Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 7.12.2005:

Bloggers: Join the President and call for the release of dissidents in Iran

Special Report:

Thousands of Iranians defied their government today and demonstrated in Tehran in support of an Iranian political dissident Akbar Ganji. Remarkably, he has defied the Iranian government, saying he is willing to die if he is not immediately and unconditionally released. Today, he is on his 31st day of a hunger strike.

The regime was out in force and there were clashes with the security forces. Dr. Corsi and Ken Timmerman both provided reports. See photos here and here.

Last Saturday, 3oo Iranian intellectuals and scholars called for a demonstration today, to press the Islamic government to release Akbar Ganji and other political prisoners.

Finally, the media is beginning to notice the plight of Iranian dissidents such as Akbar Ganji the Iranian journalist in the infamous Evin prison, just as they did of the Soviet dissidents in times past.

More importantly so are western leaders. Western support for dissidents around the world has encouraged popular movements for regime change in their oppressive governments. The Iranian people need this encouragement.

Last week the State Department issued a statement of support for Ganji and the EU followed with a similar statement.

Today, the White House released a statement calling for the government of Iran to release Mr. Ganji immediately and unconditionally and to allow him access to medical assistance.

And in an unusual move, the President added a personal message to Mr. Ganji:

please know that as you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

The President called on all supporters of human rights and freedom, and the United Nations, to take up Ganji's case and the overall human rights situation in Iran. Bloggers take note!

His health is declining and rumors of his having entered a coma or dead are common, but these rumors appear unfounded according to our sources.

Ganji was imprisoned for publishing the truth. He wrote an expose, The Red Eminence, detailing the involvement of Iranian leaders in the murder of Iranian dissidents. While in prison, he has also published a powerful manifesto. He is calling for real democracy in Iran, freedom of speech, and human rights in Iran. He also called for a boycott in the recent election and has been publicly challenging the Supreme Leader, a criminal offense in Iran.

Not surprisingly, Reuters has been reporting that the demonstration involved on 150 students. But there have been many reports including that of NITV and French Press International that put the number in the thousands. It should be remembered that the international press in Iran consistently under-reports the size of demonstrations in Iran. International reporters have been arrested for daring to report news other than that which the regime permits (similar to the press reports in Saddam's Iraq), and in one well known case murdered, as a result few journalists report the truth. NITV reported an incident today where an German journalist was beaten and his camera confiscated for filming the demonstration.

The Iranian people notice this failure of the international media and ask when the world will stand with them and speak the truth.

There are now several websites dedicated to supporting Ganji and these Iranian dissidents.

I will pick up on the other news on Iran tomorrow.

But today we need to focus on Ganji and all the many political dissidents there. The people of Iran hate the regime and could bring it down if they see the world stand with them. So bloggers please spread the news about Ganji and demand that the media send reporters to Iran to report the news about Ganji and all Iranian dissidents in Iranian prisons.