Iran

Iran takes complaints of terror victims to UN Human Rights Council

Iran took the complaints of families of victims of terrorist operations carried by Mujahedeen Khalq Organization to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

During the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council, the Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism (ADVT) called for the realization of human rights of victims of terrorism.

ADVT said that cultural campaign must be initiated to uproot terrorism in the world.

The Iranian Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism raised the slogan of ‘The terror victims, the biggest impressive potential to fight terrorism’ in a series of meetings with senior officials of the United Nations, Non-Governmental organizations (NGO) and the governments’ representatives in the Human Rights Council.

The ADVT delegation held a panel on the subject of UN responsibility to curb terrorism; recommendations for more efficiency in which human rights experts and activists considered major role of the UN must unertake in the international campaign against terrorism.

According to the Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism, the major proposals raised during the panel were the UN must prevent granting asylum to terrorists, the UN’s clear reaction to condemn terrorist acts and take the criminals involved in terrorism to the courts of justice by the governments of the UN member states.

The 33rd session of the Human Rights Council is underway in Geneva, Switzerland.

October 2, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Saudis giving money, intelligence to bandits in east Iran

The Iranian interior minister says the Saudi regime has been funneling money and intelligence to the outlaws operating in the country’s eastern border areas.

“We are in no doubt that all arrogant countries are seeking to bring about unwelcome developments in Iran and expend much to make that happen,” Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Thursday.

“For instance, Saudi Arabia provides financial and intelligence assistance to bandits in eastern Iran,” he added.

Back in August, a senior Iranian lawmaker said terrorists arrested by Iranian security forces had revealed “invaluable” information as to the patronage they had received from Saudi Arabia.

“Al Saud (the Saudi ruling family) resorts to all means in the world and the region against the Islamic Republic and, toward that end, helps terrorist groups target the Iranian nation,” Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis)’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said at the time.

Also earlier in the year, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Ground Forces, said that Washington and Riyadh were attempting to organize and reinforce terror groups and counter-revolutionary elements in Iran’s geographical periphery.

Iranian forces have, over the past months, engaged in clashes with terror groups, foiling their terrorist plots on the frontier and within the country, arresting a number of them and confiscating large amounts of explosives and bomb-making materials.

Shedding further light on Saudi anti-Iran efforts, the Iranian minister said “in the West, they openly meet with [members of] Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO).”

Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s former spy chief, attended an annual meeting of the terrorist group in Paris in July, giving a 30-minute address, during which he pledged to stand by the MKO in what he described as the outfit’s efforts against the Iranian establishment.

Fazli, however, asserted that Iran was not concerned about foreign threats.

“These threats exist, but we are not worried about them as our power to confront them is to such extent that the enemy dares not harbor the idea of proactive action.”

October 2, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Iran’s approach toward Saudi hostility

Saudi Arabia has intensified its anti-Iran rhetoric over the past years.

The kingdom has also been spreading Iranophobia to achieve its regional objectives.

Riyadh has attempted to brand Iran as a country which intends to plunge the region into turmoil. It accuses Iran of fanning the flames of conflicts in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Yemen.

But it is Saudi Arabia that launched a military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, claiming thousands of lives and causing a severe humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation.

The kingdom is also accused of backing terrorist groups which fight against the Syrian government. Riyadh has reportedly provided the terrorists with logistic and financial support in a bid to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In response to such hostile policies, Iran has called for holding political dialogue to end conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Tehran has always welcomed all moves which can help end bloodshed in these countries. The Islamic Republic has also sent humanitarian assistance to these countries to alleviate the people’s plight.

Saudi officials have also explicitly expressed support for an anti-Iran terrorist group known as Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO). The MKO terrorists have carried out numerous attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, killing thousands of people.

Saudi Arabia also threw its weight behind the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, which began an eight-year war against Iran (1980-88).

Apart from such hostile approaches, the kingdom refuses to shoulder the responsibility for last year’s Hajj stampede which resulted in the deaths of thousands of pilgrims, including hundreds of Iranians.

