Five young men, aged 21-23, were hanged from construction cranesin downtown Tabriz on Wednesday, May 14, following several days ofdemonstrations and increasingly violent clashes between demonstratorsand the Law Enforcement Forces.
The hangings were announced on Saturday in a brief statement fromthe head of Judicial Affairs for East Azerbaijan province. Theunnamed official made no reference to the demonstrations, andprovided no other details on the case or the judicial procedures.[Hamshahri 5/18] (See ActionMemorandum 012 in our Human Rightssection).
The opposition Iran Nation's Party, which first announced thehangings in a statement issued on Friday, said the authorities movedthe construction cranes around deliberately so the hanged men wouldbe visible from all parts of the city. The INP also reported that atleast 100 demonstrators had been arrested in their homes by thesecurity forces over the past three days.
The INP claimed that the demonstrations started on Sunday, May 12,when Mohammad Ali Chehrgani, who had won a seat in the new Majlisduring the first round of elections in April, issued a statementsaying he had not resigned from the Majlis, as the government hadclaimed, and that an earlier statement announcing his resignation hadbeen signed under duress. According to the INP, Mr. Chehrgani statedhe had been forcibly interrogated shortly after his April electionvictory by the intelligence services and ordered to sign a statement,which was then widely reported in the official media.
The first official confirmation that major demonstrations hadtaken place last week appeared in Sunday's edition of Salam newspaper[5/19]. In an interview with Salam, the Governor General ofTabriz also confirmed that the security forces had "attacked severaloperation houses used by counter-revolutionary forces" in Tabriz,following the demonstrations.
But the true scope and import of the demonstrations has only begunto emerge. A senior Bassij force official told Salam that his troopshad "crushed the demonstrations, as we will crush any suchcounter-revolutionary uprising." [Salam 5/19].
His comment came amidst a welter of similar statements by seniorIslamic Republic leaders warning of "counter-revolutionary" elementsand "liberal" forces.
On Sunday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene'i, in a speech touniversity professors and presidents that was broadcast on Tehranradio, denounced recent disturbances at universities caused by"counter-revolutionary" elements. These disturbances "prove that anew round of purges is needed" at the universities, "to eliminatepro-Western elements and those who do not observe Islamicvalues."
Khamene'i also called for scaling back on the number of Iranianstudents who were sent abroad for university studies.
Also on Sunday, a statement by a senior Bassij force commander,Rev. Guards Brigadier General Fallahi, warned that "as of today,230,000 bassijis are engaged in a maneuver in support of Hezbollah,aimed at stopping any person not observing Islamic values."
So far, none of these events has been reported by any Western newsagency with offices inside Iran.
[Iranfax 5/19; Salam 5/19; Tehran Radio, 5/19; Hamshahri 5/18;INP statements]
President Rafsanjani on Sunday issued a blunt warning to PresidentClinton: stay out of Iran's domestic affairs, or else! In a commentbroadcast by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, Rafsanjaniwarned that the IRI "has documents and facts that can change thenature and outcome of the coming U.S. presidential elections," andhinted he would release the documents if the U.S. did not cease its"hostile" actions against Iran. [IRNA 5/19]
In a speech on Friday, May 17, to Bassij force commanders inTehran, Revolutionary Guards commander Maj. General Mohsen Rezaihinted that the regime has begun to doubt the loyalty of someRevolutionary Guards unit commanders, because of their opposition tothe violent activities in recent weeks of the bassij force andAnsar-e Hezbollah. "If this dispute between the Revolutionary Guardsand the Bassij Force continues," Rezai said, "the situation will becritical for the Islamic Republic."
He went on to describe how he saw the new challenges facing thebassij force. "The duty of the Bassij Force," he said "is not onlysecurity and protection, but effective participation in challengingthe counter-revolutionary forces. " He also called on the BassijForce to "move into the Universities" to challenge"counter-revolutionary forces" there.
