OBS! Gemri är ej arrangör!

Frihet,demokrati och mänskliga

rättigheter en självklarhet?

Det låter som en självklarhet för många i Sverige, men är långt ifrån det i Iran.

Den 18 september kommer det hållas ett offentligt möte för att återigen försöka få media och allmänheten att uppmärksamma bl.a brotten mot de mänskliga rättigheterna i Iran.

Kom och visa ditt stöd för alla de som lever i förtryck. De miljontals människorna som var ute på gatorna i Tehran har väl inte plötsligt ändrat åsikt? Dog Neda och Sohrab förgäves?

Det kunde ha varit jag själv, min bror, bästa vän eller du som läser. Ibland är det bara plats och tid som bestämmer våra öden.

Det är ingen organisation som står bakom utan demonstrationen är till för att visa vårat stöd till alla de vars röster strypts av regeringen i Iran. Det är ett parti ” neutralt” möte och det enda vi vill är att stödja demokrati,frihet och mänskliga rättigheter.
Vi vill visa att vi inte glömt att det var betydligt mer än några få människor ute på gatorna i hela Iran för att visa sin förakt mot val fusket osv.
Vi tänker inte blunda för vad som sker.

Alla är välkommna!

Det offentliga mötet ska hålla den 18 september kl.17.30

på Gustav Adolfs plats i Göteborg.

Frågor?
E-mail: Paradoox@live.se
Mob: 0737381884

OBS! Gemri är ej arrangör!

Protests / Unrest

1. Reports indicate that on Thursday night, dozens of youngsters gathered on streets in the Apadana district of Tehran and chanted against the government and Ahmadinejad. The timing coincided with Ahmadinejad’s speech and his introduction of the new cabinet. Protesters chanted “Death to Dictator”, “Our pain is your pain; join us!” and sang Yaare Dabestani – a patriotic song. Apadana district is where deceased protester Sohrab A’rabi lived.

2. Thursday also coincided with the 40th day of his murder and his family held a short ceremony at Beheshte Zahra. The family later released a statement saying that they didn’t want to create unrest, thus, they didn’t invite people to join them in the ceremony.

3. Reports indicate that factions within Qom, who are displeased with Grand Ayatollah Sane’ie’s support for the reformists, are planning on holding a protest to denounce him. Leaflets have been distributed across the city for this purpose. There is also word that supporters of Sane’ie will be gathering in front of his office to counter the protest. No word of when the protests will be held has reached out yet.

4. Sane’ie in the meantime, has asked people not to gather in his support, saying that this would give a tool to those who wanted to create tensions.

5. Reports have also surfaced that people all around Iran chanted against Ahmadinejad and the government during his speech last night. According to confirmed sources, chants were heard throughout Tehran. In several parts of Tehran, people gathered on streets and chanted. People in their cars and motorbikes honked their horns in support.

6. There are reports of chanting from other cities in Iran as well; indicating the Sea of Green is very active in many places throughout Iran. Cities include Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Abadan, Kermanshah and Qazvin.

7. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the government is still reviewing whether it should close universities for a semester for fear of student protests. It had earlier been dismissed by the government that such a plan was being considered.

8. Mohammad Araghi – the commander of IRG in Tehran – has alleged that over 300,000 people had formed a clandestine organization called “Vote Organization” or “Sazemane Rai” that had orchestrated that mass protests after the elections. He added the organization had been formed before the elections.

9. Confirmed reports indicate the police violating people’s right to privacy in Iran. According to these reports, the police are frequently entering homes forcibly and break down the doors if no one opens the door to them. Most of the time, these operations take place without any warrants – a clear violation of the Iranian constitution.

A picture of police climbing over a door: http://www.mowjcamp.com/files/file/19809

Note the green graffiti on the wall that says, “Marg Bar Khamenei” (Death to Khamenei)

Opposition

10. Fatemeh Rake’ie, the Secretary-General of the Innovative Muslim Women’s Society, today said that Mir Hossein Mousavi’s new movement was a representation of Imam Khomeini’s ideals. Rake’ie, a former MP, said Mousavi was expected by Iranians to lead the reformists and those in search of change.

11. 72 alumni and current university students have sent a letter to the members of the Assembly of Experts calling for the removal of Khamanei.

Government / International

12. Ali Larejani – the speaker of the Iranian Parliament – today said the parliament was ready to receive Mehdi Karroubi’s complaints and evidence. Larejani added that they would hear Karroubi’s words and would contact the victims through their phone numbers and addresses, after they’ve been given to them by Karroubi. He further said that they had no desire to keep secrets from the people and this would be done efficiently and transparently.

13. Mahmood Ahmadinejad today in his speech said that the Ministry of Intelligence had not done its duty, thus, the unrest took place. He didn’t blame Mohseni Ejaie – the former Intelligence Minister – personally. He also added that change was needed in the ministry. He added that “God willing we will get to a 70-million strong intelligence system.” (Gestapo anyone?)

In another part of his televised speech, Ahmadinejad criticized deputy speaker of parliament Bahonar for saying that five of his ministers would possibly be rejected by the parliament and said that it was not a good thing for the country.

Ahmadinejad during his speech said that he really liked the husband of Marzieh Dastjardi – the proposed Minister of Health – and sometimes thought he was like a peach and felt like eating him:

Link to video (Farsi):

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14. Confirmed reports indicate that Tehran’s Attorney General Saeed Mortazavi – another government official thought to be responsible for the suppression of protesters, arrests and tortures – will be replaced by Morteza Bakhtiari – a former head of Iran’s Prisons Department.

15. Reports have emerged that Ahmadinejad’s pick for Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, is wanted by the Interpol. He was listed in an international arrest warrant issued by an Argentine judge on November 9, 2006 for being a suspected participant in the Argentine-Jewish Mutual Association bomb attack in Buenos Aires in 1994. Vahidi is also considered by many to be the founder of IRG’s Lebanon Corps.

Link to Vahidi’s wanted page on Interpol’s website: http://tinyurl.com/nzj44f

16. Kazem Seddiqi will now be appointed to the list of clerics leading Friday prayers; while this week’s prayers will be lead by Ahmad Jannati – reports indicate.

17. Conservative MP Hamid Rasa has published an OP-ED severely criticizing Ayatollah Sane’ie’s speech in Gorgan, calling him the Imam of Zarar Mosque – a prayer center established by enemies of Mohammed who claimed to be Muslims which was later destroyed by Mohammed’s decree.

18. Reports indicate that Hamid Reza Foladgar – a member of the Article 10 Commission on Political Parties – has said that any political party joining the Green Path of Hope would lose its permit to operate.

19. The Supreme Audit Court of Iran has convicted Esfandyar Rahim-Mashaei, of a series of financial charges. He was sentenced to two months suspension from his government post, the Jomhuriye Eslami daily reported on Thursday. The paper did not give further detail on the nature of the charges, but said they were in connection with the period that Rahim-Mashaei served as the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization.

20. Kerman Friday prayers Imam Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Yahya Jafari, has also said that Mehdi Karroubi should get 80 lashes for raising the issue of rape. He criticized Karroubi for not sending the letter to then head of Judiciary Hashemi Shahroudi instead of Rafsanjani.

Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture

21. Short report by Mehdi Saharkhiz on what happened to one of the victims of violence during peaceful protests: http://onlymehdi.tumblr.com/post/167723567

22. Journalist Emsael Azadi’s son Mohammad Azadi, was arrested last night in front of Etemaade Melli newspaper. Mohammad’s father spent several hours begging and going from one department to another to get his son’s insulin to him as he has diabetes. At one point, during his search to find his son’s whereabouts, he was told by security officials his son should die because he had written slogans against the government. He was finally able to get the insulin to him; but is still unable to locate where he is being kept.

23. Security forces broke into a Baha’i woman’s house on Wednesday, in the city of Sari, searched her house without a warrant and took her away using a search warrant that had been issued for a date three weeks ago. The 24 year’s whereabouts are unknown.

24. Mostafa Tajzadeh contacted his family today telling them he might remain imprisoned throughout Ramadan – the Islamic holy month of fasting which is starting on Saturday. Faizullah Arab-Sorkhi also called his family for the first time after 45 days of being in detention.
(Correction: In the last Brief, we erroneously reported that Ramadan would be starting next week.)

25. The families of three Americans arrested in Iran, while on a hiking trip, have yet again pleaded with the Iranian government to free their loved ones. They asked the Iranian government to grant the three Americans consular access. They have also created a website and will update information about the detainees’ whereabouts:
Link: http://www.freethehikers.org

Media

26. Reports from Tehran’s Islamic Court have emerged, that Keyhan has not been banned. Abolhasan Pour-Hosseini – an official from the court – told IRIB that no such order had been given. Earlier it had been reported, that a court in Iran, had banned Keyhan after complaints by Mousavi and the order had been referred to Attorney General Mortazavi for his approval.

International Protests / Events / Warnings / Efforts

27. A flash protest against Nokia, near Madison Square Garden in New York and another protest in front of Nokia’s flagship store in New York today.

