lATEST REPORTS FROM The Bridge Journal #7

• Four Year Sentence for Hassan Salamat

Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced Hassan Salamat, a sociology PhD student at Tehran University, to four years’ imprisonment. Salamat was among the large group of activists arrested after the presidential election.

Student’s rights group HRA reports that at a hearing held last week the prosecutor’s representative agreed to the objections made to the indictment by defense lawyer Mohammad Oliyai-fard. Nervertheless, Judge Pour-Abbas found Salamat guilty of the charges of this indictment and sentenced him to four years in prison. The charges against Salamat include propagating aganist the regime and conspiracy to disrupt national security.

Hassan Salamat was under the watch of security forces before the elections for activities during his bachelor degree studies. During the election-related crisis, he was arrested because he was suspected of having contact with two other activists, Zia Nabavi and Majid Dori.
Although Hessam Salamat was the top student in the PhD entrance exam for studying sociology at Tehran University, he was banned from pursuing his studies after interference by the Faculty of Sociology chair as well as external security elements. Since than he had been active in a committee formed to advocate the education rights of banned star students.

During the 10th presidential electoral campaign when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the existence of any banned star students, this committee made considerable protest by compiling a list of students deprived from continuing their studies and assembling in front of the Ministry of Higher Education. This action led to the arrest of a number of committee members, including Ziaeddin Nabavi, Majid Dori, Shiva Nazarahari and Hassan Salamat. Salamat was detained in Ward 209 of Evin prison for two months and had been released on $200,000 bail.

His lawyer, Mohammad Oliaei-Fard has announced that he will definitely be presenting a formal objection to the court's latest verdict.

• Guards Threaten to Punish Activists Outside Iran

In a speech, published in pro-government Kayhan newspaper, Massoud Jazaeri said that protesters who questioned the June presidential elections and held another rally on November 4, are acting in a “plot” and “American-British coup” and that “a large number of individuals involved in the plot have been identified and will be confronted in time.”

Jazaeri also stressed that, “despite being patient, the Islamic Republic of Iran could not allow agents of regime change and the soft coup to plot against it, and that if forced, will create “serious challenges for agents of the coup outside the country.” He did not elaborate as to what these “serious challenges” may entail.

It should be noted that in the first two decades of its foundation, the Islamic Republic of Iran was accused of numerous assassinations of prominent opposition figures outside Iran.

Jazaeri also warned against what he called “negative propaganda” and interference by Western media on the anniversary of the take over of the American embassy in Tehran, and accusing them of “creating a forged atmosphere”, instigating and encouraging “dissident” behaviour by Iranian citizens.

This threat of “creating a serious challenge for the supporters of Iran’s green movement outside Iran” takes place after similar remarks on November 4 by Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, commander of Iran’s law enforcement forces, stressing that law enforcement forces would “confront seriously any steps taken to overthrow the regime,” and warned those outside Iran against ignoring the laws of the Islamic Republic. Moghadam had said: “Some political movements are trying to create problems for the police because of the force’s confrontation with saboteurs to establish peace and order. These individuals, inside and outside the country, are not mindful of the law and want to hold rallies without legal permits while the police carries out its legal duties.”

Basirat, a website belonging to the political office of the Pasdaran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) named five movements and a number of Iranians outside the country as “leaders of the green coup outside Iran.” According to this website, parallel to the psychological war headquarters of the coup group inside Iran, a command center for foreign based activists “has begun its propaganda and destructive activities with double intensity.”

The five groups supporting the green movement outside the country named on the website are “secular intellectuals”, “journalists,” “student activists,” “artists” - as the four movements since the June 2009 elections. The fifth group are “pro-monarchists, infidels, veteran counter-revolutionaries, members of the Mojahedin Khalq organization and other counter-revolutionary groups. The IRGC classifies each group. The first comprises “secular intellectuals who are fundamentally against religious rule and the Islamic governance and view the Islamic republic to be a paradoxical phenomenon”, the second group, in its view, is made up of “reformist media journalists who controlled the media during Khatami’s administration.” Student activists who emigrated to the West in the last decade, “pro-monarchists” and other counter-revolutionary groups are also identified.

