#Iran-The summer of Blood: A Tribute to the Victims of the 1988 Massacre -No2Rouhani

No2Rouhani#

#Iran-The summer of Blood: A Tribute to the Victims of the 1988 Massacre

The summer of Blood: A Tribute to the Victims of the 1988 

Massacre 

#iran-Iranian Women Reportedly Arrested For Riding Bicycles In Public

Iranian Women Reportedly Arrested For Riding Bicycles In Public

iran#

Some Iranian women were reportedly taken into custody after resisting officers’ orders to pledge in writing that they would not ride their bikes in public again; signs prohibiting this activity are believed to have been put up in May.

Iranian authorities are enforcing a rule which prohibits women from publicly riding their bikes.

According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, some women were arrested on July 26th for violating the recent directive.

Signs reportedly went up in May, with one example translated by NCRI as saying, “Bicycle riding for women is prohibited in this place. Women are set to ride at the women’s park.”

It was signed by the Headquarters of prohibiting vice and promoting virtue which the organization says is “One of the 26 Iranian agencies tasked with cracking down on women.”

Some of the cyclists are believed to have been taken into custody after they resisted officers’ orders to pledge in writing that they would not engage in the banned activity again.

It is unknown if these women continue to be held, but an NRCI member has since issued a statement condemning “such gender discrimination.”

 The administration of President Hassan Rouhani was also called out for the growing 

level of restrictions placed on women’s freedom in Iran 

#iran-Iranian Women#

#Iran-Des femmes arrêtées en Iran pour avoir fait du vélo en public

Des femmes arrêtées en Iran pour avoir fait du vélo en public

fondamentaliste de l'Iran a arrêté mardi un groupe de femmes pour avoir fait du vélo en public dans la ville de Marivan située au nord-ouest, dans la province iranienne du Kurdistan. L'incident a eu lieu le 26 Juillet alors qu’un groupe de femmes avait l'intention de participer à un événement sportif en faisant du vélo du Stade de Sport de la ville jusqu’au Lac Zaribar.

Selon des témoins oculaires, les forces répressives de sécurité de l'Etat (policiers) ont approché les femmes et filles et les ont informées que sur la base d’une nouvelle directive du gouvernement la conduite de vélos par les femmes dans les lieux publics est interdite et considérée comme « illégale »

Les forces répressives ont exigé que les femmes et les filles signent des engagements écrits de ne pas répéter leur «violation» de cyclisme en public.

Plusieurs femmes ayant protesté contre la nouvelle mesure misogyne du régime ont été emmenées en garde à vue, selon des témoins.

Commentant cette nouvelle mesure répressive, Mme Farideh Karimi, membre du Conseil National de la Résistance iranienne (CNRI) et militante des droits de l'Homme, a déclaré :

« La répression des femmes a été un dogme du régime des mollahs dès son départ. Cette dernière mesure restrictive montre que la misogynie s’est intensifiée sous l'administration d’Hassan Rohani. Chaque jour qui passe le régime des mollahs porte davantage atteinte aux droits fondamentaux des femmes qu’elles avaient péniblement combattus pour obtenir.

Une telle discrimination de genre et l'augmentation globale des violations brutales des droits de l'Homme démontre bien la réalité qu’Hassan Rohani ne diffère pas des autres mollahs et que les espoirs pour une amélioration des droits des femmes en Iran dont certains avaient jurés au début de son mandat de président ne sont qu’un mirage.

Le monde prend maintenant tardivement acte de cette tragédie, avec leBureau des Affaires étrangères du Royaume-Uni qui indique dans sa dernière mise à jour sur l'Iran la semaine dernière, que la situation des droits de l'Homme a empiré au cours des six derniers mois

#Iran Actualités

#Iran-Iran’s Massive Crackdown On Opposition Shows The Regime’s Vulnerability and Fear

Iran’s Massive Crackdown On Opposition Shows The Regime’s Vulnerability and

Fear

Patrick J. Kennedy

Patrick J. Kennedy is a former U.S. Representative (D-RI)

who currently lives in New Jersey

Independent Journal Opinion is an opinion platform and any opinions or information put forth by contributors are exclusive to them and do not represent Independent Journal

On July 9, the Free Iran rally near Paris attracted tens of thousands of Iranians from five continents and gained support from political leaders from many countries, including the US, several EU member nations, and the Gulf States. It also provoked the predictable ire of the Iranian regime, which has persecuted the constituent groups of the main opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, since the beginnings of the Islamic Republic.

