Iranian opposition leader calls for international investigation into 1988 massacre of political prisoners

ranian opposition leader calls for international investigation into 1988 massacre of political prisoners

 The leader of the Iranian opposition has stated that an international inquiry into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, is essential to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Maryam Rajavi made this speech during a tour of the exhibition of photos depicting Paris’ massacred political prisoners on the anniversary of the liberation of Paris. It also features reflections and testimonials from political prisoners in Iran.

A statement from Paris Municipality 2nd District about the exhibition read: “This exhibition especially commemorates the sad anniversary of the massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners during the summer of 1988 in Iran. This terrible episode in modern history is now back on the front burner with the revelation a few days ago of an audiotape recounting conversations that occurred at the highest level with those directly responsible for the killings.”

Iran:Lord Maginnis: the Iranian Resistance has the momentum

Iran:Lord Maginnis: the Iranian Resistance has the momentum

 Lord Ken Maginnis argued that the Iranian Resistance, in the shape of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is building significant momentum against the regime in Tehran.
Reflecting on both the absence of moderation in the regime and the abundance of it in the opposition led by Maryam Rajavi, Lord Maginnis called on Western governments to re-think strategy towards Iran.

A year on from the nuclear deal with the regime, he argued, the twin hopes of a non-nuclear Iran and a moderate Iran have foundered. A covert nuclear programme continues (confirmed by German intelligence) with a parallel initiative in ballistic missile development. President Rouhani, Lord Maginnis said, "has exceeded the brutality and extremism of his predecessor," citing both the regime's support for Assad and a range of terrorist groups and the record number of executions taking place within Iran.
Lord Maginnis presented a contrasting snapshot of the Resistance, reflecting, in particular, on the July 9 rally of 100,000 Iranians. Noting not just the numbers of supporters who made their way to Paris from across the globe, he also saw huge significance in the nature of non-Iranian allies present at the rally. 

Iran:Struan Stevenson explains why he supports the “Free Iran” rally in Paris

Struan Stevenson

Struan Stevenson, former Conservative MEP representing Scotland in the European Parliament from 1999 until his retirement in 2014, is the current President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA).  Mr. Stevenson, also chaired the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (Caucus) in the European Parliament, and was President of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq from 2009 to 2014.

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Iran: Political prisoner Ali Moezzi invites all to participate in “Free Iran” gathering

political prisoner Ali Moezzi

Iranian political prisoner Ali Moezzi, who is father to two members of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), has sent a message from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison declaring his support for the annual gathering of the Iranian Resistance held in Paris on 9 July.

IRAN:44th anniversary of execution of Iranian MEK founders

IRAN:44th anniversary of execution of Iranian MEK founders

 

بنیانگذار کبیر محمد حنیف نژاد ودو یار قهرمانش  شهیدان بنیانگذار سعید محسن  وعلی اصغر بدیع ذادگان 

 This week marks the 44th anniversary of the execution of the founders of Iran’s main opposition group.

On 25 May 1972, the founders and leaders of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), were executed by death squads after months of imprisonment and torture from the regime of the Shah.

The MEK, a group which sought, and still seeks, a secular Iranian government, was considered one of the main threats to the regime of the Shah.

The Shah’s secret police, SAVAK, arrested all MEK leaders and most of its members in a series of raids in 1971.

The founders, Mohammad Hanifnejad, Said Mohsen, and Ali-Asghar Badizadegan along with two other leaders, Mahmoud Askarizadeh, and Rasoul Meshkinfam stood firm in the face of the Shah’s regime and paid with their lives.

The origins of the MEK

The MEK was founded on September 6, 1965, by engineers; Hanifnejad, Mohsen, and Badizadegan. All three were once members of the Liberation Movement; created by Medhi Bazargan in 1961 and outlawed, along with other pro-democracy groups, in 1963 following the June Uprising in which opponents to the Shah’s regime were gunned down in the streets.

The men wanted to create a new path to democracy and began by meeting with like-minded friends for a twice-weekly discussion group focusing on religion, history, philosophy, and revolutionary theory.

They sought to discover the true interpretation of Islam which, they have shown, is incredibly democratic and compatible with modern ideals. The MEK views freedom, human rights and the equality of people regardless of gender, race or religion as commitments that were set out in the Quran, in teachings from the Prophet Muhammad and by other senior members of the faith.

