Iran: Iranian Artist Talks About Oppression and Art

Atena Farghadani drew a cartoon mocking Iran’s parliament in protest of her country’s anti-birth control policies. For this, she was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard in the summer of 2014.

In her July 15 interview with Michael Cavna of the Washington Post, after she was released from prison, the Iranian artist says: “I’m stuck in a limbo.” referring to the mental weariness and the physical problems caused by her imprisonment. “At the moment,” she continues, “since I’ve arrived at the certainty that there is miracle lying in the art of drawing and painting, I’m more determined to continue doing it than ever.”

Atena is an inspiration to many. Her creative and political resistance has influenced the community of artists and their supporters around the world. Paintings, drawings and cartoons have flooded in from her fellow artists for the #Draw4Atena call to arms.

While imprisoned at in the gruesome Gharchak prison she went on a hunger strike. She says, “What bothered me the most was to see inmates — many of whom were victims of the economic and cultural poverty in the Iranian system — who were not treated like human beings; their most basic rights were violated. I consider Gharchak prison as a graveyard of time …”                               

Atena Farghadani

IRAN: Nearly a month into hunger strike the health of Iranian political prisoner is deteriorating

24 May 2016

 

Jafar Azimzadeh, imprisoned at the notorious Evin Prison

The health of an Iranian political prisoner on indefinite hunger strike is in grave danger.

Jafar Azimzadeh, imprisoned at the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, is on Day 26 of his hunger strike protesting Tehran’s crackdown on union activity.

On Saturday, he was taken to hospital complaining of kidney pain but refused to have liquid serum administered and was transferred back to the prison, still in pain.

His wife reports that in addition to his kidney problems, Mr. Azimzadeh has lost a considerable of weight, his blood pressure has dropped and he is having vision problems.

The Tehran bus drivers’ union, the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) called for Mr. Azimzadeh’s release from prison and warned the public that his health had been greatly affected by his strike.

Mr. Azimzadeh, a workers’ rights activist, is being heavily pressured by the regime to end his strike. As previously reported on Stop Fundamentalism, Tehran’s prosecutor's office demanded that he stop the hunger strike after he was unable to walk from his cell on Ward 8 to the visitor’s hall to see his wife, on May 17.

They even offered him the chance to take long-term leave from prison, not out of concern for his health but because they are scared of him becoming a ‘martyr’.

Iran:Persian New Year celebration with residents of Val d'Oise and French supporters of the Iranian Resistance

Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year

MaryamRajavi: Nowruz strengthens solidarity among people, by overcoming differences and improving friendship, therefore the mullahs are strongly against it

Auvers-sur-Oise, April 3, 2016 – The Persian New Year was celebrated with a number of residents of Val d'Oise and French supporters of the Iranian Resistance at the headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Maryam Rajavi welcomed the Auvers-sur-Oise neighbors and supporters from nearby towns.

She elaborated on the philosophy of Nowruz as well as the situation in Iran today and pointed out: The philosophy of these feasts is to strengthen solidarity among people, by overcoming differences and improving friendship.

No wonder that the mullahs are so strongly against Nowruz. They made tremendous effort during their rule to ban Nowruz celebrations, to no avail. Under the mullahs, the Iranian people have celebrated Nowruz more enthusiastically than ever before to show that their culture is greater than what the mullahs advocate. They have thus expressed their hope for change of the mullahs' regime.

In her appraisal of the events of the past Iranian year, the Iranian Resistance's President-elect noted: Our compatriots staged over 6500 large and small demonstrations and protests. Teachers called off school and staged demonstrations in cities all across the country. Workers held numerous demonstrations.

Political prisoners repeatedly went on hunger strike. Families of martyrs and political prisoners held rallies and gatherings outside prisons. Nurses, students, government employees and farmers also held protests on many occasions.

With nearly 1,000 executions over the past year, the total number of executions under Rouhani amounts to 2300, despite his claims to moderation.

Iran political prisoner on hunger strike after brutal attack

political prisoners Iraj Mohammadi

An Iranian political prisoner has gone on hunger strike in south-east Iran after he was brutally attacked over the weekend by prison guards.

Agents of the Iranian regime's notorious Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) on Saturday brutally attacked political prisoners Iraj Mohammadi and Mohammad-Amin Agoushi, a retired teacher, in Zahedan's central prison

IRAN: Trade unionist Shahrokh Zamani found dead in his cell under suspicious circumstances

Iraniantrade unionist Shahrokh Zamani, a prisoner of conscience, was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Sunday in Gohardasht Prison (Rajaei Shahr Prison) in the city of Karaj, north-west of Tehran.

zamani-shahrokh

Shohrokh Zamani, 51, a labor activist and a painter, was last arrested in June 2011. He was tortured in prison and on numerous occasions went on hunger strike to protest his brutal treatment and the inhumane prison conditions.

Iran - Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian is serving her eighth year behind bars

Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian

Iran: female prisoner's conditions after eight years behind bars

Zeinab Jalalian, born in 1982 in the city of Maku, was first Sentenced to execution and then Decreased to life in jail, as media reports Indicated. She was arrested in 2007 by Kermanshah Intelligence Department agents and Sentenced to execution, then life in prison by a 'revolution' based court on charges of being in contact with Kurdish parties. Jalalian HAS consistently the past years several at leg placedunder serious pressure and has gone on hunger strike protesting her conditions.

Iran - Mother of Mohammad Ali Taheri: my child on hunger strike for eight days

Mohammad Ali Taheri and his mother Ezzatolmoluk

Mohammad-Ali Taheri. After spending four years in prison and as his sentence was almost finished, He Has been once again tried on the mullah-fabricated charge of "corruption on earth by deflective people" and condemned to death. Previously, he had been Sentenced to five years in prison, a 9 billion Rial fine, and 74 lashes for absurd charges zoals "insulting the Sancti royalties, illegal use or scientific titles (doctor and engineer), and writing misleading books and articles

Mother of Mohammad Ali Taheri: my child on hunger strike for eight days

Ezzatolmoluk Taheri, the mother of Mohammad Ali Taheri, said her son has been on hunger strike since August 13. The mother of this prisoner issued a statement on Thursday, August 20 on her Facebook page saying Mohammad Ali Taheri has been on hunger strike since August 13 protesting matters such as not being informed or provided with any court orders for his death sentences “based on false allegations raised by the Revolutionary Guards, nor based on justice nor a legal argument”.