Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) Foreign Affairs Committee penned an op-ed article in Lima Charlie World. Within the piece, he demonstrates that the Iranian regime’s crackdown on the opposition movement stems from the movement’s rapidly increasing support among the Iranian people.

The People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), Iran’s largest and most popular opposition group, has played a central role in organizing protests and mobilizing the Iranian public against the clerical regime.

'Iranian crackdown on MEK shows the activist group has popular support,' writes Ali Safavi, member of NCRI-FAC. "Tehran routinely refers to the MEK as an 'existential threat.'"#Iran #IranProtests @LimaCharlieNews @amsafavi https://t.co/uuSeIbKn0g

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) May 30, 2019

A Group Under Attack

Its relentless commitment to protecting the human rights of Iranian people has put it in the regime’s crosshairs. As a result, the regime has sought to demonize, discredit, attack, murder and terrorize the MEK. In 2018, the regime launched a string of terror attacks and assassination attempts against the group.

The clerical regime attempted to bomb the group’s annual Grand Gathering in Paris, an event attended by more than 100,000 MEK supporters from across the world. In another incident, the regime attempted to bomb the MEK’s compound in Albania during the Iranian New Year celebrations.

“Tehran routinely refers to the MEK as an “existential threat” and subjects sympathizers to prison, torture, and death by hanging,” Safavi writes. He described how since 1979 the Iranian regime has executed more than 100,000 political opponents, many of whom were MEK members.

In the summer of 1988 alone, the regime systematically rounded up and executed more than 30,000 MEK members and sympathizers.

Unashamed

The regime has begun publicly acknowledging the threat the MEK poses to its future in power. Regime officials have also begun publicly referring to the violent crackdowns and efforts to curb the opposition’s activities.

Iran’s increasing crackdown on the #MEK, an activist group accused by the mullahs of organizing mass protests, proves the group is the main alternative to the current Iranian regime – OPINION by @amsafavihttps://t.co/tjrZWpeTPn

— LIMA CHARLIE NEWS | WORLD (@LimaCharlieNews) June 1, 2019

In April 2019, Mahmoud Alavi, the Minister of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) publicly confirmed that the regime had “confronted” and “dealt with” 116 MEK resistance units across Iran in the last twelve months.

Later the same month, the MOIS Director General for East Azerbaijan Province announced that 60 MEK members had been arrested as part of a crackdown.

East Azerbaijan Intelligence Official Claims 60 MEK Units Arrested in 2018, 50 More Were “Briefed”

In Tehran, just weeks ago, a MEK member was sentenced to death. Three others received prison sentences for engaging in peaceful demonstrations against the regime.

These comments reflect “a small sample” of the true numbers of MEK activists languishing behind bars, Safavi writes.

Lashing Out

The recent crackdown, Safavi argues, illustrates that the regime is becoming increasingly nervous. “That is why it is on the hunt for anyone associated with the MEK,” he writes.

The regime has employed the same strategy before. When it was threatened in 2009 by a wave of public protests and outcry, it hanged MEK supporters.

The regime used an extensive demonization campaign to justify its violence against the MEK. The regime has accused the MEK and its president-elect, Maryam Rajavi, of being involved in terrorist acts. “Yet, a French investigative magistrate concluded after an eight-year investigation that the MEK’s military operations, which were unilaterally halted in 2001, were not terrorism, but rather resistance against tyranny,” Safavi writes.

MEK Will Not Be Silenced

The MEK is expanding its operations. It has established “Units of Rebellion” across Iran, each one committed to confronting the regime’s activities of suppression. The regime has carried out a wave of arrests.

The MEK’s efficient and effective organizational structure has allowed it to build a resilient network of activists across the country, committed to realizing the Iranian public’s dream of a democratic Iran. However, it needs the support of the international community.

It needs international governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and human rights groups to pressure the regime to release MEK members in regime custody for peacefully protesting. The MEK has also called on international governments to add the MOIS to its international terror blacklists over its involvement in plots to assassinate and maim MEK members.

“Let’s send another strong message to Tehran that its terrorism is no longer tolerated,” Safavi concluded.

Staff writer

 

 

On Friday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) released a statement concerning the arrests of eleven people for supporting MEK following the regime’s recent crackdown on protests and political dissent within the country.

