PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com IRAN SOS INFO Nr. 2 August 2005 Adolescent serial killer hanged in Sanandaj, northwest Iran, killing several Iran: report people including two children and Mon. 1 Aug 2005 starting riots throughout the town, eye- AFP witnesses reported. At least 1,000 TEHRAN - An Iranian people had gathered at Esteghlal Park in man convicted of the evening, peacefully demonstrating in murdering and protest to the brutal torture and murder of robbing five men a young Kurd by police in the when he was a minor neighbouring town of Mahabad which has been hanged had acted as a catalyst for widespread in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, the anti-government protests in Kurdistan Khorasan daily reported Monday. and Western Azerbaijan provinces for Farshid Farighi, 21, was hanged at the the past three weeks.Protestors held up city prison after he was convicted of placards demanding justice for the killers stabbing to death five men in separate of Shoan Qaderi. There were also chants incidents after they gave him a lift in their against senior officials within Iran’s car. The first murder was carried out in theocratic leadership. Uniformed and 1998, when Farighi was believed to be plain-clothed police attacked protestors 14 years old, and he was arrested in in Enghelab Square and Sheshom-e 2000. Bahman Street and at one point started to shoot live rounds. Eye-witnesses His sentence included 74 lashes. reported that several people were injured So far this year, Iran has executed at or killed. Among the dead are believed to least 43 people, according to an AFP be two children. tally based on witness and press reports. In 2004 at least 159 people were As demonstrators dispersed, a full-scale executed in the Islamic republic -- the riot broke out in Sanandaj. People threw highest rate in the world after China -- stones to fight off police and burnt car according to Amnesty International. tyres in the streets. Local banks were attacked and had their windows Iran's capital offences include murder, shattered. Several sonic-booms were rape, armed robbery, apostasy, also set off in between protestors. blasphemy, serious drug trafficking, repeated sodomy, adultery or There is presently no accurate prostitution, treason and espionage. information on the number of people arrested, though witnesses reported Police shoot dead protesters in heavy police presence in the town. Anti- northwest Iran Tue. 2 Aug 2005 riot units were also brought in from neighbouring towns to quell the protests. Iran Focus Tehran, Iran, Aug. 02 – Iran’s State Security Forces on Monday evening opened fire at a peaceful anti-government demonstration in the Kurdish town of PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com IRAN SOS INFO Nr. 2 August 2005 Today’s unrest in Saqqez started at Protesters clash with security forces Oqab Square just before noon as angry in Iran’s Kurdish town Wed. 3 Aug 2005 protestors, who were in their hundreds, Iran Focus attacked a local Bassij post with sticks Tehran, Iran, and stones. The Bassij are paramilitary Aug. 03 – Violent Islamic vigilantes loyal to the Supreme clashes erupted Leader. between young Protestors then split up into small people and groups attacking various government security forces buildings including the governor’s office. in the Kurdish town of Saqqez, northwest The commander of the State Security Iran, and a prayer hall and vehicles Forces in Saqqez was also beaten by belonging to the police were set on fire protestors. on Wednesday, according to witnesses. The windows of several Special anti-riot units of the banks were shattered as people threw Revolutionary Guards were brought in to sticks and stones at agents of the State put down the unrest and a number of Security Forces in Saqqez, situated in demonstrators were arrested. the province of Kurdistan, a hotbed of anti-government protests. Iran Revolutionary Guards’ brutality against Kurds backfires Wed. 3 Aug The latest clashes come in the wake of 2005 a series of protests that have swept Iran Focus Kurdish towns and cities in Iran for the Tehran, Iran, Aug. 03 past weeks. Dozens of protesters have – On Tuesday, July been injured or arrested by government 26, plainclothes troops in several towns. agents from the The semi-official daily Jomhouri Islami, intelligence which is close to Supreme Leader directorate of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned in its Islamic Revolutionary Wednesday issue that “certain people are trying to bring turmoil to western Iran Guards Corps took 18 detained Kurdish in coordination with foreigners”. men from the restive towns of Baneh and “There are hidden hands at work to Marivan to a barren create chaos in the country through a location and, after a violent rough-up, well-planned coordination”, the daily forced them to strip naked and walk back added. It also reported “suspicious to their towns.The Revolutionary Guards propaganda activities” against the were trying to intimidate young people in theocratic regime in the south-eastern this restive area of western Iran into province of Baluchistan. silence after days of anti-government protests that have spread to several towns and cities. But the brutality and humiliation inflicted on the Kurds have only inflamed an already tense situation. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com IRAN SOS INFO Nr. 2 August 2005 The day after the 18 men were beaten described how several women attacked and stranded, angry Kurds seeking policemen who had detained a teenage revenge attacked police patrols in the boy and freed him.In Hahlou Square, region killing five agents of Iran’s State protestors chanted “Down with Security Forces.Tensions have Khamenei”, referring to Iran’s Supreme increased dramatically in the area since Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. the events of July 26 and there have been several other violent attacks on In an attempt to contain the unrest, agents of the SSF in recent days. agents of the SSF opened fire on In a bid to contain the situation, the local protestors. There were reports of several authorities claimed this week that the people being killed by SSF gunfire. By perpetrators of the crime were Kurdish early afternoon, at least 30 people had dissidents posing as Revolutionary been arrested.Today’s unrest in Saqqez Guards, who wanted to “incite people started at Oqab Square just before noon against the Islamic Republic”. As could as hundreds of protestors attacked a be expected, the belated attempt to calm local Bassij post with sticks and stones. down the anger of local Kurds has not The Bassij are paramilitary Islamic been successful and anti-government vigilantes loyal to the Supreme Leader. protests are continuing in different parts of the region The latest clashes come in the wake of a series of protests that have swept Iran police fire on Kurdish protesters Kurdish towns and cities in Iran for the from chopper Wed. 3 past weeks. Dozens of protesters have Aug 2005 Iran Focus: been injured or arrested by government Tehran, Iran, Aug. 03 – troops in several towns. Iran’s State Security forces opened lethal fire on protesters in the 11 die in northwest Iran clashes western town of Saqqez from a military Wed. 3 Aug 2005 helicopter on Wednesday, eye-witnesses Iran Focus reported. Anti-government protesters set fire to the town’s principal prayer hall and vehicles Tehran, Iran, Aug. belonging to the police on Wednesday 03 – Heavy morning. Various government buildings clashes which broke out including the governor’s office were also attacked and the commander of State between Security Forces was beaten by protestors. A government agency, protesters and State Security Forces on Bonyad Panzdah Khordad, was Wednesday in the Kurdish town of completely ransacked. Witnesses Saqqez, northwest Iran, have claimed 11 reported that women took part in great lives, according to Kurdish sources. numbers during today’s clashes with the Witnesses reported that agents of the security forces. One witness SSF fired lethal rounds on protestors from helicopters in the air. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com IRAN SOS INFO Nr. 2 August 2005 Kurdish groups have announced the security forces. One witness described names of four of the dead as Mohammad how several women attacked policemen Shariati, head of a local school; Farzad who had detained a teenage boy and Mohammadi, Student; Abbass freed him. The latest clashes come in the Ramazanzadeh, 55 years old, and wake of a series of protests that have Shakeri. Iran’s state-run media and swept Kurdish towns and cities in Iran for officials have confirmed extensive the past weeks. Dozens of protesters clashes in the western regions of the have been injured or arrested by country. The state-run news agency government troops in several towns. ILNA reported on Wednesday that provincial governors of Kurdistan and World editorial round-up on Iran West Azerbaijan, deputy chiefs of Thu. 4 Aug 2005 security in the Interior and Intelligence Ministries, deputy commander of Iran’s Iran Focus State Security Forces, and Majlis London, Aug. 04 – deputies from the area met to discuss Newspapers ways of dealing with the worsening around the world situation. Kazem Jalali, a member of the expressed alarm Majlis National Security and Foreign in their Thursday Policy Committee, told ILNA that editorials at the threat posed by a participants in the meeting had nuclear-armed Iran and dangers of determined that there should be “a postponing the referral of Iran’s nuclear higher level of security” imposed on the file to the United Nations Security area to prevent unrest in Oshnavieh and Council following the rise to power of Mahabad from spreading to other areas.