rsf.org

Austrian national of Kurdish origin, Kamal Sayid Qadir, who was arrested five months ago for posting “defamatory” articles about the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

At an earlier hearing he had been handed down a sentence, since cancelled, of 30 years imprisonment on exactly the same charge.

Reporters Without Borders said the conviction was contrary to international standards in freedom of expression cases. “Any prison sentence for an offence of opinion is unacceptable, even in cases of insult or defamation,” the press freedom organisation said.

“We are particularly wary of the operation of the Iraqi Kurdish justice system which started by condemning this jurist to 30 years in jail, then divided his sentence by 20, while the charges remained the same. We hope the appeal court will overturn this decision and set him free”.

His conviction was under Article 111 paragraph 433 of the 1969 criminal code, which laid down prison sentences of up to five years for defamation. The fact that the jurist belongs to a family of “24 martyrs” of Saddam Hussein’s regime was taken into account by the judge as extenuating circumstances.

His lawyer, Govend Baban, told Reporters Without Borders that the article in the criminal code could only be applied in the case of a complaint by an individual and not to a case brought by a public ministry, as was the case. He added that the court in Erbil was not competent to try the case, because the offending articles were published in Austria. His client has anyway appealed against the verdict, which he called “unfair” and “political”.

Kamal Sayid Qadir has been held since 26 October 2005 in Erbil prison in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in the north of Iraq. He was sentenced, on 19 December 2005, for "defamation of public institutions", a ruling that was subsequently quashed. In a statement posted on kurdishmedia.com, the jurist acknowledged making comments that were “inappropriate" towards some people referred to in his articles.
www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16862

182 executed, 63 newspapers shutdown and 7,000 arrested on political charges in one year

NCRI - According to a report by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), during the Persian calendar year of 1384 (March 20, 2005 – March 20, 2006), Iranian cities were the scenes of over 4,100 protests, strikes, and clashes between the people and the suppressive forces. These protests involved different sectors of society from white collar workers to teachers and students to political prisoners.

At least 1,380 protests were staged by workers and 737 protests by students, academics, and university professors.

The continuation and spread of protests came while 182 prisoners were executed and 123 execution sentences were handed down. Last year, 63 newspapers were shutdown, eight amputations were carried out, and hundreds of thousands arrested, 7000 of whom were detained for political reasons.

In 1384, political prisoners and members of the Iranian Resistance staged hunger strikes for a total of nine weeks.

During this period, the regimes’ henchmen attacked the houses of Tehran's transit workers and arrested their wives and children in order to crush their strike. In Qom, the regime staged crackdown on Dervishes’ mosques and gathering centers, destroying their buildings and arresting a number of them.

The protests included hunger strikes by political prisoners, uprisings in Mahabad, Gheshm, Piranshahr, and demonstrations during the Festival of Fire celebration at the year's end, strikes, sit-ins, road closures by workers, commemoration of the International Women’s Day in Laleh Park in Tehran, protest by young women outside the gates of sports stadiums, and protests following football games.

In many uprisings, people took to the streets and engaged the State Security Forces (SSF) and the Paramilitary Bassij forces, Intelligence Ministry and Plainclothes agents. Many banks, government offices, security operation centers and Intelligence Ministry offices were attacked and destroyed by the people.

The dramatic rise and continuation of protests, uprising and demonstrations clearly reflect the anger and hatred of the Iranian people towards the ruling medieval theocracy. It also reflects the Iranian people's resolve to overthrow this inhuman regime in its entirety and bring about democratic change in Iran.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

kurdishinfo.com

HABER MERKEZI (DIHA) -HPG General Quarters had declared names of 14 guerilla who had lost their lives in the clash taking place in the scope of operation arranged by Turkish Armed Forces(TSK). HPG which announced that guerillas were killed by chemical weapon said that the assault will not go unanswered.

According to news of Firat News Agency, HPG general Quarters had made an announcement about operation which 14 guerilla had lost their lives. According to announcement of HPG, in the operation which 10 thousand soldier and rural guard participated, was initiated in the region of Mus Guneyi which is between the Mus center, Kulp, Genc and Solhan. 10 thousand soldier from powers of TSK in Mus, Bingol and Tunceli and rural guards from village of Badika and Pirijman had participated to operation. The regions of Sere spi, Berbihiv, 15 Agustos and Geliye Pirijman were kept under control by deployment of soldiers by skorscy type helicopters. In the same day forces of TSK had oriented to camps which guerillas were placed. The clash which occured over orientation of soldiers had continued till hours of night on 25 March. 14 guerillas of HPG had lost their lives due to use of heavy weapons and chemical weapons during clashes.

HPG by condoling the family of those who had lost their lives in the clash and Kurdish people said that '' We call our people not to be silent about this situation and to attend to martyrs, we as HPG will raise our resistance of legitimate defence and will not let this go unanswered.''

The identities of the guerillas who lost their lives are:



ANF NEWS AGENCY
www.kurdishinfo.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6646