DOMESTIC

EP Condemned Violations of Human Rights in Iran, Terrorist Attack Mojahedin in Baghdad

NCR secretariat, Feb. 20 - The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Khomeini regime for attacking the Mojahedin's office in Baghdad on January 8 with 320mm super mortars and described the assault as "an act of extraterritorial terrorism."

The European Parliament condemned "the repeated violations of human rights in Iran" and expressed concern about "the high number of executions" in that country.

In reference to the interview by the B.B.C. Farsi service with one of the Mojahedin prisoners, the resolution deplored "the broadcasting of so-called confessions of political detainees in violation of international conventions". The B.B.C. radio broadcast the so-called confessions of a tortured prisoner in an appalling interview with him on January 8, which outraged the people of Iran and freedom lovers all across the world.

Members of the European Parliament also condemned "the continuing discrimination against women in Iran", "the recent widespread arrests" of people during recent demonstrations throughout the country and "torture of prisoners of conscience", "the outlawing of oil workers' organizations", the fatwa against the British author Salman Rushdie, and "the arrest of Iranian writer Faraj Sarkuhi". The European Parliament also expressed deep concern about "the threats made against the judicial officials of [Germany] who have accused the leaders of the Iranian regime of direct involvement in the assassinations of Iranian opponents in exile", and called on "the Council and the member states to increase diplomatic pressure" on the mullahs and "to discuss with the European Parliament the policy of critical dialogue" with the Iranian regime.

Clashes between Mojahedin and mullah regime spread to central and southeastern Iran

Press Office of Mojahedin, Paris, Feb. 17 - According to a report by the Mojahedin's Command Headquarters in Iran, clashes between the Mojahedin and popular Resistance forces on the one hand and the regime's Intelligence Ministry and Guards Corps agents on the other, continued in various parts of the country. The clashes intensified in Isfahan province (central Iran) in recent days and a number of the regime's suppressive forces in Isfahan were killed. The regime's Ministry of Intelligence is alarmed at the expansion of the Mojahedin's operations and activities throughout the country. It preposterously claimed that the Mojahedin had brought their "guns, grenades and weapons" from Iraq to Isfahan.

The expansion of clashes to the northern and central Iranian regions in recent weeks which has forced the mullah regime to acknowledge them, indicates the escalation of the Iranian people's Resistance all across the country.

Press Office of Mojahedin, Paris, Feb. 19 - The clashes which began since December 21 in various provinces, intensified in recent days in the eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan. On Tuesday, February 18, extensive clashes broke out in the provincial capital of Zahedan, as a result of which a number of Guards and agents of the Intelligence Ministry were killed and wounded. Lasting more than one hour, the clashes centered in Jaam-e Jam Blvd and its surrounding area. The fighting was so intense that the Guards constantly asked for reinforcement.

Having panicked at the expansion of the Mojahedin's activities and operations throughout the country, the regime's Ministry of Intelligence foolishly claimed that the Mojahedin, armed with pistols, automatic rifles, grenades and publicity literature, had received their "sabotage and terrorist training in Iraq, in the so-called Ashraf camp."

Consequences of oil workers' strike

Reuters, Feb. 17 - The Kar va Kargar (Work and Worker) newspaper on Monday urged oil officials to accept the workers' demands and allow recognized unions free activity.

"If we do this, then secret organizations will not arise ..." the daily said.... Iranian governments have always been especially sensitive to protests by oil workers who at crucial times have proved capable of stopping the flow of crude exports which bring in the bulk of Iran's hard cash.

A strike late in 1978 by Iran's 100,000 oil workers shut down the industry and played a key role in the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran. [Quoting reports from Iran, the NCR secretariat announced on Feb. 18 that the security forces were still stationed at Tehran's refinery. The statement indicated that the striking workers were arrested after they were supposedly called into the Oil Ministry building for negotiations. According to the statement, Mr. Rajavi, NCR's President, "appealed to international human rights organizations for urgent action to free and save the lives of the imprisoned oil workers."]

Cultural offensive turns into security threat

Kayhan, Feb. 18 - Rahim Safavi, Deputy Commander of Revolutionary Guards in Tehran's Sarallah base said: The cultural aggression by the enemy could turn into a security threat.

Safavi, who was speaking in the opening ceremony of the first class of civil defense, added that after 18 years from the victory of the Islamic revolution, the nature and form of domestic and foreign enemies of [mullahs'] system has changed.

He emphasized: Today, the enemy is trying to encounter the holy system of Islamic Republic in cultural front utilizing the latest facilities and technology. Citing the widespread cultural aggression by "World's Arrogance" [usually referred to U.S.] and "prosaic broadcasts" via satellite and Internet to corrupt the youths and adolescent, he stressed on extensive measures to fend off these threats...

