Iran liberation 389

N° 389

News Bulletin of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

27 December 2015

United Against Fundamentalism, Role of Iranian Resistance

“United Against Fundamentalism-Role of Iranian Resistance”, a conference held in Auvers-sur-Oise on the eve of the International Human Rights Day, December 2015, at the initiative of the Iranian communities in Europe.

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n the eve of the International Human Rights Day and at the initiative of the Iranian communities in Europe, a conference, “United Against Fundamentalism-Role of Iranian Resistance” was held in Auvers-sur-Oise on December 8, 2015 to discuss continued human rights violations within Iran and to highlight the root of Islamic fundamentalism, elaborate on how the world must confront this evil phenomenon and how the Iranian resistance plays a key role in this battle.

The meeting included the NCRI’s President-Elect Maryam Rajavi, former U.S. Senator Joseph

Lieberman, and former Democratic nominee for Vice President, and Professor Alejo Vidal Quadras, former Vice President of the European Parliament.

Multiple human rights witnesses and representatives of the Iranian communities throughout Europe also addressed the meeting.

and equality.

Mrs. Rajavi, Senator Lieberman and Dr. Vidal Quadras placed flowers honoring those who have lost their lives in the struggle to bring freedom to Iranians. Over 120,000 are documented as being part of the resistance, including numerous political prisoners who were killed while being detained.

Martyrs from Camp Liberty were also honored.

The three walked through the exhibit, discussing the various individuals represented and how the struggle continues. “These meetings and the work that you do as part of the resistance send a

There was also an exhibition on the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses. In comments referencing the exhibition, Mrs. Rajavi noted that the Iranian nation is entitled “as a last resort to rebellion against tyranny and oppression” in their efforts to overthrow the religious dictatorship ruling Iran and to replace it with a government based on democracy, freedom,

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Editorial

Budget law requiring protection of Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty approved by U.S. Congress & Senate and signed by President Obama Page 5 UNHCR issues update on situation of Camp Liberty residents British MPs demand sanctions against human rights abusers in Iran News from inside Iran

Failure of the Iranian regime’s “red line”

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For more than three decades, the word Mojahedin/PMOI/MEK has been a “red line” inside Iran which requires bravery to cross. If one does, he will be charged with “Moharebeh” (War against God) and be executed or put in jail to be eliminated later at the right moment.

For years, the mullahs have pushed the NEXT PAGE

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Editorial people of Iran by force and through incessant demonization to damn the PMOI. Despite a ruthless crackdown, they have unquestionably failed to force people to turn their backs to the organization and in many cases they have even failed in silencing them.

On 3 December 2015, Dr. Mohammad Maleki, the first Head of Tehran University after Iran’s revolution in 1979, and a highly respected figure amongst many Iranians from different strata of the society shocked the mullahs by speaking out with great courage in the heart of capital in favour of the PMOI members in Camp Liberty.

In early December, a long-time supporter of the PMOI for more than four decades, Ms. Mehri Jannatpour passed away at the age of 82. She was a brave aging woman known as “Mother Da’ie”. Under the clerical regime she endured prison terms on three occasions and underwent brutal tortures for her support for the PMOI but never submitted to the regime’s pressures. She was indeed a brave voice to inspire many against Iran’s religious dictatorship.

Her son and daughter are members of the PMOI in Camp Liberty. Her deep faith in the PMOI’s struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran and her love for the honesty and wisdom of the organization’s leadership was known to many who attended the burial ceremony on 3 December 2015, including Dr. Maleki.

He said at Behesht-e-Zahra Cemetery of Tehran about “Mother Da’ie”: “What can I say about this woman? A human being who brought up her children and made them productive members of society. But she did not only have her own children; she also had children among those across the border [at Camp Liberty in Iraq], who face missile attacks, and experience thousands of challenges and problems. But, they are persevering as solid as a mountain. They are this mother’s children. How fortunate she was! “…. For over 50 years, both the Shah and the clerical regime tried to end this lineage [MEK].

But how can they succeed?

[Reciting a song by the MEK]: “You fired bullets, wielded axes, and targeted defenceless bodies. When you got nothing out of all this, you fired 80 missiles [at Camp Liberty on October 29, 2015] thinking that you can destroy it all. But be sure that just in a few short months from now, Camp Liberty will become even more beautiful, better and more gorgeous than it has ever been. This will be so as long as there are individuals who care for their people, and as long as there are people who cry out: “seek freedom from cradle to grave.” “…. Last night, too, I said at Mother Dashti’s funeral [Another brave mother like Mother Da’ie. Several members of her family have been executed] that there is no point to worry.

