Déjà vu surrounds progressives' failures to be in solidarity with pro-democracy movement in Iran

Solidarity with Iranian pro-democracy demonstrators.

"An unveiled woman in Iran stands defiantly at anti-government rally." - Andy C. Ngo

Protests broke out in Iran in the city of Mashhad on December 28, 2017 and have spread to 50 cities and towns including Tehran. The regime is threatening demonstrators with the death penalty. The protesters demands are clear unambiguous and familiar to democrats everywhere.

President Rouhani says #IranProtests have no demands Not true: Try 1) Free Elections, 2) Equality between men and women 3 )Fair distribution of national wealth 4) End to corruption 5) Independent judiciary and a Free press

— masih alinejad (@AlinejadMasih) January 2, 2018

The rhetoric of some commentators and political leaders about the Iran protests is reminiscent of what Cuban pro-democracy activists heard over the years about "reformers" and "hardliners" to justify marginalizing the democratic resistance or create a false equivalence between victims of the regime and the dictatorship. In the case of Cuba, some "experts" claim that Raul Castro is a reformer, despite the rise in repression and the murder of dissidents on his watch.

Meanwhile Washington think tanks are still consumed by the debate over "reformists" vs "hardliners" 😂😂 https://t.co/LBjrW3uuqW

— Weddady (@weddady) January 2, 2018

It was Secretary Kerry who on August 20, 2015 said, "the United States and Cuba are talking about ways to solve the Venezuelan crisis." This implied that the U.S. was on board with Maduro continuing in power in Venezuela while trying to find ways to stabilize the country. This is a top down approach that ignores the pressures emerging from a dissatisfied populace and that the Castro regime bears a fair amount of responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. An approach that prefers to preserve a terrible status quo rather than support democratic aspirations. It also ignores the changing situation on the ground and the nonviolent tactics of the protesters.

This map shows all the areas in Iran where protests occurred in the past three days. Via @hra_news pic.twitter.com/WAE7vE7yDK

— Maryam Nayeb Yazdi (@maryamnayebyazd) December 30, 2017

In the effort to reach an accommodation with an outlaw regime all too often Western democracies make unacceptable deals. Newsweek reported on December 18, 2017 that the "Islamist militant group Hezbollah, backed by Iran, exploded into a major cocaine trafficker for the United States over the past decade—and it happened under former President Barack Obama's watch to help score a nuclear deal with Iran."

The Obama White House had a poor track record of politicizing reports to pursue political objectives. In the case of Cuba this meant watering down reports on human trafficking, looking the other way on connections to drug trafficking, terrorist groups and downplaying Cuba's role in Venezuela's crisis and attempt to smuggle tons of heavy weapons to North Korea. It now appears that the practice has also been repeated with Iran. What is often ignored is that the Castro regime is a crucial linchpin to relations between Venezuela and Iran. The dictatorship in Cuba has had close relations with Iran's revolutionary Islamic regime for decades.

Iran's Hassan Rouhani (Left) shakes hands with Cuba's  Raul Castro in Havana, Cuba 9/19/16

Human rights have been downgraded internationally with the rise of China as an international power over the past twenty years. Dissidents and victims of repression have joined together in nongovernmental networks of solidarity. On 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International produced a video at the United Nations titled "The Price of Silence."

This is how the United Nations in Iran responds—they’re completely oblivious to the regime’s brutal suppression of the human rights of the Iranian people. Look at the tweets of @UN_Iran; they’re silent & refuse to speak out for #IranProtests victims. pic.twitter.com/YSGKima5y7

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 2, 2018

The past decade has found the United Nations failing all too often to protect victims of human rights violations while honoring their oppressors. It  is being repeated now in Iran. The regimes that systematically violate the human rights of their nationals now share worse practices.

Neda Agha Soltan and Génesis Carmona

The Basij, formed in 1979 in Iran, murdered nonviolent demonstrators like Neda Agha Soltan in 2009 during the Green Revolution. Hugo Chavez copied the Basij and formed Colectivos in Venezuela. Both are pro-government militias with long track records of repression and murder. The Colectivos in 2014 did the same thing in Venezuela murdering nonviolent protesters like Génesis Carmona during mass anti-government protests.

Furthermore the mistake of replacing short wave radio transmissions of uncensored news with internet broadcasts is revealed a mistake once again, as it was in Egypt during the Arab Spring, as the Iranian regime shuts down the internet. As a result, the images of nonviolent protests slow to a trickle but some continue to emerge, along with reports of the price paid by protesters for their courageous dissent. We cannot remain silent when students are being rounded up by secret police.

#Iran: 14 students have been arrested by regime security forces. https://t.co/bXhn3SQOJz #MAKTUB_REPORTS pic.twitter.com/ZrpwKRzeBj

— Sheema Kalbasi (@IranianWoman) January 3, 2018

Former political prisoner and journalist Ahmad Batebi ‏reported over twitter on protesters gathered front of Evin prison, one of the most horrific in Iran, to put pressure on the Iranian government to release political prisoners on the sixth day of anti-government protests in Iran.

Iranian #Sufis and people gathering front of the #Evin prison, (one of the horrific prison in Iran) to put pressure on Iran government and release political prisoners on sixth day of anti mullahs corrupt regime#Tehran capital of #Iran
Jan,01,2018#IranianProtests#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/RPVAJ9sEul

— Ahmad Batebi (@radiojibi) January 2, 2018

This is a time for people of good will to get the message out about what is happening in Iran and to demonstrate solidarity with the democratic aspirations of millions of Iranians. Russian chess champion and human rights defender Garry Kasparov is right, now is a time to be counted.

