PHOTO: Sohrabi's Arabi's mother, a fighter for freedom and human rights
Lest we rest, for our inaction shall mark our annihilation
Visiting the graves of loved ones on the last Thursday of the [Iranian] year is considered by us as a national and religious responsibility, and it demonstrates our closeness to those we have lost.
I regret that I am not in Tehran to perform this duty.
Our dear slain children are not next to us on the [Iranian] New Year’s eve, but their memories shall live forever.
I hope that those prisoners whose empty place is felt strongly by their families are released and returned to the arms of their loved ones.
As a mother with an aching heart, I take refuge in God’s grace. What crime did our children commit that they should be subject to such injustice?
Our youth only demanded to have the same rights every human being is entitled to.
Once again, as a mother, I wish peace, freedom, joy, and health upon everyone. My son wanted the same thing, but he was….
Parvin Fahimi
Sohrab’s mother
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A group of Shiraz University students meet with Majid Tavakoli’s family
In the meeting, the students referred to Majid Tavakoli as their brother. They called the suppression and arrest of students and critics shameless and contravening to Islamic laws and Iran’s constitution.
Majid Tavakoli’s family informed the students that they have not received news on Majid and the officials refuse to provide a response on his condition. The family also expressed discontent to their son’s visitation ban.
Majid Tavakoli’s family stated that they consider all students their children. They added that under current circumstances, it is not only students who are in limbo and under pressure, but also other groups who are subject to maltreatment. They expressed hope that peace, security, and freedom will return to society in the near future, and that all political prisoners return to the arms of their families.
Students commended Majid Tavakoli’s resistance and called him the most resilient member of the student movement. They prayed to God to release Majid from prison.
Committee of Human Rights Reporters - Dorsa Sobhani’s family is prohibited from visiting their detained daughter in the days leading to Norooz, the Persian New Year.
Dorsa’s lawyer’s visit to the judiciary has proven ineffective, as authorities have prohibited visitation even to her lawyer.
In the previous days, Dorsa’s family have written several letters to the Tehran Prosecutor, the Article 90 Commission, and the Judiciary Commission of National Security, requesting much more investigation into Dorsa’s case.
It is reported that authorities at the Revolutionary Court have refrained from redirecting the inquiries to the head of the judiciary, and have insisted that the efforts of Dorsa’s family are ineffective.
The reasons behind Dorsa’s arrest are still unknown.
Dorsa Sobhani, the 20 year old member of the One Million Signatures Campaign and activist for educational rights was arrested on March 8, 2010 during an assault on her home by 12 security agents. On the evening of March 2nd her father’s house was raided and her personal belongings were confiscated.
March 2, 2010 marks a day of widespread assaults and arrests for a large number of civil and human rights activists in various cities across Iran.
Full English translation of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s message for the Persian New Year addressed to the Iranian people:
In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,
The unified caravan of martyrs
I wish all of our people a Happy New Year, as we approach the green spring and this national holiday. I will especially make note of the families of those who lost their lives while defending our independence during the [Iran-Iraq] war, the veterans, the injured, and those who suffered in any way. I should also mention the martyrs and those injured in 1388, [1][the year that is coming to an end], since I see their fate as connected to that of the war-time martyrs; they are all a apart of the caravan of martyrs that our country has produced over the course of history. If we have a proud country and a free nation today, it is due to their suffering and sacrifices.
Congratulating Iranians both inside Iran and abroad; [all] Iranians with a common identity
I should also pass on good wishes to Iranians from various groups, tribes, ethnicities, cultures and [political] parties; all of our people. This year, I would particularly like to mention our countrymen living abroad.
Today, our people are united, and this is one of the blessings of the Green Movement. It has become so extensive, that there are people on the other side of the globe who identify themselves with the rich Iranian and Islamic cultures, strive for the glory and development of Iran and the Revolution, and try to concern themselves with the fate of their country. This is particularly true among our youth, be it is those inside Iran and abroad who have sacrificed the most and who have experienced the most damage [in the events of the past year].
We should help and comfort the families who have experienced loss
As far as I have heard, the third and fourth generations of Iranians living abroad are as active as the youth inside Iran, and I would like to use this opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to them as well. The families of the martyrs and the injured have played a crucial role in our movement; our people should stay alongside these families and comfort them, particularly in these first few days of festivities.
