, senior US officials said.
The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. While the Trump administration seeks to police the existing deal more strictly, it is also working to fix what Trump’s aides have called “serious flaws” in the landmark deal that — if not resolved quickly — will likely lead Trump to pull out.
That effort also includes discussions with European countries to negotiate a follow-up agreement to prevent Iran from resuming nuclear development after the deal’s restrictions expire in about a decade, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss the efforts publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The inspections requests, which Iran would likely resist, could play heavily into Trump’s much-anticipated decision about whether to stick with the deal he has long derided.
If Iran refuses inspections, Trump finally will have a solid basis to say Iran is breaching the deal, setting up Tehran to take most of the blame if the agreement collapses. If Iran agrees to inspections, those in Trump’s administration who want to preserve the deal will be emboldened to argue it is advancing US national security effectively.
The campaign gained fresh urgency this month following a dramatic clash within the administration about whether to certify Iran’s compliance, as is required every 90 days.
Trump was eager to declare Tehran in violation, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that monitors compliance says its infractions are minor. At the urging of top Cabinet members, Trump begrudgingly agreed at the last minute to avoid a showdown for another three months — but only with assurances, the US would increase pressure on Iran to test whether the deal is truly capable of addressing its nuclear ambitions and other troublesome activities.
Trump faces another certification deadline in three months, and it is far from clear that either new inspections or any “fixes” to address whether his concerns will be in place by then. Trump told The Wall Street Journal this week he expects to say Iran is not complying, setting a high bar for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other aides to persuade him otherwise.
“If it was up to me, I would have had them noncompliant 180 days ago,” Trump said.
To that end, the administration is seeking to force Iran to let in IAEA inspectors to military sites where the US intelligence community believes Tehran may be cheating on the deal, several officials said. Access to Iran’s military sites was one of the most contentious issues in the 2015 deal, in which Tehran agreed to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
Last week in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon floated the proposal to the European members of the Joint Commission that oversees the deal, one official said. Britain, France, and Germany joined the US, Russia, China and the EU two years ago in brokering the deal with Iran.
To force inspections of new sites in Iran, the US would need to enlist the support of the IAEA and a majority of the countries in the deal. But the US has run into early resistance over concerns it has yet to produce a “smoking gun” — compelling evidence of illicit activity at a military site that the IAEA could use to justify inspections, officials said.
Among the concerns about a rush toward inspections is that if they fail to uncover evidence of violations, it would undermine the IAEA’s credibility and its ability to demand future inspections. So the US is working to produce foolproof intelligence about illicit activity, officials said. The officials declined to describe the intelligence activities or the Iranian sites the US believes are involved.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, alluded to the strategy during an event hosted Wednesday by The Washington Post. Corker said the US was trying to “radically enforce” the deal by asking for access to “various facilities” in Iran.
“If they don’t let us in, boom,” Corker said. “You want the breakup of this deal to be about Iran. You don’t want it to be about the US because we want our allies with us.”
The other major step to try to address what Trump has deemed flaws in the deal involves ensuring that Iran cannot revert to old behavior once the limitations on its program “sunset” over the next decade-plus.
Tehran can propose alternatives to on-site inspections, or reject the request, which would trigger a 24-day process for the Joint Commission countries to override the rejection.
That could drag on for months. And under ambiguities built into the deal, it is unclear whether Iran st allow IAEA inspectors into military sites, or whether the Iranians can take their own environmental samples and send them to the IAEA for testing, as was allowed under a 2015 side agreement that let Iran use its own experts to inspect the Parchin military site.Even if Trump declares Iran in violation of the deal — a move that would invigorate his conservative base — he could still leave Iran’s sanctions relief in place

IRAN SAT-LAUNCH ROCKET 'SUCCESSFUL' - Inspection push to test N-deal

Simorgh rocket is launched and tested at the Irani Space Centre, Iran, on July 27, 2017

(MENAFN - Arab Times) WASHINGTON, July 27, (Agencies): The Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump desperately wants to cancel, senior US officials said.
The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach to preventing #Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. While the Trump administration seeks to police the existing deal more strictly, it is also working to fix what Trump's aides have called 'serious flaws' in the landmark deal that — if not resolved quickly — will likely lead Trump to pull out.

