Thursday, October 22, 2009

"I will continue to live with hope for that day. . ."

"I do know that the suffering of the months past, and the hardship of being away from our fathers and mothers, and the days these dear ones spend in prison without any guilt, will not be forgotten. The effect of such steadfastness will be manifest, and we will have a proud and free country for all, without prejudice against their beliefs or religions. I do believe in this, and I will continue to live with hope for that day and with hope to visit my father again."

- Ma‘man Rezaee, daughter of Saeed Rezaee, one of the seven imprisoned leaders of Iran's persecuted Baha'i religious minority.

More happily, Maziar Bihari, whose tribulations were the subject of this account from Maziar's colleague Simon Ardizzone here some weeks ago, is free. He's in London, and his wife Paola Gourley is expected to give birth to their child on Monday.

Back in Tehran, Kian Tajbakhsh has been sentenced to a 15-year jail term on charges of belonging to an email list the ayotallahs don't like, along with the trumped-up charge that he's some sort of spy. Also, Shahab Tabatabaei, head of Campaign 88 (Young supporters of Mousavi and Khatami), has been sentenced to a five-year jail term.

Mac Urata of the International Trade Union Confederation just sent around an email with the sad news that six leaders of the Haft Tapeh suger refinery workers' union have been sentenced to six-month jail terms for demanding unpaid back wages and forming an independent trade union. Meanwhile, jailed bus drivers' union leader Mansour Osanloo is reported to be suffering from kidney and eyesight conditions, and terrible pains in his back and legs, and although a medical examiner has found that he is not fit to withstand imprisonment, brother Osanloo remains in Evin prison. Reports that he is being subjected to torture continue to leak out.

Marg Bar Diktator. Death to tyrants the world round.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home