updated
November 16, 2010
Just when you think the Islamic Republic of Iran’s propaganda re Ms Ashtiani can’t get any more insane – it does.
On Oct 10, the Regime of Stoning and Flogging arrested Ms Ashtiani’s son Sajjad, her then lawyer Houtan Kian and the 2 German nationals they were speaking with.
- SAJJAD, KIAN (ICAS)
The hostagetakers like to act when protests are taking place. Ms Ashtiani’s first lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, was arrested on July 24 – the International Day for Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani. Ms Ashtiani’s first (known) mock execution took place the morning after the Aug 28th “100 Cities Around the World Against Stoning” protest. Oct 10 was “World Day Against the Death Penalty” with Iran winning the prize as the #1 executioner of Muslims – including men said to be homosexual in a country where “that problem” doesn’t exist. And Ms Ashtiani’s most recent murder order came down just prior to the US midterm elections. As if folks in the rest of the world wouldn’t notice.
On the phone at the time of the arrests was exiled Iranian, Mina Ahadi, who was brought into the case at Sajjad’s request and had been serving as spokesperson for the Save Sakineh Campaign (and the International Committees Against Stoning/Execution). Fortunately for all involved, she was translating LIVE for Sajjad, Kian, and the Germans – who were there independent of Ms Ahadi – when the Iranian Gestapo arrived. Ms Ahadi fled to Germany after her husband was executed in Iran and is fluent in both languages.
Why does this matter?
The focus of the propaganda this time is Ms Ahadi (pIx).
Which would be hilarious if it didn’t involve actual humans beings who the entire world knows are innocent.
But it’s all Iran has left to justify the murder of Ms Ashtiani.
They’ve lied about her crime(s), charges and sentencing. They’ve lied about her mistreatment. They’ve lied about Mostafaei. They stole the court files after the whole world saw them. HERE. They arrested and tortured her son and her lawyer. They arrested and detained 2 German nationals. And still the world protests. All they had left is to discredit the source of the information – Ms Ahadi.
So they forced Sajjad, Kian, the Germans and Ms Ashtiani to confess on State TV.
Don’t know what the charges are against any of them – not that it matters.
East Azerbaijan Prosecutor Malek Ajdar Sharifi:
The behavior of the Germans showed they entered Iran as spies and tried to create negative atmosphere against Iran and the East Azerbaijan judiciary.
As if someone has to break into Iran to do that. And really, “spies”? These farcical TV “confessions” are being viewed around the world for what they are: guilty, desparate ridiculousness.
Prosecutor general Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeh re: Ms Ashtiani:
More time is needed to finalize the Mohammadi-Ashtiani case and reach a final verdict.
Crazy innit. They’re still working on Ms Ashtiani’s case even though they’ve already punished, imprisoned and sentenced her to death (multiple times) for something they haven’t finished figuring out?
Because there was no English translation I’m not posting the video. It’s on you tube. HERE.
But one doesn’t have to speak Farsi, Azeri or German to understand the video propaganda – there are more pictures and video clips of Ms Ahadi than anyone else.
They don’t seem to realize that going after Ms Ahadi instead of just calling her a traitor to Islam or a “prostitute” gives her total credibility. Ms Ahadi’s information about Ms Ashtiani was what sparked the initial international outrage in the first place and her continued reporting (among others) has kept it alive.
So why does Iran think international leaders, who so trusted Ms Ahadi’s information that they acted on it, including Iran ally Brazil, would suddenly doubt Ms Ahadi on the basis of a totally lame propaganda video that might have worked in the 1970s?
[Yo Mahmo: I know you have Google on your side, but it's time to hire someone from the barrymedia to handle the spin. They were able to use sexist, racist, xenophobic and islamophobia propaganda to get a completely unvetted unqualified man elected to the most powerful position on Earth. Herr Olbermann would be an excellent choice. In the meantime, here's some simple advice: 1-Free Ms Ashtiani, Sajjad, Houtan Kian and the 2 Germans. 2-Allow them and Sajjad's sister to leave the country. They will be so grateful they will speak with no one and the international community will no longer be able to protest your "government". ]
Ms Ashtiani’s, Sajjad’s and Houtan Kian’s faces were blurred, which only adds to credence to the claims of torture. Why, if Iran is so certain of Ms Ashtiani’s (et al) guilt and so certain of the justness of Iran’s judicial system, are they hiding the guilty people’s faces instead of allowing the world to see the guilt for themselves? And why wouldn’t they provide an English as well as Farsi translation? The only logical conclusion: they are innocent.
That’s the problem with propaganda – it’s lack of logic. It only works with brainwashed citizens and captured prisoners and folks who agree with it and leaves the rest of the world wondering the ignorance and mental stability of the propagandists.
Mother Sakineh, son Sajjad, as free yet-to-be tortured human beings.