According to the statement, the crackdown is the most recent desperate attempt by the mullahs to quell the rising outrage in the country due to the dire state of the economy, the regime’s bungled response to the catastrophic floods last month, and the growing influence of MEK Resistance Units, resistance councils, and the nation’s rebellious in organizing protests. These fears have been intensified by the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and the strengthening of U.S. oil sanctions in the past months.

 

Regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has taken a number of hardline measures to try to prevent the overthrow of the clerical regime. In March, Khamenei appointed notorious Death Committee member Ebrahim Raisi to the position of Judiciary Chief. Raisi was personally responsible for sending thousands of MEK supporters to their executions during the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. Khamenei then appointed Salami, Fadavi, and Naghdi as Commander, Deputy Commander, and Coordinator of the IRGC. All three men are known for their cruelty, according to the NCRI statement.

 

The regime has now launched a new wave of suppressive measures to prevent the spread of popular uprisings. Hashd al-Shabi forces were transferred from Iraq to flood-stricken areas in Iran, where victims of the disaster are protesting the lack of government aid. Last week, the regime announced the widespread launch of the Razavion, which it has described as “neighborhood-based security patrols.” Security forces have stepped up arrests of political dissidents, particularly MEK supporters.

Arrests of MEK Activists

 

The NCRI obtained the names of eleven people that have been arrested in late April 2019, for supporting MEK:

 

• Nematollah Hakimi Kiasarai, 46, Tehran
• Salar Eskandarzadeh, 29, Tehran
• Hamid Reza Haddadi, 36, Kermanshah
• Dariush Hosseini, 65, Mahshahr
• Mohammad Khatibnia, 28, Khorramabad
• Reza Nabavi, 24, Semnan
• Mohsen Hosseini, 23, along with his two brothers, Neyshabur
• Mahmoud Salami, 25, Neyshabur
• Shokouh Majd, 55, Neyshabur

 

 

On April 23rd, the MEK released a list of 28 people who were arrested prior to that date for the similar charges.

 

On April 19, 2019, Mullah Alavi, the regime’s Minister of Intelligence, said in a speech that 116 teams associated with the MEK had been arrested over the past Iranian calendar year. On April 24th, the Director General of Intelligence in East Azarbaijan Province followed that statement with his own numbers, reporting 60 arrests and 50 additional encounters with MEK supporters over the past year.

 

These numbers do not take into account arrests made by the regime’s other suppressive organs, including the IRGC and local law enforcement. Actual arrest numbers are much higher.

Statement by Maryam Rajavi

International call to visit religious fascism prisons and to meet political prisoners#Iranhttps://t.co/ityDvxrDAq pic.twitter.com/eUPoJ5o3IB

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) May 17, 2019

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, once again called on the United Nations Secretary-General, High Commissioner and Human Rights Council, as well as international human rights organizations,  to take urgent action to secure the release of imprisoned people. She also called for the appointment of delegations to visit the regime’s prisons in order to meet with political prisoners. Mrs. Rajavi stresses that political prisoners in Iran are subject to torture and execution.

Staff writer

The Institute for Science and International Security, a think tank focused on nuclear proliferation, published a report on May 7, shedding light on the Iranian regime’s clandestine nuclear program. The report, entitled ‘Shock Wave Generator for Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program: More than a Feasibility Study’, used information previously revealed by the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), to gather intelligence and build a greater understanding of the Iranian development and manufacturing of key nuclear weapon subcomponents.

THREAD
1
'Shock Wave Generator for #Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program:More than Feasibility Study’was released by @TheGoodISIS on May7,based on Iran’s nuke archives detailing development&manufacturing of key nuclear weapon subcomponent-“shock wave generator”https://t.co/u5nlEnPkCe

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 13, 2019

The Ahmad Plan

The report reveals that since the early 2000s, the Iranian regime has been active in the development of nuclear weapon subcomponents. The Ahmad Plan, as it was known, sought to develop a “shock wave generator”, a system designed to initiate a charge that would prompt weapons-grade uranium to achieve a supercritical mass and create a nuclear explosion.

The Ahmad Plan sought to develop five nuclear weapons using this technology. It also implemented the construction of an underground facility for nuclear testing. The report also indicated that the plan involved “at least one former member of the Soviet nuclear weapons program”, indicating that the clerical regime had the assistance of foreign agents.

