Ahmadinejad Freaks Out
“A country brazen enough to kidnap, torture and liquidate its own people is unlikely to be a real partner for any new world order”
Chilling Iranian Stories
Washington Times
By Nir Boms
July 16, 2007
In the background of new reports about Iran’s ability to produce its own nuclear centrifuges and while Olli Heinonen, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s No. 2 is making his way to Tehran in order to observe the “transparency” of its nuclear program, Iran’s security forces appear busy with more pressing matters.
The regime’s agents broke up a sit-in marking last week’s anniversary of the mass student protest that started on July 9, 1999. Loyal to the Iranian tradition, the police responded to the demonstrations by breaking into a university dormitory and storming the offices of a pro-democracy student group, killing one person and injuring 20. A day earlier, Iran’s judiciary confirmed that a man convicted of adultery has been stoned to death in the province of Qazvin. Jafar Kiani, a man in his late 40s, was stoned to death following his adultery conviction. Mr. Kiani spent the last decade in jail and the sentence was carried out despite a moratorium on stoning that was declared by Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi, the head of Iran’s judiciary, in 2002.
The hardline administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces rising pressure for failing to deliver on promises of greater prosperity from soaring oil revenue. Iran’s current economy is so stressed that although Iran is the world’s second-largest oil exporter, last week it began rationing gasoline. At the same time, the nuclear standoff with the West threatens to bring new economic sanctions. Hence Tehran is using American support for a change in government and the possibility of military attack as a pretext to further liquidate its opposition.
Iran appears to be in the midst of one of its most ferocious crackdowns on dissent in years, with the government focusing on labor leaders, universities, the press, women’s rights advocates, a former nuclear negotiator and Iranian-Americans, three of whom have been in prison for more than six weeks. The untold stories of Iran are taking place within the walls of its prisons. One story is that of Khaled Hardani and his family, members of Iran’s Arab minority, who attempted to escape Iran in 2001 by commandeering an airplane. Mr. Hardani was under intense pressure to sign his order of execution. While in prison, he established a prisoner group that attempted to disclose information on Iranian prison conditions. As a result, he was charged with “Battling God” and an execution date was set for July 4. Nothing has been heard from him since.
Nasser Khirolahi, an Iranian civil servant, was jailed in March 2003 and has been tortured repeatedly while being denied representation. His crime was attempting to unveil corruption he observed while working as a civil servant in the mayor’s office in the city of Isfahan. He was forced to resign and a short time later was arrested by local intelligence agents. Mr. Khirolahi — who has been observing a hunger strike for more than three weeks — was transferred from the regular political-prisoner section of jail to an area where murderers and other violent offenders are incarcerated. Although his four-year sentence is nearly over, he was told last week that he will not leave the prison alive.
Dr. Haleh Esfandiari is an Iranian American academic and the director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. She has been held in solitary confinement since her arrest last year. After visiting her ailing 93-year-old mother in Tehran, Dr. Esfandiari was robbed at knifepoint by three men and consequently arrested en route to the airport. She was charged with “acting against national security” and “spying on behalf of foreigners.” Mrs. Esfandiari was arrested alongside three other Iranian Americans: Parnaz Azima, a U.S.-Iranian journalist who traveled to Iran to visit her family; Kian Tajbakhsh, a consultant to the World Bank and the Open Society Institute; and Ali Shakeri, a businessman and a political activist who had been working with the Centre for Citizen Peace Building at the University of California. All of these people have been incarcerated and prevented from leaving.
The accumulation of stories of political intimidation by incarceration, torture and death threats is longer still and is growing at an alarming rate. Aside from dissidents, political activist, student leaders and occasional foreigners who dare to take a trip to Iran, those detained now include teachers, civil servants and workers recently arrested for demanding higher salaries.
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize-winning lawyer Shirin Ebadi has complained to Iran’s judiciary that even sex criminals are treated better than political prisoners, which is notable in a country ruled by Islamic law. Speaking against political interference in the judiciary, she noted that bail for an accused rapist was set 50 times lower than that of a detained reporter.
The world, which seems to only be concerned with centrifuges, apparently isn’t watching. A country brazen enough to kidnap, torture and liquidate its own people is unlikely to be a real partner for any new world order. While diplomatic efforts still have a chance to move forward, we must ensure that individuals targeted by the regime are given just and humane treatment. Please, do not leave them alone.
Nir Boms is vice president of the Center for Freedom in the Middle East.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Any Democrat wish to answer my one simple question….
WHY AREN’T ACLU, NAACP, RAINBOW COALITION, NOW, HOLLYWOOD, AND ALL THE CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN AMERICA MARCHING TO 1600 PENN AVE WASHINGTON DC TO DEMAND THAT THE WHITE HOUSE PUT A STOP TO THIS ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN?
Clearly Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not a nice man.
I thank God everyday for what we have in America and the men and women who defend it.
July 16th, 2007 at 12:33 amThose organizations follow the rule that “the enemy (Iran, Syria, al-Queda, Hamas, Hezbullah, etc.) of my enemy (Conservative, Christian, Traditional America) are my friends!”
We better get ready for a real fight for our country if liberals win the next election.
July 16th, 2007 at 2:10 amhttp://digg.com/world_news/Ahmadinejad_Freaks_Out
July 16th, 2007 at 2:24 amplease digg this article.
Buerg No one will protest in the US.
July 16th, 2007 at 2:28 amThe potenial protesters are all in trall to the democrats who are hell bent in ignoring all the atrocities committed by islamists and isamist regimes.
The only protests allowed are those against the US and its allies when they have the balls to confront the terrorist regimes and attempt to halt them.
Protests are only against the west. The evil ones overseas can do no wrong.Anyone in the west is therefore a target for their condemnation.
If you want to see protests against ther ismlanists in the US dont hold your breath.Not in Aussie either.
Just get out there and register all your neighbours that are patriotic Americans as voters.Make a difference.
I feel sorry for the Iranian people.
You know they love Valentines day. I remember reading about the crackdown on the delling of cards and items one year in the shops….so many abuses and degredations…..like I said I am sorry they are abused and unable to free themselves.
July 16th, 2007 at 5:25 amMookie is trying real hard for the International Hitler Award, given out annually by the stooges at the UN. He’s doing a great job.
In the meantime, there are some in Iranian society that resist quietly… (having a satelight dish on your roof and watching Western media)… and those who resist more stridenly, who are either dead or close to dead in Evin Prison.
Who will win out? That’s the big question. Unless we move aggressively against Iran, this kind of shit will never stop.
July 16th, 2007 at 5:28 amAhmadinejad needs to eat a bullet! Im getting real tired of this little prick’s constant badgering the west and always trying to pick a fight with the U.S.
I say give him a .50 cal suppository, and see if he still wants to go to war!
July 16th, 2007 at 6:10 amA related story:
July 16th, 2007 at 6:28 amhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2127115,00.html
I don’t see what the big deal is - Iran has just instituted the Shia version of THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE.
[sarcasm alert]
July 16th, 2007 at 7:30 amShades of 1939 and the asshats are wearing blinders, so engrossed in hating President Bush they cannot see the gathering storm. When the shit is incoming the antis will not find shelter here.
July 16th, 2007 at 6:52 pmNice going Jimmy Carter…. How can anyone listen to this stupid, pathetic, fuckwad. It was Jimmy who put these bastards in power when he told the Sha of Iran to stand down, and not stand up to these fascists in 1978. Thanks again Jimmy “Nevile Chamberlin” Carter….any other bright ideas.
July 16th, 2007 at 7:04 pm