Approximately 120,000 political dissidents have been killed since 1981, most of them from the NCRI’s main constituent group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK). Tens of thousands were put to death in the summer of 1988 alone. UN special rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed has said that this year the rate of executions reached levels not seen for more than 25 years

VIDEO: OPINION JOURNAL: IRAN’S ‘NEW SPRING

Meanwhile, foreign policy analysts and critics of the Iranian regime have observed that the repression of dissent is surging to levels not seen since the end of the Iran/Iraq War, when the long-term survival of the Tehran regime was very much in doubt.

Participants in the rally underscored that Iran’s deteriorating domestic situation signals the increased vulnerability of Tehran’s leadership. Just as MEK dissidents were executed in great numbers to compensate for the weakness shown in accepting the end of the war with Iraq, the current crackdown seems aimed at making the regime look strong, despite last summer’s compromise over nuclear negotiations and the lingering social effects of the 2009 popular uprisings.

The clerical regime fears for its survival, and as with any insecure bully, that fear manifests as bluster. This was evident in a series of provocations made toward the West, including the January seizure of 10 American sailors who had strayed into Iranian territorial waters, the five illicit ballistic missile tests that have taken place since the conclusion of last summer’s negotiations, and gestures of force in the Persian Gulf.

Reacting to the rally, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps even went so far as to dispatch several patrol boats to follow an American warship through the Gulf. No doubt the incident was used as a source of propaganda in Iranian state media, much like the images and video of the 10 sailors – who were released within 24 hours – were aired for weeks on end.

But such questionable propaganda victories will not do the regime much good – not as long as that propaganda is countered by an organized resistance abroad and the regime fails to win more serious victories against the resistance and its international network of supporters.

The expressions of international support for the NCRI included a speech by Prince Turki al-Faisal, an influential member of the Saudi royal family and former Saudi intelligence chief. With his declaration that Muslims around the world support the Iranian resistance “heart and soul,” he turned the annual event into a celebration of unprecedented Middle Eastern unity. In the words of Howard Dean, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he “redrew the map of the Middle East.”

The extraordinary foreign support removes any doubt that the Iranian resistance is an existential threat to the clerical regime. Moreover, the Saudi capacity to unify Arab nations behind the resistance explains why Iranian officials, including Brig. Gen. Ramazan Sharif, the Revolutionary Guards Spokesman, accused Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other powerful Arab states of “flagrantly interfering in Iran’s internal affairs.”

Such comments can only be seen as the desperate protests of a vulnerable regime. Iran has engaged in its own “flagrant interference” in the region for years. Examples include its all-out defense of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, fomenting of a Shiite rebellion in Yemen, threats to instigate one in Bahrain, and empowering the crusade by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to drive minorities out of Iraq’s government. All have stoked deep resentment, both at home and abroad.

Iran now stands to suffer the consequences of its actions, as powerful forces offer their justified support to a legitimate Iranian opposition movement. The regime’s ongoing reaction to the Free Iran rally will continue to demonstrate that it recognizes the threat to its power. As long as the world community stands firm against Iran’s violent response, we will see that it is inadequate to suppress, dissent or preserve the regime

 IRAN’S ‘NEW SPRING#

#iran-Iran political prisoner Saleh Kohandel speaks out against regime’s appeasers

NCRI - A message from a political prisoner has been smuggled out of Iran’s notorious 

Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) Prison in Karaj, north-west of Tehran

Saleh Kohandel released this statement on July 19, against the claims of the apologists of the Iranian regime that try to portray the mullahs in a positive light

He began with a short fable about a man shopping for a clay jar. The merchant shows him various options; ones owned by philosophers, kings, dictators and even one used by Jesus

The shopper chooses one which is inscribed with human rights but the seller warns him that the jar has a hole in the bottom and will never be able to hold water without having a plate placed underneath

The buyer laughs and buys the jar along with a plate

It is an interesting metaphor for the Iranian regime’s shallow commitment to human rights; no matter how fancy the delivery, the promise is useless if it has loopholes

Kohandel went on to criticize the regime’s protectors for their support of Iranian policies which were detrimental to its civilians.

He criticized the eight-year-long war between Iran and Iraq which was responsible for thousands of deaths and wasted billions of dollars. This war held no benefit to the civilians and only served to strengthen the regime but regardless, the people seeking peace were suppressed as supporters flocked to the regime.