Deep Cover

The report goes on to describe how after 2003, when the MEK and National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) exposed many of the regime’s clandestine nuclear activities, parts of the program were given cover stories.

4
Sanjarian site was first publicly identified in2009 by @Iran_policy,as “Research Center for Explosion&Impact”(METFAZ).#NCRI stated this site was developing high-explosive detonators for use in atomic bombs & manufacturing components for these detonation systems pic.twitter.com/wwc8KwH0V4

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 13, 2019

One such location was located near the village of Sanjarian. Known as the “Sanjarian facility”, the site was the location chosen to build the explosive components in the shock wave generator. After 2003, it was redesigned to appear to be a non-military facility carrying out non-military tests, hiding its true purpose.

However, in 2009, the NCRI and MEK sources got wind of the activities taking place at Sanjarian. The opposition revealed that the facility was engaged in the development of high-explosive detonators for use in nuclear weapons.

Staying One Step Ahead

More recently, the MEK confirmed that the regime had moved many of its activities out of Sanjarian. The opposition group concluded that the bulwark of the Iranian nuclear program was now being carried out in the Parchin military complex.

This is supported by satellite imagery of the Sanjarian facility, which appears less maintained than in previous years.

14
NCRI stated METFAZ in 2017 did not conduct these activities at Sanjarian,but conducted them at another location, identified as the “Research Academy” located in tunnels near Mamlo Dam north of Parchin High Explosive Test Chamber Facility

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 13, 2019

In 2017, the MEK published extensive findings on the Iranian nuclear weapons program. It revealed that the majority of its activities were now taking place in tunnels near Mamlo Dam north of the Parchin High Explosive Test Chamber Facility.

Ongoing Surveillance

The report concludes that moving forward, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must be permitted to regularly inspect Iran’s nuclear research sites, including Parchin and Sanjarian and examine any equipment and materials relating to the enrichment of uranium and development of shock wave generators.

The IAEA must also be granted permission to interview personnel involved in the shock wave generator project and characterize and understand the status of the project today.

The MEK will continue to work tirelessly to expose the Iranian regime’s nuclear activities. Since 1991, the resistance group has exposed some 100 secret nuclear projects and helped prevent the regime from fulfilling its nuclear ambitions.

 

 

 

 

On Monday, April 13, students at Tehran university held a rally in opposition at the Iranian regime over the repressive restrictions in place on female students’ clothing on campus. A video clip of the students’ rally was shared across social media by the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK).

The University of Tehran enforces new restrictive forced hijab regulations. Female students have to wear the hijab and cannot make their own decisions regarding freedom of clothing. They chanted, “college students would rather die than live in shame,” and held signs reading: ““Freedom of choice is our right.”

May 13, Tehran #Iran
The action of the university which is a sheer violation of privacy of students and directly violates their human rights and is a clear tyranny against female students, has been received with much protests in the student communities.#IranProtest @USAdarFarsi pic.twitter.com/swycfoGSwl

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) May 13, 2019

A Nationwide Suppressive Force

The student protests come just days after the regime announced that it would launch a new police force to tackle political dissent and expression.

Last Wednesday, the regime’s chief of police, Hossein Ashtari, announced the assembly of the Razavion Patrol. The patrol is an extension of the Basij patrols that have taken place since the nationwide uprising in early 2018. The Basij forces regularly set up checkpoints in areas where there are more protests and harass suspected dissidents (i.e. supporters of the MEK).

The Razavion Patrol will undertake similar activities but are expected to have more funds and resources than their Basij counterparts.

Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar, a commander in the Basij forces had alluded to the crackdown last September. He revealed, “we have begun a series of plans to upgrade the IRGC Basij… we believe our patrols are more effective than checkpoints. More recently, these Basij patrols have been dubbed as the Razavion network.”

The network was partially rolled out in November, with patrols beginning in Bukan and Yazd, as well as in Alborz Province. However, it wasn’t a nationwide scheme until now.

Growing Concerns

The Iranian regime is increasing pressure on protestors. The most recent student protest will have only increased regime fears that the political opposition is drawing increased support from the Iranian population.

