بهار خجسته : اوت 2018

۱۳۹۷ شهریور ۹, جمعه

Chamber of commerce warns: We are on the brink of a tsunami of bankruptcies

People live below the poverty line in Iran

On August 27, state-run news agency ISNA quoted Mahmoud Eslamian, deputy chief of the Chamber of Commerce in Isfahan saying that due to some unscientific decisions in the field of economy, we will soon witness a tsunami of manufacturing units going bankrupt and the causing unemployment.

The drying out of Zayanderud due to years of mismanagement

The deputy chief of the chamber of commerce in Isfahan continues: “The economic situation in the country is alarming and the private sector needs to take a stand against incorrect and unreasonable decisions more actively than before.”

He added: “Isfahan province, as the center of industry and the center of steel in the country, faces hard times in manufacturing and procuring raw materials and in addition is ordered to sell its products with a 42,000 rial currency on the stock exchange.”

About the unscientific decisions of the government, Esmalian said: “The dry out of Zahanderud is one of the results of such decisions. Unfortunately, the decision-making process is continuing on this path and soon we will witness a tsunami of manufacturing units going bankrupt and the following unemployment.”

Big manufacturing units hardly keep going

Eslamian continued: “Big manufacturing units hardly keep going. When the government faces a dead-end it consults the private sector. This is not right to come to us only when the decision-making body faces a fundamental problem. Unfortunately, the decision makers are deaf, and they won’t listen to the private sector.”

He said: “Unfortunately, the decision-making process of the government unintentionally increases the impact of the sanctions. While Trump spends time on how to sanction Iran, our authorities obstruct the cycle of trade and manufacturing with overnight-decisions.”

Turmoil is the result of a lack of coordination between the economic team

Pedram Soltani, deputy chief of the Chamber of Commerce of Iran also said: “The structure of planning in the country faces fundamental challenges and there are numerous unresolved issues on the table. Under these circumstances, we need to move towards a fundamental reform of the structure. The problem of the private sector is that they can’t act beyond a certain limit and opinions and decisions don’t go beyond ideas and theories. Turmoil in the country’s economy is the result of a lack of coordination between the economic team and the president.”

Creating economic rents under the pretext of supporting consumers

Bahram Sobhani, Chief Executive Officer of Isfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company, also criticized recent economic policies of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and said: “The price difference of a kilogram of sheet from the factory gates to the stock exchange is 22,000 rials and this pricing is under the pretext of supporting consumers but for some it creates economic rents.”

۱۳۹۷ شهریور ۷, چهارشنبه

Iranian regime bribes Kenyan authorities to free two members of its terrorist Quds Force

Two Iranian Quds force operatives jailed in Kenya for attempted terrorist act

According to Kenyan news outlet Daily Nation, the Iranian regime is bribing Kenyan authorities to free two of its terrorists affiliated with the notorious Quds Force.

The Quds Force is a recognized terrorist organization that handles operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) outside of Iran.

The story of Ahmad Abdolfathi Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi, two Iranian nationals currently under arrest in Kenya, goes back to June 2012. But as their case is reviewed by the Kenyan Supreme Court, the highest body of the Kenyan judiciary, a new report by the Interpol adds a new twist to the whole.

According to Interpol’s report, Iranian operatives are actively trying to compromise key government employees and the legal system to release Ahmad Abolfathi and Sayed Mansour Mousavi from Kenyan custody.

According to an affidavit by police sergeant Erick Opagal, when Ahmad and Sayed Mansour arrived in Nairobi on June 12, 2013, they traveled to Mombasa without delay to acquire RDX explosives.

The two were arrested in June 2013 when they returned to Nairobi while their accomplice stayed at large.

The same year, Chief Magistrate Kiarie Waweru sentenced the two to life in prison and additional sentences of 15 and 10 years for other charges. In his ruling, the judge referred to the 1998 American embassy bombing in Nairobi and how fresh still the memory is in Kenyan’s minds.

