Yerevan - you will not give it back to 1988

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-Iran - The voice of strike prisoners

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Amnesty International Calls on the Iran Regime to Allow International Monitors to Conduct Unannounced Inspections of Prisons

The fact that detention conditions have become so poor that desperate prisoners feel they are forced to go on hunger strike

 

August 22, 2017. Amnesty International has expressed concern about the conditions of the political prisoners in hunger strike in Iran, the following is the full text which was published on the Amnesty.org.

 

Iran: Mass hunger strike by political prisoners in protest at inhumane conditions

More than a dozen political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, have gone on hunger strike in protest at the cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions they have been forced to endure at a maximum-security prison in Karaj, Alborz province, Amnesty International said today.

Political prisoners at Raja’i Shahr prison were recently transferred to a newly opened area where conditions have been described as suffocating. They are held in cells with windows covered by metal sheets, and deprived of access to clean drinking water, food and sufficient beds. They are also barred from having in-person family visits and denied access to telephones, which are usually available in other parts of the prison.

“The Iranian authorities must urgently ensure that adequate food, drinking water, medicine, health care and sanitation are available to all prisoners in Raja’i Shahr prison.”

On 30 July about 53 political prisoners were violently transferred to Section 10 of Raja’i Shahr prison. Among them are prisoners of conscience including human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, students, peaceful political dissidents, and members of Iran’s persecuted Baha’i community.

 At least 17 political prisoners went on hunger strike in protest at the transfer. Human rights defender and trade unionist Reza Shahabi joined the hunger strikers on 16 August following his arrest and transfer to the same section.

According to information obtained by Amnesty International, in early August, some of the prisoners who went on hunger strike were held in solitary confinement for up to 12 days as punishment for their peaceful protest.

“By detaining dozens of prisoners of conscience after grossly unfair trials the Iranian authorities are already shamelessly flouting their human rights obligations. These are people who shouldn’t even be behind bars in the first place, yet instead of being released from custody they are being punished further by being held in appalling conditions,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

Amnesty International has learned that the prison authorities have covered windows in Section 10 with metal sheets and sealed all the doors and exterior openings, making the rooms virtually airtight. This has resulted in limited air circulation and damp rooms, endangering the health of prisoners, particularly those already suffering from serious medical conditions.

Prisoners have also expressed outrage at the unprecedented measure of installing dozens of security cameras and listening devices throughout that part of the prison, including in the toilets and shower rooms, which amounts to a serious violation of their right to privacy.

These repressive measures, along with the ban on phone calls and family visits, appear to be part of a concerted effort by Iran’s authorities to cut off political prisoners from the outside world and limit leaks of information about the catalogue of human rights violations they regularly suffer in Raja’i Shahr prison.

In recent days, several prisoners have been transferred to the prison medical clinic following a deterioration in their health. Prison doctors have warned that some of them urgently require specialized medical care outside of the prison but the head of prison is refusing to authorize their transfer to hospitals.

Prisoners held in Section 10 also do not have access to safe drinking water, as the water purification devices that they had purchased at their own expense were not moved after their transfer. The authorities also failed to transfer the fridge, food and kitchenware that the prisoners had gradually bought with their own funds over the years, forcing them to survive on prison food, which is known to be both inadequate and insufficient. As a result, prisoners usually need to buy food from the prison shop and prepare meals at their own expense.
“The horrendous conditions at Raja’i Shahr prison point to a pattern of cruel and inhumane treatment that has repeatedly characterized Iran’s ruthless attitude to prisoners in its custody,' said Magdalena Mughrabi.

“All prisoners should be treated with dignity and humanity, in line with international human rights standards. Those in need of specialized medical care must be transferred to hospitals outside of the prison.”

During the transfer to Section 10, prisoners said they were beaten by guards and were also prevented from taking their prescribed medication and personal belongings, including clothes, books and letters with them. Some of their personal possessions, including notebooks, photos, letters and other mementos which were their last source of comfort in an otherwise dire situation, were subsequently destroyed.

