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Today, we observe the first anniversary of the pro-democracy uprising, which
was led by the students and widely supported by the Iranian people that was
crushed by the dictatorship. On the night of 18 Tir 1378 (July 8, 1999), after
the pro-democracy students had returned to their dormitories from their protest
sit-in against the closure of a newspaper, in the middle of night, the forces
of repression attacked student dormitories, murdered and beat up our young brave
students, and imprisoned the pro-democracy nationalist activists. The forces
of tyranny attempted to destroy the opponents of dictatorship, whether the student
activists, nationalist activists, or the ordinary people on the streets who
have had enough with the ruling dictatorship.
The people of Iran observe this anniversary agonizing over the death of many
of the pro-democracy activists such as Ezzat Ibrahimnejad, who were murdered
by the forces of darkness. We agonize over the imprisonment of the pro-democracy
activists such as Khosrow Seif ( Age 70years) ,the Secretary-General of the
Iran Nation Party (INP) and many other INP old leaders such as Bahram Namazi
and Farzin Mokhber. We agonize over the unjust imprisonment of one of Iran's
bravest woman, Dr. Behnieh Jilani, who like thousands of other political prisoners
has been dragged in front of the Islamic Revolutionary "Courts" and
given long sentences in so- called trials lasting only a few minutes. We agonize
over the unjust imprisonment of pro-democracy student activists like Ahmad Batebi,
whose only crime was to hold up the bloodied t-shirt of his fallen classmate
who had been savagely beaten up by the Ansar-e Hezbollah storm troopers. After
torturing him savagely for a long period to extract false confessions, the regime
first sentenced Ahmad Batebi, this brave 21-year old student, to death and only
after international outcry from human rights organizations, did the regime commute
his sentence to 15 years imprisonment. The number of pro-democracy activists
who participated in the July Uprising was so huge that the regime has attempted
to intimidate them into silence by handing them long- term imprisonment, "suspended
until" they engaged in politics again.
The noble people of Iran will never forget the infamous night of 18 Tir 1378
when the coercive apparatuses of the Islamic Republic -- the so-called Niroye
Entezami, paramilitary Ansar-e Hezbollah storm troopers, and the Special Forces
of the Velayat Faghih (Farsi acronym NOPEH for Nirohay Vijeh Poshtiban Velayat
Faghih) — attacked the sleeping students in their dormitory
rooms, beating them up so badly that most ended up in hospitals and unknown
numbers were killed. The members of the coercive apparatuses threw the students
through windows from their 2nd and 3rd floor rooms while singing: "Dear
Imam Hussein, Accept these gifts from us"!!! Other members of the Niroye
Entezami stood in two rows with their belly clubs in the "corridor of batons"
beating the students who were rushing outside. The savage fundamentalists did
not even stop beating after one student's skull broke open and he was in convulsions.
The violent repressive forces of the regime did not show mercy to his shattering
body and continued to beat his body with their batons. That terrible night shall
remain in our memory forever.
After that bloody night of 18 Tir (July 8, 1999), the youth, the pro-democracy
nationalist activists, and the ordinary people came to the streets in support
of the defenseless students and the pro-democracy protests continued unabated
in Tehran until 22 Tir, which shook the foundations of the fundamentalist dictatorship.
It was then that the "Supreme National Security Council" (to be more
accurate the "Supreme National Suppressing Council") met under the
chairmanship of the so-called reformist Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and issued the
order of "National Suppression." The end- result of that order has
been unknown number of deaths, paralyzed, maimed, and injured pro-democracy
activists along with 1400 pro-democracy nationalist activists and students who
have been imprisoned and tortured. In those five days between 18 and 22 Tir,
mass pro-democracy protests occurred in 20 cities including Tabriz, Isfahan,
Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz, and Kerman, in sympathy with the students and the pro-democracy
movement, which for the first time in the past 20 years seriously threatened
to overthrow the tyrannical regime. In Tehran, two pro-democracy nationalist
political parties, "Iran Nation Party" [Hezb Mellat Iran] and "Precious
Territory Party" [Hezb Marz Por Gohar] along with nationalist students
resisted to the very end the onslaught of the forces of repression and dictatorship.
On that day, Ansar-e Hezbollah storm troopers shouting slogans: "Party
is the Party of Ali Only, Leader is Ali Khamanehi Only," and "Dear
Ali Khamanehi, Order so I Can Spill Blood" along with other coercive apparatuses
such as the Niroye Entezami, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Special Forces, and
the dreaded Intelligence Ministry, under the order of "Supreme National
Security Council" were busy with "national Suppression."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Special Forces attacked the homes of the pro-democracy
nationalist leaders: arrested them and looted the homes of several of them.
The officials of the regime, with resorting to murder, mayhem, imprisonment,
torture, and putting under tremendous pressure those temporarily freed, have
given a hollow meaning to the slogans such as "reforms" and "opening
up the political space."
During and after the 5 day pro-democracy uprising (18-23 Tir 1378, July 8-13
1999), the supporters of the 2nd Khordad coalition [pro-Khatami reformists inside
the regime] made a grave mistake. Instead of defending the rights of the pro-democracy
movement and exposing the authorities behind the forces who constantly use violence
against the people, the 2nd Khordad supporters abandoned the pro-democracy activists.
