Iran Hangs Two Convicted Opposition Members

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Iran hang 2 convicted opposition members


-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

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Iranian Woman Sentenced To Death By Stoning Confesses ‘Sin of Adultery’ To Iran TV.

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-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"


*From FreedomMessenger.com

Iranian state TV broadcast a statement last night by the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, in which she described herself as a “sinner”.

Appearing on TV for the third time since her case caught the world’s attention, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, 43, also accused Mina Ahadi, an activist of the German-based International Committee Against Stoning (Icas), of spreading her story around the world.

The report also broadcast purported statements by two men whose faces were blurred. State TV identified them as Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, 22, and her lawyer, Houtan Kian, both of whom were arrested last month.

Ahadi has highlighted Mohammadi Ashtiani’s case through the committee and has been successful in bringing it to the world’s attention. The broadcast, on Iran‘s Channel 2, portrayed Ahadi as “a communist dissident exiled in Germany”, who had taken advantage of Mohammadi Ashtiani’s case for her own benefit.

Two German journalists arrested on 10 October also “confessed” during the broadcast that they had received orders from Ahadi.

During the programme, Mohammadi Ashtiani reiterated her previous televised “confessions” that she was involved in the murder of her husband. “I am a sinner,” she said.

Her face was blurred and the interview, conducted in her native Azeri language, was subtitled in Farsi. Previously, Iranian officials have tried to distract attention from the sentence of stoning by portraying Mohammadi Ashtiani as a murderer and not mentioning the charge of adultery over which she has been imprisoned since 2006.

The programme said that Mohammadi Ashtiani’s case was promoted around the world by her lawyers, Mohammad Mostafaei, and later Kian, because “they were looking for excuses to claim asylum in western countries”. Mostafaei, Mohammadi Ashtiani’s first lawyer, was arrested and subsequently forced to leave Iran after giving interviews to foreign press including the Guardian. He is now in Norway.

Kian, a government appointed lawyer for Mohammadi Ashtiani, began to represent her after Mostafaei, but contrary to the government’s will, became outspoken and defended her.

Kian, who has been jailed since October, claimed that Mohammadi Ashtiani was beaten and tortured before appearing on TV for the first time.

Qaderzadeh, a bus conductor in Tabriz, said in the programme: “He [Kian] told me to say she [Mohammadi Ashtiani] was tortured … Unfortunately, I listened to him and told lies to the foreign media.

In response to his remarks, Kian said in the programme: “Telling lies to foreign media was my recommendation to Sajjad.”

Ahadi told the Guardian last night: “They are not just attacking me, they are attacking our committee and everybody who successfully brought her case to the world’s attention and, at least for now, managed to stop Iran form stoning her. If it wasn’t for the world’s attention, Sakineh would have been executed by now, that is what’s making them angry.”

She added: “I can’t understand what they mean by ‘the normal procedure?’ Is stoning someone to death a normal procedure in their opinion? Sajjad knew he might be forced to confess on TV by defending his mother but nothing stopped him until he was arrested, I’m not surprised at all to hear these confessions from him and I can imagine how much all of these people were tortured to do so.”

The two German journalists who appeared on the programme, who were not identified, admitted to their “illegal acts”. One of them said: “Mina Ahadi sent me to Iran because she knew she would benefit from my arrest and I’ll sue her when I get back to Germany.”

Iran’s English language TV channel, Press TV, reported on Monday that according to Iran’s East Azerbaijan Prosecutor Malek Ajdar Sharifi “the behaviour of the Germans showed they entered Iran as spies and tried to create negative atmosphere against Iran and the East Azerbaijan judiciary.”

Iran has repeatedly said that it is yet undecided over Mohammadi Ashtiani and that her case is still under review.

Iranian Film Maker Arrested And Tried For A Film He Hasn't Even Completed?

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-ADY "A Regular Guy On The Issues"

*From FreedomMessenger.com

November 11, 2010

Several Iranian websites, including “Gooya,” have published the full text of the defense statement of internationally acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi, whose trial was reportedly held over the weekend.

Panahi was jailed in March in Iran and charged with unspecified crimes. He was released in May on bail following international calls for his release and after he went on a hunger strike. The authorities had said that Panahi, who sided with the Green opposition movement following last year’s disputed presidential election, was working on an antistate film.

In his defense statement, Panahi who has won several international prize for his movies, says that whatever sentence he is given would be a sentence against art and artists in the Islamic republic. He also says that despite all he’s been through he will remain in Iran.

Excerpts from the statement:

“You’ve put me on trial over a film that at the time of my arrest even 30 percent of it had not been shot yet. You have certainly heard the example that if you only say 50 percent of ‘La elaha elllalah’ [There is no God but God] which is a testimony to the unity of God, it is considered blasphemy. How can someone be charged over a film that [has not been completed]? Allow me to produce the rest of the film, then make a judgment about it.

“I’ve been accused of attending [public] gatherings. In the social cinema a filmmaker is an observer of social events. With regard to this view I should have been an observer of the events that were happening in my country. Even though a filmmaker observes through his camera, they didn’t give permission to use cameras to any filmmaker. An artist sees so that maybe one day he would be inspired to create art. I was an observer and it was my right to see. No one has the right to force an artist not to see. Why is an artist deprived of this right and charged with a crime?

“I’ve been accused of signing statements. I signed one statement and that was the statement of the 37 Iranian filmmakers. During those days any group would express its opinion about the events that were taking place in the country, 37 of the most prominent filmmakers of our country expressed their concern over the future of the country and I was one of them. Unfortunately, instead of paying attention to the concerns of those artists, who love their country, parts of the statement have been selected and they’ve turned into evidence of a crime.

“It’s been said that I was in charge of organizing demonstrations outside the country at the time of the opening of the Montreal Film Festival. Any charge needs to be backed by a bit of truth and fairness. I was the head of the jury at the Montreal Film Festival and I arrived there only a few hours before the opening ceremony. I who didn’t know anyone there, how could I have done such a thing? Have we forgotten that during those days, wherever in the world there was a ceremony, our compatriots living abroad would gather and make their demands? It was even happening at sports events. Do we have now to charge the soccer players who were wearing green wristbands or the head coach of the team of organizing the behavior of the spectators?

“It was said that I gave interviews to media based outside the country. Where in our laws have we been banned from giving interviews?

“Whatever history forgets, be sure that it won’t erase from its memory the way artists are being dealt with. The sentence you will give will be not be a sentence against me, but a sentence for Iran’s independent cinema. The cinema of Iran has in the past 30 years brought this country honor and a [good] reputation. You are giving your vote to that reputation.

“This is not my trial only. It’s the trial of the art and artists of this country. The witnesses to any country’s history are artwork and the way artists are being dealt with. Therefore any sentence that will be given by the court will be a sentence against all the artists, particularly the filmmakers of this country. And even a sentence for the Iranian society that has been for years the audience of that art. My sapling and the saplings of all the artists of Iran have their roots in the soil of this country and the fruit of our art tree is the result of the beauties and ugliness of this land. Therefore, any sentence that you give for my thought is a sentence against the people of this country.

“Despite all the unkindness, I, Jafar Panahi, announce that I am Iranian and that I will remain in Iran. I love my country and I have paid the price for it and if needed I will pay it again.”

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-ADY