Despite all the existing problems, corruption and a ruling regime that breeds corruption, our society continues to give birth to many Zeynabs [sister of Shiite’s third Imam, Hussein, who died in 680 AD and is known as a symbol of bravery against tyrants] and Husseins.”

Aren’t these courageous words of Dr. Maleki in the heart of capital Tehran indicative of the regime’s failure in imposing its “red line”?

Indeed, these are strong signs of the deep ties which exist between the Iranian society and the PMOI members in Camp Liberty.

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Maryam Rajavi, NCRI President-elect

United Against Fundamentalism, Role of Iranian Resistance message to those in Camp Liberty and imprisoned in other areas in Iran that we are with them,” said Lieberman.

She then touched upon the “New Era” following November 13 tragedy in Paris and emphasized that as long as the manufacturers of terrorism function in Syria and Iraq, security measures and adopting more strict anti-terrorist laws, albeit necessary, will not be sufficient. The first step, she said, is to oust Bashar Assad and stop incessant breeding of terrorism.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi Mrs. Rajavi opened her remarks by honoring those who have worked to bring human rights violations to light and democratic freedoms to those in oppressed nations. “For the people of Iran this day is a reminder of 120,000 martyrs of PMOI “The very fact that a fundamentalist regime is in [MEK] and other victims of power in Tehran and the West appeases it despite execution under religious fascism including 30,000 its rogue conduct signals to Sunni fundamentalists prisoners massacred in that they can make the West deferential only if they 1988 and all the political prisoners executed in continue to resort to extremism and terrorism.” recent years, as well Maryam Rajavi as those slain in camps Ashraf and Liberty particularly the 24 freedom She elaborated on the two opposing fronts in the fighters who lost their lives last month in a rocket region which was also shared by Senator Lieberman: attack at the behest of the clerical regime,” said “The Iranian regime, Assad, pro-Iran Iraqi militias, Mrs. Rajavi. the Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen are on one side. Russia has also joined She pointed out this front recently. how the Iranian In the opposite front people do not have are a broad range any safeguards of moderate Syrian against arbitrary forces, Sunnis and arrests, torture national tribes from and harassment Iraq to Syria, Turkey, from the regime. and some Arab She added: “We countries.

Despite must gain back our any conceivable hijacked freedoms differences with and human rights Assad and the Iranian with our own regime, ISIS is also struggle and in their front because Human rights exhibition, Paris. Mrs. Rajavi points at Farzad uprisings.” it has inflicted the Madadzadeh, political prisoner who recently fled Iran. largest number of One point of casualties on the concern is the ongoing actions surrounding the moderate Syrian opposition.” nuclear agreement of July 2015. The regime has continued hanging prisoners within its borders, as She believes one cannot destroy ISIS without well as intensified “its warmongering and bloodshed eradicating its roots and merely cutting off the throughout the region,” according to Mrs. Rajavi. leaves; staying of Assad regime in power with the Yet there are many Western businesses and mullahs as its main sponsors have set the stage government representatives visiting Tehran to for the growth of terrorism. Thus she warned the make agreements in light of the potential lifting of western governments against a wrong policy that sanctions as part of the July 2015 agreement. advocates engagement and cooperation with the

IRAN LIBERATION - www.ncr-iran.org/ 27 December 2015

Iranian regime and Assad based on a mirage that their ground troops would be deployed to fight against ISIS.

ally in defeating ISIS, he said: “How can we trust a terrorist state like Iran to help us defeat a terrorist group like ISIS?”

Mrs. Rajavi noted that the mere existence of ISIS has prevented the international community from giving full support to the Syrian opposition and its terrorist attacks outside Syria have also helped to precisely divert attention from the need to overthrow Assad. This is why Tehran and Damascus benefit most from terrorist operations of ISIS and they will not engage in a transparent fight against it.

Lieberman stressed on the role the Iranian Resistance can play in supporting the international fight against Islamic fundamentalism with the resources it has inside and outside Iran and said to the participants. “You and I can draw strength from each other and particularly from the leadership of Mrs. Rajavi, People’s Mojahedin and the National Council of Resistance of Iran to play a larger role at the front lines of restoring stability, justice and peace to the world by bringing about change in Iran.”

She said Assad, Iranian regime and Hezbollah have all suffered numerous military and political setbacks at the hands of forces seeking Assad’s overthrow and are now in decline. Therefore, their ground troops would not win the West anything in anti-ISIS battle.

She also referred to the Iranian regime’s impasse in Syria that on one hand, Assad’s overthrow would threaten its existence. So, it has to give even further support to Assad. On the other hand, its numerous IRGC commanders including deputy commander of Quds force have been killed in Syria in recent months while the commander himself has been wounded. Therefore, the regime is caught up in a quagmire, which is why it is seeking help from the Russian government.