Two men were killed "in the northern mountains of Kerman" in aclash with LEF agents, Ettelaat reported (5/2). The paper quoted aLEF spokesman accusing the deceased of being "armed thugs" engaged in"wickedness and drug smuggling." He also accused them of "creatinginsecurity in the region."
The paper did not give the two men's names, the date, or thecircumstances of the clash.
Many people have been killed in recent years by the LEF and otherarmed units of the IRI, without any reports whatsoever, especially insoutheastern Iran.
In another "clash" in Khorasan province in April, two "armedthugs" were killed by LEF officers, Kayhan reported (4/24). The onlyprecision given about the "clash" was that it took place in "Gazic"border area. No other information was released.
Two men were hanged in Tehran on charges of homicide, rubbery, andhostage taking, the Iran daily reported (5/2). They were identifiedas Kiumars Ghambari, 23, and Baratali Cheraghi, 36. The news accountsaid they had been sentenced to death after a trial in an"appropriate" court. But the paper gave no details on the date of thetrial or the type of judicial procedure involved, nor whether theywere granted legal defense. The date of their execution was notrevealed.
After years of increasing - but uneven - censorship, the Ministryof Culture and Islamic Guidance has released a new set of guidelinesand regulations that impose draconian new limits on the Iranian filmindustry.
Ezattolah Zarghami, deputy Minister of Culture and IslamicGuidance in Cinematographic Affairs, said the government will onlytolerate film makers who deal with the subjects related to the warwith Iraq, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, crimes of the pastshahs and Iranians sufferings in their rule, and to Iranian youth.One other subject for government subsidies: "magnifying our country'sachievements and progress," Zarghami said.
Under the new Film Code, scripts must be submitted to the MinistryCensor before they can be shot, and no film may be produced without aspecial Ministry license.
The government is also getting into the business of marketregulation, by limiting the number of films that may be produced inany given year, with the total number of permits that will be grantedin the current year is 50.
The new Film Code includes a chapter called "Forbidden Frames AndSounds." According to these instructions, "no foreign language wordor alphabet should be seen on actors costumes, no actor is allowed towear ties or neckties. No close-up frames of female faces ispermitted [even with Islamic veil]." [Salam,4/24]
"The ruling dynasty in Saudi Arabia will soon be toppled by anIslamic Revolution," Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati told an audience atFriday prayers in Tehran on May 17.
Jannati, who recently returned from the pilgrimage to SaudiArabia, is emerging as a key supporter of Majlis speaker Nateq-Nouriand a major power broker within the regime. He is also believed to befinancing the Ansar-e Hezbollah group that has been attacking women,"liberals," Barbie dolls, Soroush, and dogs... as anti-Islamic.
"The youth of Saudi Arabia has risen against the country's rulers,and their Islamic slogans are much louder now than before. The Saudiruler can't silence their cries forever. They can't suppress thesepeople forever."
Jannati's diatribe was the most violent attack on Saudi Arabiaissued in Tehran in recent months, which may explain why it was onlybroadcast on the special FM channel that carries the Friday prayersermons to Tehran residents, and not on Radio Tehran. Quotes from hisspeech were picked up by Radio Israel's Farsi-language service andmonitored by FDI [5/17].
Jannati had attempted to organize a major political demonstrationin Mecca during this year's pilgrimage, but was blocked by the Saudiauthorities. Despite this, he told his Tehran audience on Friday thatthe Iranian demonstration was held "in the most triumphal mannerpossible."
In another part of his sermon, Jannati criticized Muslims in othercountries for not paying enough attention to the crimes ofIsrael.
He also reiterated his support for the recent attacks by Ansar-eHezbollah, calling them "appropriate" for preserve Islamicvalues.
Jannati attacked the Iranian intelligentsia as"semi-intellectuals, who support the West, and follow funnypersonalities," an apparent reference to Abdolkarim Soroush [seebelow].
The Ayatollah even criticized the Iranian people as a whole, fornot paying enough attention to their Islamic duties and obligations.[Kol Israel 5/17]
Iran today endorsed capital punishment for anyone disclosingconfidential information to foreigners, including economicinformation, and singled out agents working for the United States andIsrael and groups trying to overthrow the government.
