IFIR PRESS RELEASES

The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) with its 40 branches in 15 countries world-wide, has unrelentingly exposed the Islamic Republic of Iran and defended refugee rights over the past ten years. In order to better publicize IFIR’s campaigns, a summary of all our main press releases, most of which are translated from Persian, will be printed in Hambastegi.

IFIR Swedish Branch, Press Release Number 9, 30 August 1998: Representatives of the IFIR Branch in Sweden met with a number of organizations and parties as a follow-up to the Branch’s campaign in defense of "clandestine asylum seekers" in Sweden.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Hambastegi will Print your Grievances Against the Islamic Republic of Iran," August 30, 1998: Hambastegi will print the grievance letters of all those who have been directly or indirectly harassed, humiliated, tortured and persecuted by the Islamic regime of Iran.

IFIR German Branch, Nader Sharifi, Director, "The Anti-Refugee Policies of the German Government is Condemned," September 6, 1998: A protest campaign summoned by IFIR - German Branch and three other organizations was endorsed by more than 200 organizations. More than 30 thousand individuals participated in the actions which took place in 36 cities throughout Germany.

IFIR Swedish Branch, Hassan Panahi, Secretary, Press Release Number 10, September 7, 1998: In continuation of the campaign in defense of "clandestine asylum seekers," the IFIR representative spoke at a conference in Stockholm on September 3, 1998. Other participants included representatives of the Swedish government’s immigration department. The immigration department agreed to review cases which had been denied.

IFIR Secretariat, "September 21, 1998: Day of Action in NYC Against the Islamic Republic of Iran," September 18, 1998: A call to join the Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI) summoned demonstration in NYC against the regime of Iran on September 21, 1998 on the date that Khatami attended the fifty-third session of the UN General Assembly.

IFIR Secretariat, "Successful Demonstration against Islamic Republic of Iran," September 23, 1998: The successful demonstration was endorsed by hundreds of organizations and individuals and covered by the media.

IFIR Secretariat, "International Solidarity for the Struggle of Iranian Refugees in Canada," October 5, 1998: With the IFIR Canadian Branch’s initiative, ongoing protests have culminated into an expansive and national "Campaign Against the Federal Government Attacks on Immigrants and Refugees," comprising workers’, women’s, humanitarian and socialist organizations, including Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), a renown labor organization. The Campaign has gained public support through demonstrations, and actions, including occupying of government centers.

IFIR Canada Branch, Hassan Varash, Director, "Success for Afghan Refugees," October 11, 1998: Following a demonstration of the Campaign defending refugee rights, immigration contacted the campaign’s headquarters to announce that several Afghans were given residency. IFIR congratulates all for this success.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Support Iranian Refugees in Iraq," October 13, 1998: IFIR calls for support of the demands of Iranian refugees residing in Iraqi Kurdistan who are participating in a sit-in.

IFIR Canadian Branch, Hassan Varash, Director, Press Release number 17: "The Minister of Immigration Backs Down," October 14, 1998: The Canadian Minister of Immigration formally opposes many items on the "Not Just Numbers" Legislation, though she had initially supported it. The legislation failed as a result of national protests organized by the Campaign.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "The Struggle of Refugees in Canada Succeeds in Pushing Back the Government," October 15, 1998: Months of organized protests in Canada and internationally have forced the government to cancel its racist legislation.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Iranian Refugees in Iraq End Successful Sit-in," October 21, 1998: The second sit-in of 200 Iranian refugees in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, in protest to the policies and practices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - Iraq Branch Office, has ended successfully.

IFIR Vancouver Branch in Canada, Fahimeh Sadeghi, "Protest Shirin Amini’s Deportation," October 21, 1998: Shirin Amini was detained and deported to the United States. Her children are still in Canada. IFIR calls on all to protest her deportation.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Condemn the Islamic Attack on Women’s Rights Activists," October 21, 1998: The release supports the activists of the Action Committee in Defense of Women’s Rights in Iran (ACDWRI) who participated in a Canadian Labor Congress’ (CLC) conference in Montreal and condemns an Islamic association called "Alhoda, the Lebanese Moslems’ Society" who objected to their participation.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Join the International Campaign in Defense of Taslima Nasrin," October 28, 1998: IFIR joins the international campaign summoned by the Worker-communist party of Iran in defense of the Bangladeshi writer, Taslima Nasrin.

IFIR Swedish Branch, Bahram Rahmani, Director, Press Releases on the Painful Tragedy in Gotenberg, November 1998: In a number of press releases, beginning on October 30, 1998, IFIR gives its condolences for the tragic human loss in a fire at a local where 400 youth were attending a dance. 63 lost their lives and 200 were injured as a result. IFIR condemns the formation of ghettos which result in limited resources and safety for immigrants and refugees. Another press release discusses a November 21 roundtable discussion in which matters such as the status of immigration in Sweden, cultural relativism, and the isolation and marginalization of immigrants were discussed.

IFIR Swedish Branch, Bahram Rahmani, Director, "Iran is Unsafe, Deportation Must End," November 16, 1998: As a result of the struggle of IFIR and other individuals, representatives of seven parties in Swedish parliament signed a recommendation stating that Iran be deemed unsafe and that deportation to Iran be stopped.

IFIR Secretariat, Soraya Shahabi, Director, "Radio Hambastegi will Begin Broadcasting Programs in Iran," November 20, 1998: For the first time, IFIR’s voice will be able to reach the people in Iran directly via radio. IFIR calls on all supporters of its ten years of progressive activities in defense of human and egalitarian beliefs to financially support the weekly programs.

IFIR Secretariat, Behruz Milani, Executive Manager, Hambastegi, "Another Crime has Been Committed in `Safe’ Iran," November 23, 1998: IFIR condemns the assassination of Dariush and Parvaneh Foruhar. This is not the regime’s first crime, nor its last. IFIR declares that the regime, Khatami, Khamenei, Rafsanjani and all their collaborators are directly responsible for this crime.

IFIR Sweden, Bahram Rahmani, Director, Why Must a Young Girl go on Hunger Strike, December 5, 1998: The release states that the fact that a 16 year old girl must go on hunger strike is a political and human calamity for Sweden. IFIR calls for residency for Shadi and her family and an end to deportations to Iran.

IFIR Secretariat, Maryam Namazie and Keyvan Javid, Deputy Director and Secretary, On International Human Rights Day: A Call for Action Against Reaction and Repression, December 10, 1998: The press release condemns Islamic and Islamist governments and groups which commit genocide and untold crimes against humanity.