Summary of Iran Stories in Today's BroadcastsBehnam NateghiMonday, July 28, 2003
<b>Journalist Details Heavy Beating in Jail in Letter to Khatami</b>
• In an open letter published in several Persian-language websites, Tabriz-based independent journalist Ensafali Hedayat described in graphic detail the circumstances of his arrest, detention and brutal beating by the police and security agents. He identified the plainclothes security forces that suppressed pro-democracy protests as security and intelligence and anti-drug police officers. He said the arrested protestors were being held in jail long after their official release dates so that healing of the wounds, bruises and marks they received from heavy beating during and after their arrests. He said the police officers confiscated his official reporter ID card and stole his valuables. (Keyvan Hosseini)
<b>Canadian Foreign Minister Welcomes Five Arrests in Kasemi's Death</b>
• Canadian foreign minister Bill Graham said on Sunday that Canada welcomed reports that five people have been arrested in connection with the death in custody of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, but added that he would wait until he receives more details about the arrests from foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi. Zahra Kazemi, 54, who was buried last week in Iran after a presidential probe said she had died of a cerebral hemorrhage after being beaten during interrogation. Graham said the idea of taking the case to the international court of justice has merit, but would remain on hold pending the outcome of investigation in Iran. (Maryam Aqvami, Toronto)
• Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said judiciary has not released the names of the arrested five. (Alireza Taheri)
<b>Iran Calls for Release of Two “TV Reporters” Arrested in Iraq</b>
• Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi called for the release in Iraq of two government employees he identified as reporters and documentary filmmakers working for the state radio and television monopoly. He said the two had been detained by the US forces since July 2. (Abbas Malekzadeh)
<b>Iraq Travel Warning</b>
• Government warned Iranians to avoid illegal trips to Iraq. In the past few weeks, tens of Iranian pilgrims lost their lives on their way to Shiite shrines in Iraq's Najaf and Karbala. Head of holy shrines tours organization said companies which organize illegal tours to Iraq will be prosecuted. (Masoud Malek)
<b>Judiciary Extends Temporary Detention of Student Activist Razavi</b>
• The judiciary extended for anonter month the temporary detention warrant of student activist Said Razavi-Faqih, a board member of the association of Islamic student councils (Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat), according to his lawyer Nemat Haqiqi, who also represents the arrested editor, graphic designer and writer of the monthly <i>Gozaresh</i>. (Baktash Khamsehpour)
<b>Tehran Beautification Organization to Begin Large-Scale Religious Propaganda</b>
• In a change of mission under the new, conservative mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad, the department in the municipal government that was in charge of the city's beautification is set to begin a large-scale religious propaganda program with the goal of boosting the attendance of the official Friday prayer ceremonies. The project reportedly includes plastering the city with religious posters and replacing the names of Tehran streets with those of religious figures and Iran-Iraq war heroes. Tehran-based journalist <b>Parviz Pazouki</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that the news maybe exaggerated, but there is a tendency in the new municipal officials to emphasize religious values and to want to encourage people to attend the Friday prayer ceremony. He says since former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi left office nearly six years ago, political conflicts between the mayors and the city council members prevented officials to pay attention to the city's problems. He says the city needs more stringent enforcement of laws against using public spaces for commercial and political advertising. (Mahmonir Rahimi)
<b>Bush Model Won't Work in Iran, Says Islamic Scholar</b>
• “If it can successfully fuse its democratic aspirations with its Islamic identity, then Iran, rather than Iraq, may be able to provide the template of democracy in the Middle East. At the very least, it can become the middle ground between the Islamic dictatorships of Egypt and Jordan, and the fundamentalist regimes of Saudi Arabia and the Taliban,” concludes visiting professor of Islamic studies at the Iowa State University Reza Aslan in an op-ed piece for the <i>International Herald Tribune</i>. (Kian Manavi)
<b>Senior Al-Qaeda Elements in Iran</b>
• “The Tehran government is holding several top-level Al Qaeda operatives that, experts say, could lead to the biggest breakthrough in curtailing the organization since the fall of Afghanistan,” writes the <i>Christian Science Monitor</i>. Though the Iranians haven't mentioned any names, intelligence officials and press reports indicate they've captured Saad bin Laden, Osama bin Laden's son, who has assumed a leadership role; Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, the Al Qaeda spokesman; and Saif al-Adel, the latest No. 3 who is believed to be in charge of military operations,” it addes. (Shahran Tabari, London)
