News Update - October 11, 2009

It is a very sad day for all of us fighting for or supporting the struggle for human rights. Less than a week ago, it was a moment of victory and joy when Abbas Hosseini's execution was postponed. However, this time there is nothing but sorrow. Behnoud was unfortunately executed...He was but a young man with a tragic childhood with a tragic ending. I sincerely hope that he is resting in peace, and reunited with his mother. I hope that one day there will be no more executions of those who committ crimes as minors. I hope there will be no more innocent people falling victim to this regime.

Here is a description of Behnoud's last moments from one of my sources:

"Behnoud was standing on a chair with the rope around his neck. The victim's family entered the room, Behnoud came face to face with the victim's mother and told her "I never had a mother, you be my mother and love me." The victim's sister and brother were also on their knees begging their mother to forgive behnoud, and the victim's father remained silent. Behnoud pleaded one last time to the mother, and she gave a firm "NO" and took the chair from under Behnoud and Behnoud was left hanging."

There was a picture included of Behnoud after he was hanged, but out of respect for this young man, I will not post it here.

Rest in peace, Behnoud.

Stop Child Executions

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Ceremony in honor of Green martyrs takes place in Tehran University (Farsi) | یادبود شهدای جنبش سبز در دانشگاه خواجه نصیر
Summary by anonymous: "This afternoon (Oct 11, 2009) a ceremony in honour of the memory of the Green martyrs was held in Khaje-Nasir University in Tehran. Initially the students started chanting “God is great” and “death to dictator” around noon at university’s cafeteria i...n protest to the coup government. In response security forces and several plain clothes militia confronted the students and even locked up one of the students in the security office for few hours. After these protest students gathered in the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s lobby and by putting up posters, holding candlelight vigil, singing revolutionary songs and chanting “God is great” and “death to Dictator” honoured the memory of the Green martyrs and protested to the brutal bloodshed by the coup government. This ceremony was also harshly confronted by the security forces and plain clothes militia and in order to scare the students they attempted to film the protestors."

On the execution of Behnoud Shoja (Farsi) | تقاضای فعالان حقوق بشر بی فایده بود؛ قصاص بهنود شجاعی در روز جهانی مبارزه با اعدام
Summary by anonymous: "Committee of Human Rights Reporters: Behnoud has been executed at 5 in the morning today at Tehran’s Evin Prison. According to StopChildExecutions.com Behnood had allegedly killed a boy during a street fight in Tehran when he was 17 years old. He has... been in prison for the last 4 years and scheduled for execution 5 times already. All the reports had pointed to a stay of execution in his case. In his weblog, his attorney Mohammad Mostafaie wrote: "I went to the Executive office of the Tehran Criminal Court yesterday to follow up on Benood Shojai’s case. I was told by Mr. Jaberi, the clerk of the office that no date had been set for Behnood’s execution and a stay of execution is in effect. This morning I heard that Bahnood Shojai had been transferred to the isolation ward in prison. I went back to the Executive office to inquire about the case. Mr. Jaberi confirmed the execution and said that the Qisas (Islamic retaliation Law) will take place ."

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From Misc. Sources
(I did not write these.)
- In his most recent video broadcast, Mohsen Sazgara underscored a few points:
--It is very important for us to join weekly pickets of scathing (Mournful) mothers [of detainees in Laleh Park].
--After Noble Peace Prize being granted to President Barack Obama and his vague reference to Green movement in Iran, various intellectuals (including the famous columnist of Washington Post) are asking the question that why this prize was not dedicated to Green Movement in Iran so that a politician like President Obama is not pressured to commit himself to diplomacy [with Iran under any circumstances].
--The article that we released yesterday about strikes is extremely important and I recommend everybody to read it. The article is about organizing strikes and coordinating them.

- Major shia clerics are concerned about their weakening position in the Islamic Republic. "Last week I visited Grand Ayatollahs Makarem Shirazi, Safi Golpayegani, Vahid Khorasani, Sanei and Mousavi Ardabili" said Mohammad Ashrafi Esfahani, a member of the Central Committee of House of Parties "and all of them expressed their concerns about recent developments in Iran that [in their eyes] are pushing the country in a direction where Marjaiyyat [Religious leadership of Grand Ayatollahs amongst their followers] will be seriously weakened, we should know that this is the vicious plot of imperialism.

- Amnesty International has issued a statement demanding the cancellation of the execution order for Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani. The organization expressed concern that this may serve as a precedent for sentencing other individuals arrested after the recent protests. Bernard Valero, spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry also said that they were surprised by the announcement of the death sentences and that such decisions undermine the Iranian regime.

- Washington Post: [direct quotation] "The Nobel Committee's decision is especially puzzling given that a better alternative was readily apparent. This year, hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in Iran braved ferocious official violence to demand their right to vote and to speak freely. Dozens were killed, thousands imprisoned. One of those killed was a young woman named Neda Agha-Soltan; her shooting by thugs working for the Islamist theocracy, captured on video, moved the world. A posthumous award for Neda, as the avatar of a democratic movement in Iran, would have recognized the sacrifices that movement has made and encouraged its struggle in a dark hour".

- In an interview with American news agencies, Ahmadinejad had previously claimed that accusations of rape made by Mehdi Karroubi were not supported with any evidence and that they were made out of anger. Mr. karroubi's son has responded to these comments by stating that his father does have the documentation necessary to prove prison abuse but that the national television channels do not give them the opportunity to show these evidence. He added that he is saddened by the fact that the broadcasting agencies give more time to the trials of the arrested and no time for addressing abuse claims.

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