Full report: http://tinyurl.com/lwy5pv

28. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

29. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

30. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (Courtesy of @jkshalmani)

31. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: [email]dbosca@gmail.com

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: http://tinyurl.com/mjxrz3

- Information on Tor: http://torir.org

This page contains a listing of external mirrors of the GB, as well as various information about the GB. Links to translations are also encouraged: http://aic.openmsl.net/wiki/index.php/Green_Brief

- (A list of all the Green Briefs): http://ded1.hybrid-optix.com/greenbriefs.html

- A hearty thanks to S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Click here for further reading…

Protests / Unrest

1. On Thursday, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to give a speech that is being broadcasted live on IRIB. Protesters have decided to chant on rooftops throughout the speech showing their discontent. The speech was scheduled for today, but was postponed, due to wide-spread reports that people would try to cause a black out by over using electricity. The speech is to be aired at 9 PM Tehran Time.

2. A general strike was observed in Sanandaj City, Kordestan province. Shops were closed in most parts of the city in remembrance of an attack on Kordestan province 30 years ago. Basijis and police had earlier threatened city merchants not to take part in the strike. Reports indicated that police and Basij also clashed with some merchants who were refusing to open their shops and many merchants were injured – this could not be confirmed right away.

3. Kamil prayers will be held on Thursday, in Tehran’s Dar-u-zahra Cultural Center, for the release of detainees and the mourning of protesters who have been killed so far. The prayers are held weekly on Thursdays.

Opposition

4. Karroubi has announced he is ready to present evidence of the rape of detainees by prison guards. He sent a letter today to Ali Larijani, to set up a meeting between him and various heads of government institutions. According to Karroubi, the meeting will explain whether he is wrong or Friday prayer Imams, who have lambasted him for raising his voice. He has asked these people to be present during the meeting for him to present the evidence:

– President Ahmadinejad

– Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani

– Ali Larijani, the head of the Parliament

– The head of the Expediency Council,

– The head of the Assembly of Experts and of the Expediency Council Hashemi Rafsanjani

– Attorney General Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi

– Members of the parliamentary committee set up to assess the condition of detainees

5. Karroubi also alleged that Hossein Ta’eb – the head of the Basij – was one of the main perpetrators of the phony TV interview, with the family of a woman who claimed to be the real Taraneh Mousavi. In response to his statement, Hojatoleslam Seyed Hossein Shahmoradi – who happens to be the brother of the claimant’s wife – released a statement criticizing Karroubi for divulging the information. According to Shahmoradi, he had told Karroubi about the incident and the fakeness of the claimant in confidentiality.

6. Reports from Qom indicate that Grand Ayatollah Seyed Mousa Shabiri Zanjani – a cleric who has been a teacher of Khamenei and his sons – held a meeting with Grand Ayatollah Lutfullah Safi Golpaygani and has shown great concern over the killing of protesters. According to reports, he got so upset during the meeting that he began to cry.

Shabiri Zanjani has also met with Grand Ayatollah Montazeri in his summer residence in Khaveh, near Qom. He is a key cleric who has been instrumental in freeing Montazeri from house arrest.

7. The Defense of Human Rights Society – an Iranian human rights organization – has asked the government to immediately release its members who have been detained in the post-election violence. The Society released a statement saying that their only job was to defend human rights and that they did not engage in political activities. Members of the organization, Mohammad Ali Dadkha, Abdol Fatah Soltani and a few others are still in detention. Three that were detained have now been released.

Government / International

8. Ahmadinejad unveiled his 21-member cabinet on Wednesday. MPs will start examining the nominees for different ministries in four days and will hold a vote for each member on the 30th of the month. PressTV reported Vice Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Reza Bahonar saying on Thursday, that it was likely that several of the ministers would be rejected by the assembly. Bahonar indicated that up to five nominees would possibly be rejected.

Here is a list of the names and posts of cabinet members (as well as some notes about them below):

Agriculture: Sadeq Khalilian

Commerce: Mehdi Ghazanfari

Communications and IT: Reza Taqipour

Cooperatives: Mohammad Abbasi (Retains his post)

Culture and Islamic Guidance: Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini

Defense: Brigadier Ahmad Vahidi

Economy and Financial Affairs: Seyyed Shamseddin Hosseini

Education: Sousan Keshavarz (Female)

Energy: Mohammad Aliabadi

Foreign Affairs: Manouchehr Mottaki (Retains his post)

Health: Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi (Female)

Housing and Urban Development: Abdolreza Sheikholeslami

Industries and Mines: Ali Akbar Mehrabian (*See note (a) below)

Intelligence: Heyder Moslehi

Interior: Mostafa Mohammad Najjar

Justice: Morteza Bakhtiari

Labor and Social Affairs: Ali Nikzad

Oil: Masoud Mir Kazemi

Road and Transportation: Hamid Behbahani (Retains his post)

Science, Research and Technology: Kamran Daneshjoo

Welfare and Social Security: Fatemeh Ajorlou (Female) (*See note (b) below)

(a) It is worth noting that Ali Akbar Mehrabian, the cabinet member for Industries and Mines, retains his post although he was convicted in court, a few weeks ago, for the stealing of another inventor’s invention.

(b) There may also be a problem for the Minister of Welfare Fatemeh Ajorlou who is also facing legal trouble.

9. Several conservative MPs have criticized Ahmadinejad’s choice of ministers. Many have shown discontent over his choice of three women for ministries. One MP from Oromieh said that it is possible, that these women would face difficulties in the next cabinet [because of their gender].

10. Asgar Aowladi, today denied that a meeting was held between him, Rafsanjani, Haddad Adel and others. This news was widely reported in some government-owned websites yesterday. (Read full report in Brief #58)

11. Former Minister of Intelligence Mohseni Ejaie – who has been widely accused of being one of the main forces behind the brutal suppression of peaceful protesters – is expected to be nominated as the next Attorney General by Sadegh Larejani. Ejaie was sacked by Ahmadinejad days before his inauguration.

12. The leadership council of the Assembly of Experts held a meeting today, postponing the meeting of the Assembly till after Ramadan – which is in a week. Other details were not disclosed.

13. The governor of Tehran province, Moteza Tamaddon criticized Karroubi today, stating that if he cannot prove his allegations, then legal steps should be taken against him. He added that during his and other MPs’ visit to Evin on Tuesday, detainees rejected that they had been raped.

14. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran, would continue a new course in its foreign policy and that Europeans states should “adapt to new realities”.

15. Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad is in Tehran on a two-day trip, holding meetings with various Iranian officials.

16. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias will be visiting Iran in September.

Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture

17. Partially confirmed reports have emerged of a released detainee, who had been drugged and raped. According to reports, the detainee had been given heavy doses of rohypnol – a sedative, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, amnestic, hypnotic and skeletal muscle relaxant – and then brutally raped. According to a doctor, who helped with the case while the victim was in hospital, the victim had contracted Chlamydia infection – a common sexually transmitted disease because of the abuse.

18. Partially confirmed reports have emerged that the parliament, may have received a confidential letter from Karroubi 20 days before his public letter to Rafsanjani. According to Iqbal Mohammadi – an MP from Marivan – Karroubi only sent the letter to Rafsanjani after he had not received a reply from the parliament.

19. A un-named MP has told opposition websites, that the news of the parliamentary committee’s ‘fact-finding’ mission to Evin were lying about their meeting with Mostafa Tajzadeh. According to the MP, what the committee members quoted as Tajzadeh’s words, were pre-written and given to them by Saeed Jalili – the Secretary General of the National Security Council.

Reports indicate that Tajzadeh is held outside Evin, while committee members told the press that they met Tajzadeh at Evin.

20. Mehdieh Mohammadi, the wife of political commentator and reporter Ahmad Zeidabadi, said that her husband has been kept in extreme conditions in prison. According to Mohammadi, Zeidabadi had been kept in an unlit 1×1.5 meter room for the first 17 days of his arrest, where he went on a hunger strike. During this period, no sounds reached the room and no one came to talk to him. He described the cell to his wife as a ‘grave’.

After 17 days, his health deteriorated and he was found unconscious in his cell. He was taken to a doctor who told him to eat. He was then taken back to the same cell where started showing signs of dementia, he told his wife, in a meeting 52 days after his arrest, that he wanted to kill himself but couldn’t find anything to do the job with. He spent a further two weeks in this cell. After repeated cries, he was taken to a different cell. He told his wife, during the meeting, that he has been forced to tell the court, in the next trial, that he would never take part in anything related to politics.

21. Isa Saharkhiz – a reporter – is under severe psychological pressure and claims that he will sue the government once freed. His ribs were broken after being beaten by security forces and he has yet to receive proper medical care for his injuries. He has told his interrogators that he would not talk without his lawyer and the parliamentary committee for assessing the condition of detainees present.

22. Kevan Samimi has also been put in solitary confinement and has been repeatedly beaten by prison guards. Samimi is a journalist and a political activist fighting for political prisoners’ rights.

23. Azad University student Hesamat Salamat, has been released after a month and a half in prison. Also released were Journalist Zhila Bani-Yaghoub and Sadegh Nowroozi, a member of reformist party Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization. Reports suggest that Mehsa Amrabadi and Somayeh Towhidlo would be released soon as well.

24. Mohammad Reza Jalayeepour was supposed to be released today, but he was not. It was expected that he would be released on August 20.

25. Photographer Stayar Emami, of Jam e Jam newspaper, was reportedly released on Sunday after a month in detention. After the current releases, the number of journalists in prison stands at 35.

26. Seven executions have been put on hold by the new Judiciary Chief after taking office. These include one young person who is now a 21 year old who was accused of murder at the age of 16.

27. No news has emerged since the disappearance Sohrab Leqaie, a Baha’i from Ghayem Shahr. He was arrested a month ago by agents of the Intelligence Ministry.

