Archive for the ‘Freedom’ Category
Police Firing on Basij? – Basij Tageting Women – Enghelab Square
There are unconfirmed reports that in areas of Tehran police began firing on Basij militia. Currently these claims cannot be confirmed.
There are also reports that women have become the main target of the Basij. Women have taken a large part in the protests following the June 12th election, which opposition figures and protesters are calling illegitimate.
There are also reports of increased violence around Enghelab Square, as well as many other places.
Riots in Urumqi, 156 Dead, Hundreds More Injured, and Thousands Arrested
Yesterday’s riots in the city of Urumqi, located in China’s western Xinjiang province, have left at least 156 people dead and over 800 people injured. Xinhua (Chinese State Media) claims there have been over 1434 arrests.
Xinhua further reports the government said: “An initial investigation showed the violence was masterminded by the separatist World Uighur Congress led by Rebiya Kadeer.” Kadeer is considered the Uigher leader and lives in exile in the United States.
Many in Xinjiang have long campaigned to gain independence from China, which is made up of prominently Han Chinese, while Xinjiang is primarily Uigher Muslims.
The CNN article on the topic is here:http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/06/china.uyghur.protest/index.html
Prisoners Beat, Tortured, and Raped in Iran – At Least 11 Killed Tuesday
There are reports from Iran that people in Iranian prisons, such as the notorious Evin prison, were beat, tortured, and even raped. Medical examinations of people released have proven all three of these claims. This report comes as the government cracks down on dissidents throughout all of Iran.
The Guardian article on this is here: http://bit.ly/15pnac
There are also reports that at least 11 people were killed Tuesday 30 June 2009.
It may well be that in the future the officials of the current regime will be tried at the hague for crimes against humanity.
British Embassy Staff Kidnapped – CONFIRMED
It has been confirmed that 8 British Embassy staffers were arrested in Iran fortheir “role in the unrest” (CNN). This comes amid reports that Iran has arrested many foreign nationals, though at this time it is unknown which countries said people were from.
Dramatic Interview with Woman who saw ‘a massacre’
This is one of the most dramatic portrayals of ‘massacres’ in Tehran. This is from 24 June 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEtVRgZ3Szw&feature=player_embedded
CNN aired this today 24 June 2009
Color Coded MAP of Embassies in Iran Helping Injured
This is a link to a map that provides the location of every embassy in Tehran:http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116894734857323306892.00046ccb858387ddf2a3d
This is a link to a text file of the embassies and whether or not they take injured: http://bit.ly/2rYIbt
The map and text file are color coded. Below is the description:
Best info we have – please update if you know more. GREEN: OPEN (embassy statement open)
YELLOW: no statement, indication yes RED: NO HELP (embassy can’t help injured)
BLUE: UNKNOWN
Assume Basij are blocking all embassies and use CAUTION. Also many Embassies deny that they are helping injured or even are able to do so. Hard to get straight facts. Furthermore most embassies won’t have sophisticated medical equipment on site. In case of life threathening injury please go to the nearest hospital. In addition latest info suggests embassy staffs are being expelled from country soon. check too with https://eldercato.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/list-and-status-of-injured-accepting-embassies-in-tehran/ Please help in further enhancing this map by checking the information and by providing additional information (other Embassies, capacity of Embassies …)
Again the link is:http://bit.ly/AXKb0
Please pass this on. Spread it on your blog or website. Claim it as your own, we really don’t care. It just needs to be out there. Tweet this until you can’t Tweet anymore. JUST GET IT OUT THERE!
Mousavi Under House Arrest
There are reports that Mousavi is under house arrest, though some sources don’t use the phrase ‘house arrest’, but rather say he is ‘under 24 hour guard.’ Either way he is cut off from all his supporters. The government likely thinks that this will result in the protesters becoming less organized and that they will lose heart without their ‘leader.’
Netherlands Response to Taking Injured
I emailed the Netherlands and got an email back from the Ambassador. While it seems as if it was a generic email sent to many people it still answers their status on accepting wounded Iranians:
Dear sir/ madam,
Thank you for your message of concern about persons wounded in the
ongoing unrest in Teheran.
We share your concern and the Netherlands calls on all parties to
refrain from further violence and address the current situation in a
peaceful manner.
The embassy is not equipped to deal with wounded persons and neither do
we have the staff to do so.
It is obviously the duty of licensed doctors and hospitals in Tehran to
help wounded persons in need of medical care.
The embassy is therefore only in a position to refer to the relevant
medical institutions.
Sincerely,
Radinck Jan van Vollenhoven
Ambassador of the Netherlands
Tehran, 22 June 2009
Response to Emails Inquiring About Canadian EmbassyTaking Injured
Response from Canadian Foreign Ministry:
Response from the CEC re: Embassy not open to injured iranians
In response to your concerns regarding the situation in Iran, we would like to share the following with you:
Reports on Saturday that the Canadian Embassy in Iran was turning away people seeking sanctuary are false. The Embassy was closed Saturday and there were no Canadians at the Embassy when the protests began.
We have been advised by other Embassies in Tehran that they did not provide shelter to injured Iranians, as has been alleged.
Embassy staff has made every attempt to ensure services, particularly consular, remain unaffected by the situation. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, including the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, continues to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens in-person, on the phone and through email.
In case of emergency consular assistance regarding Canadian citizens in Iran, please contact the Embassy of Canada in Tehran at +98 (21) 8152-0000 or the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada’s Emergency Operations Centre by calling collect to 613-996-8885 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
Regards,
Operations Officer/Agent des opérations (CEC)
Emergency Services Division/Direction des services d’urgence
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada /
Affaires étrangères et du Commerce international Canada
sos@international.gc.ca
AUSTRIAN EMBASSY TAKING INJURED
There is a report from the Austrian Embassy that I have taken from another blog:
“Seitens des Außenministeriums hieß es, die österreichische Botschaft in Teheran sei rund um die Uhr, auch außerhalb der offiziellen Amtsstunden, erreichbar. Es sei zudem ein “Gebot der Menschlichkeit”, dass für Erste Hilfe gesorgt werde, wenn sich “Schwerverletzte” an die Botschaft wenden sollten, sagte Außenministeriums-Sprecher Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal. Dann werde auch veranlasst, dass diese umgehend in medizinische Betreuung übergeben würden.”
translation:
The ministry of foreign affairs has stated, that the Austrian embassy in Tehran can be reached around the clock, even outside of official opening hours. It is furthermore an “imperative of humanity” that first aid will be given for heavily injured people turning to help from the embassy, speaker for the ministry of foreign affairs Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal said. Then arrangements would be made, that these [heavily injured] would receive medical attention.