After the two Quds Force agents appealed the court decision, the High Court removed the life sentence and handed them a 15-year prison term each. But they were still not satisfied.

The Court of Appeal revoked the 15-year prison term and ordered an immediate deportation.

The prosecution has brought the case to the Kenyan Supreme Court for a final decision.

The Kenyan government is afraid that the Iranian regime and its affiliates will help these two terrorists to escape from prison.

According to Kenyan media, a group of terrorists have been smuggled to east Africa to free the two terrorists.

After intelligence reports about the escape plan surfaced, the Kenyan government set its law enforcement forces on full alert. Kenyan security forces have already obtained recorded tapes of Iranian nationals that reveal Iranian plans for the escape operation.

Ahmad Abolfathy Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi aren’t the first Iranians who have been caught red handed by Kenyan law enforcement forces.

In 2013, Kenyan authorities caught two Iranian agents trying to enter the country with fake Israeli IDs. In 2014, Kenyan police revealed a spy ring connected to the Iranian regime.

In 2015, two Kenyan nationals confessed to having cooperated with Iranian security forces to plan attacks against western targets in the country. According to the Kenyan police, the two Kenyans said to have been spies for the Quds Force.

The Interpol report states that the Quds Force’s officers operate covertly to spread Iran’s influence far and wide, and they have been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and attempted attacks globally.

#Iranians worldwide memorialize the #1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners on August 25th.

Statement from Iranian Communities in Europe on the Saturday event

Feeling threatened by the dissent against his absolute rule, less than 10 years into the Islamic revolution, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a religious decree, known as the “death decree” to execute all political prisoners, most of whom were members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.

Statement from Iranian Communities in Europe on the Saturday event

Iranian associations in 30 major cities in Europe and North America plan to hold gatherings and link up online

30th anniversary of the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners – Iranian associations urge support for the Iranian people’s uprising and a firm policy regarding human rights abuses

Iranian associations in 30 major cities and capitals in Europe and North America, on Saturday, August 25, will simultaneously hold commemorations for 30,000 political prisoners who were massacred in 1988.

The simultaneous events will take place against a backdrop of anti-government protests that have continued for the past eight months and have shaken the regime to its core.

The gathering, titled “30th anniversary of the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran – the roots of the uprising and its prospects,” will take place on the initiative of the Iranian associations, supporters of the Resistance, throughout Europe and North America. The events will be connected to each other through live visual communications and will include live exchanges of various locations.

Representatives of Iranian associations and political and social dignitaries from various countries will address the events. Thousands of Iranians, members of the associations, will take part in the events that will be held in 30 cities including Paris, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Rome, Oslo, Brussels, Ottawa, Vancouver, Bucharest, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Stuttgart, and Aarhus. The survivors of the 1988 massacre and relatives of the victims will share their stories. Scores of dignitaries in various countries will participate in the events in solidarity with the Iranian people and their aspirations.

The Iranian associations taking part in the event are comprised of various strata of the Iranian society, including the youths, students, technocrats, entrepreneurs, businessmen, academics university professors and women’s rights activists, all of which seek the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime.

The simultaneous gatherings are part of an international campaign to call on the UN to launch an inquiry into the 1988 massacre and to put an end to the impunity of the authorities involved in it. According to international human rights organizations and human rights experts, the massacre is one of the most egregious cases of crimes against humanity since World War II.

Yet many of its perpetrators are currently among the most senior officials of the regime and are directly involved in suppressing anti-government protests.

Patrick Kennedy, former US Congressman and son of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, will be among the participants in the Paris gathering.

Background information

Following a fatwa by Khomeini, the founder of the clerical regime, more than 30,000 political prisoners, who were serving their terms and remained loyal to the cause of democracy and human rights, were executed in a few months in 1988. The overwhelming majority of the victims were activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) who remained loyal to the organization.

Upon Khomeini’s order for speedy executions, “Death Commissions” were established throughout the country. The commissions condemned the prisoners to death in hearings that lasted only a few minutes. The victims were buried in secret mass graves.