The amended Islamic Punishment law covers spying in military,political, security, economic, social and scientific fields, and isconsiderably tougher than current statutes which impose the deathsentence only for military and security espionage.
No official explanation was given for what prompted the newpenalties, which were passed as an "urgent" measure by Parliament.[Kayhan 5/5; Jomhouri-e Eslami 5/5; Xinhua 5/5; Reuter5/6]
As the Ansar-e Hezbollah group was threatening to block a lectureby Islamic philosopher Abdelkarim Soroush (see Newswire 4), Kayhanaccused Soroush of being a "foreign agent" and warned that the groupwould justified in its harassment of him.
It was the first time Soroush has openly been accused ofcollaboration with foreign powers - perhaps an attempt to get himlabeled as a spy and prosecuted under the tough new anti-espionagelaws passed by the Majlis. [Kayhan 5/11]
In an open letter to Rafsanjani carried in Kayhan and Resalat,Ansar-e Hezbollah called Soroush a "secularist and disgraceful manwho does not observe Islamic values and is an agent of Westernvalues." The group said they would not bow to pressure and wouldmaintain their activities against Soroush and against "Westernvalues." [5/16]
Central Asian leaders attending the fourth summit of the EconomicCooperation Organization last week threatened to leave theorganization if Iranian President Rafsanjani does not behave himselfbetter.
At last week's summit, Rafsanjani lashed out at Israel's recentmilitary action in southern Lebanon, and attacked the United Statesin language that made Uzbek President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistanthreaten to leave the room and led to the summit being shortened by afull day. Karimov later explained his outrage. Rafsanjani's speechshowed "there is a danger of transforming this organization into amilitary-political unit. It was not our intention when we joined andis not acceptable to anyone. If there are attempts to use this forumfor political means...we will terminate our membership."
Karimov was supported in his position by Nursultan Nazarbayev ofKazakhstan, who left the summit early, and Imomali Rakhmonov ofTajikistan. [Reuter 5/14/96
Iran's top judge has blasted the Baha'i faith as a "spyorganization," rejecting criticism over alleged persecution of theminority religion in the Islamic republic, IRNA reported. The newsagency quoted the head of Iran's Judiciary branch, Ayatollah MohammadYazdi, rebuking human rights organizations for their criticism ofIran. "Religious minorities in Iran enjoy freedom," Yazdi said."However...Baha'ism is not a religion but an espionageestablishment." [IRNA, 5/14]
The incidence of heart disease in Iran has been increasing from 30to 50% annually, according to Dr. Ali Reza Marandi, Minister ofHealth and Medical Education. "The increase in heart and coronarydisease, and the decrease in the age of the patients, are such thatif preventive actions are not taken immediately, it will beimpossible to provide them with medical care," Marandi told anInternational Conference on Heart and Coronary Diseases inTehran.
The main causes of heart attacks among young people were stress,air pollution, and smoking, Dr. Marandi said. Recent statistics showthat heart and coronary disease is the leading cause of death inTehran, accounting for more than 45% of all deaths.
In another medical gathering in Tehran, the head of theGastroenterologists Society, Dr. Mir Majlesi, complained about thelack of x-ray equipment, and noted that the poor hygiene in Iran'shospitals has helped the spread of infectious diseases.[Jomhouri-e Eslami 5/1; Salam 5/1].
Now the "L" word has spread to the clergy...
In a rare confession, Jomhouri-e Eslami daily, which reflects theideas of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene'i, has acknowledged in alead editorial that "liberal" elements now outnumber conservatives inthe leading Islamic seminaries (Hozeh) in Iran. These "liberals," thepaper warned, believe the terrible heresy that religion should beseparated from government...