That effort also includes discussions with European countries to negotiate a follow-up agreement to prevent #Iran from resuming nuclear development after the deal's restrictions expire in about a decade, the officials said. The officials weren't authorized to discuss the efforts publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Iran must not squander opportunity to end executions for drug-related offences

Amnesty International, 28 July 2017 - Iranian lawmakers must not miss a historic opportunity to reject the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences and save the lives of thousands of people across the country, said Amnesty International and Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation today.

In the coming weeks, Iran’s parliament is expected to vote on a bill that amends Iran’s anti-narcotics law, but fails to abolish the death penalty for non-lethal drug-related offences as is required by international law.

Four Nuclear Deal Nations Decry Iran's Space Launch

Four nuclear deal nations decry Irans space launch

WASHINGTON, New York Times, July 28, 2017 —The United States, France, Germany and Britain say they're raising concerns with the United Nationsover Iran's launch of a satellite-carrying rocket into space.

The four countries brokered the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran along with China, Russia and the European Union . They say in a joint statement that Iran's launch was 'inconsistent' with a U.N. Security Council resolution that enshrined the nuclear deal.

The four nations say Iran's missile development destabilizes the region and shouldn't continue. France, Germany and the U.K. say they're raising their concerns directly with Iran. The U.S. doesn't maintain diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Video: Iranian Opposition Welcomes New US Sanctions Against IRGC

Iranian Resistance president, Maryam Rajavi

New sanctions on Iran are a step towards taking power away from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, but there is much more the US and its allies can do.

Practical Politicking, July 28, 2017 - The US House of Representatives on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to rally major new sanctions on Iran, parallel to measures on North Korea and Russia. To impose additional sanctions on Iran’s defense sector, The House voted 419-3, moving the bill forward to be signed by President Trump. Coming after three weeks of negotiations, this bill “tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries,” explained House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The bill sanctions anyone associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or anyone whom the US determines is complicit in Iranian human rights violations. Anyone sanctioned under the act may later have sanctions removed after a five-year review.

Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi welcome the US House of Reps’ new sanctions and terrorist designation of IRGC as essential to rectifying the policy of appeasement and described the act as a “step in line with the Iranian people’s desires and peace in the region,” especially as it turns up the heat on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The new act is a step in line with the Iranian people’s desires and peace in the region. It must be supplemented with other steps#Iran pic.twitter.com/CHqQXMBowF

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 26, 2017

The new administration coming to Washington has promised many things, not least of which includes a reexamination of US policies towards Iran. Though the Obama administration did all it could to sell the nuclear deal as a victory, at best it has deferred the ultimate questions about how to deal with the regime in Iran, and at worst it has emboldened their belligerence in the region

A successful policy vis-a-vis the regime in Tehran has seemingly eluded Republicans and Democrats for the last 16 years. It may be time to try something new.

Middle Eastern states when confronted with intense instability can result in the spread of insecurity across the globe. This includes the threat of terrorism in Europe and the US, and the increase of sectarian conflicts abroad.

Yet there are no easy solutions to these issues. The prospects of being dragged into another war are not appealing to anyone, yet neither can we afford to sit back and watch radical terror spread throughout the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the appeasement policy by the West for the past two decades has exacerbated this problem, directly or indirectly supporting or engaging Islamic fundamentalists at the expense of their main secular and progressive opposition. The cold war policies of arming jihadists and undermining democratic groups is a direct example of this. It is time to employ a reversal of this policy.

A common denominator underlying the rise of ISIS, and the spread of instability and fundamentalism, is none other than the regime in Tehran. No one can deny this. Yet at every turn, we are told that the only solution is one which engages the mullahs and strengthens their grip on power. The time for such thinking is at an end.

The regime has been reluctant to make good on promises of change and thus far has continued its brutal repression of dissidents while maintaining an aggressive policy in the region.

The question of how to guarantee a long term shift in the behavior of the Iranian regime remains unanswered by Iranian regime apologists.