Recently, Amnesty International has warned of the regime’s efforts to destroy the evidence of this massacre, including some of the mass graves. So far, no independent international investigation has been carried out into the massacre, and there has been no accountability for the perpetrators.

In an audio file recorded at the height of the massacre in 1988 and released in 2016, Khomeini’s successor at the time, Hossein Ali Montazeri, explicitly told the Tehran Death Commission that this was the most horrific crime in the history of the Islamic Republic, prompting Khomeini to sack Montazeri in March 1989. Subsequent to Khomeini’s death in June 1989, Ali Khamenei became the supreme leader of the regime. Following the revelation of Montazeri’s audio file in August 2016, a massive social movement to call for justice for victims of this massacre pervaded Iran.

Iranian Communities in Europe

۱۳۹۷ شهریور ۵, دوشنبه

30th anniversary of the massacre of 30,000 pol. prisoners commemorated in global conference of the Iranian communities

The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

“For three decades, the international community has been silent over the massacre of political prisoners in Iran. As a result, the mullahs have continued with impunity to violate human rights in Iran, crack down on public protests, launch terrorist operations, and wage catastrophic wars in the Middle East and other countries. Now, the time has come to end this silence.”

These were part of the remarks made by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, to a conference marking the 30^th anniversary of the 30,000 political prisoners massacred in Iran, simultaneously held in 20 major capitals, on Saturday, August 25, 2018.

Maryam Rajavi urged the UN Security Council to prepare for the prosecution of the clerical regime’s leaders, those responsible for the 1988 massacre, and the officials in charge of four decades of crimes against humanity in Iran.

She reiterated that the regime’s spies and mercenaries must be expelled from western countries, and all relations must be terminated with the Iranian regime which takes advantage of diplomatic resources to promote state-sponsored terrorism. She stressed that the regime’s embassies must be shut down.

Mrs. Rajavi added, “The time has come for the world community to stand by the people of Iran in their uprising against the religious fascist regime ruling Iran and recognize their determination for regime change.”

The meetings sponsored by Iranian communities in 20 major capitals in France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Romania, and Canada, joined together in a video conference.

A number of political dignitaries, lawmakers, elected representatives, jurists, and high ranking religious personalities, as well as members and representatives of the Iranian communities in Europe and Canada, attended and addressed the conference. A number of witnesses to the 1988 massacre, families of the massacred prisoners, and former political prisoners also testified in this conference to the inhuman crimes of the Iranian regime.

In another part of her remarks, Maryam Rajavi said, “The clerical regime’s reaction to dissent, even inside prisons under their own control, is mass execution. Any legitimate protest or demonstration is repressed by the detention and torture of participants. In the uprisings last December and January, what was the protesters’ demand and what did they do wrong to be tortured to death? The bodies of a number of them were handed over to their families, telling them that they had committed suicide while in detention. The regime commits the crime and yet blames the victims of torture and massacre as culprits and criminals.”

Mrs. Rajavi asked, “In the face of such a monster, is it right to give in, or to stand up, resist and fight back? Where can you find a dictator that does not accuse the people’s just and legitimate resistance of terrorism, or who does not try to get rid of freedom lovers and opponents by accusing them of violence? Indeed, which dictator, tyrant or despot has given up on his crimes by silence and surrender of his victims?”

Maryam Rajavi said, “The resistance units in Iran follow the footsteps of those men and women who said no to the regime and were massacred in 1988. The clerical regime is beleaguered by the eight-month-long uprisings, by the growing role of the PMOI and resistance units in organizing and leading the revolts, and by the consequences of a plummeting and drowning economy.”

Mrs. Rajavi added, “As the regime’s recent terrorist plots against the PMOI were being revealed, it was once again proven that terrorism is inherent to the clerical regime. There is hardly any place in the world which has remained immune to the regime’s terrorism extending from the Middle East to Europe and the U.S.