The year that has passed
The passing year has been a special one for us all. Our people witnessed a great deal of energy and excitement in the days leading up to the election, and the beauty of it was the love and unity that you saw between people of different backgrounds and political inclinations. The election could have turned into a great festival for our people and initiated a new movement in the history of our nation. It was this movement that lead to very high voter turnout, with which you demonstrated your resolve to see [progress], change, independence, [and the authority of] freedom and justice. But, your active presence in the election was met with a reaction that prompted you to go to the streets with the common question: “Where is my vote?” The roots of this reaction go back to June 12th [election day]. It was not even 5:00pm when one of my main campaign headquarters was attacked. By 8:00pm, my central headquarters was also attacked and, before being published the next morning, the main Kalemeh Sabz [2] headline was changed several times on orders from intelligence officials.
A response by the government unworthy of the dignity of our nation
The lack of a proper and Islamic response to the elections by the government created a negative image in the minds of our people and as a result was the root cause of many of the events that occurred in our country. The response [by the government] to the protests was not befitting of the grandeur, liberty and pride associated with our nation. The crimes at Kahrizak prison, the atrocities at the student dormitories, the killings on the 30th of Khordad, even the 25th of Khordad and the events that followed, such as on the day of Ashura, took the people of our country by surprise.
If the challenges were political in nature, then they should have been resolved through political channels with convincing explanations to our people. This was however not the case and the responses were unfortunately also not satisfying. One of the most significant days was the 25th of Khordad when our people took to the streets in masses, transforming this day into a decisive moment in the history of our nation and a testament to the high spirit of our nation days after the elections.
What did our people desire?
Our people while chanting national and Islamic slogans came out to the streets, without creating any tension, to declare their point of view and cast their vote. We expected a [the government's] response tailored to meet the gentle spirit of our people, unfortunately, we however, witnessed a much different type of response in the events that followed which only further complicated matters.
On the 22nd of Khordad the people of Iran participated in the elections in order to determine their destiny and define the direction of their future. The events that followed the elections, however, turned into an eye opening experience for our people and our country. Our nation discovered major discrepancies and glitches that lead to the formation of a broad spectrum of new demands. These demands began with a request for a referendum on open and fair elections, and later extended to other areas. The Green movement resulted in uniting people behind the fact that all matters should be dealt with in the framework of the Constitution and this became a slogan widely accepted by the majority.
Ignoring parts of the Constitution is tantamount to rendering it meaningless
The truth is, this slogan is of significant importance to the destiny of our nation. The Constitution is a national covenant, without which there is no unity and only chaos and darkness. It consists of a set of contiguous articles and as such, ignoring or weakening one section only leads to rendering it meaningless and void in its entirety.
One must look at the constitution as a whole. When the constitution was first written, those involved in its inception, wrote an important introduction designed to protect the integrity and continuity of the law. The articles emphasize a set of values, aspirations and demands that are integral to the constitution and cannot be separated. Now that our people have witnessed the judiciary, political, electoral, etc. problems they realize more than ever that the path to a bright future is returning to the foundation defined by our constitution, without any interference by the various political factions.
Withdrawing our demands of unconditional execution of the Constitution is an act of treason for Iran and for Islam. This is a demand that we will not abandon.
If an article in the Constitution is erroneous, the way to fix it is clear. We must amend the Constitution in accordance with public opinion and the recent state of affairs. [As of now], we do not have a free media or the freedoms outlined in the constitution. We lack free elections, where candidates are not cherry-picked, and fair competition. We do not have rights that protect the people’s privacy; rights that prevent some from searching through personal letters with self-serving ‘justification’. How can we assume to have a working system and solve our problems while the national course of action taken is against the Constitution?
We are facing many issues and difficulties in this New Year. Some of them relate to the shape that our demands are going to take. And these are rightful demands. They are a way to achieve national greatness and are a salvation for all parties on the path of developing our nation. We will persevere with these demands, and, accordingly, the coming year will be [known as] the year of persistence. We do not have the right to turn away from them. Any distraction would be an act of treason for the nation, for Islam and for the blood of our martyrs. Our Constitution was created in a sea of martyred blood. It is not something that we can lose easily and we must all return to [its principles].
Among all other things, I wish that the executive branch was at least proficient
Besides this problem, there are others too; problems that existed before, but which are going to intensify this year, although I am wishing against it. Economic prospects for the future are not good. I am not pleased with this situation. I wish that despite all our issues, we would have seen an outlook to solve these [non-political] troubles. But that was not so. Forecasts of economic growth for the coming year are poor. First, in addition to drops in investment, this would mean greater instances of unemployment and extensive and increasing poverty. Our middle-class is shrinking more and more as we face these problems. Second, our current [international] standing is not a pleasant one due to ambiguous policies, as well as an adventurous and inept approach [to foreign policy]. Looming upon us is a threatening situation. We have the worst possible international relations and foreign policy, and it seems that with greater sanctions we should expect [more economic pressure].