Despite Riyadh’s antagonism toward Tehran, the Islamic Republic has never taken approaches which could have pitted Muslims against each other.

Iran believes tensions among Islamic nations only benefit Israel and those who want to create division among Muslims.

The Islamic Republic is a regional power whose military might enables it to deter any act of aggression. Nonetheless, it prefers to follow up its complaints against Saudis through international bodies rather than get into a regional confrontation.

Iran Daily

September 25, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Iran denounces US efforts to secure Mojahedin Khalq terrorists

Iranian Parliament’s General Director for International Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized US efforts to support MKO terrorists, saying the US is completely oblivious to the safety and honor of the people of Iraq and Syria.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in response to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks on securing the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) memebres , said “White House tries to establish a ceasefire in Aleppo to secure terrorists under siege by the Syrian army.”

He added that a review of US government actions and words clearly proves the country has not taken and will not take any single step to save people from the clutches of terrorists in the region and Syria.

Amir-Abdollahian said Kafriya and Al‐Fu’ah people in Syria in recent months are besieged by terrorists and live under grave humanitarian crisis, including blackout and the acute shortage of drinking water, medicine and food; however, the US does not pay any attention to the catastrophe and crimes against humanity, and worse, the United Nations supporting Washington’s treatment, is not capable of helping Kafriya and Al‐Fu’ah people.

“While the safety and honor of the Muslim people of Syria and Iraq is completely disregarded by the United States, John Kerry speaks proudly of securing MKO terrorists,” he noted.

September 17, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Five reasons Iranians hate Saudi rulers

Hajj 2016 is proceeding while Iranian pilgrims didn’t attend one of the biggest Muslim ceremonies due to conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Meanwhile, some pilgrims from Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq were also prevented from travel to Mecca because of harsh policies of the new generation of Saudi rulers. Since 2011, Saudi Arabia has been supporting salafist groups in Syria and Iraq and have tried to spread insecurity to Lebanon and Iran as well. Consequently, in December 2015 German intelligence had warned that Saudi Arabia was at risk of becoming a major destabilizing influence in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Leader of Islamic Revolution on Monday September 5 issued an important message to all Muslims around the world in which he paralleled Saudi Arabian authorities with the Quranic term “evil progeny of the taghut” which refers to Umayyad dynasty in Islamic history. The message and its harsh rhetoric reflects deepened conflict between Tehran and Riyadh. The conflict, however, doesn’t seem to be only at political levels and majority of Iranians are strongly opposed to the Saudi regime.

Here are five major reasons Iranian people hate Saudi rulers:

1- The hajj stampede in 2015 caused a new flare-up in tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The September 2015 stampede and crush of pilgrims killed at least 7,477 people, according to a list that was published by Saudi Ministry of Health. Tehran has said 464 of the dead were Iranian and those who survived blame the catastrophe on Saudi mismanagement of the annual pilgrimage. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on the United Nations to investigate the incident. Iran has urged Saudi Arabia to apologize for the disaster and form an international Islamic fact-finding committee, but it has so far been refuted by Saudi rulers. In his recent message‌, Iran’s Leader highlighted the problem; “instead of apology and remorse and judicial prosecution of those who were directly at fault in that horrifying event, Saudi rulers – with utmost shamelessness and insolence – refused to allow the formation of an international Islamic fact-finding committee.”

2) In April 2015, 2 Iranian teenage pilgrims were sexually harassed by two Saudi security officers at Jeddah Airport. After that, thousands of Iranians protested outside Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran over the abuse of these two Iranian pilgrims. On April 13th, Iran suspended minor hajj trips to Saudi Arabia until the Saudi government “applies a strong attitude” to the case. Although Saud al-Faisal, FM of Saudi Arabia, has pledged to Iran’s ambassador that his government will punish the two Saudi policemen very soon, nothing has happened yet!

