IRAN WEEKLY ROUNDUP No. 1202

Iran Regime's Malign Regional Activities

No. 1202 October 22, 2019

Editor's Note

Tehran's Malign Regional Activities

Last week, the regime continued its torture and human rights violations in Iran.

More protests raged against the regime. On Saturday, October 5, the city of Lordegan (south-central Iran) was the scene of an uprising by thousands of people in which the offices of the Governor and the representative of the regime's Supreme Leader as well as several other regime centers were set on fire. One protester was reportedly killed.

Iran-backed militias deployed snipers on Baghdad rooftops during Iraq's deadliest anti-government protests in years, two Iraqi security officials told Reuters. The deployment of militia fighters underscores the chaotic nature of Iraqi politics amid mass protests that led to more than 100 deaths and 6,000 injuries during the week starting Oct. 1.

In this week's featured article on the Iraqi protests, Colonel Wes Martin says: "Four times in the past decade, Iranian citizens have risen up in opposition to the government. A stimulus from Shia-dominated Iraq could easily become the catapult that results in bringing down both corrupt governments. Iraq and Iran were spared from Arab Spring. What they could now be facing is Fundamentalist Autumn."

Human Rights

Brutal pictures expose torture and mass graves
Daily Star (Oct. 20) - Iranian dissidents have claimed at least 30,000 victims were killed by the regime, and that the death camps are still open. Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Online, some of the former prisoners have spoken out about their horrifying experiences in the torture chambers of the regime. Starting in July 1988, and lasting for around five months, Ayatollah Khomeini launched a fatwah against a number of political opponents as he looked to cement his support nine years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Most of the victims were political supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI). Daily Star Online went to the unofficial headquarters of the party's UK branch in north London and spoke to former prisoners and relatives of the victims of 1988's massacre. Most spoke through a translator, 21-year-old Omid, who moved to the UK as a child with his parents Ahmad Ibrahimi and Farzanir Majidi. Now studying medicine in Italy, Omid told Daily Star Online: "I feel the pain of this tragic event very closely because I count myself very lucky to even be in the world." His dad Ahmad spent 10 years in prison between 1981 and 1991, after being arrested for supporting the PMOI. Ahmad explained that he was sentenced to suspended execution and taken to Tehran's notorious prison. He was arrested in 1981 shortly after finishing high school after gun-toting guards stopped him in the street. After he refused to denounce the PMOI, Ahmad was beaten in prison. ... "There were 150 in my section, 90 were executed. In another section near mine, only 13 out of 207 survived." ... Farzanir said: "They handed us a bag of clothes and said 'these are your son's clothes, we killed him and we want money for the bullet.'" Read more...

Political prisoners on hunger strike in Urmia
Iran HRM (Oct. 19) - Ibrahim Khalil Sedighi Hamedani and his son, Salar, have gone on hunger strike in Urmia Central Prison in northwest Iran, since September 25, protesting being sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison. The judge presiding over this jail, by the name of Mokhtari, along with the prison warden, met with the two political prisoners with the objective of forcing them to end their hunger strike. They provided several pledges to the two, only to be turned down and the political prisoners emphasizing on their demands. The 20-day hunger strike has caused a significant drop in their blood pressure and the two are suffering from extreme fatigue. Ibrahim Khlail and his son have written a letter to the prison clinic, emphasizing they will no longer cooperate with blood pressure tests and insist on continuing our hunger strike until their demands are met. The two have been detained since last year for supporting the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Read more...

Female singers sent to jail
NCRI (Oct. 19) - Six female singers were each sentenced to one year in prison for "unauthorized audiovisual activities, collaboration in making music and images, and airing them on anti-regime satellite networks," the Women's Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran reported on Friday. The verdicts were handed down by the 36th branch of the Revision Court of Tehran Province. Read more...

Political prisoner Majid Assadi denied medical treatment
NCRI (Oct. 20) - Iran's regime is denying political prisoner Majid Assadi medical treatment in Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) Prison in Karaj. Assadi is suffering from various illnesses, including severe pain in his spine and digestive problems which have intensified as a result of prison authorities' continued hindering of his medical treatment. He is being denied access to a hospital outside the prison because he has refused to wear a prison garb at the hospital. Forcing political prisoners to wear prison clothes during outside hospital appointments is a method used by Iran's regime to humiliate them in public. Assadi, 35, suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a rheumatism disease that affects the spine, according to physicians. A translator at a private company, Assadi was previously sentenced to four years in prison in March 2010 for "assembly and collusion against national security" by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. He completed the sentence on June 8, 2015. Read more...