“To break out of the deadlock, the mullahs sought to target the Resistance’s gathering in Paris on June 30 by a terrorist explosion. In March, they had tried another terrorist scheme against the Iranian Resistance in Albania. And just in recent days, the mullahs’ intelligence and terrorist activities against the PMOI in the U.S. were revealed after two of their agents in that country were arrested. Again this week, the clerical regime’s cyber terrorism was identified and banned. This sinister network which seeks to disrupt safe communications and prepare the grounds for terrorist operations must be shut down altogether.”

The political dignitaries, representatives of Iranian communities, witnesses to the 1988 massacre who spoke to the global video conference urged the International Community to support the Iranian people’s uprising for regime change and freedom, and adopt a decisive policy against the theocratic regime ruling Iran.

They also called for condemnation of the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses and terrorism, and prosecution of the masterminds and perpetrators of the 1988 massacre who are presently among the highest officials of the clerical regime and directly involved in the suppression of the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran.

Iran: Resistance Units remembering the 1988 massacre victims

Tehran, Iran-Aug 2018-Resistance units honor the 30th anniversary of the 1988 massacre in Iran

Victims of the 1988 massacre in Iran, among the over 30,000 political prisoners executed by the mullahs’ regime simply for pledging loyalty to the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) are being remembered these days by members of resistance units across Iran.

Some perpetrators of this horrific tragedy are currently serving in various posts of the Iranian regime. They intended to completely uproot the PMOI/MEK, only to see that even 30 years later, those very martyrs are now the inspiration of a new generation in this ongoing struggle by the Iranian people to establish freedom in their country.

Iranian opposition President Maryam Rajavi delivered a message at an international conference held in 20 cities across Europe and North America marking the 30^th anniversary of this historic crime against humanity.

Members of a resistance unit in Kermanshah recorded a message outside the mullahs’ intelligence office in this city saying: “… we hope the perpetrators of this genocide are held accountable in an international tribunal through a just process. As the people know, the officials responsible for this vicious massacre are currently among the highest ranking posts in this regime and actively participate directly in the quelling of any protests… Death to Khamenei, May Khomeini rot in hell, Long live the National Liberation Army of Iran, Viva freedom, hail to Rajavi…”

Members of another resistance unit said, “We are PMOI/MEK supporters and will continue the struggle of the 1988 massacre victims for regime change and bringing about the freedom to this country. Death to Khamenei, Hail to Rajavi.”

Another resistance unit in Kermanshah put up placards reading, “We are PMOI/MEK supporters and will continue the struggle of 1988 massacre victims for regime change and a free Iran.”

Members of a Tehran-based resistance unit put up 1988 massacre posters with the #1988Massacre hashtag, pledging to continue their struggle.

Iran opposition President Maryam Rajavi pays tribute to Senator John McCain

Senator John McCain

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President of the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), sent a message expressing her deepest condolences to the family of Senator John McCain after his passing away.

Senator McCain was a strong critic of the mullahs’ regime ruling Iran and visited members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in 2017 after their successful transfer to Albania, where he also met with Mrs. Rajavi.

On December 30^th, 2017, coinciding with the Iranian people’s uprising across the country, Senator McCain expressed his support of their nationwide protests.

On April 19^th, 2017, Fox News reported the Iranian regime, its nuclear program and what critics consider this regime’s utter support for terrorism in the Middle East, were all in the center of discussions in a major rally held in Albania. This was a pivoting point for Iran’s main opposition group, Fox News added. Arizona Senator John McCain delivered a speech in this rally and hailed the Iranian opposition members.

During his meeting with Mrs. Rajavi the Senator expressed his support for the Iranian opposition’s objectives and once again criticized the Iranian regime for its support of terrorism across the Middle East and, for example, Tehran’s decision to stand alongside the Assad regime in Syria.

Senator McCain praised the Iranian opposition for setting an example for the entire world and proving anyone will be able to obtain freedom if determined and willing to sacrifice for it.