Kohandel continued to speak out against the nuclear deal. He said: “None of the apologists protested against it, instead they became unanimously united behind it chanting that ‘nuclear energy is [Iran’s] inalienable right’. Those who revealed the harmfulness of such a project were accused of treason and betrayal

He said: “The [regime apologists] went silent when thousands of prisoners were brutally killed in the 1980s. They helped the oppressive people and neglected the oppressed

He was referring to the prison executions including the massacre of 30,000 activists of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) who stood firm on their beliefs

The regime’s apologists did not intervene in the Fatwa against British author Salman Rushdie or the crises caused in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen by the mullahs' regime or in the 300,000 people that have been killed by the regime in these countries or the millions that have been displaced, he said

He said: “While the men, women, and children of this country were calling out for freedom at the gallows or when thousands of prisoners were waiting in solitary confinement for their execution, the appeasers were looking for false heroes

Like the clay jar, the appeasers have one defect but by its very nature, it threatens the core of its purpose

#iran #political _prisoner

#Iran- Grand Iranian Gathering in Paris, July 9, 2016 Lord Maginnis of Drumglass is an independent member of the UK House of Lords and prominent member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF), A Striking Contrast to the Mullahs’ Iran

Grand Iranian Gathering in Paris, July 9, 2016

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass is an independent member of the UK House of Lords and prominent member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF),

A Striking Contrast to the Mullahs’ Iran

The nuclear deal will not bring a moderate Iran. To achieve that, Iran’s democracy activists need our support

By Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

The Diplomat, July 19, 2016 - A full year has passed since the Iranian regime accepted a nuclear deal with the West which would boost the regime and allow economic sanctions against Tehran to be lifted. The reciprocal of that entailed an abandonment of the nuclear program and hopefully could be a precursor to moderation — a softer, gentler Iran. Now that year has passed with these hopes being far from reality. The sad lesson must surely be apparent — the only real opportunity for change must lie in giving tangible support to active and moderate Iranians like those who assembled in Paris last weekend. The Iranian regime has increased its support for the murderous Assad regime; for Hezbollah; for Shiite militias and other terrorist groups abroad. It continues to directly participate in regional conflicts and at home the execution, in record numbers, of their own people. Far from being a moderate, President Hassan Rouhani has exceeded the brutality and extremism of his predecessor, and all the while the nuclear program remains largely covert, while more overt segments show signs of further development. Ballistic missiles, executions, and regional turmoil are not signs of moderation by any stretch of the imagination. Just because the Iranian regime is full of hard-liners does not mean that the Iranian people are. Last Saturday, an impressive 100,000 Iranian expatriates and their international supporters gathered in Paris in a massive show of force. The keynote speaker was Maryam Rajavi , the charismatic president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ) who has assembled a solid show of support among Iranians at home and abroad. Mrs. Rajavi has for some years presented a stark contrast to the Iranian status quo, calling for a truly democratic Iran and saying, “A new era will dawn in Iran; a society based on separation of religion and state, and gender equality will blossom.” Her words, while drawing a strong reaction from the highest levels of the Iranian regime were warmly received by both supporters in Paris and those other supporters who still must run the gauntlet within Iran’s borders. It is this moderation that not only brought thousands of Iranian supporters, but a large contingent of leading international politicians as well. The most striking aspect of the NCRI’s international political support is that the list of politicians attending would rarely, if ever, be seen together except at this kind of event – a response to the national tragedy that exists under Rouhani and the Mullahs. U.S. Democrats such as Howard Dean and Bill Richardson were joined by Republicans Newt Gingrich and John Bolton. Likewise, European politicians in attendance, parliamentary delegations, and global political personalities covered the entirety of the political spectrum. In such a polarized political era, to have such cooperation and agreement on a single issue should not be understated. Among the more notable attendees was Turki bin Faisal Al-Saud, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family, a former ambassador to the United States and UK. Surely this is a significant and major indicator that the momentum is shifting against the Iranian regime. Prince Turki’s attendance marked the first time Saudi support was given publicly to any group so opposed to the Iranian regime. This was not simply a gamble, but a purposeful and calculated statement by the Saudis, indicating an expectation that the NCRI will continue to gain momentum that could ultimately lead to regime change. Tehran’s immediate hysterical reaction to the gathering and its message included summoning the French ambassador to Tehran with the aim of intimidating the French for allowing a peaceful rally to take place in the “City of Light.” Surely that’s a clear indication that the theocratic regime in Tehran is feeling the heat and that NCRI opposition is, increasingly, making an impact internationally. The huge numbers of grassroots supporters, the political attendees of every political and democratic hue from so many countries is a huge endorsement. The reaction of the Mullah’s regime sends a very clear message. Though regime change is unlikely to happen overnight, the NCRI is a viable, moderate alternative that the hard-liners in Tehran regards as a threat. Western governments and others in the region should take this message seriously and perhaps reconsider their position in how they seek to reform a regime that has, time without number, broken its commitments and been consistently so deceitful and destructive. Mrs Rajavi and her formidable workforce have a clearly enunciated, pluralistic, and democratic vision. The free

world should not be content to relegate this to merely a once-a-year event

care for Humans in Iran

Extraction

#Iran# freeIran

#Iran- Saudi-Saudi royal joins Iranian opposition meeting in

Saudi royal joins Iranian opposition meeting in

 

By Murat Unlu

PARIS

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki al-Faisal has joined a giant meeting held by a Paris-based Iranian opposition movement, Free Iran.

