Protests and Crackdowns Spread Throughout Iran
June 18, 2009 • By Elise AuerbachThere is a misconception that protests against Iran’s contested election results have been confined to Tehran. That is not the case. Although the largest protests have indeed been taking place in Tehran, Iranians in many other cities and towns have been taking to the streets. Unfortunately, the crackdown carried out by Iranian authorities has correspondingly extended to every corner of the country.
Mir Hossein Mousavi hails from Azerbaijan, in the northern part of Iran. The capital of Azerbaijan province, Tabriz, has seen some of the most severe crackdowns. Seventeen political activists including those associated with the Nehzat-e Azadi (Freedom Movement) were detained on Monday night after they held a peaceful protest in Abresan Square in Tabriz. Security forces entered the dormitories at Tabriz University and detained ten students who had been involved in demonstrations. Student leader Amir Mardani and Dr. Ghaffari Farzadi, a leading member of the Nehzat-e Azadi and a lecturer at Tabriz University, were among those detained.
In the city of Oroumiye, local media reported on Tuesday that two people had been killed and hundreds more detained in a crackdown on about 3,000 people protesting in Imam Street.
In Shiraz, southern Iran, security forces used tear gas as they forced their way into a library at Shiraz University. Reports say that several students were beaten and around 100 were detained. Unconfirmed reports suggest that one person may have been killed. The chancellor of that university, Mohammadhadi Sadeghi, resigned on Tuesday in protest.
Meanwhile, in Mashhad, in the northeast, there were further reports of security forces attacking students and in Zahedan, in Iran’s southeast, two students are among at least three activists who have been detained.
In one particularly ominous piece of news, Reuters reported that Mohammad Reza Habibi, the public prosecutor in the central province of Esfahan, had warned demonstrators that they could be charged with engaging in “Mohareb” or “Enmity with God”—a crime punishable by death according to Iranian law. It was not clear if his warning applied only to Esfahan, where there have been violent clashes, or the country as a whole.
Protests are expected to continue today as a large opposition rally has been called. Large crowds can also be expected to congregate for Friday prayers on the following day. Amnesty International has called for the Iranian authorities to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters and to release all those detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association.
Why don't you start a petition against the government of Iran? THEY ARE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPEL
Please do SOMETHING why are you only watching?
Why don’t you start a petition against the government of Iran? THEY ARE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPEL
Please do SOMETHING why are you only watching?
Amnesty International is doing a lot more than just watching. We have issued a number of actions calling on the Iranian government to cease the use of violence against protesters, to release those detained for peaceful expression of their opinions, and to end the censorship of information. These actions have been distributed to AIUSA members, supporters and activists through a variety of channels and are on several places on the AIUSA web site. AIUSA has also organized or co-sponsored a number of actions and events that have taken place or will be taking place in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cambridge, and Atlanta.
Amnesty International is doing a lot more than just watching. We have issued a number of actions calling on the Iranian government to cease the use of violence against protesters, to release those detained for peaceful expression of their opinions, and to end the censorship of information. These actions have been distributed to AIUSA members, supporters and activists through a variety of channels and are on several places on the AIUSA web site. AIUSA has also organized or co-sponsored a number of actions and events that have taken place or will be taking place in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cambridge, and Atlanta.
Like they have inspections for Nuclear Weapons, they need inspections of the country prisons. CHILDREN are being Executed, as well as other people. This is disgraceful and NOW is the time to follow through. Amnesty International needs a FORCE to go in to IRAN and start DEMANDING their release, and DEMAND to view prisons. NOW is the time. The Iranian Government is powerless now. They have shown their Human Rights Abuses, and they are still acting on them. Please don't let this continue. A show of FORCE needs to be displayed here. If you don't act now, it will forever be too late. God Bless these people. The Abuse is horrifying beyond belief. Such anarchy, such disregard for Human Life. It's beyond comprehension.
It's mental illness that motivates these people, the Iranian Government. Their ploy of ALLAH and their Religious Beliefs is not Islam, It is not Muslim. It is absolute sickness and something needs to be done. The focue and perspective needs to be detemined and corrected. If Iran continues to be ALLOWED to committ these atrocities, no man ever in the world will be safe. They need to be controlled and punished. Crimes against Humanity. WHY aren't these charges being pursued? WHY? Until a STRONG FORCE is instilled in this country, children will continue to die, and people will continue to be excuted with copper wires, hung from their arms, beaten senseless, buried without funerals, it's atrocious, unacceptable barbaric behavior. ALL NATIONS need guidelines and rules that are enforced, always. If the enforcement isn't enforced, no man will ever be safe. Move Forward Amnesty. Move…
Like they have inspections for Nuclear Weapons, they need inspections of the country prisons. CHILDREN are being Executed, as well as other people. This is disgraceful and NOW is the time to follow through. Amnesty International needs a FORCE to go in to IRAN and start DEMANDING their release, and DEMAND to view prisons. NOW is the time. The Iranian Government is powerless now. They have shown their Human Rights Abuses, and they are still acting on them. Please don’t let this continue. A show of FORCE needs to be displayed here. If you don’t act now, it will forever be too late. God Bless these people. The Abuse is horrifying beyond belief. Such anarchy, such disregard for Human Life. It’s beyond comprehension.
It’s mental illness that motivates these people, the Iranian Government. Their ploy of ALLAH and their Religious Beliefs is not Islam, It is not Muslim. It is absolute sickness and something needs to be done. The focue and perspective needs to be detemined and corrected. If Iran continues to be ALLOWED to committ these atrocities, no man ever in the world will be safe. They need to be controlled and punished. Crimes against Humanity. WHY aren’t these charges being pursued? WHY? Until a STRONG FORCE is instilled in this country, children will continue to die, and people will continue to be excuted with copper wires, hung from their arms, beaten senseless, buried without funerals, it’s atrocious, unacceptable barbaric behavior. ALL NATIONS need guidelines and rules that are enforced, always. If the enforcement isn’t enforced, no man will ever be safe. Move Forward Amnesty. Move…