3) On 31 July 1987 around 400 pilgrims, out of which two thirds had Iranian nationality were killed by Saudi security forces during a gathering. Iranian officials maintain that the Saudis had opened fire on the demonstrators without provocation, and that the demonstrations had been peaceful. For people of Iran and perhaps for the families of martyrs in other countries, that event is a sad event and that year’s Hajj is known and recalled as ‘Bloody Hajj’.

4) As the leading global exporter of oil, Saudi Arabia has refused to cut production in the face of plummeting oil prices to defend its market share. As a result, the world is now awash in cheap oil. The drop in prices already has forced Iran to splash its government budget. Saudi Arabia has used the oil price as a leverage to put pressure on Iran’s economy just at a time when the sanctions were imposed on Iran’s economy.

5) About a month ago, Saudi Arabia hosted Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) leader Maryam Rajavi and supported the militia group’s gathering in France. This group initially did find its place on some Western state’s terror list. The MKO terrorist organization has a long record of assassinations taking lives of around 12000 high ranking Iranian officials and civilians. One of the most terrible of such terrorist attacks by the MKO was the bombing of the Islamic Republic Party’s headquarters. During this terrorist attack then-Head of Iran’s Supreme Court, Ayatollah Beheshti along with 72 of Iranian ministers, MPs and politicians were killed. Saudi Arabia is trying to reinvigorate MKO and other terrorist groups against Iranian People. Moreover, Saudis have long supported separatists groups such as ‘Pan-Turkism Party,’ ‘Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz,’ ‘Jundallah,’ etc.

By Ali Rajabi,

Ali Rajabi is a Tehran-based journalist working as political editor of Hamshahri newspaper.

September 14, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Saudis, MKO marring UN’s Iran human rights report to EU

Mohsen Rezaee, the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council, said on Friday that Ahmed Shaheed, the special UN rapporteur on human rights in Iran, has embedded his latest report on the situation of human rights in Iran with what he called a pack of “lies” to present it to the European Parliament in days.

European countries will use the report as an excuse to cut trade with Iran, said he while paying a visit to the Velayat TV Network headquarters in the religious city of Qom.

“In his latest human rights report on Iran, Ahmed Shaheed has reflected lies about Iran, due to be raised in the European parliament in future days, based on which a verdict will be issued, leading the European countries to cut trade with Iran.”

In his March 2016 report, Ahmad Shaheed called on Iran to, inter alia, consider a moratorium on “the use of death penalty,” ease crackdown on “freedom of expression and opinion,” and leave “journalists, lawyers, religious minorities and individuals” with more leeway to “defend the rights of women, children, workers, and ethnic minorities.”

Tehran, however, rejected the report as “biased,” written with “subjective wordings,” and full of “substantially baseless” issues though it had welcome positive steps taken by Iran, including 18 cases of development in the situation of the human rights in the country.

In addition to the negative report drafted by the UN rapporteur, there are other pens depicting a gloomy picture of Iran, according to the Iranian official.

“Saudi Arabia and the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (which Iran has designated as a terrorist group) have prepared material on Iran in tens of pages and under 400 articles so as to present their reports to the European Parliament,” said Rezaee, calling on President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to take steps.

Relationships between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been strained for the past years over a number of issues, particularly over Syria where the two back opposing sides in the now five-year conflict.

Their long-troubled relationship deteriorated when Saudi Arabia executed a top Saudi Shiite cleric in January, apparently incensed by Iran’s deal with the West over its nuclear program.

In retaliation, after an Iranian mob attacked Saudi’s diplomatic posts in Tehran and Mashhad, Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Rezaee’s comments come days after Kazem Qaribabadi, deputy chief of the Iranian High Council for Human Rights, said, “Tehran has accepted in principle to initiate dialogue with the European Union on human rights, and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini already knows this.”

If Rezaee’s words turn out to be true, this will be the second most serious confrontation between Tehran and the West, following the two sides’ match on Tehran’s nuclear program.