Protests & Economy

More anti-regime protests in Lordegan
NCRI (Oct. 21) - On Sunday, October 20, 2019, the residents of Chenar Mahmoudi village in Lordegan again staged an anti-regime protest. Subsequently, Special Anti-riot units attacked the villagers' homes and arrested the protesters, especially the youths dragging them on the ground to transfer them to their vehicles. Terrified of the coverage of this onslaught, the suppressive forces seized or broke the residents' mobile phones. On Saturday, October 5, the city of Lordegan (south-central Iran) was the scene of an uprising by thousands of people in which the offices of the Governor and the representative of the regime's Supreme Leader as well as several other regime centers were set on fire. One of the protesters, a young man by the name of Sa'adatollah Moussavi, was killed and several people were injured during the clashes. Read more...

20 workers died in one week due to unsafe conditions
NCRI (Oct. 20) - Four workers lost their lives due to lack the most basic safety provisions and equipment, according to the state-run media on Thursday, October 17, 2019. The incidents happened in Rasht (northern Iran), Tubas (northeast), and Chadegan (central Iran). On Friday, October 11, eight workers lost their lives in work-related accidents in Torbat Heydarieh (northeast), Bukan (northwest), Qazvain (west), Lowshan (north), and Anbar-Abad (south). These incidents represent only a small sample of tragedies caused by a lack of minimum safety tools and equipment that are reported by state-run media. The true figures are much higher. Iran under the mullahs' rule ranks 102nd in the world when it come to compliance with safety procedures. These statistics expose the excessive exploitation of workers taking place in Iran. Read more...

Iran-EU trade plunges 75%
Financial Tribune (Oct. 20) - rade between Iran and EU member states during the first eight months of 2019 (January-August) stood at €3.47 billion to register a 75.71% plunge compared with last year's corresponding period, latest data provided by the European Statistical Office show. Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were Iran's top three trading partners in the European bloc with bilateral exchanges standing at €1.09 billion, €658.04 million and €333.45 million respectively. Trade with Greece (€30.37 million), Spain (€190.61 million), Luxembourg (€365,881), France (€269.17) and Sweden (€50.33 million) saw the sharpest declines of 97.28%, 91.37%, 88.54%, 87.7% and 81.77% respectively. Read more...

Students denounce Rouhani's presence in Iran university
NCRI (Oct. 19) - It has been reported that students at Tehran University in the country's capital have been protesting. On Wednesday 16th October, students gathered at the mosque on campus for several reasons. Firstly, to protest about President Hassan Rouhani's presence there. Secondly, the students were protesting the arrest and imprisonment of many of their fellow students that have been detained and handed large prison sentences for their activism. The students slammed the regime for denying the fellow students continuance of their education. After gathering at the university's mosque, the students then went around the campus voicing their concerns. They were heard chanting: "Girls' dormitory is a jail", "classrooms are empty since students are jailed" and "free all imprisoned students". Read more...

Sanctions, Nuclear, Missiles & Western Policy

Iran to limit inspectors' access to its nuclear facilities
The Guardian (Oct. 16) - Iran will further reduce its commitment to the nuclear deal signed with world powers by limiting international inspectors' access to its nuclear sites, senior Iranian MPs have said. The move, which is expected to take place at the beginning of November, will be the fourth Iranian step away from the deal, and puts pressure on France, Germany and the UK to make some form of counter-move. ... The French foreign ministry publicly urged Iran not to take what it said would be "particularly worrying steps". Read more...

U.S. carried out cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi attack
Reuters (Oct. 15) - The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran's ability to spread "propaganda." One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details. The attack highlights how President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to counter what it sees as Iranian aggression without spiraling into a broader conflict. Read more...

Prosecutors charge Turkey bank in sanctions evasion scheme
The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 15) - Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Turkish state-owned lender Halkbank with a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, ramping up pressure on Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he conducts a military offensive on Syria. Prosecutors say some Turkish and Iranian government officials received payouts of tens of millions of dollars in exchange for promoting and helping to conceal the alleged scheme, which occurred between 2012 and 2016. Prosecutors allege that Halkbank and its officers used money-services businesses and front companies in Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere to violate restrictions on Iran's access to the U.S. financial system; rules governing the proceeds of Iranian oil and gas sales; and restrictions on the supply of gold to Iran. The alleged scheme also benefited Turkey by artificially inflating the country's export statistics and making Turkey's economy appear stronger than it was, according to the indictment. Read more...

