In the past few weeks, Iran's regime has added several new violations of human rights to its record. (See, for instance, Amnesty International's report.) Eighteen students belonging to the central council of Tahkim-e Vahdat, the main elected student political body, have been arrested on the anniversary of the attacks on Tehran University dormitories on July 9, 1999. Their office and homes were raided. Prison and other sentences were issued for women's rights campaigners. Bahareh Hedayat has been a member of both targetted groups. Human Rights First has more info and is asking for your support.

Today, Iran's state-run TV broadcast the first part of a program titled "In the Name of Democracy", which is nothing more than a televised "confession" of two Iranian-American academics, Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh, who were arrested a few month ago on (bogus) national security charges. They "confess" to having been involved in a "velvet revolution" project. The move is part of a well-coordinated propaganda campagin with well-rehearsed Goebbelsian tactics. The broadcast was advertised in advance. When it was met with criticism from human rights activists in Iran and the West, an additional "analysis" segment was aired that "questioned" why the program is being criticised -- "could it be that they are afraid of what it shows?"

So, where is this wicked charade going to end up?

Labels: human_rights, iran