2019 has seen regime officials become increasingly worried about the rising popularity of the MEK, the largest and most organized opposition group. Javad Javeed-Nia, the regime’s Deputy Prosecutor General in Cyberspace Affairs, said : “Considering the fact that our enemies [the MEK] have established cyber armies against the [mullahs’ regime], those who care about our state must launch a media campaign against the enemy, identify the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses, and place forward an adequate analysis.”

The state-run Tehran Press News Agency also expressed concerns over the MEK’s use of the instant messaging app, Telegram.

The students’ rally must be seen in the context of a regime rapidly losing its grip on power in the face of mounting political dissent. The Iranian public, like Tehran’s youth, will not stand idly by while the regime embarks on a campaign of violence and repression.

The mullahs are scared. They are right to be. The tide of change is coming.

Staff writer

 

On Wednesday, the Iranian regime’s Chief of Police announced the nationwide launch of new patrols as part of its continued efforts to suppress political dissent and protests.

 

In an interview with the IRNA news agency, Hossein Ashtari said, “An agreement has been reached between the police and the Basij Organization in the context of further engagement and cooperation on the launch of the Razavion Patrol.”

#Iran launches new suppressive patrol to further crackdown on dissent https://t.co/ibsnUxmvyg

— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) May 11, 2019

The Razavion Patrol is massive in scope and will have sizable resources and power at its disposal. The Chief of Police in the city of Qom described the patrol as “a plan on the national level which has been coordinated with the IRGC, Judiciary, and the police and will use the infinite power of the Basij.”

Evolution of the Razavion Patrol

 

The Basij Force began patrolling Iranian neighborhoods in early 2018 in response to the nationwide uprising in December 2017 and subsequent anti-regime protests. In September 2018, the Basij Force stepped up its patrols, set up checkpoints in neighborhoods where MEK supporters were known to reside, and began conducting drills. This was due to increased activity by MEK Resistance Units.

 

In September, Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar, a commander of the Basij Force, commented on the crackdown, saying, ““We have begun a series of plans to upgrade the IRGC Basij. We have not rounded up our patrols and we believe our patrols are more effective than checkpoints. More recently, these Basij patrols have been dubbed as the Razavion network.”

 

The Razavion Patrol was partially rolled out in November 2018, coinciding with Iran’s Week of Basij. Patrols were launched in several cities, including Bukan, western Iran, and Yazd, central Iran. Patrols were also rolled out in a number of cities in  Alborz Province.

 

On May 5th, Iranian state-run news agencies reported that Razavion Patrols were also launched in Qom in order to prevent “theft and crime.” The commander of the regime’s police force claimed that the patrols were launched in Qom for the purpose of “promoting the people’s security”, read regime security.

Past Uses of Suppressive Patrols

 

The use of suppressive patrols is not a new idea. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij Force have used their expansive authority in the past to set up similar patrols intended to intimidate people under the guise of “providing security.” Previous iterations were called “Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice” patrols and “Revolution Committee” patrols.

 

Ashtari described the Razavion Patrol as “neighborhood security patrols,” but those who have been subject to the patrols have compared them to the “Revolution Committee” patrols of the early years of the regime. The Revolution Committee patrols suppressed dissent and prevented an uprising during the first decade after the mullahs stole the 1979 Revolution, and its members went on to form the IRGC and establish its core values of violent suppression of dissent.

 

The Razavion Force is a new version of an old strategy by the regime. The mullahs are terrified of a widespread rebellion and will do anything to suppress it short of actually listening to the people’s demands. At this point, people have only one demand: regime change.

 

Staff writer

Iran Human Rights Monitor released its monthly report on the regime’s human rights abuses for the month of April 2019. The document makes for grim reading as the regime continues to run roughshod over the rights of Iran’s citizens on a near-daily basis.

The report revealed that in the month of April, the regime carried out arbitrary arrests and killings, tortured prisoners in its custody, violated the rights of ethnic minorities, and carried out several executions.

The Execution of Two Juvenile Offenders

Perhaps the most abhorrent act undertaken by the regime in April was the unlawful execution of two juveniles. Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, two 17-year-old cousins, were executed in Shiraz on April 25.

"The Department of State is appalled by the #Iran regime’s secret execution of two 17-year old males, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat, in Adelabad prison in Shiraz."https://t.co/hH443oc5Jo pic.twitter.com/39kuE9i2qa

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) May 2, 2019

In a statement issued two days after their execution, international human rights group Amnesty International condemned the regime for carrying out an unfair trial and breaking international law prohibiting the execution of prisoners under the age of 18.