Terrorism, Regional Meddling & Cyberwarfare

Iran-backed militias deployed snipers in Iraq protests
Reuters (Oct. 16) - Iran-backed militias deployed snipers on Baghdad rooftops during Iraq's deadliest anti-government protests in years, two Iraqi security officials told Reuters. The deployment of militia fighters, which has not been previously reported, underscores the chaotic nature of Iraqi politics amid mass protests that led to more than 100 deaths and 6,000 injuries during the week starting Oct. 1. Such militias have become a fixture here with Iran's rising influence. They sometimes operate in conjunction with Iraqi security forces but they retain their own command structures. The Iraqi security sources told Reuters that the leaders of Iran-aligned militias decided on their own to help put down the mass protests against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, whose one-year-old administration is backed by powerful Iran-backed armed groups and political factions. "We have confirmed evidence that the snipers were elements of militias reporting directly to their commander instead of the chief commander of the armed forces," said one of the Iraqi security sources. "They belong to a group that is very close to the Iranians." A second Iraqi security source, who attended daily government security briefings, said militia men clad in black shot protesters on the third day of unrest, when the death toll soared to more than 50 from about half a dozen. The fighters were directed by Abu Zainab al-Lami, head of security for the Hashid, a grouping of mostly Shi'ite Muslim paramilitaries backed by Iran, the second source said. The Hashid leader was tasked with quashing the protests by a group of other senior militia commanders, the source said. Read more...

As America leaves Syria, Iran isn't as happy as you think
The Wall Street Journal (op-ed, Oct. 20) - It is the conceit of the commentariat that Iran is a winner of the latest mayhem in the Middle East-the departure of U.S. troops from Syria and the subsequent Turkish incursion. Yet the clerical oligarchs seem anxious about all that is happening around them. ... With the U.S. gone, Iran's attempts at persuasion will do little to restrain Turkey. In Syria, Ankara is bound to be more powerful, Mr. Assad more reckless, the Kurds substantially weakened, and Islamic State reconstituted. None of this is good news for Iran, which hoped to make incremental gains in the Levant by keeping the Syrian conflict simmering at a low burn. ... There are many sound arguments about why the U.S. should not have withdrawn its modest presence. But the notion that the pullout empowers Tehran is belied by its leaders' expressions of anxiety. The Middle East rarely offers a respite to ambitious nations, even Iran. Read more...

Protestors in Iraq, Lebanon: End Iranian meddling
Iran Focus (Oct. 20) - Reports obtained from Beirut, Lebanon, in recent days show that the Lebanese protesters also believe that the Islamic Republic's meddling in their country resulted in major social and political crises. Youth demonstrate their wrath against Ayatollahs' destructive role in Lebanon by setting fire to the base of the prominent Iran-backed party in the region Hezbollah. The reality is, as the Iranian government faces a series of crises inside the country and beyond, it is losing its authority in the region day by day. Read more...

Iran regime malign activities during nuclear negotiations
State Department (Oct. 17) - During the period of JCPOA negotiations, Iran continued to provide arms, financing, training, and the facilitation of Shia fighters to the Assad regime. On September 1, 2013, an attack by Iranian proxies Kata'ib Hezballah (KH) and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) on Camp Ashraf in Iraq, led to the deaths of 50 members of the Mujahedeen-e Khalq, or MeK. Press reports claim members of the QF not only planned the attack, but also played a direct combat role in it. The QF, along with KH and AAH members, also abducted seven MeK members and smuggled them back to Iran, according to the press. The missing seven members haven't been seen or heard from since the attack. Read more...