(Photos: above ICAS, below video screenshots)
The blurred man pictured (R) is completely broken. I don’t know who he is – if he is Sajjad his glasses have been taken. Sajjad at least knows that the world is watching and that no one believed the first two TV appearances by his mother. God knows what has been happening to his 17 y/o sister. Has anyone been in contact with her since her brother was taken hostage? It’s their next move – if they haven’t already done so.
Ms Ashtiani (L) has clearly deteriorated physically and psychologically since her last forced TV appearance. Who wouldn’t. I would like to know whether she has seen her son and lawyer. The guards most certainly have been taunting her with it. And no one knows how many mock executions Ms Ashtiani has been subjected to or how often the Muslim men who accused her of adultery without bothering to name her alleged partner(s) have been raping and sodomizing her or if she has seen daylight since her last mock execution.
Ms Ashtiani has been in solitary confinement and forbidden contact with the outside world, including her family and lawyer, even though Iran says they have not reached a final verdict. Besides being a clear violation of Ms Ashtiani’s human rights – it is a violation of Iran’s own laws. And they admitted it the minute they lied about not having yet reaching a final verdict in her case..
In the video, Ms Ashtiani’s voice was quiet and completely flat. Her spoken words in Azeri were once again subtitled in Farsi = more proof she could not have understand her “trial”. Her skin was pale and appeared jaundiced and she appeared to have some teeth missing, which I don’t remember noticing in the first video. (Didn’t view the second.) Also, the top of her face appeared “off” – her eyebrows seem to have disappeared and she didn’t have her eyes open. Why? Because the Muslim savages ripped them out?
Someone needs to document and treat the injuries hiding under the shrouding — the real reason women are forced to wear it. For all anyone knows, the savages could have already ripped out Ms Ashtiani’s uterus, hacked off her breasts and amputated her arms and legs. Seriously.
Has anyone from the Red Crescent or any other international groups seen Ms Ashtiani? If not, why not?
And why are non-Muslims from non-Muslim nations across the globe protesting the savage treatment of Muslim women in the Muslim world and those billions of “moderate Muslims” we hear about (who don’t exist) saying nothing?
Logical conclusion: they find nothing wrong with it.
–
Report on the video from the UK Guardian.
Ahadi = “a communist dissident exiled in Germany”,
The two German journalists “confessed” to “illlegal acts” and said they had received orders from Ms Ahadi.
Mina Ahadi sent me to Iran because she knew she would benefit from my arrest and I’ll sue her when I get back to Germany.
Key words: “when I get back to Germany”. And what will suing Ms Ahadi accomplish when the entire world has already legitimized her and her efforts to save Ms Ashtiani (and others)?
Ms Ashtiani of course reconfessed to involvement in her husband’s murder when any sane reasoning human knows the only way an innocent person – already lashed 99 times and sentenced to death by stoning – would confess to a crime that had been solved for years is if she was severely tortured. Add to that the added incentive that if she confessed her son (lawyer and 2 Germans) might be freed and her 17 y/o daughter once again protected by him.
How stupid does Iran think the world is?
Only listed quote of Ms Ashtiani: “I am a sinner”.
Propaganda re her lawyers: Her case was promoted around the world by Mohammad Mostafaei (unblurred) and Houtan Kian (blurred) because “they were looking for excuses to claim asylum in Western countries”.
Facts: Asylum only came up after Mostafaei was arrested for helping publicize Ms Ashtiani’s innocence and Brazil offered Ms Ashtiani and her family asylum on July 31, which she accepted and Iran rejected.
Sajjad (wish I knew what the…was):
He [Kian] told me to say she was tortured … Unfortunately, I listened to him and told lies to the foreign media.
Houtan Kian:
Telling lies to foreign media was my recommendation to Sajjad.
Their dialogue writer must be a 90 y/o perpetually drunk ex-KGB agent.
Ms Ahadi to The Guardian:
They are not just attacking me, they are attacking our committee and everybody who successfully brought her case to the world’s attention and, at least for now, managed to stop Iran form stoning her.
If it wasn’t for the world’s attention, Sakineh would have been executed by now, that is what’s making them angry.
I can’t understand what they mean by ‘the normal procedure?’ Is stoning someone to death a normal procedure in their opinion? Sajjad knew he might be forced to confess on TV by defending his mother but nothing stopped him until he was arrested. I’m not surprised at all to hear these confessions from him and I can imagine how much all of these people were tortured to do so.
The only good thing – it’s the first time Sajjad’s whereabouts are known. I was certain they had already murdered him. Funny how they say nothing about him being in custody and whap! he shows up on TV. Don’t know when it was filmed or if they all appeared together or if Ms Ashtiani is aware her son and lawyer were arrested. I’m assuming they are all in Tabriz prison but I don’t know for certain. Nor do I know if they have been allowed visitors or access to counsel.
What is the European Union and United Nations wating for?