The prisoners on hunger strike have made a series of demands including the return of their belongings, compensation for damage, and for the authorities to immediately address the dreadful conditions which are putting their physical and mental wellbeing at serious risk.

Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to allow international monitors, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, to conduct independent, unannounced inspections of Raja’i Shahr Prison and other prisons across the country.

Iranian Resistance Calls for Urgent Action to Save Lives of Hunger Striking Political Prisoners

Many of the prisoners on hunger strike do not have the strength to stand on their feet and have fainted repeatedly.

The health of many of political prisoners who are on their 24th day of hunger strike in Gohardasht prison to protest their inhumane conditions has deteriorated.

On Monday, August 21, Mr. Hassan Sadeghi, who is suffering from glaucoma due to the severe blows he received from prison authorities, was transferred to Farabi Hospital in southern Tehran.

Mr. Sadeghi’s eyesight has diminished severely. Physicians believe he is facing the danger of losing his eyesight due to pressure build up.

Mr. Hassan Sadeghi was last arrested for the third time in 2015 for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

Many of the prisoners on hunger strike do not have the strength to stand on their feet and have fainted repeatedly.

 

A number of political prisoners have been arrested in Gohardasht prison in Karaj

In the meantime, prison authorities once again transferred another hunger striking political prisoner Amir Qaziani to solitary confinement.

The authorities refrain from providing any information to the families of the hunger striking political prisoners, who seek information about their loved ones. A known official of the Iranian regime in the Gohardasht Prison, Haj Moradi, referred the families to the Prisons Organization in Tehran, but once they arrived at the location, another official named Mohebi ordered them out of the facility and refused to provide them any information.

The Iranians Resistance warns about the dangers to the health and safety of the striking prisoners, who are suffering from various illnesses after spending many years behind bars under excruciating conditions in the regime’s prisons.

The Iranian Resistance calls for urgent action by international human rights organizations, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Human Rights Council to take action to save the lives of these political prisoners.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

Iran: Women Political Prisoners Support the Hunger Strikers

The three women prisoners, Golrokh Iraei, Atena Daemi, and Maryam Akbari Monfared underscored that silence and inaction are a political cover to continue the widespread human rights abuses in Iran

IRAN, 22 August 2017-- Three women political prisoners in Tehran Evin prison expressed their support in a letter to the hunger striking political prisoners and their rightful claims, in Gohardasht prison in Karaj.

The three women prisoners, Golrokh Iraei, Atena Daemi, and Maryam Akbari Monfared underscored that silence and inaction are a political cover to continue the widespread human rights abuses in Iran. They urged the international community, the U.N. Secretary General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, and all political activists to take immediate action to save the lives of political prisoners on hunger strike.

The letter reads in part:

“Protecting the fundamental rights of people around the world regardless of their nationality, religion and color, and protesting human rights violations is an important and valuable approach.”

“But what is worrying about this issue is the deteriorating situation of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in Gohardasht (Rajaei Shahr) prison, especially prisoners who have staged hunger strike to protest the repressive measures against political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Gohardasht prison, Hall 12, and today is the 20th day of their hunger strike.”

“Those who criticize the government for any reason should not face the worst reactions and undergo inhumane conditions during their imprisonment. Some of these prisoners are spending their second decade of imprisonment, and some are in serious health condition due to old age and illness.”

“In the Islamic Republic’s rule, many voices are broken in the throats, many bloods have been shed unjustly, numerous rights have been trampled, and many unjust sentences have been issued, and the only means of achieving justice for the prisoners in prison is hunger strike.”

“We, a number of (female) political prisoners in Evin Prison , support those people who are on hunger strike and salute them and bow to their resistance. We call on international human rights community, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran (Ms. Asma Jahangir), the U.N. Secretary-General and all political activists of our country to act immediately to save the lives of Gohardasht prisoners, especially the political prisoners on hunger strike, because silence and inaction are a political cover for the continued widespread human rights abuses in Iran.”