Faisal is a former director general of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence agency and head of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Speaking on Saturday, he blamed the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution – Ayatollah Khomeini – and the Iranian government which followed him of spreading revolution to other parts of the world.

Claiming that Iran followed an isolationist policy after the revolution, Faisal said that not only political activists but also ethnic and religious minorities were against authoritarianism and totalitarian ideology.

“Khomeini’s first victims were the Iranian people,” Faisal said, adding that Arabs had always been respectful of Iran's people.

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an opposition group in exile, also spoke at the gathering.

Rajavi said that the effect and the number of people resisting the Iranian regime were increasing every day.

***

#Maryam_Rajavi

Iran-James Bezan MP from Canada supports ‘Free Iran’ gathering

James Bezan MP from Canada supports ‘Free Iran’ gathering

3. James Bezan MP from #Canada supports #RajaviYes 4 #FreeIran gathering http //bit.ly/290iYnN #Iran https://t.co/6SehU3icn1 #HumanRightsJames Bezan MP from #Canada supports #RajaviYes 4 #FreeIran gathering http //bit.ly/290iYnN #Iran https://t.co/6SehU3icn1 #HumanRights

Saturday, 25 June 2016 10:46

NCRI - Canadian lawmaker James Bezan has sent a message of solidarity to the upcoming "Free Iran" gathering in Paris to show his support for a free and democratic Iran that will ultimately respect human rights and civil liberties.

James Bezan, a member of the Canada's House of Commons, said: "I want to send my greetings to everybody that is planning on attending the gathering of the People's Mojahedin (PMOI or MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)."

  

 He added: "This is a very important time for everyone to come together and show their support for the NCRI and also to condemn the continued human rights violations of the Iranian regime. President Rouhani and Ayatollah Khamenei continue to violate the international norms of the rule of law and respecting the civil liberties of their people."

"I also want to ensure that all of us continue to stand up against Iran's continued oppression of political activists by imprisoning them, by condemning their actions against those practicing their freedom of religion and also Iran's continued interference in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen by undermining UN security forces as well as coalition partners who are in the fight against ISIS and the atrocities being committed by the Assad regime in Syria."

"I plead with everyone to continue to work towards the safety and security of those who are living at Camp Liberty outside of Baghdad, and also plead upon the government of Iraq and the US and the UN to ensure that their safety is first and foremost during these very tenuous times in the battle against ISIS in Iraq and Syria."

"And finally, I just want to confirm my support for Mrs. [Maryam] Rajavi’s ten point plan and ask the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States and other allies, to stand with the NCRI, the PMOI and really take this positive position that will ultimately bring peace and security to the region and democracy in Iran itself. Again, please join everyone as the gathering in Paris, for the gathering and showing their support for a free, democratic Iran that will ultimately respect human rights and civil liberties,” he added.

The major gathering of Iranians and their international supporters in Paris on July 9, which will be attended by hundreds of senior political dignitaries, parliamentarians, human rights and women's rights activists and religious leaders from the United States, Europe, and Islamic countries, will bring together international support for the cause of democracy and freedom in Iran.

3. *****
4. #RajaviYes 4 #FreeIran
   #RajaviYes

Maryam Rajavi-MEK Interview

#Iran-Essential to Counter to Iran’s Regional Misconduct

Essential to Counter to Iran’s Regional Misconduct

I  Lord MaginnisAn independent member of the UK House of Lords and member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF),www.iran-freedom.org

As we approach the first anniversary of the Iranian nuclear deal, tens of thousands of activists and Iranian dissidents are set to rally this Saturday in Paris, calling for Tehran’s nefarious conduct at home and in the region to be tackled. One of the primary messages at this rally will be to condemn Iran’s role in the massacre of the Syrian people and to demand an end to its assistance to the Assad government.