Media

28. Hossein Entezami – the representative of editor-in-chiefs in the Committee to Oversee the Media – has also criticized the ban on Etemaade Melli. He added that the country was not in need of such actions.

29. Reports have emerged that Karroubi has threatened, that unless Etemaade Melli’s ban was not lifted, he would revive his project of running a TV channel. He was forced to shelve plans four years ago for Channel “Saba” a satellite channel, after direct intervention by Ali Larijani, then chair of the National Security Council, who deemed the plan “an act against national security”. Karroubi then founded the Etemade Melli newspaper to reach the masses.

30. Keyhan Daily – the mouthpiece of Khamenei – threatened all reformist parties not to support Karroubi. It also criticized the meetings of reformists with Montazeri and other clerics in Qom.

Miscellaneous

31. Swissinfo reports:

“Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan has been fired from his position at a Netherlands university over connections to an Iranian-funded television channel. In a statement, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Erasmus University of Rotterdam said that the Swiss-born theologian’s hosting of a program on Iran’s Press TV was “irreconcilable” with his position as a guest professor.”

International Protests / Events / Efforts / Warnings

32. On Thursday, August 20, at 4:30 pm American student activists will gather outside the Nokia Store at 5 East 57th Street in Manhattan to protest Nokia’s complicity in the crackdown against Iranian protesters. Link for more info: Project Nur Protests Nokia’s Role in Iran

33. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

34. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

35. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (Courtesy of @jkshalmani)

36. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: [email]dbosca@gmail.com

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: http://tinyurl.com/mjxrz3

- Information on Tor: http://torir.org]Tor Browser Bundle

This page contains a listing of external mirrors of the GB, as well as various information about the GB. Links to translations are also encouraged: http://aic.openmsl.net/wiki/index.php/Green_Brief

- (A list of all the Green Briefs): http://ded1.hybrid-optix.com/greenbriefs.html

- A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Click here for further reading…

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Tuesday, August 18 – Mordad 27.

Protests / Unrest

1. Tehran’s Attorney General, Saeed Mortazavi, announced today that the 4th trial of people, who were arrested in relation to the violence and unrest, following the election, has been postponed to next Tuesday. According to Mortazavi, the postponement was requested by the defendants’ lawyers to prepare the defenses. It has been reported that Saeed Hajjarian may be prosecuted in this next trial – confirmation is only partial at this point.

2. 65 detainees continued their indefinite hunger strike in Evin prison, amid rumors that prison guards were still torturing them.

3. It has been reported that Ahmad Zeidabadi, who has been in prison for some time, was force fed by the guard Zeidabadi is a former student leader, political analyst and reporter. He is in frail health at this point and is also rumored be put on trial next week.

Opposition

4. Alireza Beheshti, a close aide of Mir Hossein Mousavi, said today that Mousavi himself had chosen the name of the new movement, ‘the Green Path of Hope’. According to Beheshti, the movement strived to protect society’s rights. He added that Mousavi had thought about forming a political party, however, he had decided not to do so because it would have been ineffective.

He also added, the idea of forming a new political party, had been abandoned because most political parties in the country were run by the establishment and were not able to do much for the society. Instead, he said the new movement was more of a social network, between people who had been united in the aftermath of the election.

According to Beheshti, different committees are currently being formed within the movement. The central committee would consist of 5 or 6 members and would include Mahdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami. The advisory committee would be larger with 30 or 40 members and there would also be committees to oversee the government’s actions.

Newspapers and other media would also have their place within the movement to further its goals. He also criticized newspapers who had written articles denouncing the movement, saying they knew little and distorted facts.

5. Mousavi today supported Karroubi’s stance on the abuse of detainees in detention centers and praised him. Mousavi said it was regrettable that in an Islamic country, authorities could not stand someone even mentioning [abuse] and blasted, especially the government-run media, for criticizing Karroubi harshly. ”All this paranoia tells of frightening news that we are yet unaware of.” He added that those who had committed these inhumane acts were a few individuals inside the government.

He criticized the government for asking abused detainees to present four witnesses – as is customary in Sharia law for victims of rape. “Those who have committed crimes are the government’s hands [members]; isn’t the government interested in knowing what these hands do to people?”

He said that it was not possible to heal these wounds without listening to these people and providing them swift justice and that force and denial weren’t the remedies.

He asked clerics and other spiritual leaders of Iran for help and support in this and other matters and said that if clerics did not interfere, they would be committing a grave sin – even though they would be spared criticism from the government.

Full Text of Karroubi’s criticism of media and government from yesterday:

In English (Courtesy of Enduring America): http://tinyurl.com/m5tgut

6. IIPF (Islamic Iran Participation Front) released a statement announcing their complete and firm support of Karroubi, condemned the government-run media and the government for their harsh criticism of Karroubi. The statement also denounces the ban on Etemaade Melli newspaper.

7. Reports indicate that Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani has also released a statement in support of Karroubi. He said he was deeply saddened by what had been described in the letter and hopes that none of it proves to be true. He asked the government, however, why there were clear differences between what the parliamentary commission was stating, what the Judiciary was accepting and what the media was reporting about the detention centers. He added that if the continued spate of criticisms, directed at personalities who were key to the Islamic Revolution continued and the government did not do enough to solve the current crisis, the Islamic Republic might fail. He quoted Prophet Mohammed’s saying, “A government of infidels [over Muslims] might remain, but a government of tyranny will not”.

8. Ayatollah Sane’ie’s website released a statement by him clarifying that he had not called anyone a ‘bastard’ and that his mentioning of the word was in reference to another incident he had described earlier in his speech.

Here are more detailed excerpts of his words from Gorgan in English:
http://theseaofliberty.com/iran/saanei.html (Courtesy of @homylafayette)

9. Reformist leader Abdollah Nouri traveled to Qom along with other reformists to meet with Ayatollah Montazeri and Hojatoleslam Shahrestani – the son-in-law of Ayatollah Sistani. In separate meetings, the reformists discussed the current situation with the clerics and asked for the clerics in the city to get involved in the current restive situation and asked them to enter the scene. Other reformists include Ghomahossein Karbaschi – a former mayor of Tehran and no relation to the current mayor -, Mohammad Hojjati – a former Minister of Agriculture -, Hojjatoleslam Abdul Majid Ma’adikha and Ali Hekmat.

10. Government-owned websites – including one owned by Ahmadinejad’s son – have reported that Rafsanjani met with government officials including Hadad Adel and Asgar Aowladi. During the meeting, Rafsanjani repeated his words from the Friday prayers and added that he had no conflicts with Khamenei. He, however, added that he did not partake in Ahmadinejad’s inauguration because of discontent over Ahmadinejad’s appointment of Masha’ie. The report could not be verified through any other sources.

11. Shirin Ebadi accused the government of holding Mousavi’s brother-in-law – Shahpour Kazemi – hostage in order to silence the reformist leader. Kazemi, 70, has no background in politics, yet was arrested two months ago and has been in detention since. The news of his arrest was kept by his sister, Zahra Rahnavard – Mousavi’s wife – for weeks because according to her, she and her husband wanted to highlight the people’s plight.

12. Dozens of students from Tehran’s different universities – mainly Sharif Industrial University, Tehran University and Amir Kabir University – sent a letter to Rafsanjani, asking him to fulfill his duty as the head of the Assembly of Experts. The letter accuses Khamanei of having the direct responsibility for the death, torture and arrests of peaceful protesters and political activists. The Assembly of Experts is the body responsible for the election of the Supreme Leader as well as his dismissal. Lately, pressure has been mounting on the Rafsanjani, as the head of the body, to at least investigate the crimes that have been committed in the post-election turmoil and if found guilty, hold Khamanei accountable for them.

Government / International

13. Khamenei’s representative to the IRG, Hojatoleslam Ali Saeedi, said today that the masterminds behind the post-election violence were still free. He added the nation wanted these people to be arrested, so action should be taken and added that the confessions during the trials, had uncovered the role of foreigners and embassies in the post-election violence. He said that the turmoil had exposed troublemakers, who had been fooled by those behind the revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

14. Daoud Zare’eyan – an official in Iran’s government-owned telecommunication company today – said that the government was taking all the steps necessary to combat anti-internet filtering technologies. He was responding to news that the US government was working on technologies to combat internet filtering in Iran, China and other countries.

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Monday, August 17 – Mordad 26.

In German: http://tinyurl.com/qdyals

Protests / Unrest

1. In anticipation of the protest planned in front of Etemaade Melli’s office, in support of Karroubi, dozens of security forces were stationed in the vicinity of the newspaper office from early in the day. Dozens more were in the streets leading to the office, which is located near Karim Khan Bridge. Witnesses reported that many plain clothed security could be seen wearing green masks in front of the office.

2. Hundreds tried to gather in front of Etemaade Melli’s office, in defiance of the government. Women outnumbered men during the protest. People chanted “Allaho Akbar”, “Noble People of Iran; Support Us!”, “Down With the Deceitful Government” and “Death to the Dictator”, as they tried to get closer to the office’s gates. They also made the victory sign.

3. Security forces started beating protesters as soon as they got close to the main gate and dispersed them. Riding motorbikes, Basijis also joined the security forces, herding protesters away from the main gate and onto the streets. This forced many people to move towards Valiasr Square. Many abruptly stopped midway and chanted slogans again.