Golrokh Iraei, Atena Daemi, Maryam Akbari Monfared

Evin Prison

19 August 2017

Video: More than 3,000 Iranian retirees demonstrate in front of the Iranian regime's parliament

Retirees Protest Outside Regimes Parliament

On Tuesday, 22 August 2017, hundreds of Iranian retirees from across the country gathered outside the Iranian regime's parliament protesting difficult living conditions.The protesting retirees were from the following provences: Tehran, Albaraz, Markazi, Isfahan,  South  Khorasan,   North Khorasan , Gilan, Mazandaran and Kermanshah.

Fourth Anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Attack at Ghouta, Syria

Use of chemical weapons in the Ghouta

August 21, 2017-- Four years ago today, the Syrian regime launched a horrific chemical attack with the nerve agent sarin on the opposition-controlled suburb of Ghouta in Damascus – leaving more than 1,400 Syrians dead, many of them children. On this solemn anniversary, the international community remembers the many lives lost and the need to continue to stand against such cruel disregard the international standards and norms against the use of chemicals as weapons.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, under any circumstances. We reiterate our commitment not to tolerate such use and to ensure that those responsible face serious consequences. Since the horrific attack four years ago, the Syrian regime has continued to demonstrate blatant disregard for international law and norms, as demonstrated in its chemical attack using sarin gas on Khan Shaykun on April 4, 2017. As a result, the United States responded with targeted airstrikes on a regime airbase. We are prepared to continue to use the necessary means to deter the regime from using such chemical weapons.

  As the result of Assad's chemical attack, hundreds of children were killed

The Assad regime must cease its use of chemical weapons, fully declare all of its chemical weapons stockpiles, and cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission and the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). Failure to comply with international law, norms, and standards related to the use of chemical weapons poses a direct threat to the international community and will be addressed accordingly.

Iran 'part of the problem' in Yemen: top diplomat

A newly-recruited Huthi fighter looks through the scope of a sniper rifle while taking part in a gathering in the capital Sanaa in July 2017

UNITED NATIONS (UNITED STATES) (AFP) 22 August 2017 - Iran, accused of supporting Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, 'is part of the problem, not the solution' when it comes to ending conflict in the war-torn nation, Yemen's top diplomat said Monday.

'Iran is the cause of the problem, Iran continues to support the Huthis, Iranian arms are smuggled. Iran is part of the problem, not the solution,' Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi said when asked if Tehran could contribute to a political solution in Yemen.
He was speaking at UN headquarters after a major luncheon hosted by Yemen and Saudi Arabia with the majority of diplomatic missions to the United Nations.
'Iran has no role to play in the region,' echoed the Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi.

 

   Iran, accused of supporting Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, “is part of the problem, not the solution” when it comes to ending conflict in the war-torn nation

Saudi humanitarian aid to Yemen is estimated to top 8.2 billion dollars.
The Saudi-led military coalition largely controls the country's airspace, although US drones also carry out strikes on suspected Al-Qaeda bases there.
More than 8,300 people have been killed and 44,000 wounded since the Saudi-led coalition entered the Yemen war in 2015.
Close to 2,000 Yemenis have also died of cholera since April and another 600,000 are expected to contract the infection this year.

Iran political prisoners cause international concern

Amnesty International said that prisoners at Gohardasht priso

Al Arabiya, 23 August 2017 - International concern is rising for more than a dozen political prisoners in Iran who are on hunger strike.

Amnesty International issued a statement on Tuesday describing their conditions as 'cruel, inhuman and degrading'.

Amnesty International said that prisoners at Raja’i Shahr prison were recently transferred to a newly opened area where conditions are suffocating.

“They are held in cells with windows covered by metal sheets, and deprived of access to clean drinking water, food and sufficient beds,” the statement read.

Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International said that on July 30 about 53 political prisoners were violently transferred to Section 10 of Raja’i Shahr prison.

Among them are human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, students, peaceful political dissidents, and members of Iran’s persecuted Baha’i community.

At least 17 political prisoners went on hunger strike in protest at the transfer.

The Paris based National Council of Resistance of Iran said that political prisoners in the notorious Gohardasht Prison are experiencing deteriorated physical conditions and are in dangerous conditions as well.

“On Monday, August 21, Mr. Hassan Sadeghi was transferred to Farabi Hospital in Qazvin Square of southern Tehran, he is suffering from glaucoma due to the severe blows suffered from prison authorities to his eye,” the NCRI said in their statement.

“Physicians say there is a possibility that his eye blood veins are torn and may lose his eyesight”.

Sadeghi was arrested in 2015 for the third time for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and sentenced to 15 years behind bars

Saudi Arabia and Yemen: Iran is part of Yemeni crisis

Iran interferes in Yemen, Iran and Yemen map

NEW YORK, ARAB NEWS, 23 August 2017 - Saudi Arabia and Yemen have said Iran has no role to play in the region because it was the cause of the Yemeni crisis and not part of the solution.
Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Al-Mouallimi and Yemeni Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Abdulmalek Al-Makhlafi, made their remarks at a symposium titled “Partners for a Sustainable Peace in Yemen” which was held Monday at UN headquarters in New York.
Among the attendees were Adviser to the Royal Court and general supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), Abdullah Al-Rabeeah; Saudi Ambassador in Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber; the Yemeni permanent representative to the UN, Khalid Yamani; Yemeni Minister of Local Administration Abdulraqeeb Fath; Yemeni ambassador to the US, Ahmed bin Mubarak; the special envoy of the UN secretary-general to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and the former US ambassador to Yemen, Gerald Firestein.
Meanwhile, organizers stressed the importance of humanitarian assistance provided by Saudi Arabia to Yemen, which has been estimated at more than $8.2 billion.
Addressing the session, Al-Jaber said Saudi Arabia remained the largest supporter to the Yemeni economy in the past 30 years, and he emphasized the importance of bringing about a political solution in Yemen.
He said the current problem in Yemen originated with a coup by a small-armed Yemeni component financially and militarily supported by Iran, which threatens the security and stability of the whole region.
Al-Jaber stressed that the political solution in Yemen is based on three references: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative, the outcome of the (Yemeni) national dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216.
Earlier, Al-Rabeeah opened an exhibition titled “Toward a humanity without limits” at the UN premises, which contained publications, reports and films reflecting the achievements of KSRelief since it began providing aid to affected countries, notably Yemen

Sixth Indonesian province declares emergency as fires spread

A man is seen looking at the that hit Indonesia

JAKARTA, AP, 22 August 2017 - Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency says the number of dry season fires has jumped to more than 500 and a sixth province has declared a state of emergency.
Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Tuesday that satellite images show 538 fires across 23 provinces, up from about 160 early in the month.
Plantation companies and villagers often set fires deliberately to clear land for planting. They spread easily because a widespread practice in Indonesia of draining swampy peatlands for palm oil and pulp wood plantations has made swathes of land highly combustible.

A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire burning

Nugroho said Central Kalimantan was the latest province to declare a state of emergency.
In 2015, record fires burned 2.6 million hectares (6.4 million acres) and blanketed Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand in health-damaging haze.

Iran on the path of North Korea

Nuclear Blast

By Keyvan Salami
American Thinker, August  23,  2017 - Iran can enrich uranium within five days if the U.S. imposes more sanctions on Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s atomic agency head, warned this week. He claimed that Iran could achieve 20% enriched uranium in five days -- a level at which it could then quickly be processed further into weapons-grade nuclear material.

“If we make the determination, we are able to resume 20%-
enrichment in at most five days,”

Last week Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran could abandon its nuclear agreement with world powers 'within hours' if the United States imposes any more new sanctions.

