Live-blog: Iran – Fallout from 25 Bahman protests continues

2:33AM GMT

We have been away from updates for several hours so we will attempt to catch up with this entry.

More Videos from 25 Bahman

Clashes took place at the Tehran University of Fine Arts at a ceremony held by students there for slain 25 Bahman (February 14) protester, Saneh Jaleh. The clashes were initiated by the regime’s Basij paramilitary volunteers. The regime has been trying to claim that Saneh is one of their supporters.

Tehran Bureau has posted a translation by Homy Lafayette of an alleged first-hand account of the clashes:

There were two or three thousand Basijis, and our group was at about a 100 or 200 maximum. They trampled on Saneh’s blood. They did nothing but engage in insults at his service. They got into fights amongst themselves three or four times about what to do with the kids (to beat them or not, to let them go or not) who were in Farabi [Translator’s guess is that this is the name of one of the halls at the university]. From the start, the kids didn’t do anything illegal or ugly. They (the students) were just standing in a corner, but they (the Basijis) didn’t even like that and created a skirmish and the kids went into Farabi and closed the door.

Police in riot gear intimidating people and blocking them from being able to form into groups on the sidewalk:

Cyber Watch:

Various websites associated with the Iranian government were unavailable today, including the website of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader–presumably due to cyber attacks in the form of distributed denial of service attacks. Considering that the hacker group called Anonymous issued a press release basically indicating that they would be on the scene for the 25 Bahman (Monday, February 14) protests, we wouldn’t be surprised if an orchestrated campaign to attack Iranian government sites is under way.

Persian Banoo reports that a cyber war goes on, with both pro-regime sites and green sites under heavy attack since Monday.

Political Prisoners Watch

Persian Banoo reports that Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani’s daughter and son, who had been arrested Monday at the Tehran Metro, have now been released.

A website called Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) reports that the brother of Saneh Jaleh, a 26 year-old Kurdish Iranian who was killed during the 25 Bahman protests (on Monday) and has been arrested after giving an interview to VOA in which he refuted the regime’s assertion that his brother was a Basiji (supporter of the regime). Apparently he was arrested in the middle of the night.

A source on Twitter provided us the names of several people that they claim were arrested in the Tehran University of Fine Arts by Basij militia. The school is where slain 25 Bahman protester went to school.

Abbas Salehi,
Mehrdad Mirzaii,
Mohammad Taiebtaher,
Faraz Fesharaki

RAHANA reports that rights activist Mehdi Esmailzadeh has been arrested.

Yashar Amini, publisher and associate of the Writer’s Association, was arrested for propaganda against the Islamic Republic regime of Iran by printing posters for the Writers Association of Iran, Workers Association and Women’s Association. A sentence of one year in prison has been passed down to Amini by the Revolutionary Court.

Two people working for Aftab News have been arrested. On Monday, as the protesters were gathering in the streets of Tehran and other cities, a report arose that (from our perspective at least on the blogosphere and Internet) was explosive. Rumors circulated that permission to rally had been granted. This turned out not to be true, but may have had an impact in getting more people into the streets (although this is just speculation on my part). The source of the incorrect story was Aftab News. Incidentally, the also reported that the Turkish Prime Minister, Abdollah Gol, had said he wanted to march with the protesters, which also turned out to be false.

Peyke Iran reports that 300 people were arrested in Mashad alone.

Threat Watch

Regime news agency, Fars News, reports that “Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri warned US officials against the fatal consequences and aftermaths of Washington’s interference in Iran’s internal affairs.”

The report quotes Jazeyari:

Those who pursue plans to overthrow (the Islamic Republic) in Iran and even support the anti-revolutionary elements and seditionists publically will soon face the punishment for these actions… The US and the White House will regret and be ashamed of their deeds in the near future.

