Iranian Election Protesters Executed

Iranian Election Protesters Executed

online.wsj.com

TEHRAN, Iran—Iran on Thursday hanged two men convicted of trying to topple the country's clergy-led regime, the first known executions of opposition activists since unrest broke out following June's disputed presidential elections, the Web site of state television reported.

The report identified the two men as Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, and said they were convicted of trying to topple "the Islamic establishment" and of membership in armed opposition groups.

(visit the link for the full news article)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/396f7bb5fdf0.jpg[/atsimg]
Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani

Well according to the article this was just the first of a few more to come who will have lost their lives becuase they apposed the Regime. My heart goes out to their families and loved ones.

In the future I wonder if anybody will remember their names or faces.


online.wsj.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 28-1-2010 by SLAYER69]

Sad thing is that the world's outrage will be dead silent for the most part.

After all, it's Iran, not the US.

May they rest in peace.

reply to post by SLAYER69



Well, you knew it wasn't only gonna be the protesters in streets that pay a heavy price...someone was going to be made an example of.


$#%@ers...


On a side note - how profound is this..? A good portion of the Iranian people voiced their opinion, and for the most part without anonymity, knowing the jig could be up at any moment...




And despite this, they stayed frosty...wonder what would happen if this took place in a country that allowed it's citizens to bear arms..?


I have a feeling the results would be quite different - but inspiration usually falls on deaf ears...unfortunately.

reply to post by jam321


Normally I'm all for the Death penalty when it comes to outrageous and heinous crimes. But not for political opposition.

It really does emphasize what some would take for granted. The right to protest and to voice ones dissent. While we in the US take it for granted, people in Iran and other countries are putting their lives on the line. It's not the first time and won't be the last. It's both inspirational and sad. I hate to see stories like this. Peace to their families, I hope they find it.

Iran on Thursday hanged two men convicted of trying to topple the country's clergy-led regime

Some clergymen, huh? Oppose our views and die.



This is about what I expected though, so sad.

Originally posted by jam321
Sad thing is that the world's outrage will be dead silent for the most part.

I hear you.
It's ridiculous. If a story doesn't have gloom or doom about the US or somebody doesn't die at the hands of a US soldier there is no loud outcry

PATHETIC!


[edit on 28-1-2010 by SLAYER69]

Meet the Enemy of God

Two activists have been executed in Iran in a trial linked to post-election violence in June.

Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani, were convicted of being "Mohareb" or enemies of God.

The executions are believed to be the first related to protests that erupted after June's disputed presidential election - the largest demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Opposition groups said the poll had been rigged to ensure the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, a charge the government denied.

Davoud, Arash Rahmanipour's father, has blamed Iran's "mockery of a justice system" for killing his son.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer for Rahmanipour, also denied he had played any role in the unrest.

"He confessed because of threats against his family", she told the AFP news agency, adding that she was shocked at the news of the executions since she and her client's family had still been waiting for word from the appeals court.

Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari reports. [January, 28, 2010]

These guys paid the price of their lives, for opposing what they viewed as an oppressive government, which refused to listen to the voices of the people.

Here in the U.S., in the 2008 general election, around 38% of eligible voters didn't think it was important enough to show up. And that was a good year!

What a peaceful regime! Let them have nukes...they wont hurt anyone with them. Surely they will treat thier enemies better than their own citizens right?

Well as usual I shall play the devil’s advocate here.

I shall now direct your attention to exhibit A the coffin of one Mr. Benedict Arnold, formerly a general in the Continental Army until convicted of treason.

These men are in fact being charged with Treason, plotting to overthrow the regime.

Protesting and plotting are two different things.

Nor did these men represent a majority of Iranian society, reasonable estimates put people opposed to the regime at around 22% and they are missing key elements from the broad Iranian society most especially the shop keepers from the Bazaar and any real support within the military or police as well as most of the upper middle class in Iran.

They are primarily students from lower middle class families from the Northern Suburbs who can’t find employment.

In comparison about 46% of America is currently in opposition to the Administration however unlike a few of the student factions in Iran, the American Tea Party is not being funded by agents of the KGB or Chinese Intelligence, like the students in Iran are being funded by the Prince of Iran, the CIA, MI6 and the MOSSAD.

Unlike the American Tea Party who is in fact only protesting and not working with foreign elements to try to topple the regime, some of the organizers in Iran are in fact trying to topple the regime.

Topple the regime with foreign money and guidance and doing so without a true majority and full representation of the Iranian Society.

The previous Iranian Student Revolution in 1978 that brought this regime to power did so because in addition to the students the shop keepers from the Bazaar, the middle class, and many elements from the Shah’s army and police joined the protest and rebellion to.

We want regime change here in the West and the Shah’s son wants his throne back and naturally how things are being presented to us are designed to play at our emotions to justify those things and support those things.