In a statement, Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa director, said: “It seems they cruelly kept these two boys in the dark about their death sentences for two years, flogged them in the final moments of their lives, and then carried out their executions in secret.”

Their families were able to visit them shortly before their death but were not informed of their impending execution, robbing them of their goodbyes.

The act also prompted outrage from the UN human rights chief who reminded the regime that the execution of children is banned under international law.

The Global Leader in Juvenile Executions

The Iranian regime executed more juvenile offenders than any other nation on earth. Between 1990 and 2018, the regime executed 97 inmates convicted of crimes as minors. Just last year it executed seven prisoners who committed the alleged crimes as minors.

#Raisi Appoints New #Tehran Prosecutor Known for Mass Arrests, Secret Executions of Juveniles https://t.co/psbalcyPK8 @AmnestyIran #HumanRights #FreeIran #MEK @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) May 2, 2019

More than 90 remain on death row in prisons across Iran according to Amnesty International.

Torture and Arbitrary Arrest

April also saw the prominent human rights defender Nader Afshari sentenced to 74 lashes and a year in prison on charges of “disrupting public order” and carrying out “propaganda against the state.”

A further 63 volunteers were arrested after carrying out community rescue operations and providing assistance to victims affected by recent flooding in Khuzestan. Also, 25 internet activists were detained for reporting on the flooding online.

Ahvaz, SW #Iran
Shahab Siahi, 38, poet & cultural activist, Hassan Tarfi, poet, and Aref Savari, 30, also poet & cultural activist, were among those arrested by a militia unit linked to #IRGC intelligence for providing independent aid to #IranFlood hit areas. pic.twitter.com/Mi1Yk02D8x

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) April 20, 2019

The regime has attempted to stifle any information regarding the full death toll of the flooding out of fear it will inflame public anger. At least 250 people died after heavy rains brought widespread flooding to Khuzestan and the surrounding areas. The regime’s inaction compounded the destruction and loss of life as the mullahs refused to make boats, helicopters, and shelters available for public use in the rescue efforts. MEK sources in Iran reported widely on the damage the floods created, also the Iranian regime’s inaction during and in the aftermath of the floods.

More Rain Forecast while Victims of Precious #IranFloods Struggle to Recover without Aid from Regime https://t.co/buMxDkUPJ0 #IranFlood #FreeIran #MEK @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) March 31, 2019

On April 16, the Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran also issued an indictment for the arrest of Amir Salar Davoudi on charges of “cooperating with hostile governments” and “establishing a group to overthrow the system” after he participated in an interview with VOA and partook in a Telegram messaging group sharing information about news and events pertaining to the Iranian judicial system.

Inhumane Conditions in Iranian Prisons

Iran Human Rights Monitor also describes the despicable and abhorrent treatment of prisoners in Iranian prisons. It reported the withholding of medical treatment for Alireza Shirmohammad-Ali in Great Tehran Penitentiary. Shirmohammad-Ali was beaten by guards and has been suffering from acute abdominal pain. He has received no treatment for his condition.

Mojtaba Dadashi, an imprisoned university student also went on hunger strike after being denied treatment for his respiratory tract infection he contracted last week.

#Iran – Imprisoned university student Mojtaba Dadashi has started a hunger strike since April 23, in protest against the denial of urgently needed medical care, including for respiratory tract infection he has been suffering since last week.

https://t.co/zkmoU4JRzH

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) April 24, 2019

In another incident, an inmate was encouraged to assault another inmate by the prison agents. An inmate convicted of drug offenses was promised a case review if she assaulted her fellow inmate, Sima Entesari.

The Fate of Ethnic Minorites

Ethnic minorities continue to suffer under the clerical regime. State security forces arrested 88 Ahwazi Arabs, 12 Kurds, and three Baluchi people. They also killed nine Kurdish porters

Staff writer

Regime officials have recently expressed increasing concern about the MEK’s use of the Internet and social media to report accurate news of events within Iran and to expose the regime’s corruption and incompetence.

