Regime element in Paris: threatens news site for his picture released in Meeting with Khamenei

After the recently established 'Planet Iran' released a photo bearing "Iranian residents of Paris who spy for the Islamic regime identified", one of the "identified" residents, threatened the site to retract the picture.
What is interesting is the reaction this caused, unlike his expectations; people backed the site and called his threat!

The person mentioned is Youssef Ghasemi, top left of the picture.

Picture from site "Planet Iran" is showed here followed by comments on the picture:

Ghassemi says:

February 24, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Dear,
I ask you formally to withdraw immediately my photo and my name
from your website (http://planet-iran.com/index.php/news/6231). This publication
is a clear violation of my rights to respect of my image and my
privacy.
Considering the consequences entailed by this publication, I reserve
the right to take legal action against your site, and officials
concerned.
Thank you for your understanding!
Youssef Ghassemi

Kevin says:
February 25, 2010 at 12:35 am
Law suit? First lets the first law suit be resolved. The one that another regime’s agent, Trita Parsi filed against Hassan Dai. If Parsi can win, you all can silence all freedom lovers.Thank,

Zand-Bon says:
February 25, 2010 at 12:44 am
Thank you Kevin. Apparently Mr. Ghassemi does not realize that when he sits in a room with a public figure such as Khamenei and is photographed, he can have no expectation of privacy. Also he has no idea that he cannot sue us from France and suing residents of the US is now ‘libel tourism’ and protected by Rachel’s Law on libel tourism:http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/07/nick-cohen-law-courts-libelMr. Ghassemi clearly admits to his position as a supporter of Khamenei by posting this paranoid threat.


Iran_Buff says:
February 25, 2010 at 2:50 am
How dare a so-called public servant insist on privacy? You do a public job for the henchman blood sucking regime and you expect PRIVACY? That is a hypocritical double-standard if I ever heard. I hope his feeble protest brings hoards of additional media attention and support to “The Planet”, “Planet Iran”!

William says:
February 25, 2010 at 3:48 am
Outrageous! Disgraceful!
This man had no legitimate expectation of privacyin a public meeting with a public figure. It’s anews photo. That’s the way free societieswork, which may be the thing that reallybothers him.
In addition, he may well be defined as a publicfigure himself.
We’ve dealt with people like this before – peoplewho front for thug regimes. We won’t be intimidatedby threats of fraudulent lawsuits.


Ghino di Tacco says:
February 25, 2010 at 5:40 am
This sub-human type of lackey just deserves to be exposed for what he is: a sycophant for the fascist theocrats who plunged Iran back to the stone age.Planet-Iran staff, don’t dare to give any satisfaction to this mullah-snitch, whose purpose is just to spy and report on the Iranian patriots living abroad. Please have his photograph and his name covered with the shame he deserves. Maybe put his photograph possibly in an even more prominent spot on planet-iran, so that everybody navigating the site will cover his face with virtual spits, that is, until that day when the spits will be real and he will be kicked between 2 aisles of crowd cheering while he climbs the stairs to his gallows.

Azar says:
February 25, 2010 at 6:20 am
Sorry how is it a violation of your right? You have gone to see your beloved Supreme Leader and had your photo taken, and you have been identified. Where is the RIGHT violation???
WHat audacity you people have of talking about rights! Youssef Ghassemi’s email is : yousef.paris@yahoo.com

Kevin says:
February 25, 2010 at 8:00 am
These BACHE POROOHA have no shame. He goes and takes a picture with ALI GEDA GHATEL and now threatens this website with law suit. What are you going to say in a court of law? that there is not enough evidence of collaboration with a murderer regime? This is a smoking gun. You’re the one who must be prosecuted by western judiciaries and now you’re threatening a law suit? A shame on France for allowing these murderers to live freely. Let’s send this pic to the French embassy and request an investigation for Youssef Ghassemi’s legal situation in France.

king says:
February 25, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Looks like Mr. Ghasemi was caught with his pants down.! Mr. ghasemi why do you want to sue, take a pride in being a spook for low life’s in Iran or all you in it for only the money

Fern says:

February 26, 2010 at 6:51 pm
This is just for a very good cause! Hail this report!!! The more pictures the better; it will only serve a good purpose once this bl***y regime has to go to court!
Ghassemi says:
March 2, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Your interpretations of the facts and Rachel’s Law are superficial.
The problem is not republishing a “news photo”. The problem is:
– Modifying a news photo, adding comments and accusing people publicly, on or beside the photo,
– Publishing people’s e-mail address on your site whereas your site indicates: mail address (will not be published).
Read once again the comments on your site (sub-human type of lackey, murder…) to understand (I hope) your legal responsibility.