She warned the Western governments not to repeat their mistaken policy following the 9/11 attack when they engaged with the Iranian regime, the central banker of terrorism and fundamentalism, in a mirage to receive its help in the battle against Al-Qaida since the catastrophic consequences of this policy continue to haunt the world today.

The correct strategy regarding the ongoing regional crisis, Mrs. Rajavi said, would be to support the Free Syrian Army and the anti-fundamentalist Sunnis in Iraq. It would also include the decisive eviction of the main destabilizing force in the region, i.e. the clerical regime, from Syria, Iraq and all other countries in the region.

Mrs. Rajavi stated: “A correct strategy needs a full-fledged cultural struggle against Islamic fundamentalism.” She further underscored: “The very fact that a fundamentalist regime is in power in Tehran and the West appeases it despite its rogue conduct signals to Sunni fundamentalists that they can make the West deferential only if they continue to resort to extremism and terrorism.”

In her view, the struggle against Islamic extremism needs the active involvement of Muslims more than anything else. The existence of an alternative that believes in tolerant and democratic Islam, has fought the source of fundamentalism with all its prices and has the capability to bring about change in society becomes decisively important. The Iranian Resistance with a tolerant Muslim organization, the PMOI, at its core is such an alternative. It profoundly believes in separation of state from religion, and gender equality.

Senator Joseph Lieberman Lieberman noted that the most critical global threat is from radical Islamist, fundamentalism and terrorism, and that “the most important and threatening capital of radical Islamists, fundamentalism and terrorism is not in Al-Raqqa, Syria but in Tehran, Iran.”

Criticizing those who think Iran will become the US’s

He praised the ongoing efforts of the NCRI and encouraged Europe and the United States to support and strengthen the NCRI. “Our friends in the fight for freedom and our allies in the war against

“Mrs. Rajavi is a principled, eloquent, progressive and inspirational figure; she is a religious woman and she speaks for a tolerant loving Islam which is the heart of Islam.”

Former US Senator Joseph Lieberman be the new global threat in the 1990s. He believes that 9/11 and the reality of that event proved the PMOI correct. Vidal-Quadras noted that recently hundreds of thousands of Iranians have crossed into Iraq as part of an operation of invasion organized by the Quds Force. However, the West has turned a blind eye to Iran’s increased influence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, instead continuing negotiations.

“The PMOI has a large support amongst parliamentarians and local authorities as well.

But governments do not listen. This is something we must change,” said Vidal-Quadras. “Anything Joseph Lieberman that would bolster Iranian terrorism, be it Shiites or Sunnis, anything that prolongs the life of Assad will reinforce ISIS.” fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism” said Lieberman. “Our sisters and brothers in the quest Throughout the meeting, the speakers noted that for peace.”

Iran is being empowered by recent diplomatic negotiations to continue to support fundamentalism Describing Mrs. Rajavi as a principled, eloquent, and terrorism. Each noted that the Iranian regime progressive and inspirational figure, he said: “It is is violating human rights, but being given unearned very important to say that she is a religious woman trust to assist the world in defeating ISIS. Aligning and she speaks for a tolerant loving Islam which is with an Assad government would alienate the the heart of Islam.” He cited Mrs. Rajavi, the NCRI Syrian people, according to Lieberman, making and the People’s Mojahedin as a powerful force for a values based mainstream tolerant nonviolent Islam; a force that a lot of the non-Muslim world has been pleading for, for a long time. “The civilized world needs you now more than ever.”

Lieberman said.

He called the nuclear agreement “A bad agreement” because “it is based on trust of a government that has given us no reason to trust it.” He pointed to reports from the IAEA that Iran has been lying about its attempts to develop a nuclear weapon and continued to point out that the sanctions should not be lifted and the funds should Former EP Vice-President, Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras not be released to Iran. them less likely to engage in any fight to eliminate ISIS. Instead, he believes we need to empower He added: “Why has the regime in Tehran been them by assisting in the removal of Assad. so brutal, especially brutal to people affiliated with the Mojahedin? Because they fear you and they All the speakers pointed to the determination of should. You represent the values of freedom and the Iranian people to overthrow the current Iranian opportunity the great majority of the people of Iran regime. Lieberman himself pointed to various most miss and most desperately want.” events throughout modern history that showcased how ordinary citizens have He assured the Iranian Resistance of a broad “Anything that prolongs the life the power to change the world, even if it appears to bi-partisan support in the be happening slowly. He US Congress and among of Assad will reinforce ISIS” the people of the United Alejo Vidal-Quadras encouraged those attending to not give up on their dream States as well as his own of a free Iran. In fact, he believed it would happen steadfast pledge until the Iranian fundamentalist suddenly, similarly to the collapse of the Soviet regime is vanquished and victory for freedom of the Union. people of Iran is secured.

