August 30, 2010
The 100 Cities Against Stoning Protests, sponsored by the International Committee Against Stoning, the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity in the name of Sakineh Ashtiani and other condemned Iranian prisoners, were a success even early on.
What follows is a same day post from The International Committee Against Execution declaring August 28th “a historic day in the struggle against the barbarism of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
A snip:
On this day, we proudly declare that we shall most resolutely continue this fight until Sakineh Ashtiani all those sentenced to stoning have been unconditionally freed, until stoning has been abolished around the world, until all criminal laws of the Islamic Republic have been complete revoked, and, indeed, until the regime itself has been brought down.
Protest statement
Links to video and photos from the protests
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Thousands came out in over 100 cities
August 28, 2010, registered as a historic day in the struggle against the barbarism of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Today, August 28, thousands of citizens in 32 countries came out in response to the call by the International Committee Against Stoning, the International Committee Against Execution, Mission Free Iran, and Iran Solidarity. The call was to demand the immediate freedom of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning, as well as to protest the barbaric cruelty of the regime of Islamic Republic, specifically the medieval punishment of stoning.
The early news of today’s rallies around the world indicates that the call to action has been widely responded to – unprecedented in the similar category of international callouts. Citizens have come out in over 100 cities, carrying posters of Sakineh and others condemned to be stoned, listening to several speakers from different parties and organizations, and chanting slogans. At the end the rallies held so far, the Statement of the demonstration (see Appendix) has been confirmed by the participants with clapping or signing.
The Statement points to examples of 31 years of crime by the Islamic regime, from genocidal massacre of political prisoners to enforcing the pre-medieval Sharia (doctrinal) law, which, among other barbaric punishments, prescribes stoning for the ‘crime’ of adultery. The Statement goes on to demand: the immediate and unconditional release of Sakineh Ashtiani and all others condemned to stoning; the abolition as well as criminalization of stoning worldwide; not recognizing the Islamic Republic as the government of Iran, and expelling it from all international bodies; the trial by international courts of the leaders of the regime for 31 years of crime against humanity.
Hundreds of TV networks, radio stations and newspapers covered the news of the international day before the event. Several of them included in their coverage interviews with the leaders and activists of the campaign. The early news indicate that so far today the media has given the rallies wide coverage – some of them live and with interviews.
Post cards have been presented to the participants to buy and mail to the Secretary General of UN asking for Ahmadinejad not to let in the UN General Assembly session in September.
August 28 was thus made into a historic day of world protest against stoning, in particular, and the barbarism of the Islamic Republic, in general – a day on which the foundation was laid for wider solidarity with the people of Iran in order to bring down the vile Islamic regime.
We salute all the organizers of today’s international event as well as all those who participated in them, including personages, organizations and the media. We will gradually make available reports, photos and footages of the rallies.
Further, we hereby declare that our fight against stoning and the regime of stoning in Iran took a great step forward today, and thus put the people of Iran as well as the world in a more advantageous position to further the struggle. On this day, we proudly declare that we shall most resolutely continue this fight until Sakineh Ashtiani all those sentenced to stoning have been unconditionally freed, until stoning has been abolished around the world, until all criminal laws of the Islamic Republic have been complete revoked, and, indeed, until the regime itself has been brought down. This regime has been founded, and survived, on human blood shed by means of terror: from policing the people’s private lives in the most brutal ways to jailing, flogging, raping, torturing, executing (including minors, gays and lesbians), assassinating, massacring political prisoners, stoning, mutilating people in accordance with the pre-medieval, tribal Islamic Sharia law, …the list is almost endless in criminality. Such a terrorist regime must be brought down. We proudly declare that we shall continue the struggle most resolutely until this has been achieved.
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Save Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Campaign
International Committee Against Executions
International Committee Against Stoning