Fearful for Security in Tehran

Etela'at, Feb. 18 - In Islamshahr [southwest Tehran], security authorities have set up two control and inspection posts on Waavan three-way intersection to provide "more security" in this region of Tehran province. Also, in Payaneh "Iran Par" a security center has been established to prevent the "infiltration of saboteur elements."...

[On April 6, 1995, The New York Times and several news agencies reported that on April 5 of that year, Islamshahr was the scene of one of "the most serious" riots against government. In this widespread riot, the government utilized helicopter gunships to suppress the protests from spreading to other parts of Tehran.]

Three men hanged in public

Ettela'at, Feb. 19 - Three men convicted of drug dealing, armed insurgency and "causing public terror," were hanged in the northeastern city of Kashmar, about 250 km (150 miles) from Iran's borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan....

Boutiques set on fire

AFP, Feb. 17 - Authorities in southeastern Iran have set fire in public to "hundreds" of pieces of clothing bearing Western symbols, notably the American flag, a newspaper reported Monday.

Islamic militiamen, known as the Bassijis, had seized the clothing from boutiques in the Oman Sea port of Kenarak in Sistan-Baluchistan province, Kayhan daily said.

Stricter Dress Code for Women

AFP, Feb. 20, Tehran - Iran issued a new stricter Islamic dress code for women as part of its campaign to turn back encroaching Western influences. The conservative newspaper Ressalat published the guidelines laid out by the Martyr Ghodusi judicial center, which specializes in fighting signs of "decadent" Western culture.

Islamic law, as interpreted here, calls for prison terms of three months to one year, or fines and up to 74 lashes of the whip for the following offenses: Women dressed in "modish outfits such as suits and skirt without wearing a long overcoat on top."

Iranian women have been required to wear a raincoat-like outfit over their regular dress and a scarf under the Islamic dress code enforced after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

But the regulations ban any mini or short-sleeved overcoat or those "flashy ones with fashionable cuts, decorated with any exotic insignia."...

The ban includes wearing any "depraved, showy and glittery objects on hats, necklaces, earrings, belts, bracelets, glasses, headbands, rings, neckscarfs and ties."...

FOREIGN

Mullahs' envoy expelled from Turkey

Reuters, Feb. 21, Ankara - The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday the Iranian ambassador to Turkey had left the country in a diplomatic row with Tehran sparked by his comments at an anti-Israel rally in favour of Islamic law. The ministry protested to Iran early in February after the Ambassador Mohammad Reza Bagheri spoke at an Islamist "Jerusalem night" rally in an Ankara district along with the local mayor.

State-run Anatolian news agency said Ankara was considering a protest against Iran's consul-general in Istanbul for pro-sharia comments. The ministry official said the consul-general had also left Turkey, but did not say whether Turkey had protested to Iran over his comments.

Eastern Europe armed regime

The Washington Times, Feb. 19 - Poland...has made five shipments to Iran of T-72 tanks, equipment and trainers, with the latest delivery taking place last summer, according to [a] CIA report, labeled "top secret." A company in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, also a leading candidate for NATO membership, took part in a deal to supply M-60 tank transmissions and other tank parts to Iran...

Poland's government, under pressure from Washington, at first agreed to suspend all tank sales to Iran; it later announced that current contracts would be fulfilled but that future tank sales would not be allowed....

State agents seek to assassinate Rushdie

UPI, Feb. 16 - Two dozen Iranian hit-men have been expelled from Britain during the past eight years for trying to kill Salman Rushdie... ", a published report said Sunday.

Speaking to the Independent on Sunday, Rushdie revealed the Iranians' intent to carry out the death sentence, or fatwa, and to claim the bounty, recently raised to $2.5 million.

Several times, he had been told by the security services, teams of assassins had been dispatched to London....

All of them, said Rushdie, had been Iranian government agents, contradicting claims that the Tehran authorities were not intent on pursuing the fatwa....

Terrorist obedience

AFP, Feb. 20, Berlin - The legal attorney of a Lebanese on trial for the murder of four Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Berlin asked the judge to consider his client's "deep faith", because in his view it is the "deep faith" of his Shiite client which forced him into carrying out the order for murder issued by Iran's spiritual leader, Khamenei.

The above said Lebanese, called Abbas Rahajel, is one of the five being tried in court, where the Federal Prosecutor of Germany has accused the mullahs' leader Khamenei of having issued the order for assassination. The Prosecutor has demanded life sentence for Rahajel, believed to have opened fire on the Kurds.

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