Little attention has been paid to Iran’s role in not only propping up a dictatorship in Syria, but in fuelling a sectarian strife there and in Iraq that has created and sustains groups like Daesh. Iran’s behaviour has been nothing short of criminal, and its ongoing involvement in the spread of terror has to be confronted in order to obtain a durable peace in the region.

Iran’s policy of aggressive expansion has not slowed down after the nuclear deal, but has in fact intensified during the Presidency of that over-rated and so-called “moderate” Hassan Rouhani. Besides the continuing military and logistical involvement in support of the Syrian dictatorship, there is support of Shiite militias in Iraq, and ongoing support for armed groups in Yemen. Behind each of these conflicts is a callous strategy by Tehran designed to expand its sphere of influence and gain a stronger foothold throughout the Middle East.

In Iraq, Tehran has taken advantage of the calamity created by Daesh in order to reassert its hegemony in the country. Despite the removal of its chief ally in Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, the rampant sectarian repression inflicted by his government continues and Iran continues to pour its military and logistical strength into the conflict. This includes armed forces, and the presence of IRGC commanders to lead Shiite militias, many of whom should clearly be deemed guilty of war crimes.

It’s fairly obvious that, had Iran not propped up the dictatorship of Assad, the chaos from that country would not have spilled over into Iraq and Daesh would be virtually non-existent. Instead, we are left with a bloodbath in Syria, genocide in Iraq, and a crisis in Yemen, as Iranian backed rebels march across the country.

Iran’s policy of “exporting the revolution” is intended to re-energise a demoralised base, to maximise whatever is left out of its legitimacy abroad and to cover up its failures at home. The regime has sought to create icons out of its war heroes by popularising their exploits abroad, as evidenced by the fervour surrounding its General Qassem Soleimani. The regime recognises its diminishing appeal at home, particularly among Iran’s youth. It uses, therefore, an aggressive foreign policy in order to maintain a perpetual state of crisis internally - a strategy it employed to prolong the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980’s, and to excuse its crack-down on dissent and opposition internally.

Long past is the time to end the West’s policy of appeasement towards the mullahs in Tehran. It only emboldens their lust for power and expansion. The international community must meet its responsibility to effect an end to Tehran’s inflammatory actions in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. The U.S., with the U.K., has surely some obligation to identify with the Iranian people and with their organized resistance, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Its President, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, has for decades been unwavering in her promotion of NCRI’s 10 point plan for a democratic Iranian future. As common dissent grows within Iran, the ayatollahs would become more vulnerable to domestic pressure if that were able to display more evidence of international sympathy. Their extreme sensitivity to the activities of the Resistance in general and Mrs. Rajavi in particular points toward Tehran’s Achilles heel.

Three years after the emergence of the Rouhani front it is ever more evident that finding “moderates” in his ruling theocracy is mere wishful thinking - a dangerous delusion. Confronting Iran for its egregious conduct at home and its belligerence in the region is an essential first step to avoiding further sectarian bloodshed and future warfare. The Western governments should surely recognise this reality.

#MEK #MaryamRajavi

#MaryamRajavi #MEK

#Iran-AFTER ATTACK ON CAMP LIBERTY, MEPS CALL FOR EXPULSION OF IRGC TERRORISTS FROM IRAQ

AFTER ATTACK ON CAMP LIBERTY, MEPS CALL FOR EXPULSION OF IRGC TERRORISTS FROM IRAQ

By INU StaffINU - Members of the European Parliament, from different political parties, today appealed to the member states and institutions of the European Union: to denounce Monday night's missile bombardment of Camp Liberty; to press for an independent inquiry into the attack; and to work to dislodge the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from Iraq.

The European Parliament group, Friends of a Free Iran, which enjoys the support of several hundred MEPs, strongly condemned "the terrorist attack against Iranian opposition refugees." 

At about 20:30, local time, on 4 July, more than 50 missiles were fired at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport, the home of unarmed members of the main Iranian opposition, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK).

The fifth assault in four years, the attack left more than 50 people injured and large parts of the camp consumed by fire. 

The MEPs stated that, "Camp Liberty has been systematically attacked by militias affiliated with the fundamentalist regime in Tehran. In October last year, a similar attack took the lives of 24 residents and left many more wounded."  

In addition, the missile bombardment came more than a week into a siege of the camp which has seen Iraqi forces preventing food, medicine, hygiene products and fuel from entering the camp. This blockade by the Iraqi state has to be seen in the context of both temperatures of 50oC and fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. 

The MEPs' statement continued: "We call on the European Union High Representative and the member states to immediately condemn this brutal act against these defenceless refugees. This is clearly a crime against humanity as it is part of a systematic attack directed against a civilian population."