4. According to confirmed reports, besides beating many protesters very badly, security forces also employed cameramen, to take pictures of protesters, to identify people so they could be arrested later. Partially confirmed reports also suggested the use of tear gas during the protest. Several people were badly injured after being hit by batons. The arrest of at least a dozen protesters can be confirmed. Even after the protesters left the scene, many security forces remained to ensure they did not return.

5. Independent of the gathering in front of Etemaade Melli, it has been reported that during the evening, dozens of family members of slain protesters and political prisoners, gathered at Laleh park in protest and held a small rally.

6. As previously reported, 65 detainees at Evin are on an indefinite hunger strike. Reports indicate that these detainees are housed in the 7th Quarantine section of the prison. Their names could not be obtained.

7. Note: I have been asked by a few readers why some news items, being covered by the international media, as well as being posted on twitter, are not covered in the Briefs; for example, the government arresting and fining people who chant Allaho Akbar from their rooftops. The reason is, these items have been covered by the Briefs over the weeks and I continue to report them from time to time however, putting them in every Brief is repetitive. The only section repeated in each Brief are the ‘ads’ under the International Protests section.

Opposition

8. It has been a quiet day for the opposition. The main news was that Karroubi’s son confirmed that Etemaade Melli had been banned because of Karroubi’s reply to the criticism, directed at him by the government, government-owned media and hardliners.

9 In a meeting on August 16, former President Khatami told former parliamentarians that the true protectors of the Islamic Republic were not those “who showed in recent months that they are uprooting the republic and Islamic nature of the establishment, but rather the reformists who were upholding the stability of the republic”. He also criticized the rampant lawlessness that followed the election and those who had broken the law whilst dealing with peaceful protesters.

Government / International

10. The inauguration ceremony of Sadegh Larijani, as the head of Iran’s judiciary was held today in Tehran at in the main Judiciary building. Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, Ahmad Jannati, Mohsen Rezaie, Sardar Safavi, Sardar Jafari, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Ali Younusi, Sayed Mohammad Jahrami, Saeed Mortazavi, Ahmad Reza Radan, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Abbasali Kadkhodaie and other high-ranking officials, including MPs and ministers attended the ceremony.

11. Sadegh Larijani, in his speech said ”Nobody should dare or reserve himself the right to act against the law, violate people’s right or take away their security and peace of mind”. He hinted that those who had broken the law and violated people’s rights will be brought to justice.

PressTV’s report on the event then adds, [The new judiciary chief then admitted that Iran's judicial system has been suffering from various shortcomings, which he said should be dealt with respect to their priority. "In this critical mission, I vow not to show mercy to wrongdoers," the newly-appointed judiciary chief said, promising to subject them to the court of law.]

12. During the ceremony, Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani sat on either side of Sadegh Larijani and it appeared they exchanged a few words.

Ahmadinejad criticized power-holders and the rich during his speech – a clear sign of his attack on Rafsanjani. PressTV quoted him as saying, ”If the power-holders and the wealthy are taken to court, then there would be no place left for those who hold lower ranks to commit any wrongdoings”. He also praised the statements made by Sadegh Larijani.

Partially confirmed reports suggest that Nategh Nouri left the ceremony the minute Ahmadinejad stood up to give his speech.

13. During his speech, Rafsanjani warned the government against unjust verdicts for the defendants of recent trials. He added that, if the nation felt that detainees were not treated fairly, “society will descend into chaos”. He added that the fair treatment of detainees will further the trust among the nation’s people.

14. Partially confirmed reports from two sources, indicated that the new Judiciary Chief Larijani, plans on replacing Attorney General Saeed Mortazavi, who has been accused, as one of the principal men behind the torture and mistreatment of the detainees, besides being personally involved in the arrest of many high-ranking reformists – including Hajjarian.

15. Other reports indicate that Ali Akbar Mehrabian, who has been presented as the new Minister for Industries and Mining and Fatemeh Ajorlou, who has been presented as the new Minister of Welfare and Social Security, are going to face hurdles in the parliament because of court indictments in the past.

16. The Iranian Chief of Joint Staff, Fairouzabad, published a letter addressed to the Hidden Imam – the 12 Shi’ite Imam, who disappeared centuries ago and is said to come at the end of times – in ISNA on August 12, the letter called the protesters violent and praised the Basijis for their actions during the protests.

Full Text in English: MEMRI: Latest News

17. Khamenei has appointed Hashemi Shahroudi – the retired head of Iran’s Judiciary – to the Expediency Council and the Guardian Council.

18. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked Iran to drop all charges against Clotilde Reiss.

19. The European Students’ Union released a letter yesterday condemning the Iranian government’s attacks on university dorms. The letter accused the government of attempting to violently suppress peaceful protests in Iran.

20. Reports indicate that Jordan’s King Abdullah, sent a letter congratulating Ahmadinejad on his victory in the election.

Arrested / Released / Killed

21. New reports confirm the death of another protester, Hossien Beg Araghi, who was killed on June 20 by a single bullet to the heart on Enghelab Avenue. Araghi was 22 years old and a resident of Nabard Boulevard in southern Tehran. It has been reported that the shot was fired by plain clothed security man, while on his way home.

His body was returned to his family, five days later, after they paid a hefty sum of money. Araghi was laid to rest at Beheshte Zahra Cemetery.
Picture: http://hra-iran.net/images/phocagall…beyg-iraqi.jpg

22. Reports indicate that Hedayat Aghaie has now given a confession, stating he had a hand in the unrest.

23. Hasan Souri – a reformist from Borujerd – was arrested and taken to Tircheh Block detention center in Borujerd. Reports also indicate that a high-ranking cleric in Qom, who holds many scholarly positions and was the manager of Mousavi’s campaign wing for clerics has been arrested.

24. Good news, Amir Mohsen Mohammadi, Kaveh Mozaffari, Dr. Hosseinali Arab and Ali Asghar Khodayari were released from Evin.

Media

25. PressTV broke another barrier and displayed a bit of honest reporting.

In one of their reports, published on their website about Sadegh Larijani’s inauguration, they stated, “Following the controversial trial of post-vote detainees, a Principal lawmaker, Hamid Resaie, told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that ”the confessions have opened the way to dealing with the leaders of the unrest. There is no longer any reason to tolerate or compromise”.

So far, it is the only government owned newspaper that has accepted the trials are controversial.
Link to the story (English): Ahmadinejad wants certain power-holders in court

26. The websites of Reja and Iran Daily, have jointly published an article calling for Ayatollah Sane’ie, to be lashed for calling President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a bastard at the end of his speech in Gorgan and for accusing the government of torturing detainees. The article also insults Sane’ie many times calling him a “slanderer”, “sinner” and “lewd”. It is worth noting that Iran Daily is considered the mouthpiece of Ahmadinejad.

27. The government has now banned Aftaabe Yazd – another newspaper who published Karroubi’s letter – as well as Sarmayeh.

28 Officials from the Judiciary are supposed to be meeting with the editor-in-chief of Etemaade Melli, to discuss the issues that brought about the temporary ban on the newspaper.

Miscellaneous

29. Pictures of Greens’ graffiti in Iran: Untitled.jpg (image)

International Protests / Events / Efforts / Warnings

30. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

31. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

32. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (English and German) (Courtesy of @jkshalmani)

33. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: dbosca@gmail.com

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

- Information on Tor: Tor Browser Bundle

This page contains a listing of external mirrors of the GB, as well as various information about the GB. Links to translations are also encouraged: Category:Green Brief – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

- (A list of all the Green Briefs): The Green Briefs

- A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Click here for further reading…

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Sunday, August 16 – Mordad 25.

== Don’t Miss Out The First Item in Media Section ==

In Polish: http://glosiranu.blog.pl/archiwum/in…p?nid=14450907

Protests / Unrest

1. There are plans for a protest on Monday, in front of Etemaade Melli’s office. (By the time you read this Brief, it will be past that time). Confirmation whether it has been officially sanctioned by Karroubi have been denied. But there are newer reports, suggesting he may have blessed it and may take part. Nothing can be said with any certainty as to what is going to happen. (Or has happened)

2. Families of detainees gathered in front of Evin prison once again, to demand any information about their loved ones and asked for their unconditional release. In the past, some have been arrested for taking part in the gathering.

3. Even though it is not mentioned in the Briefs every day, people are continuing to chant Allaho Akbar and other slogans directed against Ahmadinejad and Khamanei from their rooftops.

4. Reports suggest that 121 well known doctors and university professors, have released a joint statement expressing concern over what they call psychological trauma being inflicted on all members of society. The statement calls on the government to; stop broadcasting the trial of reformists live; punish the culprits of recent violence upon peaceful protesters; punish those who have committed acts of torture on detainees and the release all political prisoners unconditionally. Otherwise, the statement says, ordinary Iranians will continue to be scared and suffer from emotional and psychological problems going through these dreadful times.

5. Reports are emerging, the government is continuously threatening citizens, accusing them of trying to get news out or even discuss the political situation online. Multiple people have received calls, from blocked numbers, telling them to stop emailing information, about what is happening inside Iran to their friends. Others have received emails, telling them they are being watched and they should immediately cease discussing the Sea of Green online. Many others have been arrested.

Opposition

6. Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard, met with the family of Behzad Nabavi, who has been imprisoned for the past 2 months. Nabavi is a high-ranking member of the Association of Combatant Clerics and was a former minister during Mousavi’s tenure as Prime Minister of Iran. During the visit, Mousavi asked the government again to release all political prisoners.