The only long term policy which can guarantee a fundamental change of behavior in Iran, and sets an example for hope and change abroad, is one which recognizes the legitimate rights of the Iranian people to bring about democratic change and topple the theocratic fascist state in Iran.

It is the time that the United States firmly aligned itself with the Iranian opposition which embraces democratic change, freedom and liberty, and secular governance. The Iranian people and their organized resistance should be the primary negotiation partners and allies, not the ruling mullahs.

The principal opposition to the Iranian theocracy, the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ) and its main pillar, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) is one such organization.

“In history, the name of your president elect, Maryam Rajavi, will go down in the same tradition of fighters for freedom as Washington, Lafayette, and Garibaldi,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in a speech at the annual NCRI convention held this year on July 1st in Paris.

Grand Gathering of Iranians for #FreeIran 1st July 2017/ Newt Gingrich EX-US Presidential candidate

Rajavi advocates a new future of Iran. This includes a ten-point plan for a democratic secular republic in Iran, free of nuclear weapons, capital punishment, and tolerant to all religions, ethnicities, and ideas

 

About Shahriar Kia 

Shahriar Kia is a human rights activist and a political analyst writing on Iran and the MIdlle East. As a member of the Iranian opposition, he dedicated his life for the freedom of his people in Iran. He graduated from University of North Texas (USA)

Two Years after Nuclear Deal, Iran Seeking Regional Dominance

Several thousand protesters demonstrated to oppose the nuclear deal with Iran in New York City in July

New York, Morocco World News -  July 28, 2017 – July marks the second anniversary of the controversial nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).A deal which not only did not stop Iran’s nuclear program, but it only delayed it and at the same time provided billions of dollars to the regime to pursue its destructive policies in the region.

The Obama Administration and other advocates of the appeasement policy claimed that this agreement would bring serious changes to Iran’s behavior, including its actions in the Middle East. Two years on, it is increasingly evident that these claims, hollow and baseless on some levels, have fallen short.

The deal and the misguided policy that it influenced have emboldened Iran in many areas, especially its malign regional activities. The agreement not only failed to improve the Iranian people’s economic status, but it actually granted the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) billions of dollars to pursue its destructive policies in the region.

After spending the billions in windfall from the nuclear deal, Iran has begun meddling with its neighboring countries. Superficially, Iran has become a regional power, but what is the reality? Is Iran truly a regional powerhouse, and is there an ulterior motive behind the involvement in other countries’ affairs?

A quick look at Iran’s modern history suggests that its current actions in the region might actually signal that it possesses less power than is thought. Since the start of their rule, the mullahs based their regime on two pillars: crushing any domestic opposition and creating crises abroad. The adoption of such polices embodies the very nature of this regime. The mullahs’ regime is a backward-minded regime belonging to the Middle Ages which opposes social liberties and developments.

The system is based on Velayat-e Faqih (custodianship of the clergy) and it places all religious and legal authority in the hands of the Supreme Leader. What this means, in both theory and in practice, is that the Ali Khamenei (like Ruhollah Khomeini before him) plays a direct role in all the country’s affairs; and no individual, group, or committee in the country has the right to question or hold him accountable.

By contrast, Iranian society is a sizable demographic of young, highly educated citizens seeking increased development and more social liberties. This regime cannot match the contemporary society’s needs and considers force and suppression to be the only methods of maintaining their grip on power.

To perpetuate the systematic and widespread suppression inside the country, the mullahs rely on external crises to divert public attention. As a result, the “export of revolution”—more precisely the “export of terrorism”—and “creating crises outside of Iran” became Tehran’s official policy. There are numerous examples of the consequences of this policy.

The Iran-Iraq war, for example, lasted eight years, leaving millions on both sides  either dead or injured, and many more displaced. Hundreds of cities and villages were destroyed, and damages were estimated at $1 trillion for Iran alone. It also contributed to the establishment of Hezbollah and general interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, the rise of Houthis in Yemen, the ascendancy of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and the subsequent Syrian Civil War.

Former regime Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini described the war as “God’s blessing.” During the war, Tehran brutally crushed its opposition through mass executions; in the summer of 1988 alone, 30,000 political prisoners were massacred across the country. The victims were mainly members and supporters of the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI-MEK).