After calling for an inquiry into the bombardment, the MEPs demanded the ejection of the Quds Force from Iraq. The Quds Force of the IRGC "regularly plans and executes terrorist plots against the civilian population," the statementfrom Strasburg ended

**

#free Iran #Iran

#Iran - Maryam Radjavi appelle les États-Unis et l'ONU à garantir la sécurité de camp Liberty jusqu'à ce que tous les résidents quittent l’Irak - vidéo

Iran - Maryam Radjavi appelle les États-Unis et l'ONU à garantir la sécurité de camp Liberty jusqu'à ce que tous les résidents quittent l’Irak - vidéo

Attaque à la roquette sur Liberty – N°6

Après le bombardement aux roquettes de lundi soir contre le camp Liberty par des milices affiliées à la Force terroriste Qods, Mme Maryam Radjavi, présidente élue du Conseil national de la Résistance iranienne, a salué la persévérance héroïque des habitants de Liberty et souhaité prompt rétablissement pour les blessés dans cette attaque criminelle.

Elle a déclaré que l'attaque aux roquettes contre le camp Liberty, en particulier suite à un siège inhumain imposé au camp depuis huit jours, bloquant le carburant et l’entrée de nourritures, démontre que la dictature religieuse en Iran est terrifié par l’existence de l'Organisation des Moudjahidine du peuple (PMOI / MEK) et de la Résistance iranienne, qu'il considère comme une menace pour son existence.

Mme Radjavi a souligné : C’est pour cette raison que le régime des mollahs s’oppose à toute solution pour les habitants de Liberty qui permettrait d'assurer leur sécurité et tente de faire obstacle à une issue. Les seules options acceptables pour le régime et soit d’obliger les résidents de Liberty à se rendre et abandonner leur lutte soit les éliminer physiquement.

La présidente élue du CNRI a appelé le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU, l'Union européenne et leurs Etats membres à condamner résolument l'attaque criminelle aux roquettes contre le camp Liberty. Elle a ajouté : maintenant qu’il ne subsiste aucun doute quant aux intentions du régime iranien à causer davantage de carnage au camp Liberty, il devient urgent que les États-Unis et les Nations Unies prennent des mesures pour garantir et assurer la sécurité et l’intégrité des résidents du camp Liberty jusqu'à ce qu’ils quittent tous, l'Irak. Elle a souligné que ceci serait conforme avec les engagements répétés et les garanties écrites des États-Unis et de l'ONU concernant la sécurité et l’intégrité des résidents du camp Liberty.

Plus de 50 roquettes ont été lancés contre le camp Liberty, dont plusieurs ont atterri à l'extérieur du périmètre du camp. L’attaque a causé des destructions majeures et des incendies dans le camp. Les impacts ont provoqué des cratères de deux mètre de large et d’un mètre et demi de profondeur. Sur la base des rapports reçus jusqu'à minuit, 40 habitants ont été blessés suite à l'attaque.

Secrétariat du Conseil national de la Résistance iranienne

#free Iran #Iran

Le 4 juillet 2016

Iran-July 05, 2016, 03:29 pm Iran nuclear deal one year later: reconsidering Western optimism

Iran nuclear deal one year later: reconsidering Western optimism

July 14 marks one year since the conclusion of negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1 over the Iranian nuclear program. The 2015 agreement renewed optimism that became fashionable in the context of the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani two years earlier.
Some Western policymakers viewed Rouhani’s election as a vindication of the 2009 protests on the Iranian street. The uprising was brutally repressed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp after Western powers turned a blind eye to the regime’s domestic violence and intimidation.