Syrian opponent chides Iran’s support for Assad

 George Sabra

London, 10 May - A senior member of Syria’s democratic opposition has said that the fight against Bashar al-Assad is a joint battle with Tehran. George Sabra from the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) told Simaye Azadi (INTV), an Iranian opposition television channel, that the IranianIranian opposition was an ally.

Sabra praised Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, for her outspoken position on Aleppo and the war-crimes perpetrated by Assad with the aid of Tehran.

Iran:Lord Maginnis: Italy’s Renzi is sending an ill-advised signal with Iran visit

Lord Maginnis: Italy’s Renzi is sending an ill-advised signal with Iran visit

While few will deny the principle that compromise is the essence of politics and that pragmatic solutions can be helpful within any democratic, pluralist society, this week's visit to Iran by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will, under the prevailing circumstances, send a totally inappropriate message to the ayatollahs, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass argues.

"Compromise at the cost of integrity should be not only shunned but guarded against, particularly when that compromise comes at the expense of dignity and freedom," Lord Maginnis wrote on Monday on the UK website Politics Home.

"In an attempt to underpin the Vienna Agreement of October 18th past rush we appear to have devised another 'de facto' compromise that is being made on the issue of human rights and democratic freedom for ordinary Iranians. That is a compromise that I, for one, am not willing to make. Many of my colleagues from both of Houses of the UK Parliament and other European parliaments share a similar opinion," wrote the Independent member of the United Kingdom's House of Lords."Recent coverage of Iran appears skewed in favour of a narrative surrounding reform and moderation, yet few seem to remember that this is not the first time the regime has played this card. During the Presidency of Mohammad Khatami, Iran played the moderate card to perfection and fooled many in the West. This not only alleviated pressure on the regime, but also gave it time to pursue its nuclear programme secretly, while notionally engaging in cordial relations with the West. Today is no different!"

"Under President Rouhani, Iran has recently reached a 25 year high for executions, despite his supposedly 'moderate' image abroad. The victims included political dissidents who are activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (the PMOI), the principal Iranian opposition movement, along with ethnic and religious minorities. In real terms, according to UN Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed, Iran has actually escalated its crackdown on human rights over the last few years, leaving little doubt as to the true nature of this government."

"If that were not evidence enough of the nature of this regime, one need look no further than its support of mass murder in Syria and its continual involvement in terror and instability throughout the region. This is not behaviour that warrants compromise or cordial relations. It is belligerence being rewarded by seemingly wishful thinking."

IRAN: Germany charges 2 Iranians with spying on opposition members – AP

Germany charges 2 Iranians with spying on opposition members - AP

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors have filed espionage charges against two Iranian men accused of spying on exiled opposition members for Iranian intelligence.

Federal prosecutors said Friday that the indictment against 31-year-old Maysam P. and 33-year-old Saied R. was filed March 22 at a Berlin court. The two men's full names weren't given in keeping with German privacy rules.

Prosecutors say both men once belonged to the opposition group known as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK.

Iran - Tehran - The shining stars and heroines of the Iranian Resistance

The shining stars and heroines of the Iranian Resistance

February8th marks the anniversary of  a fate –making event  in the history of the  Iranian people 's quest for freedom.

On February 8, 1982, Khomeini's Revolutionary Guards surrounded and destroyed the headquarters and killed some of the most prominent leading figures of the PMOI. Khomeini –still alive in those days-- thought that by dealing such a heavy blow to the opposition, he could put up a show of force, demoralize the staunch supporters of the movement and break their resistance in prisons and outside.

It was an unequal battle between thousands of heavily armed guards vs. 20 freedom fighters. He thought victory is certain. However, the champions of freedom did not surrender and fought to the last breath, creating an epical scene that strengthened the movement even further.

The women involved in this battle left a brilliant legacy in the history of the Iranian people's struggle for freedom and democracy. Brave women who did not surrender and resisted and fought courageously to the last breath to herald a new world for their fellow compatriots. Today, their resolve and courage has been multiplied in the ranks of the pioneering women in the PMOI who lead the Resistance movement.