'If America wants to go back to the experience of imposing sanctions, Iran would certainly return in a short time -- not a week or a month but within hours - to conditions more advanced than before the start of negotiations,' Rouhani told a session of parliament broadcast live on state television.

In response, Ambassador Nikki Haley said Iran should not be allowed “to use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage.”

The Obama administration argued that there was no better alternative to its controversial nuclear agreement with Iran. The argument was that the deal is good as it potentially delays Iran’s ambition to acquire nuclear weapons for at least 10 years; it requires Tehran to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium by 98 percent, disables the Arak facility from producing weapons-grade plutonium, reduces the number of centrifuges by two-thirds, converts the Fordow facility into a research center, and allows for unprecedented intrusive inspections.

In addition, the deal would lengthen, from a few months to a year, the timeframe in which Iran could reach the breakout point, providing the U.S. more time to act, even militarily. Finally, they suggested that a more prosperous and secure Iran might give up its drive to obtain nuclear weapons and may even become a constructive player in the community of nations.

Two years after the deal, the question is: will those claims still hold? Did the deal “potentially” delay Iran’s ambition to acquire nuclear weapons for at least 10 years? And did it make Iran “more prosperous and secure to give up its drive to obtain nuclear weapons and may even become a constructive player in the community of nations”?

The reality is that the deal not only has not curbed Iran’s ability to obtain nuclear weapons, it also granted billions of dollars to Iran’s malicious activities. Two years after the deal it is Rouhani who is confessing to this fact and saying that Iran is capable of reaching the same point and even “conditions more advanced than before the start of negotiations” in a matter of few days.

“In an hour and a day, Iran could return to a more advanced [nuclear] level than at the beginning of the negotiations,” Rouhani told a parliamentary session.

At the same session, a new bill was passed, testament to hollow claims of Iran’s change of behavior, and “a constructive player in the community of nations.”

In retaliation to new U.S. sanctions, with lawmakers chanting “Death to America”, the state’s military budgetwill be increased by almost $500 million, and $260 million will be pumped into the missile programmer alone.

A further $300 million will be added to Quds force’s budget. The bill charges the government to confront “threats, malicious, hegemonic and divisive activities of America in the region.”

One might argue that their action is in reaction to new U.S. sanctions. This might be true, yet it doesn’t change the fact that Iran has maintained its capability of advancing its nuclear program, as Rouhani acknowledged.

The Iran apologists’ take from Rouhani’s threat is more concessions and stop placing pressure on Iran. A realistic approach, however, would be to take Rouhani’s words seriously and put more pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program once and for all.

Iran is following the same path as North Korea, and the nuclear deal with Iran must not fool us into imagining they have stopped their ambition of becoming a nuclear power.

For the mullahs in Iran, the atomic bomb is the only guarantor of survival. That is why they would never relinquish their ambition of becoming a nuclear power.

The only means to stop Iran from is to support the Iranian people and their organized opposition for a regime change

Military conflict with North Korea can be avoided: Germany's Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, August 23, 2017.

BERLIN, Reuters, August 23, 2017 - A military conflict with North Korea can be avoided, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday, adding that Germany could help find a diplomatic solution to Pyongyang's standoff with the United States.

'We should do more,' Merkel said of Germany and the European Union .

'We cannot simply insist on a diplomatic solution while we sit and do nothing,' she added at an event organized by the Handel sblatt business daily.

Merkel, who is expected to win an election next month, said EU countries like Germany and France could play an active role in securing a peaceful solution to the standoff like they did in talks with Iran over its nuclear program.

Cologne Cathedral Walled off in Post-Barcelona Security Rethink

People walk past concrete barriers placed by police in front of the world famous gothic cathedral in Cologne, Germany, August 23, 2017

BERLIN, Reuters, August 23, 2017 - German police placed concrete barriers in front of Cologne's world famous gothic cathedral on Wednesday after reports that Islamist militants sought to target Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia, another icon of ecclesiastical architecture.