The report on the website stresses the “support that these groups have provided to the main opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi before and after the contested June 12 presidential elections and claims that the “announced anti-revolutionary stances of these groups have never been repudiated by Moussavi, Karoubi and Khatami. One may conclude that the positions of these groups are the positions of the domestic perpetrators of the green coup, including Mousavi, Karroubi and Khatami.”

The political office of the IRGC claims that “because the laws of the Islamic republic do not allow these groups [protesting candidates and the leaders of the Green movement] to openly express their views,” the foreign branches of these groups express their views under the secure protection provided to them by Western countries. This report names Shirin Ebadi, Mohsen Kadivar, Ataollah Mohajerani, Abdol-Karim Soroosh, Mohsen Sazegara and Mohsen Makhmalbaf as the key leaders of the Green movement outside Iran. It also says there are a large number of Iranians who because of their beliefs and activities have not only supported the protest movement after the elections but also engaged in activities against the Islamic Republic. Personal weblogs, political websites and Internet social networks are claimed to be the media that is “directed from outside the country.”

• Combat Enemy’s “Psychological Operations”

The Deputy of the Supreme Command of the IRGC forces announced two days ago the creation of two “central” and “supreme” commands to combat what it calls “psychological operations of the enemy.” Massoud Jazaeri who is among the hardline military commanders supporting the coup administration that came to office in June 12 of 2009, did not reveal details on the nature and organization of these two commands but said that they would be operational soon.

Jazaeri has in the past been criticized by supporters of the green movement for his remarks on what he called the “green coup” and his advocacy of confronting the “leaders of the conspiracy” (a reference to Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi) made this announcement just a month after the organization under his command held a seminar titled “Seminar on Psychological and Media Operations” in the auditorium of the state-run national radio and television organization. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad participated in the inauguration of this seminar and spoke of the need to “confront the leaders of the soft war).

The seminar was held on October 11 2009 but did not receive much domestic or international media coverage at the time because of the exceptional political and social conditions in the country. Political experts have said that the presence of key media personalities that support the coup administration, including the head of Fars and IRNA news agencies, demonstrated the collaboration that was taking place during the seminar proceedings.

During the seminar, Ahmadinejad spoke of the need for media readiness to deal with the “soft war” adding that “psychological operations focused exclusively on ears and eyes”. In his remarks two days ago, Jazaeri said “The cause for the enemy’s rise in soft operations is the planning for the big coup the foundation for which was laid years ago and which emerged during (the last) presidential elections. The media are viewed as the key tools in the psychological operations of the enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Jazaeri’s reference to “some media outlets” comes at a time when the reformist news website Jonbeshe Rah Sabz (green movement) reported that the government planned to launch some 100 media outlets to confront the green movement. According to this website among 100 websites and news agencies, five principal media outlets support the coup administration, namely Kayhan newspaper, Javan newspaper, Raja news agency, IRNA news agency, and Fars news agency, providing primary information while other sites engage in developing and distributing the analysis and instructions of these five coup organs.

According to this news report, the following agencies are are among those supporting the coup administration, created to fight the “soft war” and “the enemy’s psychological operations”:

Fars, Raja, Jahan news agency, IRNA, Vahed Markazi Khabar (Central News Unit), Iranian student news bulletin (created to wrestle with the news bulletin of students from Polytechnic University), Hayat, Ansar News, Borna News (news agency for the youth of Islamic Iran), Tavana (news club for young journalists of Fars news agency), Markaz Asnade Engelab Eslami (News Site of the Center of Islamic Revolution Documents), Deylam News, Tribune, Shii News, Sepah News, Kanoon Andishe, Resane News Center, Plak News, Sajed site, Bulletin News, Jam news, Mowood News Center, Rasad News, Shabake Khabar Daneshjoo (Student Network News), Paygahe Khabari Amaliyat Ravani (Psychological Operations News Center), Paygahe Khabari Nezamabad (Nezamabad News Center), Paygahe Khabari Zalin (Zalin News Center), Dowlat News (Government News), Saye News, Gerdab, Ghalam Press (Pen Press), Ravayat News, Dana News, Khadem News, Kowsar News, Rahe Raja, Mardomyar, Paygahe Khabari Game Sevom (Third Step News Center), Sahar News, Jana News Center etc

Experts believe that despite the repeated calls by media supporters of the coup administration to confront the “psychological soft war and psychological operations of the enemy”, which was followed up with the launching of a slew of news sites and news agencies and the organization of numerous seminars with the same message and statements, it appears that the imminent launching of the commands that Jazaeri has mentioned this week, these operations which bring much economic and security benefits to their operators, will grow further in volume.