Reporting during the Floods

#Khamenei Refuses to Withdraw from Development Fund to Finance Flood Relief Effort https://t.co/7K1LHZHltO #IranFloods #IranFlood #Iran @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) April 19, 2019

These fears have intensified in the wake of the destructive floods that caused severe damage across the country. Recently, the head of the FATA (the regime’s police division that handles Internet censorship) in Isfahan complained about the MEK’s reporting during the floods. He was most upset that the MEK had exposed the regime’s role in worsening the severity of the floods and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp’s (IRGC) incompetent response to the disaster.

He said, “Most of the news on the recent floods were published by the PMOI/MEK on the internet. The cyber war is the front line of today’s wars… Most of the news about the recent floods were published on social media by this group…”

Public confidence in state-run media has plummeted since the rise of social media has made it possible for Iranians to access information other than regime propaganda. During the floods last month, official regime reports downplayed the severity of the disaster even as people in 25 out of 31 provinces saw significant damage from the floods. Officials gave false numbers of casualties and damages and made claims of recovery efforts that had not taken place. People turned to social media for truthful reporting of the floods. The regime’s judiciary responded to the public’s loss of confidence by threatening those who published information about the floods. A number of Internet activists were subsequently arrested.

Regime Arrests 28 People for Reporting News about #IranFloods https://t.co/KwU6WSTA8T #HumanRights #Iran #MEK @USAdarFarsi

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) April 17, 2019

An “Overt and Covert Role”

The regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security is taking measures to address the MEK’s growing influence in shaping the flow of information going in and out of Iran. The MOIS announced that it held an event in Mashhad to evaluate the “overt and covert role” of the MEK in social media platforms.

“Gathering Information”

 

Regime leaders, who for years claimed that the MEK had little influence within Iran, are now openly expressing their fears about the MEK’s ability to expose the regime’s corrupt and illegal acts through their powerful connections within the country and their growing online presence.

Regime Expresses Fear that MEK Will Overthrow Regime through Online Activism

Former IRGC member and current regime faction head Kan’ani Moghadam expressed his concerns about the MEK’s ability to uncover regime plots.

“They have infiltrated our apparatus inside the country, becoming very capable in gathering information,” he said. “The PMOI/MEK is monitoring all of our activities.”

“Spreading Disappointing News”

On Sunday, a member of Majlis (the regime’s parliament) voiced his concern that the MEK is effectively countering state propaganda and changing public opinion about the regime. The regime relies on propaganda to prevent widespread rebellion, so this is troubling news for those in power.

#Tehran Press news agency:
“If not 100 percent, the mentality of toppling [the regime], seen very active today in social media platforms, is very much influenced by the literature and terms of overthrowing that is used very vividly by the [PMOI/#MEK].https://t.co/xHc8cxGRqH

— MEKIran (@MEK_Iran) February 26, 2019

“Around 15 percent of the [Iranian regime dissidents] and the PMOI/MEK inside the country are active on social media,” he said. “They are spreading disappointing news about the Revolution and the state to influence public opinion.”

Staff writer

 

On Thursday, Iranian teachers in Tehran taking part in a peaceful protest in recognition of Teachers’ Day were attacked by security forces. The teachers had gathered outside of the Ministry of Education building in response to a nationwide call to protest from teachers unions.

#Iran: Teachers Protest in Dozens of Cities and Towns Against Plunder and Repression by Mullahs' Regime
Condemn the repressive regime and take urgent action for the release of detained teachers pic.twitter.com/3ZQiSy72kl

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 2, 2019

The protesting teachers and educational support workers carried handmade signs reading: “Imprisoned teachers must be freed.”

“Imprisoned workers must be freed.”

“Your pain is our pain, people must rise up and join us.”

Teachers’ Day demonstrations took place in dozens of Iranian cities on Thursday, as Iran’s teachers used the annual holiday to renew their demands for better pay, benefits, and working conditions; to call for free, quality education for every child; and to once again demand the release of their jailed colleagues.

Nationwide Protests

Protests took place in the cities of Isfahan, Divandareh, Tabriz, Mallard, Karaj, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Qazvin, Marivan, Urmia, Yazd, Homayounshahr, Sari, Khorrmabad, Mahabad, Mashhad, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Kurdistan, Ardebil, and Javanroud, according to MEK sources inside Iran. Teachers in a number of cities are believed to have joined the protests after the MEK prepared the initial list. Teachers in these cities gathered outside of their local Ministry of Education buildings to protest.