Iran - Iranian regime faces crisis in recruiting Afghans to fight in Syria

February 2015 photo of Qassem Soleimani (Left), commander

 of Quds Force with Afghan commanders killed in Syria

The Iranian regime has dispatched thousands of foreign mercenaries including Afghan refugees to fight in Syria and prop up the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to sources of the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Incapable of mobilizing and dispatching necessary troops from Iran to the conflict and apprehensive of a backlash within its forces due to rising IRGC casualties, the regime has resorted to mobilizing the mercenaries using various tactics including threating them with execution.

n recent years, particularly Afghan refugees living in Iran have been tapped for this purpose. The Iranian regime has threatened the refugees with deportation from Iran, imprisonment or even execution (all serious violations of human rights) to dispatch the Afghan refugees to Syria.

Continued Russian bombings of civilians blamed for jeopardizing the fragile peace talks

Residents carry banners and opposition flags as they march during a protest in Aleppo

Syria’s main opposition bloc has given warning that attacks by government forces in Aleppo province could stand in the way of the peace talks under way in Geneva.

The warning was sounded by the Higher Negotiations Committee (HNC), which sent a 17-strong opposition team, including three rebel leaders, to the Swiss city for talks.

Salim al-Muslet, HNC spokesman, said the opposition was waiting for reaction to the developments in Aleppo and other provinces.

'It is important for us to see the lifting of sieges of children starving to death,' she said.

'Since last night, big massacres have taken place in Syria and nobody is doing or saying anything.

'We do not know if the international community is completely blind or they do not want to do anything. We are here to know if they are keen to do anything - then we are waiting for them.'

Syria’s Opposition Says Cannot Attend Talks if Third Party Joins

Riad Hijab, head of the council representing Syrian opposition

RIYADH - A Syrian opposition council backed by Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it will not attend January 25th peace negotiations with the Syrian regime if a third group takes part, a reference to a Russian bid to widen the opposition’s team.

Riad Hijab, who heads the council formed in Riyadh last month, accused Russia of impeding negotiations, and also told a news conference in Riyadh that the opposition could not negotiate while Syrians were dying from blockades and bombardment, Reuters reported, Jan. 20th.

He also announced the names of opposition figures that would negotiate on behalf of the council in any talks.

They included Mohamed Alloush, a political figure in the Jaysh al-Islam (Islam Army) rebel group that is deemed a terrorist group by Damascus and Moscow.

'The opposition delegation is now ready,' George Sabra, an opposition politician also named as a negotiator, told opposition channel Orient TV. Asaad al-Zoubi, another opposition figure, was named as the head of the negotiating team.

Conference on Iranian regime’s high number of casualties in Syria

Conference on Iranian regime’s high number of casualties in Syria

Syrian and Iranian experts were guests of an online conference on Monday organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to discuss the scale of the Iranian regime’s defeats in Syria, particularly its military casualties

Ahmad Ramadan, chairman of the Media and Public Relations Bureau of the opposition Syrian National Council, Saleh Hamid, an Arab political and human rights activist, and Sanabarqh Zahedi, Chairman of the Judicial Committee of the NCRI, participated in this conference.

Dr. Zahedi touched upon the Iranian regime’s active involvement in the massacre of the innocent Syrian people. He referred to two stages of the defeats and high number of casualties of the regime and its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in Syria and said:

Last June, the regime’s official news agency IRNA announced that 400 Revolutionary Guards had lost their lives in Syria until that time. One should mention that this number only encompasses the Revolutionary Guards and the Bassij forces dispatched to Syria from Iran and does not include the mercenaries from other countries who lost their lives in Syria. This casualty figure relates to the first half of the last year when Syria’s armed opposition forces had significant advances in the north in Aleppo region, in Jisr al-Shughour and in Sahl al-ghab, as well as in Daraa, capturing strategic areas. The outcome of these advances was the defeat of the Iranian regime and Bashar al-Assad that promised the toppling of the regime in not too distant a future. Secret intelligence from inside the Iranian regime indicate that during that period the various regime forces, including the Revolutionary Guards, the Hezbollah and the Afghan forces, had lost their morale due to the blows they suffered at the hands of the opposition in Syria and were running away from the fight in different fronts. The regime’s assessment at the time was that it could save Assad only if it would inject 30,000 Revolutionary Guards into Syria.