<b>Isfahan MP's Wife Visits Son in Jail</b>
• Katayoun Ghaffari, wife of Isfahan MP Ahmad Shirzad, visited her son Mehdi in jail today. She told domestic reporters that her son, who had been arrested during last month's pro-democracy demonstrations around the Tehran University, will soon be released on bail. (Baktash Khamsehpour)
<b>Jailed Activist Sazegara's Family Write to Khatami</b>
• In a letter to President Khatami, the family of jailed activist Mohsen Sazegara complained that after 40 days in jail, he has not been informed of the charges against him. Sazegara, publisher of several banned reformist newspapers, has called for constitutional reform to end the role of the Supreme Leader. (Baktash Khamsehpour)
<b>Higher Education Minister Resigns</b>
• Higher education minister Mostafa Moin resigned in protest against the conservative Guardians Council's rejection of a Majles legislation to restructure his ministry. Paris-based commentator <b>Said Peyvandi</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that in addition to the restructuring bill's rejection for ambiguous reasons, the intervention of 14 different organs in the higher education ministry's affairs and the widespread arrests of pro-democracy student protesters during and after last month's demonstrations, were factors in Moin's resignation. He says as has been the pattern with the Khatami administration and was seen in the culture ministry, a weaker, less competent person would probably replace Moin. (Alireza Taheri)
<b>Sydney Blames French School Fire on the MKO</b>
• Officials of a French school that was torched last week in Sydney told the police that they received threatening phone calls from people who identified themselves as members of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO). France arrested hundreds of MKO members last month and arraigned 10 senior MKO members on terrorism charges. (Jamshid Adili, Sydney)
<b>Wives of Jailed Nationalist-Religious Coalition Members Write to Reformist MPs</b>
• In a letter to reformists MPs, wives of four nationalist-religious activists complained that they had no news of their husbands' condition in jail. <b>Qodsi Mir-Moez</b>, wife of former Tehran University president Mohammad Maleki, one of the four jailed activists, tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that the four were arrested in relation to the student protests. She says some of the students who were released from jail had signs of beating on their bodies and faces. Some complained that they were tortured by pouring hot water into their ears. She says the news of the harsh treatment of jailed students has made the wives of nationalist-religious activists concerned about the treatment their husbands may be receiving in custody. The death in custody of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi has increased their worries, she adds. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian)
<b>Rowing Team Coach Collapses of Heart Attack after Athletes' Defection in Germany</b>
• Coach of the Iranian national rowing team Asghar Majdabadi suffered a heart attack in Augsburg, Germany, after two of his rowers defected to Germany. (Siavash Ardalan)
<b>Judiciary Extends Jail Sentence of Student Activist Manouchehr Mohammadi</b>
• Judiciary added one more year to the 13-year sentence of student activist Manouchehr Mohammadi, who was arrested during the July 1999 student uprising, his Germany-based sister <b>Nasrin Mohammadi</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. She adds that her sister Simin was released from jail on a 100 million rial bail. Simin had been arrested last week after she went to Tehran from her hometown Amol in order to inquire about her brother Manouchehr, who had been reportedly removed from his cellblock at the Evin prison. Manouchehr and Simin's brother Akbar Mohammadi, who has also been in jail since July 1999, went on hunger strike for 17 days, their sister Nasrin says. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian, Prague)
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بکتاش خمسه پور(راديوفردا): انصافعلي هدايت، روزنامه نگاري که اخيرا از زندان آزاد شده است، در نامه اي سرگشاده به محمد خاتمي، رئيس جمهوري اسلامي، جزئيات آزارها، شکنجه ها و توهين هاي زمان بازداشتش را تشريح کرده است. اين نامه به گزارشي مفصل از بازداشت و دادگاه اين روزنامه نگار اختصاص دارد و در آن تاکيد شده است که افسران نيروي انتظامي، جان او و خانواده اش را تهديد کرده اند. در اين نامه همچنين آمده است که نيروهاي لباس شخصي در تبريز، نيروهاي بسيج يا مساجد نيستند، بلکه 90% آنها را کادر پليس در ادارات اماکن نيروي انتظامي، اداره اطلاعات نيروي انتظامي و اداره مبارزه با مواد مخدر تشکيل مي دهند.
کيوان حسيني (راديوفردا): انصافعلي هدايت، روزنامه نگار تبريزي در نامه سرگشاده خود به رئيس جمهوري، به تشريح جزئيات برخوردهاي خشن و ضرب و شتم خود توسط ماموران نيروي انتظامي مي پردازد و مي نويسد: عاليجناب! ضرباتي را که اعضاي آموزي ديده پليس به روي صدها نفر تمرين کرده بودند، مي زدند، با ضرباتي که سپاهي ها و بسيجي ها مي زدند بسيار متفاوت است. ضربه هاي مشت و لگد اعضاي لباس شخصي هاي پليس، تمامي تن را به درد مي آورد، اما کمترين اثري از آنها روي بدن باقي مي ماند، اما ضربات سپاهي ها و بسيجي ها در اثر مهارت کم که نياز به تمرين و آموزش دارند، ورم و آماس مي کرد و يا زخم بر اندام انسان مي انداخت.
