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Monthly Report: October 2007

01 October 2007 Gozaar

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Students

Once again, university students protested against Ahmadinejad. On October 8, more than 100 students clashed with regime supporters and authorities at Tehran University where the President made a speech, marking the beginning of the academic year. The students shouted “death to the dictator” and “free jailed students,” referring to three student activists who have been in jail since May. These three students were charged with “insulting Islam” and were handed jail sentences of at least two years according to Mehr Agency. Angry protestors complained that only the President’s most ardent supporters were allowed to be present for the speech.

According to Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, the attorney of the three jailed students, the students have been transferred from Evin prison to Ghezel Hesar which is traditionally used for criminals. He condemned his clients’ harsh sentences and said, in an interview with Rooz, that his clients were intellectual political prisoners and it was not fair that they be held in Ghezel Hesar with dangerous criminals.

Advar News reported that on October 22, students from Amirkabir and other universities in Tehran walked out of their classes and protested the three jailed students’ harsh sentences. Special guards have been stationed at university entrances and closely monitor the protestors. Students demonstrated inside the university and shouted such phrases as: “free all political prisoners,” “students will die before living as slaves,” “this is our last warning; students are ready to rise.” They also protested against what they described as the government’s “secret deal” with Russia compromising Iran’s rights to the Caspian Sea.

On October 20, in the city of Arak, basiji guards made a formal request to Arak Independent University students to abide by hejab, or Islamic dress, or face charges. The next day, a student was not allowed to enter the university because of his “unconventional” hair style. He was allowed back in the university after many students protested.

Economy

A recent report published by the state-run Iran Statistics Center on October 7 stated that the national unemployment rate had dropped to 9.9 percent. According to Radio Free Europe, many people are questioning the figure because it may not accurately reflect the realities of Iran’s job market. Economists have challenged the report’s methodology and assumptions (for example, classifying running a household as a job) and have argued that instability in the economic and political environment has contributed to a slowing economy. Also, they argued that the continued dependence on the energy sector has contributed to high inflation and unemployment.

Labor

Radio Free Europe reported that hundreds of Iranian factory workers protested in the western city of Shush demanding months of unpaid wages. They also called for better working conditions, job security, and health insurance. These protests were met with force and several leaders were detained. Labor protests in Iran have increased in recent months due to a poor economy. Iran has stepped up its efforts to restrict labor group activities. While most labor gatherings have been peaceful, many labor activists have been imprisoned for what officials call “illegal activity.” The Revolutionary Court has also forbidden activists from meeting with other political and social figures.

Women Rights

In an interview with Rooz Online, Shirin Ebadi, Nobel laureate and founder of the Center for the Defense of Human Rights emphasized that the passage of proposed “Family Support” legislation would create tension within Iran. She criticized the legislation for not addressing any existing problems and intensifying current divisions within Iranian society. She asserted that women were not consulted during the drafting process, resulting in legislation which legitimizes infidelity and contributes to Iran’s paternalistic culture. Ebadi also criticized the screening process of candidates for the Parliament and voiced her concerns that some lawmakers are not fully aware of issues facing society. In addition, on September 9, two thousand activists signed a statement declaring their opposition to the proposed legislation. In their statement, they asserted that the Family Support legislation will push back the status of women by 42 years.

Political Prisoners - Torture

The head of Iran’s Human Rights Committee within the Judiciary, Mohammadi Javad Larijani, claimed that stoning is “neither torture nor disproportional punishment,” reported by Rooz Online and other sources. The stoning of a man who had committed adultery and left his family had created a wave of anger and resentment in the country. Larijani said “stoning is less severe than execution, because, in stoning, there is a chance for the person to survive, but there is no such chance in execution.” According to Larijani, Iran is entitled to determine its own standards for laws and punishments. Many international organizations as well as Head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, have condemned stoning as a method of punishment and asked Iran to abandon it.