The Green Movement must expand its reach
Faced with such a situation, the Green Movement must expand its reach to all segments of society. The Green Movement must revive the timeless social and Islamic principle of inclusion. We must lend a hand to neighbors and neighborhoods both near and far, through job creation and other forms of interaction.
Let us live more modestly; let us help our fellow men and women; let us reduce the weight of people’s problems
Let us make our lives more modest and, by foregoing unnecessary formalities, make more room to think about how to reduce the load of problems that people appear to have. Let us help and attend to the families of the martyrs and those who have been injured—the just prophet looks favorably upon spending time with these families. Moreover, doing this will rekindle the nation’s hope.
The path that we cannot avoid
I believe that the path to realizing the greatness of our nation follows this route and, without a doubt, the nation understands that there is no other alternative. Thus, the nation is hopeful in following this path. God-willing, we will reach our distinct goals, since our demands are not extravagant by any standards. We demand a fair and healthy election—an election where being on the ticket does not imply having been vetted and selected by a few in power. That kind of election—the kind that we have been having up until now—does not reflect the appropriate respect towards a nation as dignified as Iran. The Iranian nation is great, progressive, and civilized. It should not be treated like a nation of uncivilized, ignorant people, for whom matters need to be decided because they cannot be trusted to run their own affairs and choose their own government properly. I ask that the government respect freedom of speech and freedom of the press so that the nation’s thoughts and ideas are able to flow freely and publicly. I am certain that the manifestation of these thoughts will be Islamic. Only then will we see a productive and progressive Iran brimming with justice and freedom. We must not be afraid to allow this to happen. In fact, we must truly fear the consequences of not allowing this to happen. We must truly be afraid of turning our backs on the demands of the people.
I will finish with a prayer from Imam Khomeini—a prayer that is relevant to our situation today:
O Lord, be watchful of our martyrs and let them rest close to your kindness and compassion. Heal our injured and our dead, and lead those who have been captured by the enemy back to the bleeding hearts of their families. O Lord, in your kindness, grant us patience and success.
[1] 2009-2010
[2] Mousavi’s official newspaper during election campaign
Shiva Nazar Ahari’s Family Send Norooz [Iranian New Year, begins on March 20, 2010] Message.
Reported by the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (the organization that Shiva Nazar Ahari founded).
Dear Shiva, when we came to visit you today, we wanted to wish you a happy New Year, but there were so many topics to discuss that we forgot to do so.
It has been 90 days that you have been held in ward 209 of Evin prison. The days leading to the end of the [Persian calendar] year, we were expecting a phone call that would inform us of your release; similar to the [situation] of other prisoners. However, there seems to be a higher will and authority that wishes you to stay in prison.
Dear Shiva, it is very difficult for us to believe that a new year will start without you by our side. In any case, whether we like it or not, the New Year, with all its fervor and excitement, will begin soon. We hope that the last year has been a fruitful one for all our compatriots, and we wish that no person will remain imprisoned.
I promise that a new year will not begin for us until you return [home].
Committee of Human Rights Reporters - Student activist Mahdieh Golroo has been banned for the fourth time from seeing her husband. Prison officials, in reply to the repeated visitation requests of Mahdieh’s husband Vahid Lalipour, announced that Mahdieh Golroo is “prohibited from visits.”
In the final days before the end of 1388 (the end of the Persian calendar year), Mahdieh Golroo and her husband are banned from seeing each other for even ten minutes. Lalipour, who recently endured three months in prison, was released on February 21, 2010.
Reports suggest that the intensified pressures on Mahdieh Golroo has resulted in increased worry from her family and friends.
Recently Mahdieh Golroo’s file has been forwarded to branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court under judge PirAbbasi. Branch 26 is also where two members of the Right to Education Council Zia Nabavi and Majid Dori have been sentenced to 15 and 11 years in prison.
Mahdieh Golroo, an Allameh University student banned from continuing her education, is a member of the Right to Education Council. On December 3, 2009 Golroo and her husband were arrested at their home. Last year, Mahdieh Golroo participated in a sit-in protest against the banning of students. She was consequently arrested and taken to Evin prison.
Mahdieh Golroo is also a member of the Committee for Civil Defense, the headquarters of Mehdi Karroubi’s campaign during the election. Currently Zia Nabavi, Majid Dori, Shiva Nazar Ahari, and Mahdieh Golroo are the prisoners who are activists for the right to education.
