Student Protests in Tehran

Over one thousand students participated in demonstrations, yesterday at Tehran University and today at Sharif University, as the new semester got underway. 'Iranian Education Minister Kamren Daneshju was visiting Sharif University at the time to mark the new academic year.' They aren't giving up.

Cross-Posting from Revolutionary Road (quoting article from BBC):

Tehran students protest on campus

Today at 10:53am

'BBC:Students in Iran have demonstrated against the government at Tehran University on the first day of the new academic year. Footage posted on websites showed several hundred people chanting slogans against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Eyewitnesses said students were not allowed into an official ceremony attended by a government minister to mark the start of term. Reports say a large number of police officers were in the area. One eyewitness, Mehdi, told BBC Persian that around 200-300 people had gathered in Tehran university by 1030 local time. "Demonstrators were holding up green balloons and chanting slogans such as 'Government of the coup, resign! Resign!' and 'Down with the dictator'," he said. A counter demonstration was staged by supporters of the president, who was re-elected in a disputed election in June. There were no reports of clashes between the two factions. In the aftermath of the election, Iran witnessed widespread anti-government demonstrations alleging vote-rigging and calling for a re-run of elections. Correspondents says sporadic clashes and arrests since then have underlined how deep and unresolved the crisis and divisions in Iran remain. Government and security forces have cracked down hard on the protests and have initiated mass trials of leading figures in the reform movement who supported Mr Ahmadinejad's rivals for the presidency.'

UPDATED: Iran Starts Fifth Trial over Post-Election Unrest - Cross-Post

UPDATE 1: We'll talk .... about anything that doesn't matter to you.

(cross-posted from Revolutionary Road).

Iran starts fifth trial over post-election unrest

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Today at 7:05am

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran began a new trial Monday of people accused of fomenting street unrest after a disputed presidential election three months ago, official media reported.

Six people were in the dock for Monday's court session, including a well-known student activist, Abdollah Momeni, the IRNA news agency said.

Iran last month began four mass trials over post-election events against more than 100 people, including senior reformers and former government officials, charged with orchestrating opposition protests in a bid to undermine the Islamic Republic.

The opposition has denounced the court sessions as "show trials." Reformist former President Mohammad Khatami last month said trial confessions by moderates were made in "extraordinary conditions" and were invalid.

The June election, which was followed by huge opposition protests, plunged Iran into political turmoil and exposed deepening divisions within its ruling elites.

The opposition says more than 70 people were killed in the unrest. Officials estimate the death toll at up to 36 people including members of the Islamic Basij militia, which helped the elite Revolutionary Guards quell the protests.

"The fifth ... trial of detainees accused of recent unrest and riots began in Tehran's Revolutionary Court this morning," IRNA said.

"Six people accused of being involved in the recent Tehran unrest appeared in the dock in the presence of their lawyers," it added.

An indictment read out at the trial appeared to focus on "false reports" spread via the Internet in a bid to stir unrest.

"The Islamic revolution of Iran has always been facing psychological warfare and destructive propaganda ... by internal and external enemies," it said, suggesting U.S. financial support for such activity.

"They (Iran's enemies) have used all the latest technology to reach their aims, including the Internet," the ISNA news agency quoted the indictment as saying. "It was one of the important methods to provoke the people ... "

The election and its turbulent aftermath plunged Iran into deep internal crisis. Rights groups say thousands of people, including senior pro-reform figures, were arrested after the poll, though most have been freed.

The moderate opposition says the June 12 poll was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. The authorities deny it.

Hardliners have portrayed the opposition protests as a foreign-backed bid to undermine the Islamic government system.

(Writing and additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Matthew Jones)

Cross-Posting on Iran

Cross-posting from Revolutionary Road:

• News from Evin : more than 20 prisoners were released

Since yesterday about 20 prisoners has been released but there are no details about the names .The only released prisoners we know his name is Hamid Choubineh former member of Islamic association of Tehran university who got freed on bail and his lawyer confirmed his freedom.
But there are some news stating that half of freed people are female.

• News from Evin : Maziar Bahari visited his family

Maziar Bahari journalist of News week magazine in Iran and documentary maker after 52 days being in jail , yesterday morning visited his mother and his brother in law in Evin prison.
Saleh Nikbakht ,his lawyer refering to the above news said after phone negotiation with some authorities and requesting from Tehran prosecutor ,they let his family to have a meeting with him and his mother has said he was fine and in a good mental situation . Nikbakht added : I have not been able to visit Maziar and read his file yet .