Hoping to take seats in the forthcoming 6th Majles, the 2nd Khordad supporters
put pressure on the pro-regime student group "Daftar Tahkim Vahdat"
to postpone its legitimate demands, which they did, while at that very moment
our pro-democracy activists were being tortured in prisons.
It was after this mistake and the retreat of the 2nd Khordad reformists that
the hardline "traditional rightists" could go ahead with their plans
and close all the independent and reformist newspapers and weeklies. Moreover,
this led to the capture of leadership of the 2nd Khordad camp (and subsequently
the leadership of the Majles) by individuals such as Ayatollah Mehdi Karubi
and Behzad Nabavi, who not only were among the participants of the "Iran-Contra"
scandal but also constitute the dictatorial wing of the 2nd Khordad camp.
In Iran, political power is a private monopoly of a sectarian fundamentalist
clerical elite who through institutions such as Assembly of Clerical Experts,
Council of Guardians, Expediency Council for the Systems, the Judiciary, and
the coercive apparatuses impose its dictatorial and suffocating control over
the lives of the Iranian people like an octopus suffocating its victim. The
hardline rightists have total control of the octopus-like institutions mentioned
above. The reformists are nominally in control of the executive branch although
it is admitted that some critical ministries such as the dreaded Ministry of
Intelligence is under the control of the hardline faction. The hardline rightists
in their zeal to impose their totalitarianism are even attempting to purge members
of other fundamentalist factions.
The 2nd Khordad is composed of many factions, the most benign one has embraced
the slogan "Iran for all Iranians" and has opposed the anti-democratic
faction that shares with the hardline rightists the slogan "Insider vs.
Outsider." The anti-democratic factions divide the Iranian people into
two groups:
1. the fundamentalists or "insiders" who should be allowed to express
their opinion and enjoy the fruits of citizenship;
and
2. the non-fundamentalists or "outsiders" who are regarded as second
class subjects without any rights. Unfortunately, even the benign faction of
the 2nd Khordad that has accepted the slogan "Iran for all Iranians"
has the wrong approach to democratization. Democracy can best be established
when the institutions of civil society” the voluntary institutions independent
from the regime -- can exist and enjoy space to flourish. These independent
social, cultural, economic, and political institutions are those vehicles with
which the people could advance and defend democracy and the rule of law. As
long as the benign faction within 2nd Khordad approaches democratization as
the pursuit of power from above by its own faction, and ignores the critical
role and significance of civil society, it will remain a tool in the hands of
the dictatorial factions (both within the 2nd Khordad and the hardline rightists).
The dictatorial factions used the 2nd Khordad camp to calm the people during
the protests and in order to get votes during the elections. And when they so
desired, the dictatorial factions undermined the 2nd Khordad reformists through
closing down 20 dailies and weeklies and imprisoning many of the more outspoken
reformists in the 2nd Khordad camp.
The 18 Tir uprising was the best occasion to pressure the tyrannical system
(that was fearful of being overthrown by popular uprising) to accept the right
of independent organizations of civil society to freely exist. The right of
the institutions of civil society to exist free from repression by the fundamentalist
coercive apparatuses was (and will be) a major achievement for our society.
Only such an achievement would be regarded as a vindication of the step-by-step
policy. It was that mistake by the 2nd Khordad reformists who on that critical
juncture joined the hardline rightist tyrants instead of using that opportunity
to gain security for the pro-democracy activists to establish and maintain their
independent associations and organizations.
Today it is the duty of us, the pro-democracy Iranians around the globe who
love Iran so dearly, to stand up to the dictators ruling Iran and demand freedom,
democracy, and a legitimate form of government which have been the demands of
the Iranian people in the past 100 years.
The organizations of Iran National Front in the United States, Canada, Sweden,
and the Netherlands, on this the first anniversary of the pro-democracy uprising
ask President Mohammad Khatami, the government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, and all international organizations and freedom-loving
individuals around the world to pay attention to the gross violations of human
rights of the Iranian people, and to support the struggle of the oppressed people
of Iran who want to put an end to the violations of our basic human rights.
We demand the immediate implementation of the following:
- The release of all those arrested, accused, and convicted for their participation
in the July 1999 pro-democracy uprising. The repeal of the "suspended
until further notice" convictions and jail terms and the freedom
of all political prisoners.
- The release of the names of all those who were killed during the July Uprising.
- The release of the names of all those who have been maimed and injured
during the July Uprising.
- The release of the names of all those who have been tortured for their
participation in the July Uprising.
- The release of the names of all those arrested for their participation
in the July Uprising.
- The compensation for the above individuals who were thus victimized by
the order of the Supreme National Security Council to repress the pro-democracy
movement.
- The ruling sectarian fundamentalist regime should realize that like the
pro-democracy political prisoners who sang the patriotic anthem "Aye
Iran" while under torture, the Iranian people will not tolerate the daily
oppression and repression. The continuation of dictatorship and the repression
of the pro- democracy movement cannot but put the tranquility and peace of
our country in jeopardy.
Organizations of Iran National Front in the United States, Canada, Sweden,
and the Netherlands
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