7. Mousavi and Rahnavard also met with the family of slain protester Amir Javadifar today, as did some other reformist leaders. Mousavi told Amir’s family that the blood of Amir would not be wasted and Iranians would get their rights. There were also unconfirmed reports that the couple met with the family of Abbas, a shopkeeper who was killed during the violence after the elections by security forces.

8. Karroubi released another statement today, stating that he had full evidence and that he will not back down from his claim that rape of detainees had taken place. He said that he will not reply to the criticism of Qom’s Friday prayers’ leader out of respect for his deceased father– even though the leader had criticized Karroubi harshly.

9. A video of Grand Ayatollah Sane’ie’s speech in Gorgan has emerged from August 12 – Mordad 21. Speaking to a group of clerics, Sane’ie criticizes the government in words not used before. He said he had never been so shocked before in his life, as he has been because of what had happened in the events after the elections, especially detentions, deaths and torture – not even during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, when his friends were being tortured by the Imperial regime.

During his speech, he praises Mousavi and other reformist leaders and asks the government as to why they are being oppressed. He declared that all these people who have been detained, tortured and are accused of violence are well-known men that he has known for many a year and none of them were planning to topple the regime, adding, that in terms of piety, Mousavi was the best or one of the best people in Iran.

He said that in Islam, no one had the right to torture someone so severely. He blasted the confessions and said that no confession was valid under any circumstances, if the confession had been obtained through torture. He said the name of Imam Khomeini was being tarnished by the atrocities committed – all in the name of the constitution.

He asked the government, to cease torture, stop persecution and immediately release all political prisoners.

His full speech in Farsi:

Parts 1-5

YouTube – ‫سخنرانی آیت الله العظمی صانعی 21 مرداد 88 – قسمت اول‬‎

YouTube – saanei in gorgan part2

YouTube – saanei in gorgan part3

YouTube – saanei in gorgan part4

YouTube – saanei in gorgan part5

10. The Association of Combatant Clerics has released its seventh statement since the start of the unrest calling the attacks and insults, directed at Mahdi Karroubi, a crime. The statement further adds, propaganda directed at Karroubi and his newspaper – Etemaade Melli – was a cause for concern. It further states that the real people who should be punished are those, who have committed the atrocities, that Karroubi is providing evidence of.

Government / International

11. Reports emerged earlier in the day, that the government had taken down Ayatollah Dastegheib’s official website. Later, it was reported that it had been hacked. After logging on – it seems to be back to normal.

12. Ahmadinejad, yet again, slammed Western powers – especially Europe – for its meddling in Iran’s internal affairs during the post-election events. (It appeared, as if he was reading the same statement he has repeated, several times in the past, in regard to the West. Maybe he needs a new speech writer?)

13. Ahmadinejad introduced six members of his new cabinet on Sunday for ministerial posts. Among them, for the first time in the regime’s history, two women have been introduced.

The ministers include:

Ali Akbar Mehrabian: Industries and Mining

Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini: Economy

Hojjatoleslam Heidar Moslehi: Intelligence

Mohammad Abbasi: Cooperation

Fatemeh Ajorlou: Welfare and Social Security

Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi: Health

Reports indicate that Ahmadinejad’s offer for a ministerial post was rejected by at least one individual. The un-named psychology professor – as it is being reported – had refused to take up a post in Ahmadinejad’s cabinet and replied later that, “Ahmadinejad needs to contact a psychiatrist because he’s mentally unstable”.

14. Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad’s trip to Iran has been postponed.

Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture

15. The third session of trials took place on Sunday for another 25 people, without any reformist political prisons amongst the accused. The prosecutor accused them of taking part in a plot, that had been hatched years before the election, held them accountable for sedition, taking part in illegal protests and using violence, including the manufacture and use of hand-made explosives. One of the people on trial is a teenage Jewish-Iranian who was accused of throwing stones at a Bank in Tehran. Others are facing similar charges. Footage of protests and gatherings were also shown during the trial.
A short video of the trial: YouTube – France 24 Third Stalinesque trial over post election unrest 16August2009

16. More torture methods have now been disclosed. Here is a summary:

- One prisoner was beaten with lead balls tied up in a cloth. The torture blinded him in one eye and he has lost most of his sight in the other. After being kicked repeatedly in the stomach, his kidneys have also been affected.

- Another released detainee, who had been arrested after getting shot, was first taken to a hospital and then moved to a detention center. He complained that his wounds were caused by being kicked, punched and beaten with batons and that he didn’t stop bleeding for hours.

- Shocking reports are also emerging about the sexual abuse of prisoners. In yesterday’s Brief we reported that three detainees, who had told the parliamentary committee, set up to assess the condition of detainees about sexual abuse, had later disappeared from Evin. Today, sources have revealed that one of the detainees, Abbas Begdeli who is just a teenager, had told the committee members that he had been repeatedly beaten with batons first, then for days after guards had forcefully raped him with a baton. The abuse had continued for so long that he had started to bleed internally. This had taken place at Kahrizak. He was taken out of Evin two hours after his confession.

17. Karroubi has confirmed the rape and death of Taraneh Mousavi. According to Karroubi, the woman in Canada, also named Taraneh Mousavi and her family had been tricked, by the government, into believing that the blogosphere was reporting her death and rape. Her family came forward and denied that their daughter had been raped and killed on IRIB. The story was reported extensively in the past few days by IRIB and other government-owned media in Iran, touting the rape and death of Taraneh Mousavi as a lie, that was being spread against the regime. Karroubi also announced that he had evidence of the atrocity.

18. Saeed Shirkavand – a former Deputy Minister of Finance and a lecturer at Tehran University, has been released, he had been in prison for 50 days. Mir Hamid Hasanzadeh, the manager of the website Ghalam was also released.

19. Some detainees that are being released from prison, are knocking on people’s doors and begging for fresh clothes, as their own clothes are too blood-stained and they don’t want to scare their family and friends by going home in them. Others have been stripped naked before being thrown out onto the streets from moving vehicles.

20. French citizen Clotilde Reiss was released on bail and will stay at the French Embassy in Tehran until the verdict of her trial is reached.

21. Abdollah Ramezanzadeh was able to speak to his family and tell them that he was in very bad health and has been receiving medication for a viral infection.

22. Abtahi’s wife and daughter have been threatened severely in the past few days by security forces. According to some reports, they have even been told they would be raped.

23. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize winning lawyer and human rights activist – told the BBC that Iran should release the 7 Baha’is accused of spying for Israel. Ebadi is also their official attorney. Their second attorney is currently in detention. Their court date today was postponed yet again.

Media

24. The highlight of the day was an article on PressTV’s website. Although the article itself is about the trial, the interesting point to note, in the first line of the third paragraph from the bottom:

“Iran’s disputed presidential vote, which resulted in the re-election of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was claimed as fraudulent by defeated reformist candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.”

So far, no government-owned media outlet had called the elections disputed.

Here’s the link (Unless it has been altered by the government by the time you read this): Iran post-vote detainee denies charges

25. Etemaade Melli was not published today because according to authorities, the paper’s press faced technical difficulties. The paper’s editor-in-chief, however, disputed the allegation claiming that people from the judiciary had come and stopped them from publishing the newspaper. The reason cited was the publication of Karroubi’s statements about Taraneh.

Later, it was reported by credible sources, that Etemaade Melli had been published on Sunday. However, this was disputed by equally credible sources. The editor-in-chief finally announced the paper would be published on Tuesday. But it has now been revealed that the government has banned the newspaper for what they call publishing illegal material that was causing insecurity in society.

26. Keyhan Daily today called Mousavi the main culprit behind the unrest after the elections.

27. A very good article about rape in Iranian detention centers in English: For a democratic secular Iran. For peace and prosperity in the Middle East.: Fath-ol-mobin, Codename for Rape Operations in Iran’s Prisons

28. Dad’s piece on rape in German: Irannews: Babak Daad 15. August 2009 – Deutsch

Miscellaneous

29. Green graffiti on the main gate of the Islamic Court in Qazvin which reads “Ma Hastim!” In English Ma Hastim put in context means “We Are Still Here!” or “We Exist!”: http://i27.tinypic.com/21913dd.jpg

30. Dariush’s concert in Armenia is filled with Greens:

”>

15. The third session of trials took place on Sunday for another 25 people, without any reformist political prisons amongst the accused. The prosecutor accused them of taking part in a plot, that had been hatched years before the election, held them accountable for sedition, taking part in illegal protests and using violence, including the manufacture and use of hand-made explosives. One of the people on trial is a teenage Jewish-Iranian who was accused of throwing stones at a Bank in Tehran. Others are facing similar charges. Footage of protests and gatherings were also shown during the trial.
A short video of the trial: YouTube – France 24 Third Stalinesque trial over post election unrest 16August2009

16. More torture methods have now been disclosed. Here is a summary:

- One prisoner was beaten with lead balls tied up in a cloth. The torture blinded him in one eye and he has lost most of his sight in the other. After being kicked repeatedly in the stomach, his kidneys have also been affected.

- Another released detainee, who had been arrested after getting shot, was first taken to a hospital and then moved to a detention center. He complained that his wounds were caused by being kicked, punched and beaten with batons and that he didn’t stop bleeding for hours.

- Shocking reports are also emerging about the sexual abuse of prisoners. In yesterday’s Brief we reported that three detainees, who had told the parliamentary committee, set up to assess the condition of detainees about sexual abuse, had later disappeared from Evin. Today, sources have revealed that one of the detainees, Abbas Begdeli who is just a teenager, had told the committee members that he had been repeatedly beaten with batons first, then for days after guards had forcefully raped him with a baton. The abuse had continued for so long that he had started to bleed internally. This had taken place at Kahrizak. He was taken out of Evin two hours after his confession.