September 4, 2016 0 comment

Iran

West to suffer from terrorist acts of anti-Iran MKO: Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned certain Western countries against the consequences of their supports for the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), saying the West will be plagued with the groups’ terrorist acts in future.

“The group (MKO) has the darkest record of terrorist acts in the world but the Westerners support the sinister group,” Larijani said in a speech in the central province of Qom on Monday.

The Westerners should be aware that they will be plagued with the terrorist group in the future, he noted.

The parliament speaker also pointed to the MKO’s terrorist activities against the Iranian nation, saying that the group has spared no efforts to harm the Islamic Establishment, but their plots have been foiled.

On July 9, the MKO terrorists held a meeting in the French capital of Paris, with diplomats from some Arab states, including Saudis, making hostile remarks against Iran in the gathering.

The MKO – listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community – fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq and was given a camp by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

They fought on the side of Saddam during the Iraqi imposed war on Iran (1980-88). They were also involved in the bloody repression of Shiite Muslims in southern Iraq in 1991 and the massacre of Iraqi Kurds.

The notorious group is also responsible for killing thousands of Iranian civilians and officials after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

More than 17,000 Iranians, many of them civilians, have been killed at the hands of the MKO in different acts of terrorism including bombings in public places, and targeted killings.

August 31, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Iran marks anniversary of 1981 bombing by Washington backed MKO terrorists

The Islamic Republic of Iran is marking the anniversary of the assassination of former President Mohammad Ali Rajaei and then-Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar, who lost their lives in a bombing in the capital,

Late Iranian President Mohammad Ali Rajaei (L) and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar (file photo)

Tehran, 35 years ago.

On August 30, 1981, President Rajaei, Prime Minister Bahonar and several other Iranian officials had convened at the Tehran office of the Iranian prime minister in a meeting of Iran’s Supreme Defense Council when a bomb explosion ripped through the building.

Survivors said an aide, identified as Massoud Kashmiri, had brought a briefcase into the conference room, placed it near the two high-ranking Iranian political figures and then left.

The explosion occurred when one of the victims opened the briefcase. The blast killed Rajaei, Bahonar and three other members of the Islamic Republican Party.

Subsequent investigations later revealed that Kashmiri was an operative of the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq

This file photo shows the aftermath of the bomb blast at the office of Iran’s then-prime minister in Tehran, August 30, 1981.

Organization (MKO), who had infiltrated the then-prime minister’s office disguised as a state security official.

Every year on August 23, Iran marks the Government Week to commemorate the memory of the late President Rajaei and Prime Minister Bahonar.

In 1986, the MKO members fled Iran to Iraq, where they received support from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and set up Camp Ashraf, now known as Camp New Iraq, near the Iranian border. They were subsequently relocated to another camp, and are awaiting potential transfer to third countries.

The United States and the European Union (EU) have removed the MKO from their lists of terrorist organizations. The anti-Iran terrorists enjoy freedom of activity in the US and Europe, and even hold meetings with American and EU officials.

August 30, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Iran destroys 4 overseas terror groups, invites Saudi Arabia to be rational

Iran’s FM Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Mon. that Nojeh airbase in Hamedan is no longer in use by Russian fighter jets and the cooperation has come to an end for the time being.

Bahram Ghasemi in his first press conference as Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman discussed the issue on Iran’s providing of an airbase to Russia whence Russian fighter jets would take off to target and destroy ISIL strongholds in Syria, adding “we had signed no agreement with Russia on this cooperation and our relations are strategic. What matters the most to us and our people is security and we will spare no efforts in securing the country in whatever way possible.”

Ghasemi went on to add, “we have had an understanding with the Russian side on fighting terrorism wherein we agreed to take certain joint measures against terrorists. The Russians’ recent move took place with Moscow’s prior request and Tehran’s confirmation so that they could use our airspace to target terrorists in Syria.”

About Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to Tehran, he said “no exact date has been defined yet, but we will inform the public as soon as a date for President Erdogan’s visit is decided.”

He went on to add, “talks between Iran and Turkey will continue on various levels and in all political, parliamentary, and economic dimensions. We are making efforts to expand our bilateral and regional cooperation with Turkey.”

Ghasemi further stressed that there is no insistence on Iran’s part to persuade Turkey to change its positions in regard to Syria; “we will never impose our views on others, the same way that others cannot impose their views on us. We will only declare our own positions and may reach some common grounds with other countries during negotiations.”

About the upcoming visit of the head of MEK, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, an anti-Iran terrorist group exiled in France and Iraq, Maryam Rajavi, to Saudi Arabia, he called Saudi officials to take rational and wise measures since stability and security of the region would also benefit the Arab kingdom.

In regard to Iran-UK relations, he said “one of the objectives of the Foreign Ministry is to normalize its relations with the countries that we have no problems with.”

He went on to add, “embassies in Tehran and London are active at the level of Charge d’affaires, and there is the possibility to improve the relations to the level of ambassadors and we are hoping that it will happen in the future.”

He also clarified certain confusions about two cases regarding foreign diplomats in Iran. In regard to the two European diplomats that had faced some problems in one of the western provinces in the country, he said no offense has been made and that the diplomats have travelled there with prior notice and legal permit.

About the news on the arrest of Japanese ambassador, he said “I do not confirm the arrest. I am informed that a misunderstanding had taken place since the Japanese ambassador to Tehran had not been carrying his identification card and was therefore questioned.”

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4 terrorist groups annihilated overseas: IRGC

TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) – Commander of IRGC’s Quds base has announced they have destroyed four anti-Iran groups of terrorists outside Iran.

Major General Mohammad Marani made the remarks in a joint meeting with officials of anti-drug organizations from five provinces in southern and eastern Iran and asserted that “IRGC pursues security in all areas and in issues such as human trafficking, smuggling, and anti-Iran and terrorist groups which are conducted out of borders, we carry out missions overseas with necessary coordinations.”

Gen. Marani described missions in current year as successful and dubbed the fight against anti-Revolution groups trying to infiltrate through eastern borders among most important efforts.

He further elaborated on the terrorist groups which have been destroyed overseas; “one of the groups was known as ‘Furqan Vasl’ led by Amanallah Raeisi and was trying to enter the country to carry out terrorist attacks in central parts of country,” Marani said. “four members of the group were killed about two months ago and Amanallah Raeisi and other four members of the group were arrested with 150 kilograms of drugs.”

Quds base commander in southeast Iran emphasized that borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran are under vigilant protection of security forces and that Arab intelligence services, especially from Saudi Arabia, are trying to insecure eastern borders.

August 24, 2016 0 comment

Iran

Iran: Mojahedin Khalq are non-existent

TEHRAN – Head of the public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) has gone down in history and is no longer alive.

“The Munafiqeen (MKO) is dead and the lid of its coffin has been nailed down,” Second Brigadier General Ramazan Sharif said, attending a memorial ceremony in Kashan, ISNA reported.

“This terrorist group, which is backed by some European and Arab countries, fought against Iran during the imposed war (the Iraq-Iran war) and killed our youths.”

The MKO has existed as an Islamist-Marxist group since 1965, when it fought the Shah regime. It carried out a number of attacks against U.S. soldiers stationed in Iran and years later it was put on the U.S. State Department terrorist list.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, however, the group resorted to bombings and assassinations. Iran sees the group responsible for the death of 17,000, according to Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian ambassador to Germany and current researcher at the University of Princeton.

“And now, after committing all these atrocities, the terrorist group is being revived by some countries to fight the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

Ramazan Sharif further said the “suspicious efforts” made by some countries to revive the terrorist group are doomed to fail and they cannot bring this lifeless entity back to life by using infamous political figures who have supported terrorist acts in the region and even in Europe and America

August 16, 2016 0 comment

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