• Iran’s Head of Broadcasting Reinstated for Five More Years

The Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader has reinstated Ezzatollah Zarghami as head of Iran’s state radio and television broadcasting IRIB for another five years. In his meeting with Zarghami three weeks ago, Ayatollah Khamenei had criticized his performance and last week he again openly criticized the state radio and television broadcasting for their “inadequate” propaganda in support of Ahmadinejad’s administration.

The Supreme Leader’s directive reads: “The current strengths of radio-television, along with its weaknesses must continuously be scrutinized by yourself and other managers of the organization, never weakening in your resolve to improve performance and remove obstacles.” The Supreme Leader’s reinstatement order of Zarghami ends with this sentence: “It is expected for signs of change to be visible during your first year in charge.”

This order is issued one month after Jam-e Jam daily quoted an “informed source” who had claimed in an interview with the conservative Jahan website that Zarghami will be reinstated in his post. Noting “some issues related to recent controversies and their implications,” the source claimed that Zarghami’s reinstatement was certain and announced that it would soon be publicized. A four week delay before public notice led some to speculate about the head of IRIB’s restatement.

Following the delay, Jam-e Jam daily, IRIB’s mouthpiece, published a report on 14 October entitled “The head of IRIB’s Meeting with the Supreme Leader,” quoting the website Alef: “Zarghami’s reinstatement is finalized. Following yesterday’s meeting of seyyed Ezatollah Zarghami with the revolutionary leader, and the leader’s remarks regarding the strengths and weaknesses of IRIB under Zarghami’s management, his reinstatement for another five year term was finalized.
Jam-e Jam added, “Zarghami agreed with the Supreme Leader’s evaluation of the IRIB’s performance as precise and noted the implementation of his proposals to be in the best interests of the organization.”

Three days later, on 17 October Jam-e Jam published a front-page editorial under the title, “Zarghami’s account of meeting with Supreme Leader” quoting Zarghami as saying: “This meeting was…warm, intimate and full of father-and-son type love and affection, and afforded an opportunity to reveal the hidden nature of some weaknesses to pave the way for the continuation of our path.”

Despite all the groundwork, Zarghami’s reinstatement was still not published until a further three weeks when Ayatollah Khamenei officially reinstated him. Although the nature of Supreme Leader’s “criticisms” are not yet revealed, some analysts speculate that the Khamnei expects the IRIB to be more in line with the Ahmadinejad administration.

• “We Will Control the Internet Even More”

In the post election turmoil Iranian government agencies made every effort to prevent access to information from the worldwide Web. As if this was not enough, security and military officials have now entered the scene and are formally threatening Internet providers.

Ahmadi-Moghadam, Iran’s police chief, told ISNA student news agency at a seminar on drug control yesterday that one of the duties of law enforcement agencies was to strictly control cyber and virtual space.

In his interview the police chief mentioned the battle against what he called the “infected” cyber space and Web: “In addition to a shortage of state laws on this subject, many individuals, including those who wish to portray themselves as intellectuals, are against the control of cyber media and the cyber space while this sphere can be the area for many crimes. Because of this, this sphere the control of cyberspace must be pursued more rigorously and it appears that stronger steps are envisioned for this in the fifth development plan.”

The chief of police did not explain in his interview what the crimes in this sphere are and confined his remarks to threatening Internet operators, while introducing greater access restrictions to them. This is taking place despite the fact that after the election coup, in addition to working professionals at newspapers, some 10 journalists working for domestic virtual media have been arrested and sent to prison.

Information coming from Tehran indicates that security agencies have sent threatening emails and text messages, and asked Internet carriers to refrain from exchanging information that is detrimental to the government. In recent weeks numerous emails have been sent to Internet operators with this message: “Dear operator, you are currently operating illegally and against national interest in cyberspace and should you continue these activities you will be identified as a criminal according to computer criminal laws and will be dealt with accordingly.”