17. Karroubi has confirmed the rape and death of Taraneh Mousavi. According to Karroubi, the woman in Canada, also named Taraneh Mousavi and her family had been tricked, by the government, into believing that the blogosphere was reporting her death and rape. Her family came forward and denied that their daughter had been raped and killed on IRIB. The story was reported extensively in the past few days by IRIB and other government-owned media in Iran, touting the rape and death of Taraneh Mousavi as a lie, that was being spread against the regime. Karroubi also announced that he had evidence of the atrocity.

18. Saeed Shirkavand – a former Deputy Minister of Finance and a lecturer at Tehran University, has been released, he had been in prison for 50 days. Mir Hamid Hasanzadeh, the manager of the website Ghalam was also released.

19. Some detainees that are being released from prison, are knocking on people’s doors and begging for fresh clothes, as their own clothes are too blood-stained and they don’t want to scare their family and friends by going home in them. Others have been stripped naked before being thrown out onto the streets from moving vehicles.

20. French citizen Clotilde Reiss was released on bail and will stay at the French Embassy in Tehran until the verdict of her trial is reached.

21. Abdollah Ramezanzadeh was able to speak to his family and tell them that he was in very bad health and has been receiving medication for a viral infection.

22. Abtahi’s wife and daughter have been threatened severely in the past few days by security forces. According to some reports, they have even been told they would be raped.

23. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize winning lawyer and human rights activist – told the BBC that Iran should release the 7 Baha’is accused of spying for Israel. Ebadi is also their official attorney. Their second attorney is currently in detention. Their court date today was postponed yet again.

Media

24. The highlight of the day was an article on PressTV’s website. Although the article itself is about the trial, the interesting point to note, in the first line of the third paragraph from the bottom:

“Iran’s disputed presidential vote, which resulted in the re-election of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was claimed as fraudulent by defeated reformist candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.”

So far, no government-owned media outlet had called the elections disputed.

Here’s the link (Unless it has been altered by the government by the time you read this): Iran post-vote detainee denies charges

25. Etemaade Melli was not published today because according to authorities, the paper’s press faced technical difficulties. The paper’s editor-in-chief, however, disputed the allegation claiming that people from the judiciary had come and stopped them from publishing the newspaper. The reason cited was the publication of Karroubi’s statements about Taraneh.

Later, it was reported by credible sources, that Etemaade Melli had been published on Sunday. However, this was disputed by equally credible sources. The editor-in-chief finally announced the paper would be published on Tuesday. But it has now been revealed that the government has banned the newspaper for what they call publishing illegal material that was causing insecurity in society.

26. Keyhan Daily today called Mousavi the main culprit behind the unrest after the elections.

27. A very good article about rape in Iranian detention centers in English: For a democratic secular Iran. For peace and prosperity in the Middle East.: Fath-ol-mobin, Codename for Rape Operations in Iran’s Prisons

28. Dad’s piece on rape in German: Irannews: Babak Daad 15. August 2009 – Deutsch

Miscellaneous

29. Green graffiti on the main gate of the Islamic Court in Qazvin which reads “Ma Hastim!” In English Ma Hastim put in context means “We Are Still Here!” or “We Exist!”: http://i27.tinypic.com/21913dd.jpg

30. Dariush’s concert in Armenia is filled with Greens:

31. Free Iran Large Digital Billboard St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. – Manchester Rd & Mason Rd:

”>

International Protests / Events / Efforts / Warnings

32. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

33. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

35. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (English and German) (Courtest of @jkshalmani)

36. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: dbosca@gmail.com

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

- Information on Tor: Tor Browser Bundle

This page contains a listing of external mirrors of the GB, as well as various information about the GB. Links to translations are also encouraged: Category:Green Brief – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

- (A list of all the Green Briefs): The Green Briefs

- A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Click here for further reading…

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Saturday, August 15 – Mordad 24.

In German:

Part 1: http://tinyurl.com/r2odzf

Part 2: http://tinyurl.com/p69n5v

Protests / Unrest

1. Etemaade Melli’s office was not attacked today, even though it seemed that many radical elements, within the security forces, were planning on executing an attack. The newspaper’s office was under strict police supervision. Eyewitnesses reported seeing suspicious people watching the office from afar. Some identified plainclothes members of different radical militant organizations. Work went on at the newspaper as usual.

2. It was rumored that the attack might take place later at night. However, no attacks were reported; neither was there any tension. As reported yesterday, fliers had been distributed to members of Ansar Hezbollah, calling upon them to gather and protest in front of Etemaade Melli’s office.

Here’s a picture of one of the fliers: تصویر اعلامیه انصار حزب*الله برای تجمع جلوی روزنامه اعتماد ملی – The picture calls upon Hezbollah members, to gather in front of Etemaade Melli, to show that the defeated candidates and their supporters’ plans would fail. It also called Khatami a liar and attacked reformists as the minions of Hashemi Rafsanjani.

3. About 100 members of the Mourning Mothers group tried to gather at Laleh Park today during the evening. However, they were not allowed by security forces to gather at the park or to enter and were told they were not allowed to gather there. Among the women, Neda’s mother was also present.

4. 200 friends of Eng. Hamzeh Ghalebi are going to fast and pray for his release after the authorities refused to budge. Ghalebi was the manager of the youth wing of Mousavi’s campaign and has been in prison for almost two months.

5. The government has denied that it is planning to cancel the upcoming college semester across the country.

6. Reports suggest that the government is now using new and improved technology – possibly from Nokia – that allows them to track calls made and read text messages sent, even if phones are turned off. The only remedy appears to be taking out the phone’s battery to prevent access.

International Protests / Events / Efforts / Warnings

7. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

8. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

9. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (English and German) (Courtest of @jkshalamani)

10. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: dbosca@gmail.com

Opposition

11. Mir Hossein Mousavi has finally announced the name and existence of a political front he had promised to form with other reformists. According to Etemaade Melli the front is called Jombeshe Omideh Sabz (The Green Path of Hope). He said that many independent and self-sustained networks, throughout Iran, had banded together to form the movement. His main aim he said, was to get people’s rights and stop the law-breaking that had been unleashed by the government following the rigged elections, adding that they would never succumb to lies.

His statement came at a meeting with members of an association of Iranian doctors. He added that if the news about rape and torture, in Iranian prisons was true, then one should bury one’s head in dust – a sign of shame.

In another part of his speech, he yet again reiterated that he was the legal president of Iran, Ahmadinejad was nothing but a usurper. He said his campaign office had received word from a multitude of people and sources on election day, telling them that wide-spread fraud was taking place.

He further blasted the government for unleashing the Basij and IRG upon peaceful protesters and said that these forces were to fight enemies and not Iranians. He also said that the trials of reformists in Tehran, was another sign of the government’s paranoia and added that such trials, even if held for enemies of the Islamic Republic, would be inappropriate. He said the government should look for its enemies, not within peaceful protesters, but within people who’d been using propaganda as a tool to damage people’s trust in the regime.

12. Mahdi Karroubi criticized Friday prayer Imams who had criticized his letter to Rafsanjani. He said he would soon answer those who sold their faith in order to slander him. Karroubi’s son, later in the day, said that his father had evidence that proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that rape had taken place in Iranian detention centers. He criticized the IRIB for attempting to falsify the case of the rape and murder of Taraneh Mousavi.

13. Ali Hossein Mohammadi – the head of IIPF (Participation Front) in the Central province of Iran – said that the government’s trials of reformists were baseless acts. He asked the government to release these people, as they were only fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, while performing their jobs or within the umbrella of a registered political party. He said that all charges leveled against the reformists, were the creations of a few conservative extremists.

14. Families of detained political prisoners released their fifth statement, calling the trials a dark chapter in the history of Iran. The statement calls for a speedy release of the detainees and adds they will continue their efforts to free their loved ones.

Government / International

15. Hojatoleslam Agha Shaykh Sadegh Amoli Larijani has been appointed as the new head of Iran’s Judiciary as Shahroudi’s term has come to an end. Larijani is the brother of Ali Larijani – the head of Iran’s parliament. He is a hardline critic with very close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and intelligence agencies. He is also currently a member of the Guardian Council.

16. Some government officials, mainly Hojatoleslam Taeb have asked the government to apply Shariah law punishment on Karroubi, if he fails to provide proof that detainees had been raped at detention centers. The rule in Shariah is, if someone accuses another of rape, he must provide four Muslim, sane adult males, who saw the act in person. If he/she is unable to provide the four witnesses, the accuser receives 80 lashes to the back.

17. Partially confirmed reports suggest that Qom Seminary Teachers Association – a conservative association of clerics whose membership includes Mohammad Yazdi and Ahmad Khatami – has called upon the government to deal with illegal acts committed while detaining people, make sure detainees rights are safeguarded and stop willful activities by individuals it did not name. The statement was the headline story of the association’s newsletter that is distributed in Qom.

The statement further asserts, even though the arrests after the elections may have seemed to authorities to be a good way to curb unrest, certain actions during the process of arrests and detentions have raised an alarm in the society. The statement adds, even though concerns are always raised when people are arrested, this time due to the crisis in the air, even the leadership was forced to take action and close down a detention center [Kahrizak].

It is worth noting that this association is composed of hardliners and not reformists.