Farzad Madadzadeh, a former political prisoner who had recently fled Iran after being held in prison Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras for five years also spoke during the conference. He Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras noted in his remarks that spoke about the various human rights violations the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) had predicted that Islamic fundamentalism would Continued on page 8

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170 EU lawmakers call for safety and security of Camp Liberty residents “We urge the international coalition to put Camp Liberty under its aerial protection”

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n recent years the European Parliament has played an active role in support of the rights of the Iranian dissidents in Iraq. Several resolutions and Written Declarations were adopted in support of the Camp Ashraf residents, members of the PMOI, emphasizing on their legal status as Protected Persons under the 4th Geneva Convention and their safety and security.

In February 2012, the residents moved to Camp Liberty near Baghdad airport which has been subject to several rocket attacks at the behest of the Iranian regime, the last and most deadly one being on 29 October 2015 with 24 dead and many wounded.

Statement on Camp Liberty December 2015 On 29 October 2015 Camp Liberty in Iraq, where over 2000 defenceless Iranian refugees reside, was targeted with dozens of rockets and missiles.

This attack claimed the lives of 24 defenceless residents and many were seriously wounded. Camp Liberty is situated in a well-protected zone next to the Baghdad airport and such a large-scale attack, without the active involvement of the Iraqi security forces is unlikely. This brutal attack was condemned internationally by UN, US and the EU but not by Iraq itself, which has not even allowed the entry of necessary machinery to remove the damaged trailers after the attack. Also, for several days Iraq stopped the entry of food, medicine and sanitation vehicles.

In preparations for this rocket attack, months before, a group of intelligence and Quds Force agents - pretending to be relatives of the residents - were taken to the gates of the Camp for harassment and reconnaissance operations. A new group of these agents were sent to the gates of Liberty again on 20 November 2015.

This was the seventh lethal attack on these refugees as a result of which 141 people have been killed so far. Liberty is also suffering from a cruel medical siege imposed by Iraqi government, which has led to the death of 27 of the residents.

These Iranian opposition members were moved in 2012 from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty, which is being controlled by Iraq’s national security advisor Faleh Fayyadh who was appointed during Maliki’s government and is known for his close ties to Iran.

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In December 2015, a statement signed by 170 of the European Parliament lawmakers called for international protection of these refugees and for replacement of Iraqi national security advisor, Faleh Fayyadh, known for his close ties with Iran and being responsible for harassing the residents on a routine basis.

This statement is endorsed by MEPs from all EU member states representing all political groups in the Parliament. It also has the support of two vice presidents of the Parliament as well as 13 Committee and Delegation Chairs. They all offered their support for these Iranian opposition members who strive for a democratic change in Iran.

He, along with other officers who run the camp, have all had active roles in previous massacres.

One of these officers, Colonel Sadiq Mohammed, was sent as part of an Iraqi delegation to Europe in 2012. He was prevented from entering the European Parliament in Brussels because of his role in those crimes and was later arrested and questioned in Paris.

According to two separate findings by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, conditions in Camp Liberty are those of a “detention centre.”

We urge the EU High Representative, the Member states, United States, Iraq and United Nations the following: 1- Ensure the health and safety of the residents and the supply of security requirements such as necessary amount of protective T-walls and sand bags etc. We urge the international coalition to put Camp Liberty under its aerial protection.

2- Remove the person responsible for Camp Liberty’s management, Faleh Fayyadh, and replace him and his men with impartial individuals. The transfer of Iranian agents to Camp Liberty’s gates under any circumstances must be avoided.

3- Remove the complete siege of the camp and allow the residents the freedom of movement and free access to medical services and lawyers.

4- The Iraqi government must recognize the residents’ rights of ownership and allow them to sell their property in Ashraf or compensate them financially so they can accelerate the process of resettlement.

5- The United Nations must launch an investigation into the 29 October attack and the perpetrators be brought to justice.

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Budget law requiring protection of Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty approved by U.S. Congress & Senate and signed by President Obama

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he United States House of Representatives and Senate approved the annual U.S. defence policy that includes a seven-point amendment on the security and protection of members of Iranian opposition, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) in Camp Liberty, Iraq. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 25 November 2015.