Other international crises have served the regime in the same way. Tehran has brought carnage and suffering to thousands of innocent people in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and other Arab countries with their attempts to maintain their power.

Senior Iranian officials argue, “One reason we have been in Syria… and  Iraq, and carried out these measures, is that instead of fighting the enemy in the streets of Tehran, Kermanshah, Arak, Qum, Sanandaj and Tabriz, we have taken the fight to Deir ez-Zur, Raqqa, Aleppo, Homs and Mosul….”

Iran’s tactics and daliances in other countries affairs are not due to the nation’s inherent strength. supporting regime change is the only real policy to stand against their export of terrorism.

Change to: Iran is not a regional power and its meddling in other countries affairs is not a sign of their dominance, but on the contrary it’s a smoke screen to hide their internal instability and weakness. As a result, the only real policy to stop Iran’s export of terrorism is a change in the government and regime in Iran.

The annual Iranian Resistance gathering on July 1 clearly demonstrated how regime change is within reach. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi , President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, was the keynote speaker of the conference. She emphasized that the only way to liberate the Iranian people from religious tyranny and to establish peace and tranquility in the region is to overthrow the Velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule).

The overthrow of this regime is necessary, feasible and within reach, and that a democratic alternative and an organized resistance exists to topple it, she underscored.

The parties behind the democratic alternative are working to establish freedom and democracy in Iran. Their plans will bring harmony to various ethnic groups, end discord and divide between Shiites and Sunnis, and eliminate tensions between Iran and its neighbors, Mrs. Rajavi concluded.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent any 

Iran rocket suffered 'catastrophic failure,' likely blew up, US official says

A Simorgh rocket is launched and tested at the Khomeini Space Centre, Iran, in this handout photo on July 27, 2017

Fox News, July 28, 2017 - A much-hyped Tehran space launch turned out to be a dud, as the Iranian Simorgh rocket suffered a 'catastrophic failure' shortly after liftoff on Thursday and likely blew up before it reached space, two U.S. officials told Fox News.

On Thursday, U.S. Strategic Command, which monitors launches around the world, could only confirm a satellite was not deployed from the rocket. But fresh intelligence assessments on Friday confirmed yet another failure by the Islamic Republic in its mission to place an operational satellite into orbit --something Tehran has never done before, despite repeated attempts over the past few years.

Officials have long been concerned the technology used to put a satellite into space could also be repurposed to make a long-range ballistic missile capable of one day potentially hitting the U.S. The Simorgh rocket is based on a North Korean design.

Iran's state media on Thursday claimed the launch was successful, but U.S. spy agencies quickly determined that assessment was more propaganda than fact.

But even though it failed, Iran's attempted rocket launch succeeded in violating United NationsSecurity Council Resolution 2231, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

Critics of the UN resolution -- which went into effect days after the landmark Iran nuclear agreement two years ago -- say the language is purposefully weak, however, and does not forbid Iran from carrying out such tests. The resolution states Iran is merely 'called upon' not to conduct such rocket and missile tests.

'We would consider that a violation of UNSCR 2231,' Nauert said flatly. 'We consider that to be continued ballistic missile development.'

The Nuclear Spirit of Iran

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a speech on the nuclear agreement with Iran in Philadelphia, Pa, July 2, 2015

By The Editorial Board

The Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2017 - One almost has to admire Iran’s chutzpah. On Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, 419-3, which would impose sanctions on Iran’s ballistic-missile program, its foreign ministry called the legislation “illegal and insulting.” On Thursday Iran made a scheduled launch of a huge missile, which it says will put 550-pound satellites into orbit.

The only people who should feel surprised or insulted by this are Barack Obama, who midwifed the 2015 nuclear-weapons agreement with the untrustworthy Iranians. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert rightly called the missile launch a violation of the spirit of that agreement.

What's Really Behind French Oil Giant's Deal With Iran?

A view of Total headquarters outside Paris, Wednesday March 11, 2009. French oil gian

NewsMax, 27 July 2017 - The $4.8-billion-dollar deal between Iran and France's Total, the huge multinational oil and gas company, has become very controversial. Considering the unilateral U.S. sanctions and increasing measures against Iran, why has Total risked signing such a deal?