18. Karroubi’s son claims that Saeed Mortazavi – the Attorney General of Tehran and a prosecutor working with IRG – asked him for the names of reporters at Etemaade Melli who had spoken to victims of rape, he did not provide him with any names for fear of the reporters’ safety.

19. The Parliament is working on a new law to curb the use of fake degrees by government officials.

20. Reports indicate that several high-ranking clerics from Qom and other cities have sent a letter to the Assembly of Experts, asking them to review the actions of Khamenei following the elections. The letter states that since Khamanei has committed acts of gross injustice during the unrest, based on Islamic law, he should be removed from his position as Iran’s supreme leader automatically. The letter especially points to article 111 of the constitution, that outlines the process of removing the Supreme Leader and the conditions under which that can take place. No names have been provided and confirmation is only partial at this point.

21. Human Rights Watch has accused officials, in the Iranian security forces, of gross human rights violations. The organization has especially targeted Police Chief Ahmadi-Moghaddam and head of Basij Hossein Ta’eb. The article further adds that the activities leading up to the abuse was highly coordinated ordered at the highest levels.

Read full article here: Iran: Investigate Security Chiefs in Post-Election Abuse | Human Rights Watch

22. The US has, yet again, asked the Iranian government to free Tajbakhsh and the three US hikers arrested two weeks ago.

23. Fars reports that Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, has sent a letter to Ahmadinejad, congratulating him on his election. The letter also asks to further the ties between the nations of Iran and Japan. So far, no one other than Fars has confirmed this.

24. The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, called upon Khamenei today, to urgently and independently, investigate instances of torture following the elections in Iran. She also asked Khamanei to invite international experts to help carry out the inquiry.

Full Article: Iran: Supreme Leader must act on torture, says Amnesty International | Amnesty International

Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture

25. Babak Dad – an Iranian reporter in Iran – has written an article about rape in Iranian detention centers the English translation of which is here (Warning – Graphic Content): Keeping the Change: Babak Dad on the Rapes Inside Iran’s Prisons: The Story of One Anonymous Victim and a Call to the People of Iran by Maryam

A video of his interview with VOA (Farsi):

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26. More reports of horrific torture are emerging from Kahrizak. New reports suggest that detainees were stripped naked, forced to step into water-filled containers and were given electric shocks repeatedly. A member of Iran’s parliament, whose name has not yet been divulged, has claimed that he talked to one of the victims – a woman who has now been transferred to Evin.

27. Three detainees who had spoken to the parliament’s committee on investigating the condition of detainees, have disappeared from Evin. The detainees, Abbas Begdili, Reza Rastagar and Majid Mogheemi had shown torture wounds on their bodies to the committee members and spoken openly about the torture of other detainees.

28. One detainee, Hangameh Shahidi, has been repeatedly harassed by guards and told that she is going to be hanged. She has been taken down to the area in Evin, where executions are carried out as if she was going to be hanged, but then returned back to her cell.

29. Fars News reported that the government had dismissed a dozen guards and suspended several judges involved with Kahrizak. Quoting Parviz Sarvari – a member of the parliament’s committee for assessing the condition of detainees – the agency reported that those involved in illegal activities, have been or are being punished. This included “suspension of a number of judges, disciplinary punishment, imprisonment of offenders and referring culprits to the judiciary for further trial”. Kahrizak’s warden has been dismissed and arrested, according to Iran’s police chief.

30. Amir Hossein Sarhadi – a student activist – was arrested from his father’s house in Zanjan today. His belongings were searched and no reason was given for his arrest.

31. Saeed Noormohammadi and Zoya Hasani were released from prison today.

32. A number of human rights activists and women’s rights activists met with the family of detained journalist Isa Saharkhiz today. It has been reported that Saharkhiz’ family will soon be able to meet with him in prison. He has been detained for almost two months and has only been able to speak to his family over the phone for two minutes.

33. Besides the election related violence, the government has been specifically targeting Kurds in northwestern Iran, along the border. Many have been killed in the past 20 days, without the government providing any reason as to why many of them have been killed.

Human Rights Activists in Iran – an Iranian organization for safeguarding human rights – has compiled a report on this, links are here:
English: Statistics on Kurdish Merchants Killed Over the Last Twenty Days in Western Iran
Farsi: آمار کشتار کاسبکاران کرد در غرب کشور در طی 20 روز گذشته

Media

34. Keyhan Daily – a newspaper considered the mouthpiece of Khamenei – attacked Karroubi today. According to the newspaper, Karroubi’s allegations of rape had damaged people’s honor. According to Keyhan, women who have been released from prison are complaining that their families have been shamed by Karroubi. Keyhan further adds that these people plan on protesting in front of Karroubi’s house and demand his prosecution.

Miscellaneous

35. Iranian banks in Paris getting green stickers! YouTube – Iranian banks of Paris

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

- Information on Tor: Tor Browser Bundle

This page contains a listing of external mirrors of the GB, as well as various information about the GB. Links to translations are also encouraged: Category:Green Brief – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

- (A list of all the Green Briefs: The Green Briefs

- A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Click here for further reading…

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Friday, August 14 – Mordad 23.

In German: http://tinyurl.com/r3k8y8

Protests / Unrest

1. During the Friday prayers, it is being reported that many Basijis openly talked about attacking the office of Etemaade Melli newspaper. There were also reports that leaflets were being distributed to people urging them to attack Etemaade Melli’s office on Saturday. This cannot be fully confirmed.

2. In response to a possible Basiji attack on Etemaade Melli’s office on Saturday and expected clashes, Karroubi has asked those protesters, who were considering gathering in front of Etemaade Melli on Saturday, to refrain from doing so – Iranian website Aftaab reported. Instead, he asked them to hold a peaceful gathering in front of the newspaper on Monday, where he would join them. 100% confirmation of this could not be obtained at this point but the source seems legit.

3. As the Friday prayers went on, security forces thoroughly checked people to see if they had any green bands or green symbols. They asked questions of anyone who had them. Also on Friday, youngsters were being stopped around the city and questioned about where they were going and what for.

4. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Higher Council of the Cultural Revolution in Iran, is planning on closing down universities across the country, to stop university students from protesting. University students – especially those who live in dorms – have been very active in the protests and this could confine them to the provinces and have an impact on the number of protesters.

5. Partially confirmed reports suggest that Yahoo! messenger has been unblocked in Iran after two months.

International Protests / Events / Efforts / Warnings

6. PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR SAFETY’S SAKE: Safeguard Your Personal Info and Your Finances! – Why We Protest – IRAN

7. A German organization Deutsch-Iranischer Verein Flensburg is organizing mothers in city of Flensburg, Germany to gather at parks in the city every Saturday from 3-4 PM. This is being done in solidarity with Mourning Mothers in Tehran who do that same every week.

8. For an unofficial list of upcoming protests in the US: Protesting for Iran until they don’t have to

9. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: Julia’s Blog: Protests and rallies in Germany (subject to change w/o notice) (English and German) (Courtest of @jkshalamani)

10. A to the point website for help traumatized Greens: Healing the Green Soul

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: dbosca@gmail.com

Opposition

11. Tehran Beareau Reports: [Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, head of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, has met with the powerful head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who is undergoing cancer treatment in Tehran. A source close to Hashemi revealed that the Iranian cleric had visited Hakim at his residence in northern Tehran. During the meeting, Rafsanjani stressed the importance of unity among Iraqis and the formation of a coalition government in Iraq. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim has been receiving treatment in Tehran for the past year.

12. Eng. Torabi – a reformist MP – criticized the government and the parliament openly in the parliament on August 9. However, the video only got to us today. In the video, Torabi criticizes the parliament for its inaction in the face of the unrest and its silence about the atrocities being committed against the people. He also criticized the government for what he calls unanswered questions about the deaths and arrests. He keeps asking the government stinging questions throughout his seven minute speech and calls what is going on in Iran unjust. Here’s the link (Farsi):

">

13. This is not news, but related to past news that I was unable to cover.

Karroubi’s Latest Interview in English (Courtesty of Enduring America): Text: Latest Karroubi Statement on Detainees, Rafsanjani, and Larijani (13 August) | Enduring America

Karroubi’s Letter to Rafsanjani about the rape of detainees:

English: Khordaad 88 � Blog Archive � A Letter from Karoubi to Rafsanjani

German: slkrf

Government / International

14. Ahmad Khatami in his Friday prayer sermon called the contents of Karroubi’s letter “lies” and said that it was a cause for celebration in the US, Israel and other foreign countries. He said that Karroubi had slandered the Iranian government and played with its reputation.
Khatami praised the trials being held by the Judiciary and asked them to continue with them and stand firm against foreign interventions into Iranian affairs. He yet again blamed the UK and other countries, saying that their embassies had been involved in the unrest. He also used his sermon to say that foreigners were using websites to spread lies about the Islamic regime.
He also complained about the fewer number of people attending the prayers!

15. Across the country, it has been reported that many other Friday prayer leaders criticized Karroubi. Here’s a brief synopsis of several cities.

- In Mashhad, the Friday prayer Imam Ayatollah Ahmad Elmolhoda, said people who play with the Islamic regime’s reputation are ‘soldiers of the enemy’. He added that it was not fair for one person to compare Iranian prison to Abu Ghraib. He added that the Judiciary should ask this person to provide evidence otherwise he should be prosecuted because he has used character assassination tactics against our officials and is a terrorist.