 

Teachers and educational support workers in Kermanshah chanted, “Majlis [the regime’s parliament] and the government do not care about the teachers.”

 

Teachers in Hamadan held handmade signs reading: “Imprisoned teachers must be freed.”

 

“Stop privatizing schools and education.”

“Children must receive a free and quality education.”

“We demand decent pay for our work.”

Teachers in Mallard carried posters and placards which read: “Free education is the right of every child.”

“We demand salary and wages above the poverty line for teachers and pensioners.”

Unanswered Demands

Iranian teachers have protested dozens of times over the past year in response to substandard pay and working conditions and lack of freedom to advocate for themselves and their students. Iran’s teachers launched nationwide strikes in October 2018, November 2018, and March 2019. The regime refuses to address their concerns and arrested many of the organizers of the strikes.

 

The teachers have made a list of their unmet demands, which include:

 

• better wages;
• free education for every child;
• respect for the rights of minorities;
• the cancellation of several government plans that push Iranian education workers further into poverty;
• an end to temporary contracts.

 

Thursday’s attack comes a day after 35 protesters were arrested by Iranian security forces while participating in a peaceful demonstration in honor of International Labour Day.

Maryam Rajavi’s Response

 

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) saluted the protesting teachers for standing up against the repressive regime and its forces. She tweeted:

 

“Teachers’ protests and their stand against repressive rgm forces showed public anger & disgust at religious dictatorship and demand for change; ‘People join us, our problem is your problem,’ ‘Teachers are imprisoned, extortionists are free’
#Iran”

 

She also called on international human rights groups and teachers’ unions to take action to secure the release of imprisoned teachers in Iran, tweeting:

I call on #Iran people, specially students, to support teachers and their rightful demands. International human rights orgs & teachers unions worldwide should condemn clerical rgm & take urgent action to freed detained and imprisoned teachers

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) May 2, 2019

“I call on #Iran people, especially students, to support teachers and their rightful demands. International human rights orgs & teachers unions worldwide should condemn clerical rgm & take urgent action to freed detained and imprisoned teachers”.

Staff writer

 

 

 

 

According to regime officials, a total of 28 people have been arrested for reporting news about the recent deadly floods that have devastated Iran.

Arrests in Khuzestan Province

 

24 Internet activists were arrested in Khuzestan Province for their role in publishing news of the floods in the province, according to the head of provincial cyber police, Shahin Hassanvand. Khuzestan was one of the provinces hit hardest by the disaster, and regime officials have withheld vital information about casualties and damage to the region. The news that has been provided has been patently false.

 

A report aired on the state-run ISNA news agency claimed that the activists were arrested for disturbing “public opinion by spreading news and rumors on the floods.”

 

Hassanvand described the process through which the police hunted down the publishers. “Due to the publication of rumors and fake news on the internet which has led to insecurity in the community’s psychological climate, experts of the police forces monitored social platforms and identified 24 internet users who published deviating news and rumors about the flood and disturbed public opinion.” He also noted that the publishers have been referred to the regime’s Judiciary for prosecution.

Arrests in Tehran

The head of the Cyber Police in Khuzestan said that 24 internet activists were identified and detained for reporting on the devastating floods in the southwestern province, #iran, according to the judiciary’s news agency Mizan Online.

https://t.co/c6tuGCtv8U

— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) April 15, 2019

The previous week, four people were arrested in Tehran for “spreading rumors” about the regime’s incompetence in its response to the flood, according to the Capital city’s Chief of Police.

A Threat to Security

The Iranian regime has done everything in its power to prevent its people from seeing the full extent of the destruction from the floods and witnessing the colossal failure of the regime’s response in its aftermath. This has proved to be impossible. At least 25 out of Iran’s 31 provinces sustained heavy damage due to the floods, and survivors of the disaster shared videos and pictures on social media of the flood. Public confidence in official reports about the flood eroded quickly as anger mounted over the regime’s failure to provide emergency aid.

 

In late March, as floods raged across the country, regime Attorney General Jafar Montazeri announced that publishing “fake” news (information contrary to official regime reports) about the floods was a violation of national security and that those found in violation would be dealt with for “disrupting the security of the country.”

