Keith Best, Chief Executive of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, speaks out on torture in Iran in support of the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) campaign, “Be Her Voice! Be His Voice!“:
Transcript:
“Hello, I’m Keith Best. I’m the Chief Executive of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, and in a very real sense, we are the voice of political prisoners in Iran. The greatest number of people from any particular country who come to us as torture survivors are from Iran, where we know from their personal testimony and the experience that they’ve had, and the evidence of the scars and the anguish that they’ve suffered, that they have been hanged up, they have been beaten, they have been whipped, they have been held in solitary confinement. This is a tragedy for them, but it’s also a tragedy for Iran.”
In addition to maintaining our own campaigns for political prisoners in Iran, Mission Free Iran supports the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran’s Be Her Voice! Be His Voice! Campaign.
برای ایران آزاد mission free iran 
The Iranian asylum seekers at Kurdistan are deported to Iran
About two weeks beginning violent protests of people in Sulaimaniyah passes. Also during this week the disturbances spread to other cities in the province and still continues to destabilize the atmosphere and inflammation.
Public protests against corruption and the heads of state of main ruling parties gradually became more serious and deeper. Speaking of great dissatisfaction and severe corruption of government agencies, non-proper distribution of wealth and resources of Regional Government, and blaming inefficiency involved authorities regarding public service. Often near dusk and darkness began to air tensions and violence lead to conflict.
Killed seven people and injured twenty-five hundred citizens roam (according to news agencies of Kurdistan) was the only result of this abnormal situation and still certain result from meetings, mediation, and given promise has not been achieved.
The unrest situation in the chaos impacted of Iranian asylum seeker life in Kurdish. So that early last week; flood of arrests in both the main city of Sulaimaniyah and Erbil that began. fifteen deportation unspecified number of arrests has been reflected in Kurdish media and News . Many have been arrested for short periods of time, but the conditions and the number of detainees is not available exactly.
In Sulaimaniyah, Iranians asylum seeker residing in the city center and especially those in the inn and hotels were arrested by security police “ASAYESH”. They have been asked for personal information. Their mobile phones and notebook lap-tops seized without giving any explanation or reason and they were taken to the Central Bureau.IN there, Detainees have been faced agents bad deal and insults.
ASAYESH menaced Iranian asylum seekers to participate in mass rallies and protests then threatened them to hand out and deported to Iran.
some asylum seekers were deported meanwhile they have been living in Iraqi Kurdistan for years that had UNHCR document and some that belongs to Iranian oppositions parties. Most of them have political and security problems in Iran and if be deported they face judiciary and intelligence of the Islamic Republic.
Iraqi Kurdistan is under political pressure by Islamic Republic of Iran
Mr. Alef, a man, 45 years old, said, “without notice, and even without knocking the door a few military jumped to our room and took all Iranians in that inn to the Central ASAYESH and the senior officer there began an insult to the Iranians and said:” The Iranians are bastards and should be deported to Iran. “
Mr. Alef added, “They free us except one person, we have no information about him and we do not know where he is.”
Mr. Alef said, “Sure, there is a political agreement or relationship between Iran and KRG or KRG is under pressure of Iran regime.”
Capturing Iranian asylum seekers is unacceptable
One condition of anonymity, woman, 33 years old, said “this is unacceptable and contrary to the legal terms because there have been no judicial ruling in this case, particularly arresting was epidemic and not just one person, myself.”
I am afraid because I have not renewed my residency card
A person whose nickname is Karo, 26 years old, said “No one has arrested me yet, but most people who I know have been temporarily detained and I heard deportation of some people and I am scared because I have not renewed my resident card and I do not belong to non of Iranian opposition or parties and I’m not even support.”
Mr. Karo added that ” I know many Iranian asylum seekers here that all have lived here for years without any facilities except UNHCR protection document. They are waiting to choose a second country to live but unfortunately UNHCR is not active in Kurdistan.”
Iran behind the scenes of political unrest in Kurdistan
It is important to say that the opposition and parties in Iraqi Kurdistan accuse eachother of dependence to Islamic Republic. They claim that the Iranian Guards (Sepah pasdaran) behind the unrest and these protests.
A responsible official of Ranya city , has called of two terrorist coming from Iran.
Campaign “No to Deportation”
A campaign entitled “No to deportation” is set up to protect asylum seekers and prevent the deportation that available information is not much about it. Campaign’s Supervisor is an Iraqi (Soleimaniya) citizen and his name is Azad Ahmad.
It should be mentioned that eleven asylum seekers did not interview with me that shows they are threatened. Even the interviewed ones did not use their names or used alias.
28/3/2011 – best regards – Ismail mostafa-nejad
The references and news in kurdish and persian (Farsi) :
1-
http://rawanews.com/details.aspx?=News&ID=3780&Babat=1
http://www.beyan.info/Direje.aspx?C=Hewal&J=1381
http://www.awene.com/Direje.aspx?Babet=Hewal&Jimare=11043
http://www.altashcamp.net/news.htm
KNN TV: 26/2/2011
2-
http://www.roozonline.com/persian/news/newsitem/archive/2011/february/22/article/-5785304908.html
http://www.beyan.info/Direje.aspx?C=Hewal&J=1381
http://www.tabnak.ir news code:149688
Posted by farzad | March 9, 2011, 9:21 pmThank you, dear Farzad, for this important article.
We have sent you an email – please let me know if you receive it. The mail is from maria.rohaly@gmail.com.
Best regards,
Maria
Posted by missionfreeiran | March 10, 2011, 3:49 am