There are a variety of possibilities.

Total will be developing phase 11 of Iran's mammoth South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, along with a state Chinese firm and an Iranian subsidiary. The project is set to render 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to 400,000 barrels of oil.

Why is Changiz Ghadam Kheiri, a political prisoner on hunger strike?

Kurd political prisoner Changiz Qadam Kheiri who has been transferred to serve his time in Masjed Suleiman Prison

Iran, 28 July 2017-- Iranian political prisoner, changiz Ghadam Kheiri has been on hunger strike since Monday July 24 to protest pressures on him by the prison officials.

Despite certification by the prison physicians that he needs surgery due to his deteriorating health situation, Changiz who is currently in Masjed Soleiman Prison in the Khouzestan province (Southwestern Iran) has been deprived of receiving medical care imposed by the Ministry of Intelligence.

In protest to the Ministry of Intelligence's impedement in releasing him on medical grounds, and his inadequate situation in prison, he has gone on hunger strike since Monday July 24.

Changiz Ghadam Kheiri who was wounded at the time of his arrest, despite the passage of more than five years from the time of his arrest, still has shrapnel in his body and has been kept in poor sanitary conditions.

While he does not use any tobacco, he is kept in section 1, where addicts are kept.

According to reports, the request of the prisoner to transfer him to another section has been denied by the regime's Ministry of Intelligence.

Changiz Ghadam Kheiri, born in 1988, was arrested in 2011 and transferred to Sanandaj central prison. After two years, he was exiled to Masjed Soleiman prison.

This prisoners was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment for a six-month membership in one of the Kurdish parties by a regime’s court in Sanandaj.

It is worth mentioning that after the arrest of Changiz Ghadam Kheiri, his family was informed about the arrest and wounding of the prisoner only after a few months of having no news about him.

Does Iran seek to empower extremist elements such as those involved in the 1988 massacre?

Irans former prison chief Assadollah Lajevardi

IRAN, 28 July 2017-- Mohammad Sadegh Kushki, an expert in political and international issues from the Khamenei bands, emphasized that the solution to the crisis of popular dissatisfaction and protests is the use of criminal elements such as Assadollah Lajvardi (Chief of Evin Prison known as the Evin executioner) in the 1980s and criminal judges such as Mohammadi Gilani (a perpetrator of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners) and Ahmad Jannati (Secretary of the Guardian Council). Ofogh (Horizon) TV (a state-run TV station) – 24 July 2017:

We shall begin with your names

Maryam Rajavi Demands Justice for 30,000 Iranian Political Prisoners Massacred in 1988

By: Mohammad Gharaei (M. Showgh)

A poem dedicated to the 30,000 heroes and heroines executed during the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran. Under the rule of Velayat-e faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) and according to Khomeini's fatwa many of the prisoners arrested merely for defending justice and freedom based on the PMOI/MEK identity were executed after some kangaroo courts which usually were wrapped up after only a few minutes. They accepted death but did not surrender to the ideology of hate marked by Khomeini.

 

'The events of the '80s and particularly, 88 will uproot the regime,' says the confidant of Iran's Supreme Leader

 

 That bloody summer of Khavaran cemetery

To those massacred in the summer of 1988

Oh!   Heroes! and heroines!
We shall begin everything with your names.    
Our songs; And the songs of our children
Marches of the people's army 
On the anniversary of victory.

And we will make you as everlasteing symbols

Word by word
In our books
In the fountains
Of our cities    
And no sign of your name, the braves, were neglected,

The names of the wardens
The color of noose
And the shape of the footstool
From every corner 
We will gather,
And register
In every corner of his powerful memory  
We will register.

We will change our hearts, eyes and the arms to memory
To be able to remember your names
And the color of every moments of those nights
That died in the corridors of death
Every twist and shake of your body
When was hanging from those dirty ropes

We remember your names
Like the festive clothes of the patriotic heroes
In the myths of battlefields
We remember…..

 Ali Fallahian, during which he acknowledged that Khomeini issued a fatwa in thesummer of 1988calling for the annihilation of those people affiliated with (PMOI or MEK)