- In Isfahan, Mohammad Taqi said that those who have ignored the 40 million votes of people and had created unrest should be prosecuted. He further added that someone who has spent 40 years within the Islamic Revolution was saying things that were clearly damaging the reputation of the Islamic Revolution and Imam Khomeini – a clear indication that he was referring to Karroubi.

- Sayed Mohammad Hossein Saeedi – the Imam of Qom’s Friday prayers – while referring to allegations of rape in Iranian detention centers, said that the people wanted the Attorney General to arrest the person spreading this and prosecute him. He said that such slander was damaging to the regime and people, at the very least, wanted this person to face the consequences of his crime.

16. Ali Larejani dismissed allegations by Karroubi that the parliamentary committee for investigating the condition of detainees had called instances of rape in Iranian detention centers false in haste. He said that Karroubi was the one who hastily went ahead with his allegations, without first contacting the committee and showing it his evidence. He added that the committee had already investigated the same allegations as they had been published in various sites and had found nothing during their assessments.

17. Yadullah Javani – the director of the political office of the IRG – said that Mousavi should be brought to court. He added that information suggested that reformists were planning on gaining power at any cost – whether it was by forcing their way into the government again or by getting help from foreign countries to topple the regime.

18. It has been reported that the National Security Council of Iran was presented with the suggestion that Mir Hossein Mousavi and ten other important reformists, be arrested to stop the unrest. According to reports, besides Mousavi, the list includes the names of Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, Mahdi Karroubi, Mohsen Alveri, Reza Khatami, one of Hashemi Rafsanjani’s children and others. Khatami was absent from the list for fear of extreme international reaction because of his fame in the outside world as a reformist leader.

Although the suggestion had the backing of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, members of the Council insisted that this would severely damage the regime. The suggestion was finally rejected by Khamanei who apparently said that Mousavi’s arrest could topple the regime. The report could not be fully confirmed.

19. Khamenei’s representative in the Basij force, Ali Mohammadi today said that it was their duty to destroy the secular thoughts and plans of the enemy – in a clear reference that the establishment was not going to yield to reform. He condemned the ‘enemies’ of the regime for what he called, their ever-continuing attempts at toppling the regime and said that the Basij were an effective deterrent to such schemes.

Arrested / Released / Killed

20. A reformist MP, who belongs to the Imam’s Way faction, has alleged that the man responsible for Kahrizak was Hossein Fedaie, an MP from Tehran and the head of Council of Sacrificers (Jamiyat Eesargaran). He also added that so far, the committee for assessing the condition of detainees, has received two written documents detailing two specific types of torture – the first is keeping detainees naked and the second, not allowing them bathroom breaks. He added that further investigations were being carried out into Kahrizak.

21. BBC Persian interviews a detainee who was been tortured (Persian): YouTube - ‫گفتگوی بی بی سی با یکی از شکنجه شدگان بازداشتگاه کهریزک‬‎

22. Morteza Alveri – a reformist linked to the Green Movement - stated today that if people responsible for keeping records at Beheshte Zahra Cemetery cooperated, they would be able to prepare a complete list of people who have met violent deaths during the unrest. He asked the parliament to order those responsible to cooperate with them so they could prepare the list.

23. The French Ambassador in Tehran met with detained French citizen Clotilde Reiss today. Reiss is on trial on charges of espionage.

24. Iranian-American student Esha Momeni was released from prison after a ten-month detention and flew back to Los Angeles.

25. One member of parliament told Rooz Online, “During the special Majlis committee’s visit of the Evin Prison, several prisoners openly talked about sexual abuse; even though they did not specifically use the word ‘rape’ and only spoke about sexual abuse.”

Media

26. Etemaade Melli has asked the provincial government to provide them with security in case they are attacked because of Karroubi’s stance with regard to the rape of detainees.

27. Conservative newspaper Jomhoori Islami (Islamic Republic) criticized Mesbah Yazdi’s statement yesterday which equated, obeying the president with obeying God. The newspaper called such comments “deifying government officials”.

Miscellaneous

28. Green stain in Rasht: http://bit.ly/CqEbt

29. Iranian-born singer Laleh shows her Green band during her performance in Sweden: Bilder från Laleh, Götaplatsen / Göteborgs Kulturkalas (Göteborg) - ROCKFOTO.NU

30. In response to the government’s issuing of a stamp commemorating the selection of Ahmadinejad, the Greens have issued a stamp of their own: onlymehdi, RT THE REAL ELECTION STAMP #iranelection

To Helpers

- Info on republishing the Green Brief: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! - Why We Protest - IRAN

- Information on Tor: Tor Browser Bundle

- Discuss/Annotate: http://aic.openmsl.net/wiki/index.php/Green_Brief_54;[/url] Create it if it doesn’t exist.

- (A list of all the Green Briefs: The Green Briefs

- A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who’re spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Thursday, August 13 – Mordad 22.

In German: http://iran-info-dienst.blogspot.com/

In Italian: http://tinyurl.com/nody6x

Protests / Unrest

1. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Green Movement might attend the Friday prayers. (The Friday prayers will probably be over when most readers get this brief). There are also rumors that Mousavi will be attending the Friday prayers. Nothing can be confirmed at this point.

2. Reports from Evin confirm that 30 detainees have announced they will be holding a hunger strike starting Saturday. They have warned that the authorities need to pay attention to their plight. This was reported to Amir Kabir News Agency by a detainee, who had just been released from Evin. The news has also been forwarded to the Iranian government and to the parliamentary commission, set up to assess the condition of detainees.

International Protests / Events

3. Fatemeh Khezrie, 44, has been holding a hunger strike in front of the US Embassy in London, with others, for the past 17 days. Her condition is deteriorating as she has refused to take a fluid drip.

Full Story: Hunger striker Fatemeh Khezrie seriously ill outside US embassy in London | UK news | guardian.co.uk

4. A Swiss-Iranian Green-supporter, who we affectionately call the Epic Protester, has been protesting in front of the Iranian Embassy in Bern for the past two months non-stop, generating quite a lot of buzz. There is a blog dedicated to his efforts which you can reach here:

Epic Protester

And you can read his interview here: Interview with the Epic Protester � Epic Protester (Courtesy of @Nedjarsen)

5. Amidst the stories of brutality being circulated, there are also some heart-warming instances of human compassion. One Hearts View is one such project that a world citizen is undertaking. Visit and comment at: One Hearts View: Iran wanted me to bear witness…and I have.

6. For a list of protests that are being planned in Germany, please visit this link: [url=http://tinyurl.com/nbzacj] (English and German)

(If you, your friends or your organization are holding events, protests or doing something else related to the Iranian election internationally, please send me an email with details and I will give you coverage. (Will only cost you 10 million dollars!) My email is: dbosca@gmail.com

Opposition

7. Partially confirmed reports suggest that the Supreme (Iranian Dictator) Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s brother, Hadi Khamenei – an eminent cleric in his own right and a supporter of Mousavi – has traveled to Mashhad. Hadi Khamenei has been holding meetings with freed detainees for the past few weeks and on his trip to Mashhad, has reportedly held a closed door meeting with Ayatollah Mousavi Aradabeli about the current situation in the country. Information about what happened during the meeting has not yet been disclosed.

8. Nasrullah Torabi – a reformist MP – today asked the government to present evidence about the alleged death of nine Basijis. He was speaking about Karroubi’s claim that detained protesters had been raped at detention centers when he changed the subject and asked the government to provide documents of every allegation it has also made. According to Torabi, if Karroubi is supposed to provide evidence about his claims, then why was the government not providing evidence for their claims?

9. An Aide for Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi, today told PressTV that the Ayatollah had not sent any letter of congratulations to Ahmadinejad. As reported yesterday, an alleged letter of congratulations to Ahmadinejad by Shirazi was being circulated for several days which, as reported yesterday, is a FAKE.

10. Mahdi Karroubi is soon to present Ali Larejani with evidence about the instances of the rape of detainees. Larejani said he will review the evidence. It has also been reported that witnesses are also willing to testify about these incidents to the parliament.

11. Karroubi stated, in an interview today, that his letter to Rafsanjani had been sent to Hashemi Shahroudi – the Judiciary Chief – who had ordered the contents of the letter be reviewed. Karroubi also added that Dari Najafabadi – Iran’s Attorney General – has contacted them and might send people to Karroubi, to ask him about the allegations of rape and forward that information on to government officials.

Karroubi also criticized government officials – mainly Larejani and Burojerdi – for calling the allegations false without forming a commission to investigate the allegations. He added that even though people’s voices were being forcefully silenced, he would never stop speaking the truth in this matter or other matters.

Karroubi further said that detainees had been tortured to death at Evin and other detention centers. He also added that some prisoners had been forced to take off their clothes and were ‘ridden’ by the guards. (This is like riding a horse or a donkey and is considered an act of extreme disrespect in the Middle East.)

12. There are unconfirmed reports circulating that a number of important members of the Iranian parliament have sent a letter to Rafsanjani asking him to review the 111th article of the constitution. This article concerns the replacement of the Supreme (Iranian Dictator) Leader. The letter alleges that, in his capacity as the Supreme Leader, Khamenei is responsible for the unrests and illegal clamp down on citizens, following the election. Full confirmation is not yet available.

Government / International

13. Ali Larejani today blasted Western countries and said they had interfered in Iran’s internal affairs. He specifically targeted the US and France and called their comments on Iran’s affairs a sign of failed diplomacy. He called upon them to assess the consequences of their actions.