Rouhani’s reformist rhetoric, with its emphasis on domestic liberalization and the loosening of restrictions, stood in stark contrast with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s firebrand style. The liberal veneer was appealing and the regime successfully leveraged the appearance of moderation.The charm offensive gave hope to Western policymakers desperate for a kinder, gentler leader in Tehran with whom to negotiate and ultimately resolve the nuclear issue.
The hope of moderation proved as false as it was naïve.
Not only was the rhetoric inconsistent with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s repressive stances on free speech, academic freedom, minority rights, religious pluralism, gender equality, and democratic activities but Rouhani’s follow-through on promised reforms proved elusive. Though it may not matter to Western officials, the failure to enact reforms greatly impacted Iranian citizens who came to rue their initial support for the apparent moderate.
Over the past three years, Iranians have come to realize that Rouhani has no intention of ending house arrests, reducing political imprisonment, or limiting the censorship and media repression for which the Islamic Republic is notorious and confidence in the president has dropped markedly.
Under Rouhani’s watch the regime has executed its citizens at a higher rate than any UN member state. Today, the regime boasts the highest rate of executions per capita in the world, surpassing even China. More individuals have been executed under Rouhani’s tenure than in any similar period in the past twenty-five years.
In fact, the situation under Rouhani has deteriorated so significantly that many demoralized Iranians publicly declared their commitment to sitting out the parliamentary elections that took place earlier this year to elect the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that will be responsible for choosing the successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei.
After Rouhani’s failure to live up to his moderate credentials, it is clear once again that the Iranian people have no political option that will represent them within the existing system. Those who have abandoned Rouhani and the fraudulent electoral processes that serve Tehran’s interests are embracing what many Iran observers have long believed: The only way for Iran to have a different future is under a different regime.
Growing opposition to Rouhani’s administration has paralleled a rise in support for the platform of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the theocratic regime’s democratic, Paris-based parliament-in-exile. The resistance group, who supports a non-nuclear Iran that is peace with Western powers, is hosting a prominent international gathering for democracy in Iran in Paris on July 9. The NCRI is the principal opposition to clerical rule and reflects the hopes of millions inside and outside of Iran who have tired of fundamentalism and instability, human rights violations and proxy wars.
The gathering for Iranian freedom, which will be held just days before the anniversary of the nuclear agreement, will be attended by tens of thousands of expatriate Iranians and their international supporters – including distinguished officials and academics from around the globe. The event is expected to result in broad calls for solidarity with the Iranian resistance and support for regime change from within.
The timing of the international demonstration for freedom and the anniversary of the negotiations that resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran provides a unique opportunity for Western policymakers to reconsider the optimism that resulted in the nuclear deal, as well as unfortunate developments since 2015.
The skepticism with which the Iranian opposition approached Rouhani’s rise proved to be prudent: Three years after taking office, Tehran is not democratizing or moderating its domestic policies, nor is it emerging into a more responsible power with which the world can have confidence. The opposition group’s firm conviction that Rouhani would not undo the hardline ideologies that give that regime life is more accurate than ever.
In an effort to profit from new trade agreements with the Islamic Republic, policymakers and lobbyists who influence them are keen to use all available pretexts to keep the moderation narrative alive. But it is critically important that Iranians not fall victim to the deceptive rhetoric and narrative of moderation that has predominated among American and European policymakers over the past year. The false narrative has resulted in a porous nuclear accord that reinforces Tehran’s campaign of instability and undermines hopes for a brighter future.
Last July the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action seemed like a good reason to give Rouhani a pass. But with a year’s worth of hindsight it is increasingly difficult to keep up this charade. In the run-up to the nuclear deal, the West ignored numerous warning signs – including Iranian negotiators’ ever-escalating demands and red lines, as well as a stream of information from the Iranian resistance regarding undisclosed Iranian nuclear activities.
It is now even more difficult to ignore the provocations and illicit activities that have taken place since the JCPOA negotiations were concluded. Nothing has taken its place as a symbol of the moderation narrative and nothing will do so as long as the regime presides over escalating rates of executions, denial of plainly evident human rights abuses, violent attacks on the opposition both at home and abroad, and non-cooperation with the international community on matters including Iran’s stockpiling of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
It is clear that last July’s optimism was misplaced and that Western policy toward the Islamic Republic must change. Western support for a regime engaged in repressive and destabilizing activities in Syria and Iraq – resulting in forced migration with global security implications – is not sustainable or sensible.
On the anniversary of the Iranian nuclear deal, Western powers are wise to conclude that the global shift to a pro-engagement policy with Tehran simultaneously served the regime’s interests while facilitating the repression of individuals promoting freedom, democracy, human rights, gender equality, the rule of law, and a non-nuclear Iran.
World powers who treat the Iranian regime as a fixture of the Middle East landscape or the best of bad options only nurture a regime that has rightfully earned decades of scorn for human rights violations and condemnation for support of global terrorism.
Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution made the case in 2010 that regime change in Tehran is the best nonproliferation policy. The one-year anniversary of the nuclear negotiations this July is a good time to conclude that regime change from within via the organized Iranian opposition is also the best hope for a more peaceful future in Iran.
Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is director of the graduate program in Global Affairs and Human Security in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore. Follow him @ProfSheehan

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#Iran- Republicans and Democrats should pay attention to the Iranian voice

    Republicans and Democrats should pay attention to the Iranian voice  

Ken Blackwell, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, wrote an article for American Thinker in which he presents his thoughts regarding the run-up to the U.S. elections and the 9^th July event in Paris.

