HAMBASTEGI #83

ENGLISH SECTION

Editorial

By Mina Ahadi, Spokesperson, International Campaign

in Defense of Women’s Rights in Iran

July 6, 1999

Zari Heydari, a 40 year old asylum seeker and mother, died one day after being released from a year-long detention in Germany. I had met Zari Heydari and her 12-year old daughter during a meeting on the anti-refugee policies of the German government. That "civilized and humanitarian" government left her child to fend for herself when it detained Heydari after rejecting her legitimate claim. Even now, it does not plan to investigate the reason for her untimely death, so as to conceal its culpability in her murder. While her friends and family bury her broken spirit and body, the German authorities celebrate the removal of one more name from the list of asylum seekers residing in Germany.

The crime of Zari Heydari and other asylum seekers is that they have refused to live under repression and have come to Europe in search of a better life. Upon arrival, however, they are faced with deportation, imprisonment, and numerous physical and psychological tortures. Here, they are condemned to die a slow and painful death.

In this European country, they do not sentence people to execution, they do not hang individuals from cranes, nor carry out stonings in their streets, yet they tortuously and slowly kill those fleeing repressive regimes. They force those already sentenced to die to carry out their own executions. A summary review of the long list of those asylum seekers who have committed suicide, reveals the flagrant trampling on, and murder of, humanity and dignity.

We cannot speak of human rights and yet remain silent on these daily inhumanities. The solidarity of labor groups, political parties and human rights organizations is critical in resisting and opposing the German government’s anti-refugee policies and practices.

We must defend the protests and demands of asylum seekers and push back the German government’s assault.

THE SURVIVORS OF THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT KILLINGS ARE DEPORTED TO IRAQ AND IRAN

IFIR Secretariat

June 10, 1999

The Turkish military has brutally killed 9 Iranian and Iraqi refugees who were part of a caravan of 50 attempting to enter the country to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The 9 were killed in a zone where military operations by the Turkish and Iranian governments are prohibited. Several were wounded in the attack. Of those remaining, 40 were deported to Northern Iraq, and one to Iran, according to reports by the International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) Branch representative in the border town of Van, Turkey.

Before being handed over to the Iranian authorities, Mohammad Khateeb, an Iranian asylum seeker who had been wounded in the assault, told IFIR’s Van representative that he had been threatened numerous times to remain silent on the killings.

By deporting the survivors of its murderous act, the Turkish government hopes to eliminate any witnesses and escape accountability. The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR), however, will hold the Turkish government accountable and has filed a grievance in the European Commission on Human Rights against the Turkish government. IFIR calls on all organizations and individuals to condemn this heinous act.

This is not the first time the Turkish authorities have resorted to such brutality against refugees. In the past, IFIR’s campaigns have been able to push back the Turkish government’s assault on the lives and safety of refugees. Only our united outrage can prevent such criminal acts in the future.

IFIR Secretariat

June 3, 1999

The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) is pleased to announce the release of Habibollah Abdullahi, the IFIR Erbil branch representative, and Abdullah Veissi, a member of that branch’s Executive Committee. The Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) of Iraq had arrested Abdullahi and Veissi on May 30, 1999. The pretext given for the arrests was IFIR’s "illegal activities." In reality, however, it was IFIR’s successful efforts in organizing the protests of Iranian refugees that prompted the KDP of Iraq to detain IFIR’s activists and deem its activities illegal.

International support was instrumental in gaining their freedom. The two were released to a mission comprising of representatives of the IFIR Secretariat (Yedi Mahmoudi), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The international solidarity was so extensive that surprised officials asked who the two were to receive such an outpouring of support. IFIR congratulates all individuals, groups and bodies who responded to its campaign and obtained the immediate and unconditional release of its refugee rights activists.

IFIR Secretariat

June 7, 1999

A mission from the Islamic Republic of Iran is speaking at a roundtable discussion on the media in Iran today, Monday, June 7, 1999 at Columbia University. The mission comprises of a former official of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and several members of the government-controlled press. This roundtable is part of Khatami’s "dialogue of civilizations," which hopes to amend the image of a criminal regime with the help of its cohorts in the west (including Columbia University’s Middle Eastern Studies). The discussion aims to highlight the increase of publications in Iran to declare freedom of expression and press in the Islamic Republic of Iran!

Despite such attempts, the fact remains that the increase of government-controlled publications in support of Khatami is not an indication of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a freedom for opponents and the people and not freedom for a faction of the regime to expand its activities.

The roundtable is nothing but an effort to justify censorship and repression in Iran. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, any publication that is socialist, pro-labor, egalitarian, pro freedom, against religion, and opposed to the entirety of the Islamic Republic of Iran is banned and its defenders killed.

According to the regime’s Press Law, the press’ role is to struggle against manifestations of colonial culture and promote and propagate authentic Islamic culture and diffuse virtuous principles. The press is prohibited from promoting discourse "harmful" to the principles and mandate of Islam. Any deviation even by the pro-government press has been met with repression.

Clearly, a precondition to real freedom is the overthrow of the entirety of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

IFIR Secretariat

June 6, 1999

The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) is holding its 8^th conference in Germany during July 22 to 25. The public is invited to join the international gathering of IFIR activists and members. To register or suggest workshops for the conference, contact the IFIR Secretariat or the German branch office, Postfach 650149, 13301 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 20 45 21 64 (tel.); +49 30 20 45 21 63 (fax).