Support the people of Iran, and of Russia and other authoritarian regimes, by condemning their rulers. Draw a bright line between the people and the regimes that oppress them. The people will remember if you do. And if you do not.

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) January 2, 2018

We cannot, must not remain silent. The price in lives lost and the stain on our character is too great. Spread the word on what is happening and use the hashtag #IranProtests.

Remembering Neda Agha-Soltan

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Lecture 1986

 Neda Agha-Soltan January 23, 1983 –  June 20, 2009

 Three years ago today in Tehran, in the midst of the Green Revolution an agents of the Iranian regime shot and murdered Neda Agha-Soltan. She was just 26 years old and aspiring singer.  Her death was captured on video and went viral across the internet providing a brutal image that brought home the reality of the violent crackdown visited on the nonviolent Green movement.

In Iran, the contested June 2009 election sparked an unprecedented wave of state-sponsored violence and repression. Thousands of peaceful protesters were beaten, arrested, tortured, and killed. One of them Neda Agha-Soltan, age 27, was shot and killed on June 20, 2009 during the protests denouncing election fraud. Her fiancé, Caspian Makan, is with us here today, and will address the Summit tomorrow. Neda’s death was captured on video and in those terrible moments reflected the great crime committed by the Iranian government against the people of Iran. Official numbers place the number of killed at 36 during the protests but the opposition places the dead at 72. In 2009 at least 270 people were hanged and in 2010 at least 12 so far. 4,000 have been arrested including journalists and reformist politicians.

Three years later those responsible for this crime have yet to be brought to justice and the regime that carried out this brutal crime along with many others remains in power.  It is precisely for these reasons that we must remember and continue to protest wherever and whenever possible to demand justice.  

Help spread the word to those who may not know what happened and let memory and truth continue to empower the protest against this injustice. Speak out on behalf of those silenced in Iran.

  

Amnesty International: "Neda’s killer must be brought to justice"

Take action now and demand accountability for killing of Neda Agha Soltan


19 June 2010

Iran: Neda’s killer must be brought to justice

One year after the killing of Neda Agha Soltan, the failure of Iranian authorities to bring her killer to justice is a damning example of the culture of impunity that has widened since the 2009 election protests, says Amnesty International.

Neda Agha Soltan, then 27, was shot in central Tehran on 20 June 2009 as she left a peaceful demonstration. A video clip of her dying on the pavement as bystanders came to her aid, was circulated around the world, making her an icon of the protest movement.

"Neda's unlawful killing is emblematic of not only the numerous human rights violations committed against Iranians over the past year - which are still continuing today - but also of the government's steadfast refusal to bring to justice those responsible for torturing and killing its critics" said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Despite the wealth of video-taped evidence and witnesses, the Iranian authorities have not carried out any independent investigation into Neda's death, nor the apparent deaths of scores of others at the hands of government forces between June and December 2009. They have denied allegations that the paramilitary Basij caused Neda's death and blamed, instead, a range of people and organizations including the BBC, CNN, the CIA, and even the doctor who rushed to Neda's aid when she was shot.

"The government's response to Neda's killing has been a cynical face-saving exercise," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "It is all too typical of the wider failure of the Iranian authorities to observe the rule of law, and to ensure accountability for the crimes that continue to be committed in its name."

Amnesty International has renewed its call on the Iranian government to allow an independent inquiry into the deaths and abuses that took place during and after the demonstrations, including an investigation into Neda's killing.

It is also calling for UN human rights experts to be allowed into Iran. Despite a standing invitation issued by the government to the UN, no UN human rights visits have been allowed to Iran since 2005. At least five requests to visit made by UN human rights experts have remained unanswered.

"The authorities should know that their attempts to brush away the evidence pointing to their responsibility will not silence Iranians, who continue to demand truth and justice for the deaths of Neda and many others" said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Background

Neda Agha Soltan's alleged shooter was briefly held at the scene of the shooting by protesters, but information on his identity has been ignored by judicial authorities. The man was allegedly carrying ID of the Basij, the armed paramilitary force heavily employed by the authorities to repress the demonstrations. Witnesses have reported that he shouted out 'I did not mean to kill her'.

The deaths of up to 80 people - and possibly many more - during and after the demonstrations, including as a result of torture in detention, have mostly not been investigated. Independent inquiries into excessive use of force, rape, and other forms of torture while in custody have not been carried out. Instead, the authorities have threatened those who have alleged violations, arrested some who have tried to uncover the truth and sought to discredit others who have tried to bring evidence forth.

Investigations into post-election abuses, where conducted, have been inadequate, not transparent and appear to make low-ranking officials scapegoats for the abuses that took place.

The campaign to demand accountability for the post-election abuses has been led by the Mourning Mothers group, which is made up of mothers whose children have been killed, disappeared or detained during violence following the election.

Amnesty International's June 2010 report Iran: From protest to prison: Iran one year after the election (AI Index Number: MDE 13/062/2010; 9 June 2010) documents a widening crackdown on dissent that has left journalists, students, political and rights activists as well as clerics languishing in prisons.

Let's continue to raise our voices for Neda.