Three factors contributed to this achievement: The perseverance and steadfastness of the PMOI (MEK) members in Camp Liberty in the past few years, unrelenting endeavors of members and supporters of the resistance in the US, and concerted bipartisan efforts of the US senators and congressmen, political dignitaries, and former senior officials of the Obama, Bush, Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Reagan administrations in support of Iranian Resistance and residents of Camp Liberty.

The United States should— (1) take prompt and appropriate steps in accordance with international agreements to promote the physical security and protection of residents of Camp Liberty, Iraq; (2) urge the Government of Iraq to uphold its commitments to the United States to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in Camp Liberty; (3) urge the Government of Iraq to ensure continued and reliable access to food, clean water, medical assistance, electricity and other energy needs, and any other equipment and supplies necessary to sustain the residents during periods of attack or siege by external forces; (4) oppose the extradition of Camp Liberty residents to Iran;

(5) assist the international community in implementing a plan to provide for the safe, secure, and permanent relocation of Camp Liberty residents, including a detailed outline of steps that would need to be taken by recipient countries, the United States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Camp residents to relocate residents to other countries; (6) encourage continued close cooperation between the residents of Camp Liberty and the authorities in the relocation process; and (7) assist the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in expediting the ongoing resettlement of all residents of Camp Liberty to safe locations outside Iraq.

Signing this bill into a law represents a very big victory for the Iranian Resistance, residents of Camp Liberty and their supporters in the United States and Europe.

UNHCR issues update on situation of Camp Liberty residents UNHCR acknowledges flexibility of Camp Liberty residents despite difficult circumstances including rocket attacks on 29 October 2015 with 24 residents dead and many more injured On 14 December 2015, the UN Refugee Agency published an updated statement on the situation of several thousand members of the main Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), or Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), in Camp Liberty in Iraq.

The refugees in Camp Liberty have come under repeated deadly rocket attacks by agents of the Iranian regime in recent years, most recently on October 29.

UNHCR strongly condemned the rocket attacks; the High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, stating: “This is a most deplorable act, and I am greatly concerned at the harm that has been inflicted on those living at Camp Liberty. Every effort must continue to be made for the injured and to identify and bring to account those responsible.”

The statement specifies that by the end of 2015 almost one third of the camp residents have been relocated to outside of Iraq and acknowledges that these outcomes have been achieved with the cooperation and flexibility of the residents who have proceeded with the relocation process despite

difficult circumstances, including rocket attacks on 29 October 2015 which resulted in the deaths of 24 residents and injuries to dozens of others.

While appreciating Albania’s exceptional contribution to the relocation of the residents by receiving more than three-quarters of the residents who have been relocated, the statement reads: “Central to the recent success is the residents’ commitment to meeting the bulk of costs associated with relocations to Albania. This commitment to meet travel costs and living expenses is crucial to the ongoing implementation of solutions for the group.”

Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding between Iraq and the UN, in this update UNHCR explicitly recognizes that residents benefit from the principle of non-refoulement and calls upon the Government of Iraq to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, including ensuring access to life saving medical treatment and assistance with the provision of good and services to enable the residents to make arrangements for their own protection.

Chairman of the NCRI Foreign Affairs Committee comments on Reuters report

Shocking report by Reuters on a secret prison in Iraq

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By Ned Parker

shocking report by Ned Parker of Reuters on 14 December 2015 revealed two unpublished investigations prepared by the U.S. Army showing that the United States has consistently overlooked killings and torture by Iraqi government-sponsored Shi'ite militias.

The report stated: “In late 2005, two years after the U. S. -led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, U. S. soldiers raided a police building in Baghdad and found 168 prisoners in horrific conditions….. The discovery of the secret prison exposed a world of kidnappings and assassinations.”

NCRI warned the world 10 years ago on such criminal acts committed at the Iraqi Interior Ministry by pro-Iran Badr and ISCI.

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he recent report by Reuters is not new and is just one example of many such torture centers set up and run by pro-Iranian regime elements. What is shattering though is that the U.S. was aware of all

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British MPs demand sanctions against human rights abusers in Iran Confronting Iranian regime’s role in spreading Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism is vital

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t a conference held in the UK House of Commons on 10 December 2015, members of both Houses of the UK Parliament and prominent lawyers condemned the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran urging the British government to focus on human rights in its relations with Tehran.

The conference organised by the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF) on the occasion of International Human Rights Day was also attended by the Anglo-Iranian Community.

Speakers expressed deep concern over the increasing number of executions, especially in the months following the nuclear deal, and a recent crackdown on journalists, students and media describing these repressive measures as a coordinated campaign to silence popular dissent.

Members of Parliament, who represented all major parties, rejected the notion that Hassan Rouhani is a “moderate” pointing to over 2000 executions in Iran since he took office.