• Security and severe pressure on Kianoush Asa's family

Kamran Asa ,Kianoush's brother by referring to strengthening of pressures on their family since the 40th day ceremony for Kianoush on last Thursday said the whole family have been in security police office for the last three days .
Kamran has been summoned to revolution court of Kermanshah on Tuesday to commit that they won't cause any riots and there were some rumors since Wednesday morning stating that Kamran has been arrested which has not been confirmed yet.

• Bus company union and velvet coup

Tehran and country side Bus Company Union by publishing a statement criticized the subjects in the first hearing court indictment which had mentioned bus company union as an executive arm of velvet coup .
All these happening while bus company union's president and vice president Mansour Ossanlou and Ebrahim Madadi are in jail since first of May and they have been charged by act against nation security which is kind of being happened to all civil activists in the recent years .
In this statement also has indicated that if deputy of prosecutor condemned us to have relation to foreign countries and getting paid for participating in velvet coup and have evidence for that why they did not refer to that and did not clearly mention it in the incident.
This union is an independent union and doesn't lean on any group, party ,employers and government .And if any kind of injustice happens to a labor organization in any part of the world ,world unions support each other.

• Mesbah Yazdi : obey the President is as obedience to God

Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi one of the main supporter of Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad and one of the conservative clerics in Qom in the group of Basiji Artists has mentioned that as Supreme leader has beam of absent Imam-Mahdi- lights and also people accept him as Imam's replacement so they know that it's necessary to obey him as obedience to the absent Imam.
He added : When president received the supreme leader's edict , obey him is as obedience to God.

• Ban Ki Moon sent a Congratulation message to Ahmadinejad

Reuters quoted from UN spokesman : Congratulations letter of UN General-Secretary has been sent on Monday.
But Marie Okabe , one of Ban Ki Moon's spoke-man said the letter was not the congratulations letter to Ahmadinejad and it has been sent as a tradition and it doesn't mean that we confirmed the election in Iran.
And in response to journalists where they wanted to see the letter ,she said that those kind of letters are confidential and non of them to no country has been revealed and seen by journalists.

• Russian newspaper: Ahmadinejad is not viable , do not put eggs in his basket

This Russian newspaper has criticized authorities of Russia :why they have done somethings that Iranians know Russia as a pro-Ahmadinejad country and chanting slogan against Russia .Political journalist of this newspaper wanted authorities to review their policies before Iran while 2 months have passed from the election and change their position and accept that People in Iran doesn't like and want Ahmadinejad as their president and he's not popular as he was before.So now before it is too late they have to change their policies .
All these happening while there are some documents referring that velvet coup project has been designed by Russian authorities to remove opposition party in Iran and all are because Iran being important in region.

• Letters of a group of Tehran judges to Hashemi Shahroudi : the ruins of Mr. Yazdi have become «land of dead people»

While only a few days to end of Hashemi Shahroudi responsibility course have remained in the Judiciary, a group of justice judges in Tehran province sent a criticizing letter to him about «show- similarly court » and «putting on trial tones of citizens», which they said «It's a shame to many of the judges of this land» and demanded a clear and transparent position of Head of the Judiciary in condemnation of these actions .

• List of 100-person prohibited to be on IRIB

Despite of elite's advises about putting two party's problems and differences aside , IRIB directly and indirectly announced names of 100 artists and singer and actors who are prohibited to be on radio and TV.

• Reports of today situation of Tehran grand bazzar

Today Wednesday ,Tehran grand bazzar was full of militia forces and some shops were closed but there was no gathering , all these happened because of some announcement referring to some gatherings in bazaar which did not happened and the only thing was shopkeepers were not happy because of the militia space in bazaar and it made customers be worried and ask :what's happening and why all these forces are here , is it going to be a gathering here ?

• Workers strike in Haft-tappeh sugar-cane factory

Hafte-tappeh workers sat in the yard of factory on Friday 6 August and went on strike . When representatives of council wanted to interfere in this matter , workers did not let them and said no one have voted for you and you are not our representatives.