اين روزنامه نگار همچنين درباره نحوه رسيدگي به پرونده اش مي افزايد: هيچ کدام از قاضي ها يا بازجوها از ما نپرسيدند که چرا چشم، صورت، چانه، سر، پيشاني يا بدن شما ورم و آماس کرده و کبود شده است. نپرسيدند چه کس يا کساني شما را چنين ناجوانمردانه مورد آزار و اذيت قرار داده اند. نپرسيدند که آيا با اين وضعيت آش و لاش مايليد به پزشک يا پزشکي قانوني معرفي شويد؟ نپرسيدند آيا از کس يا کسي شکايت داريد؟
حتي شک نکردند که ممکن است اين لباس شخصي ها بدون هيچ دليل افرادي را پس از ضرب و شتم بازداشت کرده باشند و خودشان هم پي برده باشند ک افرادي هيچ نقشي نداشته اند، اما چون مورد ضرب و شتم قرار گرفته اند بايد پرونده اي داشته باشند و مدتي در بازداشت و زندان به سر برند، تا علايم جراحت بدن آنها التيام يابد.
شاهد اين ادعا احکام اوليه اي است که توسط قاضي هاي اعزامي از دادگاه انقلاب پس از بازجويي هاي اوليه در اداره اطلاعات ناجا صادر شد. طي اين احکام تعداد زيادي از جوانان مردم بايد حدود 30 يا 31 خرداد با وثيقه هاي کمتر از پنج ميليون تومان آزاد مي شدند، اما چون اندام آنان علايم وحشيانه ترين و حيواني ترين ضربات لباس شخصي هاي پليس را داشت، تا 22 تيرماه در زندان به سر بردند.
آقاي هدايت در بخش ديگري از اين نامه به تشريح جزئيات دستگيري خود مي پردازد و با نام بردن از افسران نيروي انتظامي از آنها شکايت مي کند.
در پايان اين نامه خطاب به رئيس جمهوري اسلامي آمده است: آنها مرا تهديد کردند. من از هم اکنون و پيشاپيش به حضور شما شکايتي را تقديم مي کنم و اعلام مي دارم اگر من در خيابان يا هر جايي تصادف بکنم، يا اعضاي خانواده ام تصادف بکنند، اگر کسي يکي از ماها را بدزدد، گلوله اي به سمت ما شليک شود، از کوهي يا صخره اي سقوط بکنيم يا چاقويي به ما بخورد، هر اتفاقي بيفتد، عامل آن همکاران و مزدوران کساني هستند که در اين نامه نام هايشان را نوشته ام و آنها بايد محاکمه شوند.
آيا در اين کشور هم مثل کانادا مردان و زنان و دولتمرداني پيدا مي شوند که از حقوق انساني ما دفاع کنند؟ يا اينکه بايد آرزو کنيم که اي کاش تبعه کانادا يا هر کشور ديگري بوديم؟
بکتاش خمسه پور: پرونده انصافعلي هدايت به اتهام تبليغ عليه نظام و مصاحبه با راديوهاي خارجي همچنان مفتوح است. انصافعلي هدايت، روزنامه نگاري که اخيرا از زندان آزاد شد در نامه اي سرگشاده به حجت الاسلام سيد محمد خاتمي، رئيس جمهوري اسلامي، جزئيات آزارها، شکنجه ها و توهين هاي زمان بازداشتش را تشريح کرد. در اين نامه تاکيد شد که افسران نيروي انتظامي، جان او و خانواده اش را تهديد کردند. در اين نامه همچنين آمده است که نيروهاي لباس شخصي در تبريز، نيروهاي بسيج يا مساجد نيستند، بلکه 90% آنها را کادر پليس در ادارات اماکن نيروي انتظامي، اداره اطلاعات نيروي انتظامي و اداره مبارزه با مواد مخدر تشکيل مي دهند. وي نوشت که ضرباتي را که اعضاي آموزي ديده پليس مي زدند، با ضرباتي که سپاهي ها و بسيجي ها مي زدند بسيار متفاوت است و با اينکه تمامي تن را به درد مي آورد، اما کمترين اثري از آنها روي بدن باقي مي ماند. به نوشته اين روزنامه نگار طبق احکام صادره، بسياري از دستگير شدگان بايد تا اول تيرماه آزادي مي شدند، اما براي رفع آثار کبودي و ضرب و شتم روي بدنشان تا 22 تيرماه در زندان نگاه داشته شدند.