He said that the two main parties in the election have obvious differences and “the vast majority of their constituents all found it very difficult to identify common ground on anything in this political climate”. However, he pointed out that one thing is certain – the desire of all parties to confront the threat of Islamic extremism.

Blackwell claims that the “well-publicized discord over issues like the growth of the Islamic State, the response to home-grown terrorism, and attempts to stabilize the Middle East” are proof that both parties are working towards finding a solution.

Even though the republicans and democrats have differing stances, Blackwell says that they “absolutely can find common ground on this area of policy” and some even have. He gives the example of the Republican and Democratic policymakers who will participate in the 9^th July rally in Paris.

This major event will see both sides standing side-by-side to fight against Islamic terrorism. Blackwell explains that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the democratic Iranian opposition, organised the event which will include a bipartisan American delegation as well as delegations from the EU and various other parts of the world.

Blackwell believes that the fight against Islamic terrorism and extremism is a global issue – it cannot be done by one single political party or by one nation alone. He claims: “Success will depend strongly upon the principle of coalition building.” He says that the next president of the U.S. “will need help from both inside and outside his or her own administration to do all that will be necessary to undermine fundamentalism – like standing up to the egregious conduct of the Iranian regime, fighting the Islamic State, facilitating the removal of embattled regional dictators like Bashar al-Assad, and making sure that the peoples of that region have strong, recognizable alternatives to the extremist groups currently vying for dominance”.

Blackwell also says that the Republican and Democratic parties could “learn a thing or two from the NCRI’s rally”, mentioning in particular their leader, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. He describes her as “a devout and profoundly anti-fundamentalist Muslim woman leader” with “a clear understanding of Islamic extremism”. He adds that she has “maintained that moderate democratic Islam is the antidote to the violent conduct of extremists under the cloak of Islam”.

“Clearly, the NCRI knows a thing or two about bringing people together in common cause. Last year’s rally drew 100,000 people from across the world. Now, as then, the rally will include not just Iranians but also representatives of the moderate Syrian opposition and other anti-Islamist movements.”

Blackwell draws attention to the NCRI’s ten-point plan which includes the establishment of true democracy in the Middle East and the separation of religion and state. It also includes ending institutional misogyny and the “promotion of other principles that hold equally obvious appeal for all Americans, and indeed for all civilized peoples of the world”

#Iran #freeIran#

#ايران-انعکس مقاله آقای بلک ول درکمیسیون خارجه

انعکس مقاله آقای بلک ول درکمیسیون خارجه

Former US envoy urges Democrats and Republicans to listen to Iran opposition

NCRI - Writing on Tuesday in the American Thinker, Ken Blackwell, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, said both Republican and Democratic parties can unite behind the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in pursuing "the universal imperative to confront the threat of Islamic extremism." Ambassador Blackwell argued that the NCRI had already united "officials from several presidential administrations" of both parties in "common cause" against fundamentalist terrorism.

Such coalition-building was essential, he said. As NCRI President Maryam RajaviPresident Maryam Rajavi, "a devout and profoundly anti-fundamentalist Muslim woman leader," has said, "moderate democratic Islam is the antidote to the violent conduct of extremists." This was, Ambassador Blackwell continued, "an Iranian voice Republicans and Democrats should heed."

The NCRI's credentials in the confrontation with extremism were impeccable. Ambassador Blackwell reported that, "Some 120,000 of the activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), the main constituent of the NCRI, have been executed in Iran in the past three decades."

At the NCRI’s rally in Paris on July 9 - "ironically bigger in size" than both US party conventions - the NCRI will outline its ten-point plan for "standing up to the egregious conduct of the Iranian regime, fighting the Islamic State, facilitating the removal of embattled regional dictators like Bashar al-Assad, and making sure that the peoples of that region have strong, recognizable alternatives to the extremist groups currently vying for dominance," Ambassador Blackwell said.

The ten-point plan "includes the establishment of truly democratic governance in the Middle East, the separation of religion and state, an end to institutional misogyny, and the promotion of other principles that hold equally obvious appeal for all Americans, and indeed for all civilized peoples of the world," he continued.

The Free IranFree Iran rally in Paris, Ambassador Blackwell said, will see Iranians join "a bipartisan American delegation, along with delegations from the EU and various nations of the world," together with "the moderate Syrian opposition and other anti-Islamist movements." On their return, US participants would be able to convey to their colleagues Mrs Rajavi's perspective on "the destructive role of Iran, Assad and Iraqi Shiite militias in the spread of extremism throughout the region; and the means by which that spread can be halted," the Ambassador concluded.