In addition, according to news reports, some Internet operators have been threatened through text messaging and warned that they would be legally confronted. One such text message that has been obtained by Rooz Online goes like this: “Dear citizen, according to information we have received, you are the victim of anti state propaganda of media affiliated with foreigners; should you participate in any illegal gathering or be in contact with foreign media, you will be dealt with in accordance with articles 489, 499, 500, 508, 514, 609, 610, and 698, of Islamic Punishment Law."

• Ahmadinejad’s Reprisal Continues

The arrest of foreigner nationals picked up unprecedented momentum in Iran after the electoral coup in Iran, parallel with the arrest of Iranian citizens by security agencies. Now Tehran’s general and revolutionary prosecutor has charged the three American’s detained in Iran near the Iraqi border with espionage.

Abbas Jaafari Dowlatabadi told state run IRNA news agency: “The charges against the three American detainees is espionage. The investigation is of course still continuing and more information will be provided soon.” Following the arrest of three Americans in August 2009, Allaedin Borujerdi, the head of the Majlis national security committee told an Iranian Arab language television station Al-Alam, affiliated to IRIB, that the arrest of these Americans was in response to the arrest of a number of Iranian officials in Iraq by the US. He added “I don’tt believe Americans expect that the case of these three individuals will be resolved soon.”

Prior to the statements by the Majlis representative, Iran’s disputed president Ahmadinejad had also told the BBC when he was in New York, that, “The release of three American climbers may be tied to the release of a number of Iranian citizens that have been arrested by the US in Iraq.” These remarks come when the Iranians that had been detained by US forces in Iraq have been released, therefore it was expected that the Americans would also be released. But on 7 October 2009 Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced that Iran had in its possession documents that showed the US to have a hand in the disappearance of an Iranian in Saudi Arabia. Raising such issues has further delayed a decision on the Americans. In this regard, Mottaki said, “These documents show that the US is responsible for the arrest and detention of Shahram Amiri .

• Protest against execution of Kurdish political activist

Tens of people in Sanadaj joined a street demonstration to protest the hanging of Ehsan Fattahian, the young Iranian political activist. According to reports the march was suppressed by security forces and the crowd was dispersed.

Ehsan Fatahian was hanged on Wednesday morning and according to Kurdistan Human Rights Watch, his remains were buried in his birthplace of Kermanshah without his family’s knowledge. He was reportedly buried in the “farthest corner” of the cemetery in an unidentified plot.

While Ehsan Fattahian was primarily convicted of “activities against national security” for his collaboration with a Kurdish Party and sentenced to ten years imprisonment in exile, in an appeals court he was also accused of "moharebeh" (armed combat) and thus given a sentence of execution.

In a letter written by Fattahian prior to his execution, he writes that before increasing his sentence from ten years’ imprisonment, security officials had put him under pressure to do a video interview to “confess to deeds which he had not committed” and “renounce his own beliefs.” According to this letter (see The Bridge no.5), Ehsan Fattahian was told that if he refused to do the interview, he would be hanged.

Numerous activists as well as the Fattahian family had called on the judiciary to stop his execution, maintaining that a glance at the file would have changed the fate of their son by revealing the unjust circumstances of his conviction, but the judiciary remained silent on the issue. Amnesty International condemned the execution of Ehsan Fattahian. The human rights group had urged Iranian judiciary to stop the execution of Fattahian and two other individuals in the Kurdistan region of Iran.

Since the start of the post-election protests in June, 150 people have been executed in Iran. Ehsan Fattahian is the first person to be executed in the post-election events for political crimes. 12 other Kurdish political prisoners are currently on death row. Amnesty International reports that 346 people were executed in Iran last year placing Iran in the second place for the highest number of state executions in the world.

• Iran Protests Oxford’s Neda Agha-Soltan Bursary

The Iranian Embassy in Britain criticized Oxford University’s establishment of a scholarship in the name of Neda Agha-Soltan, the young woman who was shot to death in the post-election events in Iran.

Neda Agha-Soltan who became a symbol of the Iranian people’s protests against the alleged injustice in the elections and their general demand for reform in their country, was shot on the streets of Tehran during the government’s crackdown on mass demonstrations. The last moments of the young philosophy student that were captured on a cell phone camera and posted on YouTube, were viewed by people all across the world.