Iranian Resistance

Exclusive: Revealing IRGC fear of Arbaeen Ceremony in Iraq
NCRI (Oct. 18) - Iran's regime has resorted to widespread and unprecedented oppressive measures, in absolute fear of the Iraqi people's uprising against the Iranian regime, which has left around 200 dead and 7,000 wounded. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Quds Force, commanded by Qassem Soleimani, have deployed new forces from Iran to join those already stationed in Iraq. Militant proxies from other countries of the region have also relocated to Iraq in the direction of the IRGC. According to reports obtained from inside the regime, including from the IRGC by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI, Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK), Tehran has dispatched a large number of IRGC and paramilitary Basij forces from different Iranian provinces to Iraq. The IRGC has systematically deployed part of its troops to Iraq from different Iranian provinces. They have been dispatched in the form of battalions under the pretext of providing security. These forces are stationed in key cities such as Karbala, Najaf, etc. According to this report, the IRGC's headquarters for intelligence has deployed a number of its important intelligence agents from different Iranian provinces to Iraq. The intelligence forces are briefed that they are on a special mission and they will be organized in different Iraqi provinces. Some of the IRGC's personnel are entering Iraq under the pretext of providing services and guiding pilgrimage convoys. The IRGC has tried to send some its forces and Bassij, along with their family members, as pilgrimage convoys to Iraq. Read more...

Feature

Tehran works to prevent violence in Southern Iraq fom spreading to Iran

By Wes Martin
The Washington Times (op-ed)
October 15, 2019

Demonstrations over the past week in Shia-dominated southern Iraq have resulted in over 100 killed and 4,000 wounded according to the Human Rights Commission. The victims are primarily demonstrators, most in early 20s and younger who were barely in school when the Baathist government was toppled by the U.S.-led coalition. What could have been a bright future within an oil rich country was stolen from them.

Religious extremists in Tehran had no intention of allowing a progressive democracy immediately across its western border. The main accomplishment of the Bush administration was the total destruction of the Middle East balance of power.

From the very beginning, the United States pumped billions of dollars into building up Iraq and its critical infrastructure. Officials at every level of the Iraqi government continually skimmed the incoming financial investments, resulting in pennies on the dollar making it to the intended projects and for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

The worst of these culprits was former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who just prior to the fall of Saddam was living in exile in Syria, making his living as a street vendor. Five years later, he was buying hotels and apartment towers in Damascus and the Emirates.

This massive corruption that has denied the Iraqi people employment, housing, electricity, clean water, and a secure environment has not been lost on the Iraqi youth. Iranian domination over the Iraqi government also has not gone unnoticed.

These protests and demonstrations are not involving the Sunni north regions. The Sunni survivors are still recovering from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) invasion that decimated its cities and populations.

Like Iran, people of southern Iraq are Shias. That's where the similarity ends. Iraqis are Arabs, not Persians. Now the young generation is making it clear they are not puppets of the Iranian government. For good reason, their parents fear the Iranian government. All Iraqis who fail in loyalty to Iran are subject to retaliation, which often includes execution by various means.

This past week the youth have risen against their oppressors. Government-ordered shooting into the crowds and arrests of the demonstrators have intensified the situation. Fifty-one public offices and eight political party headquarters have been set on fire.

Tehran has been trying to redirect the protestors' anger away from the corruption and Iranian domination of the Iraqi government. Iran's growing desperation is seen in its recent claim that American and Israeli governments are behind the demonstrations and growing violence. In even further desperation, Ayatollah Khamenei's close ally and head of Iran's hardline Kayhan newspaper, Hossein Shariatmadari, has called on Iraqi youth to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

In 1979 revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini incited Iranian youth to overrun the American embassy In Tehran. Khomeini then used the excitement it created to turn on Iranian opposition to his fundamentalist movement. The greatest victims of the Revolution were and remain Iranian citizens.

Four times in the past decade, Iranian citizens have risen up in opposition to the government. A stimulus from Shia-dominated Iraq could easily become the catapult that results in bringing down both corrupt governments. Iraq and Iran were spared from Arab Spring. What they could now be facing is Fundamentalist Autumn.

To keep the movement from crossing into Iran, two border crossings with Iraq have been closed. To control the demonstrations, Iran is forcing the Iraqi government to replace Iraqi military with Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). This will result in even further violence. Wearing Iraqi military uniforms, the militias will have no hesitation to operate firing squads against the protestors.

A serious concern for the United States is those same militia members, in civilian clothes and claiming to be Iraqi students, fulfilling Tehran's desire to storm the Baghdad Embassy.

United Nations Secretary General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has identified the demonstrations as "legitimate" and has called upon the Iraqi government to "revive public trust." Europe and the United States need to follow her example and bring political pressure to avoid further violence against the protesters and push for Iraqi government reform.

The demonstrators are willing to stand for what they know to be true. They must not be sacrificed while the West sits idle.

Wes Martin, a retired U.S. Army colonel, served as the senior antiterrorism officer for all coalition forces in Iraq.