They noted that human rights situation has worsened in many other areas including acid attacks on women despite Rouhani's rhetoric.

In a video message to the conference, Mrs Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), referred to protests in Iran by teachers, students, workers and other strata and said that the mullahs’ brutality in violating human rights is because the people of Iran have not surrendered to their barbarism and have staged a widespread resistance against the regime.

Mrs. Rajavi called on the UK to condition its relations with Tehran on end to executions and on freedom of political prisoners. She also called on MPs to pursue international acts for the safety and security of Camp Liberty residents as well as for Continued from page 5

the removal of Faleh Fayyadh, head of the Iraqi committee in charge of Camp Liberty, who has close ties with Iran.

Welcoming the UN resolution on Iran that called on the authorities to end executions, public hangings and the use of torture, MPs called for an international campaign to name and shame the human rights abusers in Iran.

They urged the British government to lead such campaign and to impose punitive sanctions

against those found responsible for these ongoing atrocities and refer them to UN Security Council so that perpetrators can be brought to justice in International Tribunals.

Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, co-Chairman of BPCIF said: “Our government should be vocal in saying that Iran will not come anywhere near normal relations with the rest of the world if the human rights situation remains as bad as it is and also if they interfere with the sovereign affairs of other states.”

Referring to the new generation in Iran that doesn't feel represented by the clerical gerontocracy, Rt Hon. David Jones MP, President of the International Parliamentary Campaign in Defence of Ashraf and Liberty (IPCDA) said this generation relates very strongly to the ten point plan promoted by Mrs Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI. He added: “The regime in Tehran is afraid

Shocking report by Reuters on a secret prison in Iraq

“Behind these operations was an unofficial Interior Ministry organisation called the Special Investigations Directorate, according to U. S. and Iraqi security officials at the time. The body was run by militia commanders from the Badr Organisation, a pro-Iran, Shi’ite political movement.….

“The U. S. military conducted its own investigation. But rather than publish its findings, it chose to lobby Iraqi officials in quiet for fear of damaging Iraq’s fragile political setup, according to several current and former U. S. military officials and diplomats…..

“The administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama have both worked with Badr and its powerful leader, Hadi al-Amiri, whom many Sunnis continue to accuse of human rights abuses..... The Badr group spent years in exile in Iran. Its parent organisation, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (ISCI), was the most powerful Shi’ite political force in Iraq.

“After Saddam’s fall, Washington hoped ISCI and Badr would be reliable partners for the security forces, which Badr members joined in large numbers.

But despite claims that they had demobilised after their return to Iraq, Badr’s fighters did not disarm, U. S. army intelligence officers say. Instead, they began to assassinate former Iraqi officers, influential Baath party members and civil servants…..

“After Shi’ite religious parties swept to victory in elections in 2005, Badr and ISCI were given control of the Interior Ministry. The U. S. embassy publicly backed the move. But James Jeffrey, the top U. S. diplomat at the time and later ambassador to Iraq, was alarmed when Bayan Jabr, a Badr ally, became minister. ‘Bayan Jabr was the biggest mistake I made,” Jeffrey told Reuters. “His file was terrible.’ ”

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of it. That is why it has to maintain power through human rights abuses and by attempts to wipe out those members of the PMOI at Camp Liberty.”

Steve McCabe MP stated, “Let's hope the UK government and Her Majesty’s Official Opposition will now join forces to acknowledge the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people by engaging with the NCRI and supporting Mrs Rajavi’s ten point plan for reform.”

Linda Lee, former President of the Law Society of England and Wales declared continued support on behalf of the Law Society and its Human Rights Committee. Paulo Casaca, former MEP and Executive Director of the Brussels based ARCHumankind, was also in the panel to present his new report on human rights in Iran.

Speakers strongly condemned the October 29 terrorist attack on Camp Liberty as a plot by Tehran regime to physically eliminate the organised opposition, the PMOI, against its theocratic rule. MPs called on the International Community, including the UK and the US governments, to act urgently to stop the Iranian regime's intervention in Camp Liberty's dossier and take steps to secure adequate protection for the residents and declare Camp Liberty as a refugee camp under the UN auspices.

Speakers at the conference included: Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, co-Chairman of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF); Rt Hon. David Jones MP; Steve McCabe MP; Bob Blackman MP; Jim Shannon MP; Martyn Day MP; Craig Williams MP; Rt Hon. Lord Dholakia; Lord Clarke of Hampstead CBE; Lord Maginnis of Drumglass; Lord Cotter; Peter Carter QC, Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales; Peter Mathews, Independent member of the Irish Parliament; Paulo Casaca, former MEP; Mrs Dowlat Nowrouzi, NCRI UK Representative; and Linda Lee, former President of the Law Society of England and Wales.