Oxford University's Queen’s College announced that “two generous” gifts have allowed it to establish the Neda Agha-Soltan graduate scholarship in the philosophy department. The scholarship is open to all, but Iranians Head of Iran National Broadcasting Targets Opposition Leaders

Ezzatollah Zarghami, Head of Iran's national television and radio broadcasting, Seda va Sima, charged Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the disputing candidates of the June presidential elections of trying to secure a television spot to incite people to join street protest.

• Iran Protests Oxford’s Neda Agha-Soltan Bursary

The Iranian Embassy in Britain criticized Oxford University’s establishment of a scholarship in the name of Neda Agha-Soltan, the young woman who was shot to death in the post-election events in Iran.

Neda Agha-Soltan who became a symbol of the Iranian people’s protests against the alleged injustice in the elections and their general demand for reform in their country, was shot on the streets of Tehran during the government’s crackdown on mass demonstrations. The last moments of the young philosophy student that were captured on a cell phone camera and posted on YouTube, were viewed by people all across the world.

Oxford University's Queen’s College announced that “two generous” gifts have allowed it to establish the Neda Agha-Soltan graduate scholarship in the philosophy department. The scholarship is open to all, but Iranians Head of Iran National Broadcasting Targets Opposition Leaders

Ezzatollah Zarghami, Head of Iran's national television and radio broadcasting, Seda va Sima, charged Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the disputing candidates of the June presidential elections of trying to secure a television spot to incite people to join street protests against the outcome of the elections. Zarghami maintained that such a message would have been contrary to Seda va Sima's objective which is to "establish a stable social atmosphere and help society out of its instability." Seda va Sima has been functioning as a powerful tool for the Islamic Republic especially in the past five months, by portraying election protesters as "a bunch of rioters". It has made every effort in its programming to paint Moussavi and Karroubi along with their supporters as a group of foreign-backed conspirators. Zarghami claims that the "riots" which Mir Hossein Moussavi “lost control of”, caused the death of some people and if the television network had announced these deaths at the time, it would have caused "instability". The opposition has accused Seda va Sima of biased coverage of the post-election events and repeated slandering of reformists.
candidates will be given priority.

AFP reports that a letter from the Iranian Embassy states that Oxford University’s actions are “politically motivated”. “They maintain that giving a scholarship in the name of “a murdered Iranian woman” who was killed in “a complicated pre-planned scenario” is established to attract Iranian students. It seems University of Oxford has involved itself in a criminal file the dimensions of which remain under investigation by the security forces of the Islamic Republic. The involvement of Oxford University in Iran’s internal affairs, especially in the post-election events that British media had a major role in, has tarnished the academic reputation and educational objectives of the University.”

The Iranian establishment has tried to deny responsibility for the death of Neda Agha-Soltan that moved people all across the world. Her death has been called “suspicious” by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and hardliner Ahmad Khatami has claimed that protesters were the perpetrators of her death.

• Iran's Haft Tappeh Union Members Imprisoned

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports the imprisonment of four members of the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company .

Fereydoon Nikofard, Jalil Ahmadi, Gorban Alipour and Mohammad Heidarimehr have been transferred to Dezfool prison to serve their sentence, according to International Campaign for Human Rights reports.

Spokesman for the Campaign, Hadi Ghaemi declared that the arrest of these union members confirms that Iran as a member of the International Labour Organization is in violation of the Organization's rules and does not provide workers with their labour rights.

The Haft Tappeh Workers Union was established in 2008 with 5000 members and became affiliated with the international worker's union, IUF.

In a letter in October, the members of Haft Tappeh Union called on the International Labour Organization to pressure the Islamic Republic into living up to its committments as an ILO member by recognizing their right to form an independent union and stopping the persecution of their members and leaders.

Hadi Ghaemi maintains that prosecution of union members for the mere charge of establishing a union could result in “an increase in dissatisfaction, social unrest and the isolation of Iran from the international community”.

The Islamic Republic has a history of persecuting labour union members. Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi of Tehran’s Transit Union and Hashem Khawstar, Rasoul Bedaghi and Jafar Ebrahimi from the Teacher’s Union are amongst people who have been arrested and imprisoned by Iranian authorities for labour activism.

