Iran Puts Three Americans on Trial

An Iranian revolutionary court put three Americans on trial today on charges of “spying and illegally entering the country.” The Americans, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd, say they were on a hiking trip in the Iraqi Kurdistan and were arrested on the unmarked border between the two countries by the Iranian authorities on 31 July 2009.

The trial is being held behind closed doors and the Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Livia Leu Agosti who represents US interests in Iran was barred from attending the proceedings.

"I was not invited to the court and it was my decision to come. So far the authorities have not allowed me in," Agosti told the Iranian news agency IRNA [6 February 2011].

Bauer and Fattal are in custody in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Shourd is in the US on bail since last September. The Swiss ambassador confirmed today that Shourd was not attending the trial.

Yesterday, their Iranian lawyer, Masoud Shafii, denied the charges against them and said he had been denied access to Bauer and Fattal to work on their defense.

"I should have met with Shane and Josh to prepare the defense, but I was not allowed," Shafii said. "I have studied the case in full detail. The question of spying is irrelevant. There is just the question of illegal entry, which even if it has happened has been inadvertent as the border was unmarked," Shafii added [AFP, 5 February].

Ahmadinehad Calls for Arrest of Opposition Leaders

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today called for prosecution of the opposition leaders over the street demonstrations and uprising that followed the presidential election. Ahmadinejad and his supporters have been accused by the opposition of staging a coup to prevent the victory of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran’s former wartime premier and the presumed winner of the election.

“Serious confrontation with the leaders and key elements [of protests], against those who organized and provoked and carried out the enemy's plan, are needed," Ahmadinejad said. "They have to be dealt with seriously.”

In a bizarre part of his speech, Ahmadinejad accused the foreign enemies for mistreating the detainees after their arrest by security forces.

"These actions that were carried out in custody were part of the enemy's scenario," Ahmadinejad said. "Security, military and intelligence forces are free from these shameful acts."

The government crackdown on the demonstrations killed at least 69 people. Many detainees have been subjected to torture and there are credible reports that some died in prison from beatings and other abuse.

On Mass Trials

“It was George Soros who conspired to say that the earth was round. I made a mistake studying and presenting theories.”

A cartoon by Nikahang Kowsa on Saeed Hajjarian reading his confessions during the mass trial in Tehran [nikahang.blogspot.com, 25 August].

Prosecutors Call for Death Penalty for Leading Reformists

Iranian prosecutors called for the death penalty for leading reformists during their mass trial today in Tehran. Today's show resembled the Stalin-era trials of the leading Communist Party ideologues and operatives and the people’s courts of China’s Cultural Revolution, with confessions read aloud by or for leading Communist Party leaders.

In Tehran, leading figures and luminaries of the Islamic revolution, such as Saeed Hajjarian and six former government ministers, were confessing to their crimes of wanting to reform the system and suppporting a candidate who was himself Iran's prime minister during the eight-year war with Iraq.

Today’s mass trial and the prosecutors’ call for death penalty against some of the early supporters of the Islamic revolution must be one of the darkest days in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Britain Calls Trial of Embassy Staff an Act of “Provocation” by Iran

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said today Iran is discrediting itself with the trial of a British embassy worker. Hossein Rassam, a 44-year-old political analyst at British embassy in Tehran, was among those paraded in front of a mass trial in Tehran today.

Iranian authorities maintain Rassam was involved in inciting post-election protests in Tehran. But the foreign secretary attacked the charges against Rassam and his co-defendants, including French national Clotilde Reiss.

“I am deeply concerned by the unjustified charges today laid against Hossein Rassam in Tehran,” Miliband said.

“Hossein is a member of our embassy staff going about his legitimate duties.

“Iranian action against him, and those against and a member of the staff of the French Embassy in Tehran only brings further discredit on the Iranian regime.

“Our Ambassador has raised our concerns today with the Iranian deputy foreign minister, and the FCO political director, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, with the Iranian Ambassador in London.”

Miliband said European nations were united in their opposition to the mass trials.

“We are in close contact with our European and other international partners. I have spoken today to French Foreign Minister Kouchner and to Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt in his capacity as EU Presidency.”

“We have reaffirmed our solidarity in the face of this latest Iranian provocation.”

Foreign reporters were barred from today’s proceedings in Tehran but the Iranian media is reporting that Rassam has ‘admitted’ to inciting unrest on the orders of the British government.

Criticism of Iran Trials by Former IRGC Commander

Criticism of Iran's mass prosecution of political activists widened today with former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaie demanding that the trials must be held for anyone linked to deadly attacks on the streets or torture of detainees.

"Otherwise, justice will not be realized and it is possible that unrest will not end," said Rezaei [Tabnak, 2 August].

Rezaie, one of the founders of the IRGC and a long-time conservative figure in Iranian politics, becomes the first major public figure on the right to criticize the trials.

Iran Trials Denounced – Confessions under Torture

Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami denounced today the trial of approximately 100 people charged with taking part in post-election demonstrations. The trials took place on Saturday.

“What was done yesterday is against the constitution, laws and right of the citizens,” Khatami told a group of lawmakers and political activist. “The court relied on confessions taken under certain circumstances which are not valid.”

“The most important problem with the trials is that it was not held in an open session. The lawyers and the defendants were not informed of the contents of the cases ahead of the trial,” Khatami said.

Meanwhile, the opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi said in Tehran today that confessions at trial were extracted under “torture.”

Iran put 10 more protesters on trial in the revolutionary court in Tehran today [ISNA].

We believe the trials, reminiscent of Stalin-era trials of top Soviet leadership, are indeed invalid and will further inflame the anti-government sentiments among the youths and other segments of the population. Governments apparently have tough time to learn from history.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Iran's former vice president, shown before his arrest (l.) and at his trial on Saturday

Stalin-era Trials in Iran

Mohammad Ali Abtahi (second from right),

a cleric, prominent reformist and a former vice president

on trial along with 100 other defendants

Tehran. 1 August 2009. IRNA

( Note that Abtahi is holding a pre-written "confession")

Iran opened trials today for approximately 100 defendants charged with “leading and participating in riots, acting against national security, disturbing public order, damaging public and government property,” and “having relations with anti-revolutionary groups.” Several prominent moderates and pro-reform figures were among the defendants.

The trials, reminiscent of Stalin-era trials for some of the top Soviet leaders, will feature “confessions” of the accused, held more than 40 days in prison under torture.