Blog Watch

James Miller of Dissected News writes for Huffington Post Be Ready to Hear Iranian Voices

Tehran Bureau has produced a report on Clashes at Saneh Jaleh’s funeral in Tehran

Regime Propaganda Watch

The hardline editor of Keyhan, Shariatmadari, one of the primary media mouthpieces of the regime, spins conspiracy theories about Saneh Jaleh, one of the slain protesters that was killed from a gunshot wound during the Monday protests.

The regime has been trying to claim him as one of their own, as opposed to a supporter of the green movement. This claim has been refuted by a number of sources, including his brother in an interview on VOA today (see below), and a protester who went by the name “Sara” in an interview with Anderson Cooper on AC360 last night.

In this video on the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Shariatmadari talks about Saneh Jaleh, basically trying to paint the picture that he was an informer for the regime:

They ask a lot of questions of us… Where do you get your information [about Jaleh]?

They say even the Intel Ministry doesn’t have the information… I tell them Hezbullahi kids are everywhere…

With respect to Mr. and Mrs. Saneh, he would get in touch with us a lot and give us a lot of good info…

Let me tell you… He has gone to Mr. Montazeri [Grand Ayatollah Montazeri], and he would provide information to us about that… I suspect that they [the seditionists] studied him and then killed him.

Here is the video of Saneh’s brother refuting the regime’s claim on his soul on VOA. Basically, he says, “My brother was NOT a Basiji!” The pain in his voice is heartbreaking as he expresses his dismay at the regime’s propaganda. A friend of Jaleh’s also talks to VOA, saying, “I can say unequivocally, I have known him for years and he is NOT a Basiji.”

As stated earlier, HRANA has reported that Saneh’s brother was arrested following the interview.

And here is the interview of Sara with Anderson Cooper. We posted this in our previous day’s live-blog, but reposting it here as further evidence that the regime is lying:

Here is a video featuring Saneh Jaleh in a Pink Floyd parody taking on Islamic Hypocrisy. According to Tehran Bureau it was banned at the school where it was filmed.

So one has to ask, does the regime think that the people will fall for this? I think they know the majority of the people, especially the opposition will not. I think they are spinning this propaganda so that they can claim that the protesters are influenced by nefarious outside agencies that are sowing sedition. It’s an old trick in their playbook. This is for the consumption of their own base. How else can they convince their people to repeatedly show up in the streets and beat people to a pulp, or shoot them, rape them, or convince them to do any number of unsavory things in order to keep themselves in power?

Media Watch

The next episode of the Iranian version of the daily show, produced by VOA, Parazit, will be dedicated to slain protester Mohammad Mokhtari and his family.

Interview of Parazit’s host on CNN. “The majority of families are watching our show in Iran. It is very popular in Iran.”

Opposition Watch

Both Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi have purportedly issued statements on the 25 Bahman protests, in solidarity with the protesters. There are reports that perhaps Mousavi didn’t write the statement that is being attributed to him. We will continue to watch this. However, an interesting point to note is that in the purported statement from Mousavi, he stated that the Green Movement is loyal to the ideals of the late regime founder and revolutionary Ayatollah Khomeini. While he has stated is loyalty to Khomeini repeatedly since the disputed 2009 residential election, it seemed to make sense at the time, because he and Karroubi were trying to work with the system, to reform it from within. He risks falling way behind the movement–either that or damaging the movements progress–at this point in the game, after the regime has closed all doors to peaceful reform and has resorted to techniques associated with the most brutal of dictatorships in the clampdown since the election. We will continue to monitor this closely.

7:16PM GMT

A correspondent reports that the website associated with Hashemi Rafsanjani has quoted him as denouncing the 25 Bahman (Monday, February 14) “riots”. Is Rafsanjani taking a side now? We are seeking more information on this.

An update from BanooyeSabz on Facebook, regarding an attack on the residence of the son of opposition figure, Mehdi Karroubi (via Saham News):

Wednesday February 16th, 2011 – According to Saham News, approximately 20 security officers raided the house of Hossein Karroubi, Mehdi Karroubi’s eldest son, breaking down the main entrance to his residence in their illegal attempt to arrest him.