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran urges Islamic Republic officials to drop the charges against labour union members and release them.

• Kahrizak Continues to Take Victims As Prison Physician Commits Suicide

Dr Ramin Pourarzjani, who spent his military service as a physician at Kahrizak prison, committed suicide following events after the Kahrizak scandals were recently revealed.

While accusations of brutal beatings of prisoners by the police force remain unquestioned and Judge Mortazavi is delaying reports of the parliament’s investigation committee by pressurizing MPs, Ramin Pourarzjani, a 26 year old physician, was charged with medical negligence regarding those who died at Kahrizak and threatened with annulment of his medical license and a five year jail sentence.

Following the disclosure of the atrocities that happened at Kahrizak detention center (known as the Iranian Guantanamo Bay), a case was brought up in the judges’ military court against the former Tehran prosecutor general and deputy chief of police–who was directly responsible for the incidents at this detention center—and the judiciary officials vowed to process this case as soon as possible. But similar to most other law suits against the judiciary and police officials in recent years, the accused were not questioned or tried. Instead other charges were presented against newly accused people, believed to have been fabricated to mislead the case. New victims were found and the doctor on duty at Kahrizak was one of them.

Before this, during the events at Tehran University’s dormitories and the events that put the country into crisis for a week, only one police officer was impeached for the theft of a razor blade. All other officials whose alleged involvement was mentioned in the security council’s report, were acquitted.

The same goes in the cases of those accused of serial killings. But Mohammad Khatami’s insistence on “detaching this infected tumor of the [intelligence] ministry” ultimately led to the detention of Saeed Emami; needless to say, that he, too, due to the so-called suicide with cleansing drug, was prevented from thoroughly revealing his accomplices.

Meanwhile, although the suicide of a doctor and serviceman is a suspicious point in the case of the accused in the events at Kahrizak, the suicide of a person who has witnessed firsthand the atrocities inflicted on the detainees and is able to identify the culprits to the public at any moment, is all the more suspect.

A serious question remains:
While people like Behzad Nabavi are charged with acting against national security by disrupting traffic in Tehran in participating in demonstrations and are locked in solitary confinement and multiple indictments are read against them in the court, how is it possible that those directly responsible for the martyrdom of Iranian youth to have so much power that not only do they preclude the reading of the fact-finding committee’s report in the parliament, but discharge themselves of any allegations and by influence hinder the publication of reports pertinent to this case?

The public will not forget that the political detainees of recent events were mostly incarcerated one or two days after the election, and up until the election day, all their activities were legal, even according to the then incumbent administration. Then, within two days, a multipage indictment is read for these individuals, and state-run radio and television does not hold back from hailing any charges at them at all. Yet, those responsible for killing our youth are capable of distract from a case to such an extent that in the end, the court claims that there is not enough evidence for convicting the accused.

This is a process that has recurred time and again in our country’s judiciary system, and it seems that there is no determination whatsoever to change this unjust, illegal and illegitimate activity.

Norouz website reports that Pourarzjani was an outstanding student admitted to university with a two digit rank in the national entrance exam. He is the first victim of the closed courts who was interrogated and accused of the incidents that took place in the detention center.

• Municipality Workers of Khoramshahr On Strike

Municipality workers in Khoramshahr went on strike in objection to the city’s state of poor health. Ayandeh news site reported that the strike related to the non-collection of garbage in the city of Khorramshahr. Based on Herana news agency reports quoting from Mardomak , the garbage issue and the disastrous health consequences of this crisis have occured in Khorramshahr though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has declared himself the city’s governor.

During his tour of the provinces Ahmadinejad at a gathering of protestors in Khoramshahr on 24 May declared: “I am among you and have personally decided to be at your service as a governor and therefore will be able to follow up on this matter as soon as possible."

The citizens of Khoramshahr face health problems while propaganda for the prevention of increasing microbes and the development of warnings and health measures for diseases and illnesses in the country have intensified especially with regard to influenza type A(N1H1). Last year on 11 December staff and workers of Khoramshahr went on strike for non payment of salaries overdue by more than four months. This year drivers of the city’s transportation system went on strike on 27 October in protest of four months’ of overdue salaries. Around 350 workers of the ship-building company Bahrakan have also voiced their demands, gathering in front of the governor’s office following the closure of the company’s industrial units, demanding that something be done about their unemployment.