It was after this stage and these defeats that [IRGC Quds Force commander] Qassem Soleimani went to Moscow and asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for help. Subsequently, Putin met with [the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei. According to these discussions, the two parties agreed that Russia would heavily bomb the opposition forces in Syria and in return Khamenei and Soleimani committed to bring in the necessary ground forces to push back the opposition from the areas they had captured. Khamenei told Putin that he would continue the fight in Syria until the last Revolutionary Guard. We are now three months past this stage and we are witnessing consecutive defeats of the regime, including the loss of Hossein Hamedani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria, the injury to Qasem Soleimani, right hand to Khamenei and Commander of the Quds Force, along with around 20 other IRGC generals and hundreds of regime’s forces.

Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim leader who should be heard this Christmas. Townhall

Ken Blackwell

By Ken Blackwell | Dec 25, 2015

"This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12-13)

These words of Jesus represent the true essence of Christmas and this special season.

This is the time of year to wish for God’s blessing in the upcoming year. But it is also a time to reflect upon what happened during the year that is about to end.

The world news this year has unfortunately been filled with horror, and the last months of the year brought that horror disturbingly close to home. The carnage in San Bernardino showed that the threat of Islamic extremism recognizes no boundaries and that the sense of security President Obama expressed earlier in 2015 was ill-advised.

And as we usher in 2016, which is an election year, one of the main issues of the day has again become terrorism and how to handle it, especially in the form of the Islamic State and Islamic extremism as a whole.

This phenomenon is a danger not only to our national security but also to the cherished values of civilized society. It has targeted the very concepts of cultural and ideological tolerance and has tried to undermine friendship and coexistence between Muslims and Christians which are part of the fabric of our society in the modern era.

In fighting Islamic extremism, a strategy is needed. It includes decisive military, intelligence, and law enforcement measures; but that is not enough. Part of a coherent strategy is identifying our allies in this battle and reaching out to them. And the best such allies are moderate Muslim leaders who are willing to stand up to Islamic extremists in word and deed, especially those who possess legitimacy among the same people who are living under the thumb of extremist groups.

A prime example of such a leader is Maryam Rajavi. As the head of the Iranian opposition, she is leading the charge to overturn the rule of the ayatollahs that effectively brought political Islam into the modern world and turned extremist ideology into a global force. It was after the revolution of 1979 in Iran that high-profile hostage-takings became a means of governance and bombings, suicide attacks, and assassinations became the modus operandi for a theocratic state.

As a practicing Muslim, she has been fiercely pushing back against the ayatollahs’ extremism for decades. A true believer in a democratic, moderate, tolerant interpretation of Islam, Rajavi believes anything that promotes terrorism or dictatorship is counter to the teachings of Islam, as is anything that violates people’s freedoms or denies equality to women.

By embodying this modern, tolerant Muslim faith, Mrs. Rajavi has helped to demonstrate the error of attributing this year’s barbaric crimes to Islam itself. And by advocating on behalf of that faith, she urged other Muslims to avoid remaining on the fence during the conflict that will likely define the year 2016. She had emphasized that Muslims who believe in democracy are the most effective force that could fight and defeat this global danger.

Mrs. Rajavi certainly understands and accepts the sacrifice that is involved in taking part in this fight. The Iranian regime executed some 120,000 members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), the main Iranian opposition movement and the primary component of the coalition that she leads. One of her own sisters was executed by the ayatollahs and another by the regime of the Shah.

Yet she and her movement have not wavered.

In her message on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year, Mrs. Rajavi wished “that 2016 would be a year of unity and victory over Islamic extremism and especially the religious fascism ruling Iran and its evil allies in the Middle East who sow the seeds of enmity in the world.”

Her message is made timelier by the fact that this year Christmas coincides with the celebration of the birth of Mohammad in the Muslim world.

Mrs. Rajavi used her Christmas message to underscore her view on the need for unity in the fight against Islamic terrorism: "Muslims and Christians can rely on their common values to stand up to those who pervert their religions. So, in contrast to what the extremists want, we should make our hope and faith in humanity deeper than ever.”

We can all share with her hope for a swift end to extremism, for the freedom of various peoples from the dictatorships of Bashar Assad, Ali Khamenei, and ISIS (ISIL) terrorists, and for an end to persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East and Christian converts in Iran from the oppression of the ruling mullahs.

Because her hopes for the coming year are the same as the hopes that are traditionally cherished in the West, she should be listened to this Christmas.

Amb. Ken Blackwell is a former Cincinnati mayor and U.S. ambassador to the UN human rights commission.