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Chairman of the NCRI Foreign Affairs Committee comments on Reuters report these crimes and decided to overlook them. This explains the U.S. Government’s inaction vis-à-vis kidnappings and killings of the Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty residents particularly under Nouri Maliki.

Therefore, this report reiterates the need to bring the perpetrators of the kidnapping of two Ashraf residents in August 2005, kidnapping of 7 Ashraf residents in September 2013 as well as the killings in both Camps Ashraf and Liberty before justice.

On 4 August 2005, two PMOI members residing at Camp Ashraf were kidnapped in Baghdad and taken to a secret place at the Interior Ministry under Bayan Jabr. There has been no news of them since then. On 16 November 2005, NCRI issued a press statement on the discovery of a secret prison in Jadariya, Iraq, that was controlled and run by Iraqi agents of Iran’s regime at the Iraqi Interior Ministry which shocked the world. More than 170 tortured prisoners suffered from acute malnutrition. Some of the detainees were paralyzed from excessive torture while others had their flesh peeled off. All the prisoners at this prison were detained illegally.

This report by Reuter’s obliges the world community to take strong actions in order to put an end to the Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq and to close down its torture and murder chambers in that country as we said in 2005.

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Suppression of women in Iran for mal-veiling

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housands of cars seized for veil offences

Iran's regime has impounded tens of thousands of cars since March 2015 because women inside the vehicles had not properly covered their hair with a headscarf, Tehran’s traffic police said Tuesday, 15 December, AFP reported.

“Over the past eight months, more than 40,000 cases of bad hijab (headscarf) have been dealt with,” said Brigadier General Teymour Hosseini, quoted by the state-run ISNA news agency.

“In most cases, the cars were impounded and cases were referred to the judiciary,” he said, while some of the women stopped could face cash fines or warnings.

The regime's suppressive state security forces

Iranian regime hiding deadly swine flu outbreak in Iran

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he outbreak of swine flu in Iran has killed at least 80 people so far in the country over the past month, according to the official figures. It is presently sweeping across Iran is a full-fledged outbreak. Despite its increasing severity, the Iranian regime has yet to take any credible step to fight the outbreak.

The regime is publishing contradictory figures and false reports on the number of those afflicted, including a mounting death toll. While the regime’s leaders claim that just a few have been affected and that the disease is under control, the regime’s Ministry of Health is sending a contradictory message that following the outbreak in Kerman and Sistan-Baluchistan provinces, the deadly disease will spread to Kurdistan, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Semnan and Northern Khorassan provinces and the capital Tehran in the coming weeks.

It was reported by a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) from Kerman province on December 8 that over 30 people had lost their lives in Kerman and Sistan-Baluchistan

warned in November that women who fail to observe hijab, the mandatory Islamic dress code in Iran, while driving would have their cars impounded for a week.

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ore than two dozen institutions involved in suppression of women

At least 26 official institution in Iran are involved in suppression of women under the pretext of mal-veiling or ‘improper clothing’, a regime’s official has declared.

The head of Khorramabad’s General Court announced on Wednesday, December 2, that a special branch would be allocated to mal-veiling in this city.

Hossein Reza Delfan, speaking to a group of reporters announced the opening of the special branch for mal-veiling. He said that those not observing the dress code would be detained anywhere from 10 days to two months or they have to pay fines.

This government official threatened that these files will be quickly processed and that women face imprisonment or fines if they show disdain for the imposed dress code.

provinces. Another MP said a day later that 750 people afflicted with swine flu have been hospitalized in Kerman’s hospitals. There were also reports that several people lost their lives to swine flu in the city of Mehran in Ilam border province.

However, Hashemi, Rouhani’s Minister of Health, reacted to the crisis with callous and unnerving indifference. He said on the regime’s state TV on 8 December, “Always the virus that causes flu is dangerous to some. There is no need for vaccination in this season.”

State-run Mehr News Agency said in a report on December 2, that the drugs needed for this lethal disease are not available in pharmacies and hospitals. Other officials of the Health Ministry acknowledged that many hospitals in Ilam and Kermanshah lacked beds with special isolated respiratory equipment that is needed to treat patients suffering from swine flu.

Children under 5, pregnant women, the elderly, as well as patients with complicated illnesses are more vulnerable to this virus.

The regime’s inaction to prevent the outbreak of this disease puts the lives of these people at greater risk.

People are questioning that while Iranian regime is spending huge portion of the country’s budget for nuclear activities, export of fundamentalism, internal suppression and dispatching terrorists to Syria, Yemen and other countries in the region, the budget allocated to health and medical treatment or fundamental investments in public health in Iran ranks amongst the worst in the world and no special budget has now been allocated for confronting the outbreak of swine flu in the country.