In Khoramshahr people live in a city where they must buy drinking water in barrels, tolerate open sewers and the threat of disease carrying dogs. Ahmadinejad’s visit in May was greeted with a cold welcome from people. They carried "Only Lies" placards, while he announced that a project for transferring clean water from the Karkhe basin to Khoramshahr is making good progress.

• More Executions as Government Tool for Silencing Opposition

Under the title "Iran Executes Kurdish Activist Who Was Accused of ‘Armed Struggle’” the New York Times explained how Ehsan Fattahian was executed on Wednesday in Sanandaj prison, quoting his lawyer Nasrollah Nasseri and commenting that the execution appears to be part of government efforts to “extinguish” the opposition’s protest to the results of the presidential election.
This article published on 11 November, reported that ethnic groups have also intensified their protests since the beginning of protests and that at least four senior officials – the Friday Imam of the city of Sanandaj, Sanandaj’s representative in the Assembly of Experts, a judge and a member of the city association, had been assassinated.

In a letter before his execution, Ehsan Fattahian wrote that opposition in Kurdistan province would not end with his death, and that his death and thousands others like him, does not solve the Kurdish problem, but intensifies the flames of fire. The New York Times wrote that many Iranians and human rights groups are concerned that the government would put into action more executions to silence the opposition that despite the government's harshness remains active.

• Jannati: “The problem has gone beyond the elections and is now the Islamic Regime

Tehran’s Friday [prayers] Imam on Friday thanked people for participating in 4 November (Student Day) demonstrations in greater numbers than ever:: "If the regime and revolution are to remain, the fight with the enemy is always there and flag of this fight with the US should always be flown.”

Ayatollah Jannati said: "We cannot simply stop and show America the green light. America is the enemy of the regime and that’s exactly what she wants. I am amazed that some people do not understand the facts or pretend that they don’t. When US Congress allocates $ 55 million to undermining the Islamic Republic, what does that mean? The Islamic Republic system symbolizes people and a spiritual system and allocating this budget means war with God and people. Some people think they can separate people from the foundations of the Islamic Republic’s position. They are mistaken and those who undertake this should be punished to understand what they are doing.”

Jannati added: “The problem has gone beyond the elections and is now the regime and it does not have the power to get along with its own enemy. Americans, enemies of the regime, the foolish elements and planners of this intrigue, just as you increase the intrigue, the ranks of people will increase and that’s the reason that people participated in Student Day on 4 November in greater numbers than ever. According to the Quran the existence of the enemy brings stability, strength and unity. In history all God's messengers had enemies and their friends were there for them and faced the enemies. This is a spiritual tradition that exists now.”

• Funeral Ceremony for Ehsan Fattahian Banned

Human Rights Watch’s reported news from Kurdistan:
Ehsan Fattahian’s funeral was cancelled following pressure from security agents of Kermanshah. A day after the execution of political activist Ehsan Fattahian at Sanandaj Central Prison and the secret burial of his body in Kermanshah Cemetery, his family announced that Ehsan's funeral would be on Friday afternoon at Baqiyatallah mosque of the “employee town of Kermanshah” but security forces made his family cancel the ceremony.

News of the cancellation of the ceremony came just one hour before it was due to start, not allowing time for Ehsan’s family to re-locate the ceremony and inform people. Security forces even prevented any notice from being posted at the mosque entrance.

Groups of Kermanshahi citizens who arrived at the mosque to participate in the ceremony faced closed doors and police threats and were forced to leave. But some student and civic activists of Kermanshah as well as the families of Kianoush Asa (Kurdish student who lost his life in post election events) and Farzad Kamangar (Kurdish political prisoner who has been sentenced to death) visited the home of one of the Ehsan's relatives and gave his family flowers and a photo of Ehsan with a Kurdish phrase in the middle of it. Photos of Kianoush and Farzad were carried by their mothers in sympathy with Ehsan's family. The presence of plainclothes agents around the house was evident and they even asked Ehsan's family to remove a card in the bunch of flowers that addressed Ehsan as a "martyr".