Iranian Dissidents Mark Passing of Dissident Mehri Jannatpour

Mehri Jannatpour - Dr. Mohammad Maleki

On December 3rd 2015, Iranian dissident and activist Mehri Jannatpour passed away. Jannatpour was remembered for her bravery and perseverance as a political activist in Iran over the last 40 years. This included three separate terms served in prison for her support and affiliation with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), one of Iran’s principal opposition organizations.

During her imprisonment Jannatpour was subjected to cruel mistreatment and torture, yet she remained steadfast in her beliefs and resistance. Not only was Jannatpour a symbol of resistance as an uncompromising dissident, but she was also remembered for her dedication and care as a mother. Her children were raised to continue her path of resistance and defiance, and remain actively involved in confronting the Iranian regime and its crimes.

Mehri Jannatpour was honored by Iranian dissidents at her funeral service, including Dr. Mohammad Maleki, the first post-revolution Chancellor of Tehran University, who, like Jannatpour has continued to stand with dignity and defiance in the face of the dictatorship in Iran despite his old age.

Maleki delivered a eulogy on December 5th in which he praised Jannatpour as an activist and as a mother, and lauded the path chosen by her children. Including one of her children who is residing in Camp Liberty, Iraq, which was recently the target of a despicable terrorist attack.

 “But, they are persevering and are as solid as a mountain. They are this mother's children. How fortunate she was! There are many who come into this world, "enjoy" life and die. But the fulfillment experienced by such mothers is different.”

Maleki continued his eulogy in open defiance of the regime by openly praising the path taken by Jannatpour and her children. This path includes standing with the PMOI against the regime in Iran. The penalty for such a stance is normally death, yet Maleki spoke unwaveringly and resolute in his praise for this path, and referenced the 1988 massacre against members of the PMOI as proof that violence and repression cannot crush this movement.

“I am reminded of a quote by the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri who wrote to Khomeini in a letter that rest assured, an idea cannot be killed through murder. You have killed so many, you have beaten so many, you have destroyed so many.”

He added, “This will be so as long as there are people who care for their people, and as long as there are people who say "seek freedom from cradle to grave."

Very rarely is such public defiance exhibited in Iran, and in such a bold fashion and in such powerful forum. At one point Maleki even states, “Let them hear me, and record me, those who are responsible for this.” Whether you agree with the political ideology expressed by Jannatpour or Maleki, it is impossible to deny their courage and the price they have paid in fighting for freedom in Iran.

The speech given by Maleki was just as remarkable as the life lived by Ms. Jannatpour. Both embody the passion and bravery of Iran’s history, people and hopes.

Maleki has led silent protests outside of Evin Prison to call for the release of political prisoners, and has been in and out of prison himself over the last decade. Maleki’s courage as an elderly man mirrors that of Jannatpour, and his bravery against the brutal regime is an inspiration to all Iranians.

Hamid Yazdan Panah is an Iranian-American human rights activist and attorney focused on immigration and asylum in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Euro MPs call for International Protection for Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty in Iraq

In a statement signed by 170 Members of the European Parliament representing all political groups in the Parliament, lawmakers condemned the brutal attack of 29 October 2015 on defenceless Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty in Iraq and called for international protection for these refugees.This camp is home to over 2000 members of the Iranian opposition PMOI [MEK] which advocates for a free and secular Iran, equality between men and women and abolition of death penalty.

Residents of this camp have been repeatedly attacked and killed by Iraqi forces and Iranian regime’s militias. Despite an international outrage and repeated calls, no one has ever been arrested for these atrocities.

MEPs called for replacement of Iraqi security advisor Faleh Fayyadh, known for his close links with Iran, who is responsible for harassing the residents on a routine and humiliating basis.

The lawmakers urged the international coalition to put Camp Liberty, which is situated close to the Baghdad airport, under its aerial protection.

The statement also called for an UN-led investigation into this massacre.

MEP Gérard Deprez, chair of the Friends of a Free Iran in European Parliament, congratulated his colleagues for this overwhelming support. Speaking from Brussels, Deprez said “It is time the European Union takes serious measures and holds Iraq responsible for repeatedly failing to uphold its commitments to protect the refugees in Camp Liberty.

 “We cannot just stand and watch defenceless refugees being repeatedly targeted in this way and nobody is held responsible.”

Signatories of the statement include two vice presidents of the parliament as well as 13 Committee and Delegation Chairs.

Office of Gérard Deprez MEP

Chair, Friends of a Free Iran, European Parliament