A group called “Iranian Activists for Democracy and Human Rights” wrote a letter to international human rights groups and reported that on October 18, political prisoners of Gohardasht prison have entered their ninth day of hunger strike. The letter indicates that several prisoners including Behrouz Javid Tehrani and Amir Hossein Heshmat have gone into a coma. Also, Afshin Baymani has been twice savagely beaten by guards during the last few weeks; his nose was broken and his stomach received 50 stitches. Javid Tehrani was also beaten by the head interrogator Saeed Sheykhan and has been suffering from migraine headaches and is nearly blind.

Iran Labour Rights Watch reports that Amnesty International quoted an Evin prison doctor saying Mansour Ossanlou, Vahed Bus Drivers’ Union leader, was facing serious medical problems. When Mr. Ossanlou’s wife, tried to visit him in Evin prison on October 9, 2007, the prison authorities claimed that he had been taken to hospital for medical treatment. When his wife eventually was able to see him on October 15, 2007, Ossanlou told her that he had received no medical treatment at all. It is being reported that Mr. Ossanlou has become blind in one eye. Another labor movement leader, Ebrahim Madadi, has also been in prison since August 9 and is also suffering from several serious medical problems. He has not been allowed any visits by the prison’s physician and his family has not been able to deliver his medication to him.

Minority Rights

According to an Amnesty International report on the Balochi minority community in Iran, there has been an increase in human rights violations against the Balochis and other minority groups such as Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Arabs. The report calls on officials to end arbitrary arrests, torture, and ill treatment of prisoners and urges the Iranian government to bring to justice officials who are responsible for torture. Sistan-Balochestan, one of the poorest provinces in Iran, has been experiencing discrimination in recent years. The report urges the international community to press the Iranian government to uphold its obligations with respect to its minority communities.

In an interview conducted by Rooz Online, Shirin Ebadi criticized the government’s treatment of the Kurdish minority. She complained about the lack of information on her client Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand and the lack of access to him, arguing that this violates both international treaties and the Iranian Constitution. According to Ebadi, the government is not friendly towards human rights organizations and it views them with anger and suspicion.

Human Rights Watch condemned the government’s practice of barring Baha’i students from attending universities. Earlier this month, as universities began the academic year, hundreds of Iranians were not able to continue their education in Iranian universities. Baha’i students were denied access to their 2007 National Entrance Examination records. With 300,000 members, the Baha’i community is Iran’s largest religious minority, but the Iranian government does not recognize their faith as a legitimate religion.

Arrests

According to the Associate Press, Emadeddin Baghi, founder and president of the Organization for the Defense of Prisoners’ Rights, was arrested on charges of violating national security. The state-run news agency reported that he had participated in meetings that were arranged by opposition groups to overthrow the regime. In 2003, he had been sentenced to three years in prison on similar charges. He has been very active in criticizing authorities for mistreating prisoners. Reporters Without Borders immediately condemned the arrest and called for the release of all of Iran’s prisoners of conscience. This follows a trend of arbitrary arrests this year when three Iranian-Americans spent time in prison for similar charges of threats against national security.

On October 18, Mohammad Javad Akbarin, a young cleric and reformist journalist, was arrested in Tehran’s airport before departing to Beirut to continue his Ph.D. education. He is considered one of the most well-known, courageous journalists in Iran. A few weeks prior to his arrest, another well-known cleric, Hadi Ghabel was also arrested. Akbarin and Ghabel were both actively supporting a reformist coalition for the upcoming Parliament election. Akbarin used to write articles about current political affairs and the need for religious reform in Rooz Online and Advar News.

Crackdowns

Iran Focus reported that Iran announced, on October 9, that it would continue with its nationwide crackdown on corruption in society. The National Security Plan began earlier this year and will be extended for another six months until the end of the Persian New Year (March 2008). The harsh crackdowns target gang members and petty criminals (often young unemployed men). At least 12 of these men were executed in different cities during the last month. The officials are also cracking down on women who violate the Islamic dress code. Iranian barbers have been warned not to offer Western-style haircuts. These crackdowns are viewed as efforts by conservatives to revive values of the Islamic Revolution. Officials cite these crackdowns as a way of preventing the immoral influence of the West on Iran and its culture.