In an interview with Saham News that took place minutes ago, Hossein Karroubi stated: “Approximately 20 security officers arrived at my residence, broke down the door to the main entrance and entered the building, despite the fact that no one was home. Sadly these individuals proceeded with the destruction of property, disturbing the peace and creating fear and discomfort amongst the neighbors and residents of the building.

Hossein Karroubi added: “This type of behavior is neither Islamic, Iranian nor human, but rather similar to the behavior of fascist governments in dealing with their opponents. At this moment the security forces remain at my house going through my personal property and that of my family. As a result of their behavior, my youngest child no longer feels safe at home. We no longer even have access to their school books and personal belongings.”

It is worth mentioning that Hossein Karroubi was arrested three weeks ago and was interrogated for several hours. These incidents are designed to increase pressure on Mehdi Karroubi’s family who have experienced this type of behavior on numerous occasions over the past 20 months.

Source: Saham News http://www.sahamnews.net/?p=16988

9:40AM GMT

Two days after the historic 25 Bahman protests that showed the world that the Iranian people’s movement for freedom and democracy is still alive and well, the fallout continues.

The regime crackdowns have begun:

We have a confirmed report that during a funeral ceremony held at Tehran University’s Department of Fine Arts, for slain protester, Saneh Jaleh, the notorious paramilitary forces known as the Basij locked people in the auditorium where the ceremony was being held and started beating protesters. We are seeking further information at this time.

Videos from the protests continue to pour in. Watch the following and please take note. Take note of the ferocity of the protests, the mayhem and the fear, and the bravery of the Iranian people for standing up what will go down as one of the most barbaric regimes in modern history.

People chant, “Marg bar dictator!” (Death to the dictator!)

This video shows regime security forces on motorcycles:

Regime forces attack people with tear gas:

People chant “Ya Marg! Ya Azadi!” (Either death or freedom!)

Political Prisoners Must be Freed!
“Iranieh Sepahi Hemayat! HemayatQ” (Iranian Sepahi [Revolutionary Guard] Support! Support!) -> Thanks to IranZendebad below for help clarifying the chant.
If someone can make out what exactly was being said here please let us know:

Harrowing attack on protesters – fear and mayhem – attack by regime goons:

“Ya Hossein! Mir Hossein!” A chant in which people express support for the embattled opposition figure who challenged the results of the 2009 presidential election, leading to the uprising of 2009 and the subsequent crackdowns. Mousavi is currently effectively under house arrest:

Video from the city of Rasht. Someone yells “Get out! Get out!” Then shrill, harrowing screams can be heard. Not sure what is going on but from the sounds of it, people are terrified. This is reminiscent of the sounds that we have unfortunately become all too familiar with when we have seen people killed or badly injured by regime security forces (although we cannot say that this is the case in this video):

Regime forces brutally attacked this person:

Person saying he was beaten:

Protesters gathered in Shiraz sing “Yareh Dabestani,” a patriotic, revolutionary song:

In the city of Shiraz, a foreboding video of regime goons waiting on their bikes, preparing to crackdown on people.

Heavy security presence in Shiraz:

Sharif University School of Computing:
“Students would rather die than suffer humiliation”:

“Huge crowds chant “Mubarak, Ben Ali, now the turn of Seyed Ali! (meaning now it’s time for Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s clerical dictator, to step down):

Eskandari Cross, Tehran:
“I will kill, I will kill, he who killed my brother!”
People attacked by tear gas:

People setting up barricades as they chant that it’s time for the leader to go.

Video title says, “A youth shot.”
Someone yells, “Film this! Film this!”

Shiraz:
“A woman says “Careful, don’t give us away.”
A man says, “They’re hitting people, They’re hitting people.”