The execution of two juveniles in one week in Iran

Remember 26 August as the day the Islamic regime of Iran shamelessly executed 18 year old Behnam Zare in Shiraz prison. Zare's family and his lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, only learned of Zare's execution after the fact. Zare's family and lawyer had been trying to reach a settlement with the victim's family at the time of the execution.

Here is Behnam's last message to people everywhere.

It is the execution of the sixth juvenile offender this year and 26th since 2005. They killed Reza Hajazi on August 19 in Isfahan.

According to Human Rights Watch, child executions are on the rise in Iran. There are more than 130 other prisoners facing death for crimes committed while children.

For more information on what you can do to stop this outrage, visit the campaign to stop child executions and the International Committee against Executions.

Towards an International Day of Protest against Farzad Kamangar's Death Sentence!

Dear friends,

Farzad Kamangar is a young teacher and human rights activist who has been arrested and sentenced to death in Iran. Many organizations have so far protested this sentence, among which Education International has called on one and all to do the same in order to save Farzad's life.

We are on the threshold of International Teacher's Day, October the 5th. It is a day of paying respect to the teachers across the world who teach our children science and friendship. It is therefore an appropriate opportunity to organize a global protest against the death sentence given to Farzad Kamangar by the regime in Iran.

We request that you declare this International Teacher's Day an international day of protest against the death sentence for Farzad Kamangar and all others sitting on death row in Iran. Please ask all institutions within your own organization, as well as all human rights organizations, to organize, among others forms of pressuring the Iranian regime, protest actions in front of the embassies of Islamic Republic of Iran, demanding Farzad Kamangar's sentence to be overturned.

During the past two years we have had international days of solidarity with the workers in Iran, in the form of demonstrations in front of Islamic Republic's embassies in many countries, and protest letters flooding the offices of the regime's authorities. It is now absolutely vital that we initiate a global movement against the executions and execution sentences in Iran, in general, and Farzad Kamangar's sentence, in particular. Let the Islamist regime see for itself that the world public opinion is against such premeditated murders and will come to the rescue of those awaiting their deaths in its dungeons. Let Farzad Kamangar's mother who has appealed to the people of the world for her son's life see for herself that many a good heart beats for her son's freedom, and that they will be linked in action on October the 5th to cry out loud the demand for his death sentence to be overturned.

Long live international solidarity of civilized humanity to save Farzad Kamangar's life!

Best regards,

Mina Ahadi
Spokesperson – International Committee against Execution
Tel: + 49 -1775692413

Shahla Daneshfar
Coordinator – Committee for Struggle to Free Political Prisoners
Tel: + 44 777 9898968


Aug. 22, 2008

The veil, and Iran's family protection bill

To see the August 21 programme where Maryam Namazie discusses the veil - whether it is to be respected or opposed as a tool for restricting women and interviews Bahram Soroush on the Islamic regime of Iran’s misogynist ‘Family Protection Bill,’ click here.

There will be no programme next week.

4 workers to be flogged and sexual apartheid - a crime against humanity

In the August 13 programme of TV International, Maryam Namazie talks to Bahram Soroush about the flogging sentences of four workers - 2 men and 2 women - for the ‘crime’ of celebrating May Day. Get the latest update on the case and find out what you can do to stop the Islamic regime of Iran from carrying out the brutal sentences. You can also hear Maryam’s open letter against sexual apartheid and the need to disgrace and relegate it to the dustbins of history like racial apartheid.

To see this week's programme, click here.

TV International English start again

I have started doing my weekly TV programmes again. To see the latest one on our new site thanks to the efforts of Reza Moradi, click here.

In the 7 August 2008 Programme I interview Nazanin Afshin-Jam on the campaign to stop child executions, Bahram Soroush on the US-Iran crisis and Issam Shukri on his recent visit to Iraq.