Two short updates on Iran

written September 4th, by Afsaneh Hojabri

1)Testimony of an Iranian woman about her recent arrest: “A desire for revenge is the only thing that keeps me alive. Excerpted from The Observers, a French citizen journalism site.

Minio: My name is Minio. I was arrested in one of the demonstrations in the month after the election. I was jailed for about a month. I was not surprised by the punches and kicks of the plainclothesmen, but I was shaken by the insults and abuse that took place in the detention center ( . . . ) I'm not ready to talk about everything yet. I've only managed to keep going with the sedatives that I take. The worse thing about prison -- beyond the food, lack of beds, turmoil, insults, interrogations at all times of the day and night, and sexual abuse -- was that they wanted me to write down the names of all the men and women with whom I had had sex. They wanted all the details. I had to make up stories and confess to them. They kept touching me and making vulgar comments about parts of my body. They would beat my backside with a baton so I would give greater details of my sexual encounters. They loved it. When I would object, they would hit me in the mouth and threaten to rape me ! from behind. I can't say anything about those days and nights of interrogation because it makes me feel even worse. But I know that I will write it all down some day so that everyone knows what they do to the women of this country ( . . . ) A desire for revenge is the only thing that keeps me alive.
Listen to the complete story at:
http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20090831-forced-me-write-down-p...

2) Islamic Republic Case opens in the International Criminal Court in Hague on Charges of Crime Against Humanity. Translated and excerpted from the Persian Source Tabar-e Ariayee at: http://tabararyaye.blogsky.com/1388/06/13/post-13/

Latest news: International Criminal Court Prosecutor's Office at Hague issued the IRI file number. Complaints against the IRI will be registered under this number: OTP-CR-777/09

During a meeting held on 28 August 2009 between the International Criminal Court prosecutor and two Iranian organizers Mina Ahadi and Farshad Hosseini, some evidence documents related to the death of hundreds and torture of thousands of Iranian people were submitted to the ICC office as a means to expose the crimes of the Islamic Republic of Iran against its own people, and to demand a trial of the leaders of the IRI. On 31 August 2009 in a letter presented to Hosseini, the head of International Committee against Executions, the court prosecutor’s office provided the file number under which the complaints against the IRI should be registered and maintained.

This is an important step forward in the direction of prosecuting the criminal leaders of the IRI.
The news of opening a case against the IRI in the International Criminal Court on the charges of crime against humanity has been met with much hope by large numbers of Iranians inside and outside the country. ...

The trial and prosecution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is an urgent demand put forth by millions of Iranians. Our people, our hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs and victims of the Islamic Republic can and must provide strong bills of indictment thereby putting the regime on trial and finding its leaders guilty of crime against humanity ...

Evidence documents and inquiry messages should be sent to: minaahadi@aol.com and farshadhoseini@yahoo.com