• Workers demands in the protests are as follows :

1)Running the plan of jobs classified and increase of wages and rights
2)Solving the overtime issues
3)Using the card swip machine issue . As workers just have been working in Fridays(last day of week as Sundays in western calender) till 10 am in non-harvest season but now and with the technology of these machines they have to remain in the factory until the end of working hours regardless of being in harvest season or not.and the only time they have had to be with their families practically not existed any more.
4)Avoiding dismissal of temporary workers whom were supposed to get permanent positions but now have been threatened to get fired by higher authorities orders.

• Execution of a religious activist in Central Prison of Sanandaj city

Shouresh Mehdikhani a religious activist from Sanandaj city whom on charges of membership in Jihadi(Sunni ) and Salafi groups had been sentenced to death,at 5 am Saturday 8 Mordad (Farsi calender) has been executed in the Central Prison of Sanandaj city.

• Kianoush Asa's brother has not been arrested

Kamran Asa was not arrested and the news about him being detained is incorrect .Other brother of him Daneshvar Asa been summoned to intelligence office of sanadaj and being asked about his lecture in 40th day ceremony for Kianoush .

• Kashan governor : Workers of Spinning and Weaving Company of Kashan city have not being paid for 22 months

Hosseiali Haji said: we are concern about oppressed workers of spinning and weaving company of Kashan and how they have to deal with their family's costs with only (appr USD 55)55000 Toomans per week. Some of them have more than 17 years experience and have been working here in the company and Kashan governor is people's representative and responsible for this delay but lack of access to Board and CEO of the company don't let us to response workers .

• Similarly court of deprived prisoners from attorney and rights

Reporters Without Borders again condemns holding similarly courts for protesters to the violations and fraud in re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad .

Reporters Without Borders announces "defendants always have been deprived from their basic rights in revolution courts but today not only they do not have to meet their lawyers but also court doesn't accept their defense attorneys . Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi has determined attorneys for them , himself.

UPDATED: Rafsanjani Speaks (Don't Let Them Be Forgotten)

UPDATE: During today's Friday prayers, Ayatollah Rafsanjani spoke against Ahmadinejad and his supporters. Shortly after, protests erupted at and near Tehran University.

'"We could have taken our best step in the history of the Islamic revolution had the election not faced problems," he told worshipers in and around Tehran University. "We are in doubt today. Today, we are living bitter conditions due to what happened after the announcement of the election result. All of us have suffered. We need unity more than any time else." Even before Rafsanjani's speech began, security forces were stuffing young men into waiting police vans. Helmeted Basiji militiamen aboard motorcycles began pushing forward. After the speech, downtown Tehran erupted in violence as security forces attacked crowds of demonstrators, older and grayer than recent gatherings, who were chanting "Death to the dictator!" and "God is great."'

The movement toward freedom appears to be intact, and its demands, unabated.

UPDATE: President Obama Speaks Up

UPDATE 2:

UPDATE 1: For live coverage and active blogging on events as they're reported, go here to Atlas Shrugs.

The House passed a resolution in support of the protesters against the Iran's election results, followed by the Senate. Rep. Ron Paul was the only member of the House to vote against. The vote in the Senate was unanimous.

The Ayatollah's 'sermon' at Friday prayers at Tehran University predictably warned against further protests, saying: '"I want to tell everyone these things must finish. These street actions are being done to put pressure on leaders but we will not bow in front of them."' He further implied that any further protests would lead to bloodshed that would be on the heads of the protest leaders. This morning (Tehran time), the state-controlled media put our further warnings not to gather in protest. While there were protests today, and running battles with the sanctioned militia, crowds were unable (or too cautious) to gather in the numbers seen over the last few days.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former Prime Minister who presided over the dismantling (and executions in some cases) of the former Shah's government after the Revolution, now says that he is willing to be a martyr. He has called for a nationwide strike if he is arrested, sparking speculation that strikes in the oil industry will cause a massive rate hike in the cost of a barrel of oil.

All of this had led President Obama to make yet another statement today, this one more forceful than over the previous week. '"We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."' While I long to hear the president make a truly forceful statement in support of the protesters, and I'm not convinced that his motives are as described, it's possible that any stronger statements will only be used by the Iranian government to further harm the protesters themselves. This is the opinion of Henry Kissinger.



We'll find out in the next few days how far this will go. Right now, protests have continued into the night, and a tank is now reported to be at Azadi Square. Hot Air has many excellent video and site links to follow further.