Many German cities have tightened security since last week's van attack that killed 13 people in Barcelona, after a period in which most were wary of erecting barriers for fear of triggering a fortress mentality that would put off visitors.

'We took the decision to act as quickly as possible after looking at attacks in Europe,' a police spokeswoman said. 'Our job is to protect sensitive points, and the cathedral is a symbol of Cologne, known around the world.'

Spanish media reported that the Islamist militant cell that sent a van plowing into strollers on Barcelona's showpiece Las Ramblas boulevard had been plotting an attack on Antoni Gaudi's art nouveau landmark, the Sagrada Familia church.

Cologne's immense cathedral, the work of unidentified medieval masons, towers over the Rhine river city. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the cathedral was one of the few buildings in Cologne's center to survive World War Two bombings.

Although there have been around a dozen attacks around Europe by militants driving trucks, cities have not rushed to mitigate risks by changing their layout. They have been deterred by high costs, the belief that any measures now will soon be obsolete and a reluctance to disrupt everyday life.

'We don't want to wall up the city,' Andreas Geisel, Berlin's senator for interior affairs, said in an interview with Bild newspaper. 'That would achieve the opposite of what we want: to send out an image of calm and relaxedness.'

In the German capital, barriers remain in place around the site of a Christmas market where a militant drove a stolen truck into crowds and killed 12 people last year, but few other visible measures have been implemented.

US demands inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites

US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley addresses the Security Council at UN headquarters in New York, July 5, 2017.

AFP, 23 August 2017 - The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog met US President Donald Trump’s UN envoy Nikki Haley on Wednesday to brief her on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as concerns grow about the accord’s future.

The deal saw Iran shrink its atomic activities and submit to closer IAEA inspections in order to make any dash to make a nuclear bomb extremely difficult.

Most UN and Western sanctions on Iran were lifted in return, but others related to non-nuclear issues have remained in place or been ratcheted up.

With Trump slamming the “terrible” 2015 deal, tensions have risen between the two long-time foes, with both accusing each other of not adhering to the “spirit” of the accord.

President Hassan Rouhani said last week that Iran could walk away within hours, accusing Washington of “constant and repetitive breaking of its promises” under the deal.

Haley responded that the new sanctions are related to Iran’s support for “worldwide terrorism” and other behavior, and that Iran cannot “use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage”.

Trump is due in October to certify to Congress whether Iran is sticking to the deal.

In July he told the Wall Street Journal he “would be surprised if they were in compliance”.

Haley made no comment to reporters on Wednesday as she arrived for her talks with IAEA chief Yukiya Amano.

The Washington Post on Tuesday quoted her as saying her talks were to answer US questions about the watchdog’s inspections and monitoring.

“We have no decision made” about whether to scrap the deal, Haley was quoted as saying.

“What we are doing is trying to find out as much information as we can.”

“The Trump administration needs a wake-up call on the costs of sabotaging the nuclear deal with Iran,” Arms Control Association analyst Kelsey Davenport told AFP.

“Hopefully visiting the IAEA will allay concerns about monitoring the agreement and demonstrate to Haley that the deal put Iran’s nuclear program under a microscope and keeping it there is the best way to guard against any illicit nuclear activity,” Davenport said.

CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE 1988 MASSACRE OF 30,000 POLITICAL PRISONERS IN IRAN

Human rights, in particular, bringing to justice the officials involved in the 1988 massacre, should be at the core of Iran policyHuman rights defenders, dignitaries, European politicians and the Iranian Resistance called for the formation of an international commission of inquiry into the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in the summer of 1988 and bringing those responsible for this genocide and crime against humanity to justice.

They stressed that the issue of human rights should be at the core of the West’s policy on Iran. They urged the UN, EU and the US to put the issue of flagrant and systematic violation of human rights in Iran on top of their agenda.

