[fund] persecution of opposition

Iran: Green Movement versus the mullahs

Iran is passing through a very critical moment of its history, the credibility of the so called Islamic republic is questioned. Despotism, sexism and tyranny are no more accepted or tolerated. The green movement and presidential elections aftermaths revealed the ugly face of the Black Islam adopted by the black turbaned Ayotallah. In a very informative and impressing talk, Prof. Ziba Mir Hosseini, a distinguished Iranian Anthropologist and one of my great mentors, elaborated on her paper "Broken Taboos in Post-Election Iran", find it on this link:http://www.merip.org/mero/mero121709.html

Iran: Solidarité avec les démocrates iraniens en lutte

Le soulèvement du peuple iranien contre le régime tyrannique des mollahs a été une fois de plus, le dimanche 27 décembre, réprimé dans le sang. Les nombreux tués ou blessés lors des manifestations viennent allonger la longue et sinistre liste des patriotes iraniens qui sacrifient leur vie pour la liberté de leur peuple. Le peuple iranien ne réclame que l'installation de la démocratie. Ce soulèvement qui a commencé en juin 2009 a un objectif clair : la chute du dictateur Khamenei et de sa marionnette Ahmadinejad, qui ne répondent que par la violence et la terreur aux exigences du peuple iranien. Les cris des manifestants sont dépourvus de toute équivoque : "Mort au dictateur !", "Khamenei assassin ! son régime est illégitime !".

Update: Iran: Mourning Mothers Released

All members of the Mourning Mothers who were detained in Laleh Park in Tehran on Saturday, 9 January, have been gradually released, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. The Campaign strongly condemns the harassment and detention of the Mourning Mothers and to address their legitimate grievances. Mourning Mothers is a group of mothers and relatives of those killed by government forces during recent events and was formed following the death of Neda Agha-Soltan. The group has grown to include the mothers and relatives of political prisoners who were executed in the past.

Fiji: WLUML Statement on charges against Imrana Jalal

The international solidarity network, Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), condemns the politically-motivated charges brought against human rights lawyer, Imrana Jalal, by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) on 1 January 2010. FICAC, as with most significant government bodies since the coup, is headed by a military officer. FICAC was established to investigate and prosecute corruption, but instead has been used to also persecute persons not supportive of the military regime.

Iran: Trial underway for Baha'i leaders

Seven leaders of Iran's Baha'i minority went on trial in Tehran Tuesday accused of spying for Israel, a charge their supporters say is motivated by religious discrimination. The seven -- two women and five men -- are also accused of spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic and committing religious offenses, charges that can carry the death penalty.

Update: Iran: Detained Mothers Shuffled Between Emergency Rooms and Detention Center

Authorities transferred nine of the 33 detained members of the Mourning Mothers to emergency rooms following their detention yesterday, and later took them to Vozara Detention Center in Tehran, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

The nine mothers suffer from various illnesses and were taken back to Vozara Detention Center from Sajjad and Firuzgar hospitals in Tehran.

Fiji: Grave threats and false charges against human rights lawyer

STATEMENT by P. Imrana Jalal, Human Rights Lawyer, on fabricated FICAC charges. Suva, Fiji Islands, 8 January 2010: On 1 January 2010 I was served by Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) officers with seven charges alleging breaches of the law. I categorically deny these charges and will mount a robust defence against them. I am a human rights lawyer with a long record of public opposition to all unlawful, undemocratic regimes and my stance against Fiji’s 2006 military takeover is public knowledge. FICAC was established to investigate and prosecute corruption but instead has been used to also persecute persons not supportive of the military regime. The charges levelled against me at this time constitute part of this second strand of activities. FICAC has initiated various actions against myself and my husband in order to harass and intimidate us. I will continue vigorously to resist and challenge these efforts and to uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law for all Fijians.

Iran: 30 Members of Mourning Mothers Detained

Security forces attacked and detained 30 members of Mourning Mothers in Laleh Park and surrounding streets in Tehran today at around 4 p.m. local time, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported. Mourning Mothers is a group of mothers whose children have been killed in recent events. More than a hundred police and plain clothes agents attacked today’s gathering and transferred the detainees to the Vozara Detention Center in Tehran.

Iran: Call for release of human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience

The International Solidarity network, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, joins civil society groups and organisations such as Amnesty International, The Feminist school, The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and The Observatory in condemning the recent wave of arrests of over 18 women's rights activists and the harsh sentences passed on three journalists in December 2009 and January 2010.

Iran: Three Iranian journalists sentenced

Bahman Ahmadi Amou'i and Saeed Laylaz have been sentenced to prison terms, Bahman Ahmadi Amou'i also to flogging. Keyvan Samimi Behbehani remains in solitary confinement. All three men are prisoners of conscience. Bahman Ahmadi Amou'i, an editor at the business daily paper Sarmayeh which was closed by the authorities on 2 November, was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment and 32 lashes on 4 January 2010 by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The sentence includes five years for "colluding with intent to harm national security;" one year for "propaganda against the system;" one year and 32 lashes for "disrupting public security" and four months for "insulting the president." His lawyer is lodging an appeal within the required 20 days and will request his release on bail until the appeal is heard. He is held in Section 350 of Evin Prison.