#IranFloods April 13 #Ahvaz W #Iran

Following the protest of the stricken area to the Iranian regime’s incompetence in dealing with the floods, the regime brought armoured vehicle to the streets fearing of rising protests. pic.twitter.com/AwEpNZIZQ9

— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) April 13, 2019

Human rights groups report that another 11 relief workers were arrested in Khuzestan by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Another 22 rescue workers were arrested in Khuzestan by MOIS agents. The regime has banned all non state-sanctioned aid to flood victims.

Growing Protests

 

Residents of flood-stricken areas have greeted regime officials and IRGC forces who have attempted to visit with angry protests. The regime has responded to these protests with suppressive actions.

 

According to reports from MEK sources inside Iran and videos shared on social media, the regime sent security forces to suppress dissent in Khuzestan in response to protests in the Eyn-e Do and Shelang Abad regions in Ahvaz. Other reports indicate that troops from the Fatemiyoun Division, which is comprised of Afghan nationals, were dispatched to Poldokhtar, which was destroyed in the floods.

90 Flood Deaths in One Western Iranian City, According to Internal Police Report

During the floods, Iranians in some areas were stranded on rooftops for days waiting for a rescue that never came. Entire villages were left without food or drinking water. People in Shiraz were left to pull bodies out of the flooded streets. During the final wave of flooding, the regime called for evacuations, but it didn’t tell people where or how to evacuate.

 

Finally, the Iranian government is sending troops to the areas that were destroyed by floods. The regime clearly has the resources to send people and equipment quickly when it feels it is necessary. But even now, with the country in ruins, the mullahs aren’t providing aid. The troops haven’t arrived with boats and supplies. They have come with tanks and guns. And the people are angry.

Staff writer

 

Angry locals in Ahvaz took to the streets on Friday to demonstrate the regime’s lack of action following widespread flooding.

Videos published through MEK network shows protestors gathered in Eyn-e Do, western Ahvaz. Protestors chanted, “they wanted to dishonor us, but we will not be dishonored.” The regime opened dams which allowed floodwaters to wash over their farmland, homes, and businesses. The local population had limited resources and were unable to make flood barriers to protect their assets and livelihoods.

April 12 – Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, southwest #Iran
People are celebrating after successfully maintaining their local flood barriers & protecting their property from advancing floods.#IranFloods pic.twitter.com/k5ky9XkiRo

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 12, 2019

The protestors demanded that the regime redirect the water into Hawizeh Marshes to alleviate the flooding. The regime is refusing to do so to protect its oil interests in the area.

The social and cultural deputy of the repressive Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Mohamad Rezi Naghdi, was visiting Ahvaz and became the object of the protestors’ ire. They chanted: “Get lost, Ahvaz will remain free,” and, “Khuzestan has been swept away by water while officials sleep.”

Locals Feel Like They Have been Abandoned by the Government

Locals have had to rely on community-led projects for assistance. The state-run media outlets falsely reported that the regime has provided assistance to local communities. However, this has not been the case.

The regime has not used the many boats, helicopters, warehouses, shelters and other resources at its disposal to help the victims. Instead, it has used its Basij forces and IRGC to stifle protests and political dissent.

April 14 – Hamidiyeh, Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, southwest #Iran
Locals are seen marching, protesting the regime's inaction in response to recent floods.#IranFloods pic.twitter.com/13Vda0e3Y5

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 13, 2019

The regime has not even acknowledged the more than 200 Iranians that have lost their lives in the flooding. They remain ardent that the death count is far lower. If the regime will not even acknowledge the full extent of the damage, then it will not make the necessary arrangements to help with the cleanup, rescue, and housing of all the flood’s victims.

The Iranian opposition, the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), also revealed that the regime’s mismanagement was responsible for exacerbating the flood damage. This was echoed by the country’s Inspection Organization. Naser Saraj, the organization’s head asserted that “mistakes and man-made elements” has contributed to the damage and loss of life.

The regime failed to adequately dredge the draining system left Ahvaz and other towns and cities vulnerable to flooding. This, coupled with unmitigated construction in areas prone to flooding, led to swathes of Ahvaz and Khuzestan province being submerged in the muddy floodwaters.

The regime must be held responsible, both for its incompetence, and its inadequate response to the flooding.

Staff writer