The call was made during an exhibition on the 1988 massacre that took place upon the initiative of Mr. Jean-François Legaret, the Mayor of Paris municipality District 1 at this municipality on Thursday, August 17, 2017.

In addition to Mr. Legaret, several French mayors including Armand Jacquemin, mayor of Moussy Le Vieux, Jean-Claude Jegoudez, mayor of Grisy-Sur-Seine, and Jacky Duminy, mayor of Ors took part and spoke at the exhibition.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, in a message to the exhibition said 30,000 political prisoners were hanged in Iran in days such as these in the summer of 1988, without any reaction by Western governments.

Those who remained silent over this tragedy betrayed humanity because the mullahs found out that their crimes had no consequences. So, they continued by exporting their terrorism and fundamentalism abroad and drenching the Middle East in blood.

If in those days, the massacre had not been met with silence, today, the mullahs could not sink Syria in a whirlpool of blood.

The people of Iran want to end the impunity of those in charge of the massacre and hold them accountable. This has turned into the Iranian people’s most important political demand from the clerical regime. We urge the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the 1988 massacre. The UN Security Council must set up a special tribunal or refer the issue to the International Criminal Court to arrange for the prosecution of the leaders of the Iranian regime.
Mrs. Rajavi once again urged all governments to make their relations and trade with the religious fascism ruling Iran contingent on an end to executions and torture.

Governor Yves Bonnet, the former head of France’s domestic anti-terrorism organization; Struan Stevenson, a Scottish politician, President of “European Iraqi Freedom Association” and former President of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq, were among the dignitaries who took part in this exhibition and supported the call by the head of the opposition.

In his remarks, Stevenson condemned the recent trip of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to Iran and said: “Rouhani has been hailed in the West as a moderate and a reformist, despite the fact that more than 3,500 people, including 80 women, have been executed during the four years he has been in office, catapulting Iran into pole position as the world’s number one state executioner per capita. Several hundred people have been executed so far this year, including women and teenagers. Three days before Mogherini arrived in Tehran, Amnesty International published a 94-page report highlighting the ‘web of oppression’ that pervades Iran and detailing the catastrophic human rights situation in the country.”

He added: “The French government and the EU should also be demanding a full United Nations inquiry into the 1988 massacre, with Khamenei, Rouhani and their clique of killer clerics indicted for crimes against humanity and brought for trial before the international courts in The Hague.”

Khomeini, the founder of the clerical regime in the summer of 1988, in a fatwa that was unprecedented in the history of Islam, stated that all those who were imprisoned throughout Iran and were still loyal to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran should be executed. More than 30,000 political prisoners who were serving their terms were executed in a few months based on this criminal fatwa. The Death Commissions, in trials that lasted just a few minutes, sent to the gallows any of the prisoners who were not willing to condemn the PMOI (MEK). The victims were buried in mass graves in secret.

In spite of the mullahs’ attempts to impose silence on this crime against humanity and to prevent the spread of this issue in the society, the movement calling for justice for the victims of the massacre in Iran has expanded since last year and has evolved into a public issue. The Justice seeking movement in Iran managed to corner the mullahs.

Ali Khamenei intended to put a member of the 1988 massacre’s Death Commission in the office of president, but the nationwide campaign calling for justice foiled his plans.

During the last year, new information about the slaughter, including a large number of names of the victims, as well as the locations of numerous mass graves which the mullahs had previously concealed, has surfaced.

The 1988 massacre and the conspiracy of silence has been an issue of consensus among the regime’s various factions and its senior officials.

Over the past four years, the mullahs’ president Hassan Rouhani had appointed Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, one of the key officials in charge of the 1988 massacre, as Minister of Justice. The new Justice Minister for his second term, Alireza Avaie, is another one of the perpetrators of the massacre, who has been already designated as a violator of human rights by the European Union.

A number of relatives of the victims and individuals who spent years in pris