"These are clerics who wanted the [S]hah's reign tocontinue, and when revolution triumphed, they continued to plotagainst it. They went as far as trying to stage a coup-d'état,to assassinate The Great Leader and put an end to our Islamicmovement. Colonial forces still breed these clerics, and in a notdistant future, they may inflict a serious blow to our revolution,"the paper warned. "Why should the education of our future clerics andthe management of the Islamic Academies be in the hands of those whobelieve that...Velayat-e Faghih is not acceptable in today'scivilized and democratic world," the paper complained.
Such clerics "not only exist, but they are even more active thanKhomeini's believers," the paper continued.
Many traditional clerics have challenged the religious credentialsof Supreme Leader Ali Khamene'i over the past two years. TheJomhouri-e Eslami editorial suggests that Khamene'i is losing ground,even in the heartland of Khomeinism, Qom. [4/21]
Residents of northern Israel know something about Iraniankatyushas, but if they want to learn about longer-range Iranianmissiles, they will have to travel to Malaysia...
At the recent Asian arms show in Kuala Lumpur, Iran's DefenseIndustries Organization put on display long-range surface-to-surfacemissiles and a variety of other weapons, offering them forexport.
According to the head of the Iranian stand at the show, identifiedonly as Mr. Jarrahi, "the Islamic Republic of Iran's sells arms onlyto countries who want to defend themselves, not to invade othercountries."
Mr. Jarrahi said that Iran's objective in participating in theexhibition was "to present the progress of the Islamic Republic'sarms industry, and to try to find new markets for our military anddefensive products."
Jarrahi claimed that the visitors were "stunned" by what they sawon the Iran stand. "Eight years of war [with Iraq], made usself- sufficient in many military fields. For example, we are aheadof many Western countries in presenting anti-chemical warfaredevices," he said.
Turning to Iran's SCUD-B equivalent missiles, Jarrahi said Iranbegan producing surface-to-surface missiles during the war with Iraq."But our astonishing progress in this field started with the end ofthe war." [Hamshahri 4/27]
The heads of the Islamic propaganda organizations of Iran andBosnia conferred in Mecca during the recent hajj, to review andcoordinate their anti-Western policies, the official Ettelaatreported.
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who heads Iran's Islamic PropagationOrganization described the crimes of World Arrogance [theU.S.], the paper reported, and appealed to Muslims the world overto unite against it.
The head of the Bosnian Islamic Center, identified only as Dr.Menit, accused Western powers of using economic tools to influenceBosnian culture," the paper said. "He added that the Arrogant powersare trying to distance the Bosnian people from Islamic countries byaccording them substantial loans, and corrupting our youth byimporting their technology and culture," Ettelaat said.
The two met during a conference in Mecca with the improbabletitle: "The End of Military Assault And The Beginning of CulturalAssault." [Ettelaat, 5/2]
An Iranian-born professor of communications and internationalrelations at the American University in Washington DC, has won firstprize as "best political columnist" in a journalistic competitionorganized in Tehran by the Culture And Islamic Guidance
Dr. Hamid Mowlana, a regular contributor to the radical Kayhandaily, was honored for his anti-American article called "Western PlotIn Bosnia and Palestine: Peace Without Justice." [Resalat5/6]
The anti- American and anti-Western columns of Mr. Mowlana arefrequently praised by IRI leaders. The official press refers to himas a "top academic figure" in the U.S., who admires the IslamicRevolution and has revolted against American political and socialsystem.
Introducing a recent interview with Dr. Mowlana, one of Tehran'smost radical weeklies, Sobh, called him "an anti-imperialist who haswritten extensively on the nature of Arrogant media and politics." Inthe interview, Mowlana referred to the "Genocide of Moslems aroundthe world, because of their faith," and sharply criticized Americansociety as "corrupt" and rotten.
