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The clerical regime's Intelligence Ministry announced through the official news agency, IRNA, today, that Mojahed Ali-Akbar Akbari, aged 20, who "had been wounded and arrested" after Assadollah Lajevardi was killed, "died this morning," a statement issued by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran said.
Last night, however, the mullahs' Intelligence Minister Ghorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi said in an interview with the state television that one of the Mojahedin "has been captured and will be punished for his actions." On August 23, the regime's Judiciary also announced the arrest of one of the Mojahedin.
The blatant contradiction between last night's remarks by the Intelligence Minister, the statement by the Judiciary and the report today by the Intelligence Minister about Mojahed Ali Akbar Akbari reveals that he was martyred under savage torture.
International human rights organizations and bodies must investigate this matter so as not to allow the mullahs' Intelligence Ministry to churn out fabricated reports to cover up its heinous crimes and the murder of detainees under savage torture.
Three days ago, mullahs' President Khatami issued a message urging "intelligence and security officials to quickly identify and bring to justice" members of the Mojahedin's operational units. Now, Intelligence Ministry henchmen have carried out Khatami's demand and order. This is the meaning of "rule of law" and "civil society" in Khatami's lexicon. Immediately after Lajevardi was punished, Khatami described the man who was one of the most notorious criminals against humanity in the 20th century as "a servant of the people."
Tiny Crowd in Lajevardi's Funeral Procession Underlines
Intense Repugnance at "Butcher of Evin", Iran Zamin News
Agency, August 26
In a statement issued yesterday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran said that despite widespread mobilization of the clerical regime's suppressive organs and all the propaganda, pressure and threats by the mullahs, the funeral procession for Assadollah Lajevardi, the Butcher of Evin, was attended Tuesday by no more than 500 persons, all members of the Revolutionary Guards, the Intelligence Ministry and other repressive agencies of the clerical regime.
Today's big flop came despite all the messages and calls by the entire leadership of the theocratic regime, including mullahs' President Khatami. It highlighted the extent of fear and demoralization of the regime's forces and agents as well as the intense repugnance at the Butcher of Evin.
The punishment on Sunday of one of the most infamous criminals in the second half of the 20th century by Mojahedin's operational units has aroused a tremendous wave of joy and enthusiasm among the Iranian people nationwide.
In the past two days, thousands have
called or sent facsimile messages to the offices and centers of the Mojahedin
and the Iranian Resistance in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East to express
their overwhelming happiness over the punishment of Lajevardi.
Iran To Hold Military Maneuvers Near Afghan Border, Agence France Presse, August 26
Iran plans to hold large-scale military maneuvers soon near its border with war-torn Afghanistan, a senior Iranian military official said on Wednesday.
Mohammad-Ali Jafari, commander-in-chief of the land forces of the elite Revolutionary Guards, told Radio Tehran that the land and air exercises would involve more than 70,000 troops.
He said they would take place during a 15-day period in the Torbat-e-Jam region some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border with Afghanistan.
Jafari said the maneuvers would take place over 600 square kilometers (240 square miles) of territory and would simulate "a rapid advance overland deep into the territory of the fictitious enemy."
The maneuvers come amid a series of recent warnings from Iran to the Taliban.
Shiite Moslem Iran does not recognize the Sunni Moslem Taliban and continues to consider ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani as the legitimate leader of the country.
Iran's Missiles, Terror on Agenda for Clinton, Yeltsin,
The Washington Times, August 26
President Clinton yesterday called Russian President Boris Yeltsin to set the stage for tougher anti-terrorist and nonproliferation action —especially against Iran— at their summit next week.
"We expected to have some positive things to agree on," said a senior administration official involved in preparing the president for the summit….
A Clinton aide said that the summit will concentrate on "three baskets" — arms control, nonproliferation issues and regional concerns. For the first time, the issue of terrorism will be added to the regional concerns "basket."
In addition, the president is expected to win new assurances from Moscow to stop missile technology transfers to Iran, said the official….