IRAN LIBERATION - www.ncr-iran.org/ 27 December 2015

Ashtari, a high ranking officer with the state suppressive forces emphasized that oppressive measures are to be heightened. In his meeting with the representative of Khamenei in Esfahan he said: There are 26 organs that work on the issue of mal-veiling and one of them are the security forces.

The religious dictatorship ruling Iran that is fearful of popular uprisings and deems the oppressed women of Iran, along with the youth, as the most threatening force against its rule has chosen to ramp up the oppression to control the masses and is thus targeting women.

Harassing of Iranian people, much like rampant executions throughout Iran, have no purpose but to prop up a regime that belongs to history’s dustbin and to prevent public protests.

Schools closed in Iran’s capital due to air pollution

S

chools in Tehran will be closed for two days, state media said Saturday, following air pollution three times the acceptable level that has blanketed the city in smog.

Air quality in Iran’s capital was the worst in at least nine months this week, state media said, and floating particles from car emissions were at “seven times the standard level.”

The Air Quality Index on Monday showed an average reading of 162 -- a “red status” warning that the air is unhealthy for everyone, according to World Health Organization standards, AFP reported.

A normal healthy level is between zero and 50.

Peak pollution hit 180 in some areas of Tehran, where poor air is worsened due to high altitudes -- between 1,100 and 1,700 meters above sea level -- in a basin surrounded by mountains.

Visibility was low as a grey fog blanketed the capital, a megacity of an estimated 14 million people.

The snow-capped mountains of the Alborz range were invisible from the city center.

In 2012, pollution contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 in the country, according to the regime's health ministry.

7

Ex-Argentine FM admits Iran regime blew up Jewish center

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rgentine journalist Daniel Santoro on Friday revealed two recordings in which former Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman is heard admitting that Iran's regime “planted the bombs” that demolished the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994.

Timerman was speaking with the president of the local Jewish community Guillermo Burger in 2012, when negotiations with Iran's regime over its responsibility for the terrorist act had just begun.

Santoro said that during the conversation, revealed in Santoro’s new book 'Nisman Must Die', “Timerman pressured members of the AMIA not to release a statement at the start of negotiations with Iran.”

The negotiation was a very dramatic event, Santoro explained, because then President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was officially committed to a policy of “we don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

“And here’s Timerman, in a conversation, saying he is convinced that it was the Iranians who planted the bomb,” said Santoro, adding, “Imagine the irony—so he applied pressure on the Jewish community, in both recordings,” not to mention his words in public, suggesting it would render the talks with the Iranians ineffective.

At one point on the tape, after Burger argued that Iran's regime is not a reliable partner in negotiations, Timerman explodes, “Who do you think we’re negotiating with, Switzerland?”

Argentina’s new Justice Minister Germán Garavano has already announced that he would not appeal a court decision to annul an agreement with Iran's regime, which absolved Tehran of responsibility for the AMIA atrocity that killed 85 and left 330 wounded.

Garavano serves in the cabinet of the new president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, who took office two weeks ago.

Continued from page 5

sanitation.

Shaqayeq Azimi, a PMOI member whose parents were abducted by the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran recently, also discussed the abysmal state of basic human rights within Iran.

Resolute determination for bringing democracy to Iran was evident in speeches by several NCRI members as well as representatives of Iranian communities in Europe who vowed to stand firm right to the end and until victory.

United Against Fundamentalism, Role of Iranian Resistance

in Iran, which have deteriorated during Rouhani’s tenure as the regime’s president. Political prisoners are being held in prisons that have conditions similar to medieval prisons. Modern prisoner rights are being neglected by this clerical regime, particularly as prisoners struggle to get food, water and basic

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A

statement by Amnesty International on 8 December 2015 said: "Iran cemented its shameful status as the world’s top official executioner of juvenile offenders after two young men were re-sentenced to death for crimes committed when they were under 18 years old."

“This ruling lays bare the Iranian authorities’ contempt for the human rights of children, coupled with their appetite for the death penalty – a toxic combination that leaves numerous juvenile offenders facing execution,” said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Iran is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which prohibit the imposition of the death penalty against persons who were below 18 years of age at the time of the crime, without exceptions.

However, Iran continues to impose the death penalty against juvenile offenders and frequently defer the execution until after they pass the age of 18.

Boumedouha called it shocking that the Iranian authorities shamelessly continue to sentence juvenile offenders to death and carry out their executions in weeks leading to the review session before the Committee on the Rights of the Child on 11 and 12 January 2016.