He accused the U.S. government of seeking to divide the Islamicworld, by labeling Iranian revolution "fundamentalist" in order tofight Islam. He also warned Iranians about the "hazards" of theInternet, and advised them to "question the necessity of the Internetin the social, cultural and economic life of the country, and theidentity and goals of those who would use it, before promoting theInformation Highway." [Sobh 3/12]
The IRI Majlis has voted a law that confers a full universitydegree on anyone who memorizes the Koran entirely. These Koranicexperts need not attend a single class, or pass any university exams,except for a special exam to prove that they can recite Koran fromthe memory. If they succeed, they are awarded a BA degree in "KoranicSciences", and can continue their university education in any branchthey wish on equal footing with normal graduates. [Resalat5/6]
In the meantime, 1.3 million students took annual universityentrance examinations last Monday, competing for the 140,000 placesat the state-run universities. [Reuter 5/16]
When it comes to espionage, the Swiss have got the rest of theworld beat - at least, if you believe this item which ran recently inSobh.
It seems an Iranian film-maker by the name of Javad Shamghadri,who is working on a project called "Sand Tempest" about the failed1980 U.S. hostage rescue mission in Tabas, spotted somesuspicious-looking Swiss embassy cars prowling around his outdoor setin the desert near Tabas.
Were the "spies" seeking information about the whereabouts of theU.S. hostages... sixteen years after their release? Not at all.
Shamghadri told Sobh he thought the Swiss were seeking to discoverthe production schedule of his film, which obviously must containsome pretty hot info for the Swiss to travel several hundredkilometers across the desert to spy on him.
On April 24, the 16th anniversary of the failed American rescueoperation, 6000 Hezbollahis gathered in Tabas desert to burn the U.S.flag. The governor of Yazd province, Gholamali Sefid, told the groupthat a museum, a hotel and a memorial monument would be constructedin Shekar, near the scene of the rescue operation, and that new booksand films will be released to keep the memory of the American failurealive.
The wreckage of the U.S. helicopters and military aircraft arestill visible in the Tabas desert. [Sobh 5/7]
In the final days of the current (4th) Majlis of the IslamicRepublic, the outgoing Islamic deputies tried the oldest trick in thebook: passing a law awarding themselves lifetime benefits.
The "most urgent" bill called for preserving their "rights" -defined as salaries plus immunity from civil prosecution - for therest of their lives.
The bill which was voted as "most urgent", ordered that "the sumof the salaries and other financial benefits which were paid toMajlis deputies be maintained after the end of their term aslawmakers." Furthermore, the ex-deputies are to be "treated asdeputies in front of the courts." [in other words, they willcontinue to benefit from parliamentary immunity from justice]. Ifthe former deputies accept other, lesser paying jobs from thegovernment after their service, they must receive a salary andbenefits package at least equivalent to what they had received at theMajlis," one article reads. Such favors are necessary "in order topreserve the honor of The Holy Regime of the Islamic Republic."
The bill includes "Ministers and other government members, and themembers of The Guardians Council," in its largesse, and calls thesalary benefits "eternal advantages."
Despite the attempt to pass the bill under "most urgent" rules,some Tehran newspapers took notice.
In an editorial entitled "Most Urgent Interests," Salam wondered:"Aren't these deputies ashamed to ask for eternal financial and legalprivileges when 70% of them received a vote of distrust from thepeople [in the recent elections]?"
Even ultra-conservative Jomhuri-e Eslami criticized the bill. "Thepeople ask: in these times of terrible economic hardship, how can ourrepresentatives dare, in their last days of office, to put theirpersonal interests before ours?" [Salam, Jomhouri-e Eslami,5/9/96]
Members of an Iranian opposition group, the Society for theDefense of Political Prisoners, staged a demonstration on Saturday,May 18, in front of the office of German Federal Chancellor HelmutKohl, protesting the EU policy of "critical dialogue" with theIslamic Republic and warning that 23 political prisoners currently indetention in Iran were facing imminent execution.
A close relative of former Iranian president Abolhassan Bani Sadrwas killed by a hit-and-run driver when walking in suburbanVersailles last week. Sadighe Nobari, 70, was the mother of Mr. BaniSadr's son-in-law.
French police sources told French TV (TF1) on May 17 that theirinvestigation had concluded she had been killed in an "organizedattack," perhaps indicating another politically-motivatedassassination. [TF1 5/17].