Yet the true depth and breadth of dissatisfaction in Iran is not anywhere of the magnitude that it is being reported to us. Nor are the actual intentions of any of the rival factions looking to gain power. Mousavi was in fact the Iranian President who helped fund the founding of Hezbollah in Lebanon and was implicated in the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut that killed over 600 U.S. Marines.
I can’t imagine who amongst us, or who in our government really wants him back in power.

It sucks when people want to be free or to be in power and can’t be. I know all about that as an American, I also know the difference between protesting against the government and plotting against the government and it’s a fine line most of us walk here on ATS every day.

Protesting is not a crime, Treason is, these men were hung not for protesting but for active engagement in trying to overthrow the regime.

Big difference and the truth is Mousavi is not any safer bet for us than the current President, the Mullahs are still going to be in charge, and we are funding and manipulating events over there to create turmoil and unrest and people are paying for it with their lives.

I highly doubt we are doing that simply to put Mousavi in power so you might want to ask why are we so involved over there in yet another Oil Rich Country that neighbors Two Oil Rich Countries we have already taken over.

This lengthy Alternet article descibes the actual demographics on the ground currently in Iran in good and fairly accurate detail.

Alternet.com

Regime Change in Iran? Don't Bet on It ... Yet
Many Westerners believe the dramatic images of protesters in Iran fearlessly facing the govt.'s brutal crowd control are a preamble to revolution, but we're a long way off.

The dramatic images of protesters in Iran fearlessly facing -- and sometimes countering -- the brutal attacks of the regime’s security forces rightly gain the admiration and sympathy of viewers in the West. They also leave many Westerners assuming that this is a preamble to regime change in Tehran, a repeat of history, but with a twist. After all, Iran has the distinction of being the only Middle Eastern state that underwent a revolutionary change -- 31 years ago -- which originated as a mild street protest.

[edit on 28/1/10 by ProtoplasmicTraveler]

Throw in the reports of rape and torture of the detained protesters and you have an accurate profile of this regime.Sick sadists.

reply to post by AgentX09
Haha which regime are you talking about? The US or Iran?

Don't slam Iran and forget that the US did equally horrible things to people, Vietnam, Iraq. Gitmo...

Today we are seeing Iranian protesters hanged for being in opposition to the Iranian state leadership. How long before it becomes crystal clear that what is happening in Iran could and most likely will occur in America?

The ability to make a public display of their execution is a message to the Iranian citizens and it should be a loud wake up call to anyone with their eyes open and attuned to the possibility that we in America may one day soon be facing the same treatment from a leadership intent on maintaining power and control over its citizens by any means necessary.

When disagreement with the state renders you a death sentence it is the height of a tell tale regime to of course brand one a dissident or enemy combatant and such when all they really were was just decent human beings fighting and dying for what they believed in.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on the subject.

Originally posted by star in a jar

Haha which regime are you talking about? The US or Iran?

Don't slam Iran and forget that the US did equally horrible things to people, Vietnam, Iraq. Gitmo...

Haha.

Don't try to deflect the story...

Iran remember?

IRAN.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


The Al Jazeera report says

The pair were convicted of being "Mohareb" or enemies of God, and members of the Kingdom's Assembly, an outlawed pro-monarchist group and the People's Mujahideen, a religious movement.

and

They were also charged with plotting to topple the Iranian government, ISNA said quoting officials.

english.aljazeera.net...

That seems kind of vague to me. Almost as though they came up with those as excuses, after the fact. Especially that whole "enemies of God" thing.

I know we can't compare legal definitions of ours and theirs, but treason (here) requires an overt act. Just "plotting" is not sufficient for conviction, much less execution.

Well Iranian Press TV had a short but sweet article. You would think they would have gone into more details but I guess those are not important.

Iran executes 2 for deadly Shiraz bombing

Iran executed two people who were convicted of carrying a deadly bombing in the southern city of Shiraz in 2008 that killed 13 civilians.

Tehran's Prosecutor's Office said Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged on Thursday morning, Iran's Students News Agency reported.

The two were members of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, an obscure monarchist group that seeks to reestablish the Pahlavi reign in the country.

The group has been involved in a series of terrorist attack in the country.

The deadly Shiraz bombing claimed the lives of 13 people and left more than 200 Iranians wounded in April 2008.

Well , he confessed in court he was part of Operation Salman , a CIA / Mossad endeavour . In some countries , if you work for agencies of foreign 'enemy' governments*, you'd be called al qaeda . You wouldn't even get to court , and your admission wouldn't be in front of a jury but in front of an interrogator in some black prison in Uzebekistan . You wouldn't see the light of day to have the worlds press condemn your demise .

* Except agents of the Israeli government . who get an automatic pass to send along as many agents as they like.

reply to post by Gun Totin Gerbil


That's cool
Soooo?

What about the "Executed Iranians" in the article being discussed?
Remember?



[edit on 28-1-2010 by SLAYER69]