Zand-Bon says:
March 2, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Well Dear Mr. Ghassemi,
As WIlliam said this IS a free country and people can say what they want and if you wish to disprove them then you can by all means take us to court and we will happily prove that when YOU make the choice to sit in a room where a world figures like Seyed Ali Khamenei, then you have ZERO expectation of privacy. And your email address by the way is a matter of public record Sir. I suggest you bother to google yourself because I even found a phone number for you as well as a couple of other email addresses etc. No, you cannot intimidate this group with your limp threats and your online law degree. This is a HIGHLY educated and VERY brave bunch of people and we do not fold the way your kind does. If you weren’t a coward, then you’d bravely allow yourself to be out there and say: “Yes, I was there with Khamenei and yes, I support him!” or “No I don’t support him and his regime for this this and this reason, but yes I was in fact there”. The onus of explaining is on YOU, not us. You were caught with your proverbial pants down and now you’re crying about it. Well, tough luck…suck it up and if you want to be a bully, I suggest…no WE ALL SUGGEST that you get yourself a new set. And also, you might want to look at THE SOURCE of the photo which I am not so when you accuse ME of modifying it, I can show CLEARLY that I was sent the material from another source and AGAIN…they are the responsible party.I’ve not only READ Rachel’s law, I’ve written articles about it. So I suggest you tell you khooroosh ghandi lawyer pals who interpret this for you to stop pretending that their degrees from University of Darvazeh Doolab is worth anything.

Tellinitlikeitis says:
March 3, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Mr. Ghassemi, it behooves you to admit the hypocrisy of living high on the hog in the Paris, enjoying the freedom, the unveiled women, the nice wine, the great freedom of press, and flying back at intervals to eat from the trough and kiss some supreme ***?

Adella Durio says:
April 12, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Hi Im attempting to sign up for your rss , but its not working . What is happening ?

Mahdieh Goloroo’s Husband Calls MKO Charge Ridiculous

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
Persian2English translation

Mahdieh Golroo, a women’s rights activist and expelled Allameh University student, was tried in court without the presence of her attorney. In proceedings similar to the trials of other arrested members of the “Right to Education Council,” Golroo was not allowed to defend herself aganst the charge of “relations and cooperation with Mujahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO).” In a phone call with her family after her trial, Mahdieh Golroo has called the charges ridiculous and has expressed concern because Golroo was not allowed to defend herself against and refute the charge. Other charges made against this student activist were propagation against the regime through interviews with foreign media and congregation and mutiny in relation to Right to Education Council meetings.

Expressing concern about the unfair process of Golroo’s case, the student activist’s husband, Vahid Lalipour, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran: “In the trial session of 15 Farvardin 2010, with Judge Pirabassi presiding, my wife was not allowed to defend herself against the charge of relations with MKO, and we are concerned that the same thing that happened to Majid Dorri and Zia Nabavi might happen to Mahdieh, too. During their trial sessions, they, too, were told that it was not necessary for them to defend against relations with the MKO, but when the verdict was announced, they were sentenced to five or ten years in prison for this same exact charge. There was no relation between this group and Mahdieh and my wife’s thinking has no common grounds with this organization. The case judges have made the cases only based on an assumption that the Right to Education Council is being led by MKO. This charge is to suppress those whose rights have been violated.”

Mahdieh Golroo’s trial was behind closed doors and without her attorney present. Her family and her husband were not allowed to attend the trial. Regarding the trial process and Golroo’s attorney’s absence, Lalipour said: “One night before the trial date, Mahdieh called to say that one of her friends who had gone to the office of Women’s Head Warden at Evin prison, had seen her name in the list of those whose trials were to be held the next day. My wife’s case was reviewed with an attorney, in a closed court, and without prior notice to her family. Her attorney, Mr. Oliaeefar, was arrested just before Nowrooz holidays, so he had not been able to make any progress on Mahdieh’s case. So we asked Mr. Raeesian to take on my wife’s legal representation. As soon as we learned which branch was reviewing her case, Mr. Raeesian and I went to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Courts. Unfortunately, after an inappropriate confrontation, the court did not accept Mr. Raeesian as the representing lawyer. Under these circumstances, Mahdieh was taken to court on April 4th without prior notice. Believing that all her activities are within the framework of the country’s laws, she did not request for an extension and she was deprived from legal representation in court.”

Mahdieh Golroo is also deprived from meeting with her family in person. Lalipoor said that since his own release on February 21, 2010, he has been allowed to meet with his wife only once for Iranian New Year and with a letter from the Prosecutor. He said: “Each time they come up with a different excuse to keep us from visiting her. Authorities at Ward 209 are in possession of Mahdieh’s and my birth certificates and they refuse to return them to us. Evin Prison authorities have told me that I cannot visit her because I cannot present my birth certificate. Even though I take several pieces of identification to each visit, including our marriage certificate, and I am always with Mahdieh’s mother and sister, they tell me I can’t see her because I don’t have a birth certificate [to establish familial connection to the prisoner].”

The latest news on the student activist’s health condition is that she is suffering from an intestinal infection. Her husband referred to the prison’s bad diet and hygiene and blamed lack of medical attention on Golroo’s illness: “The prison infirmary considers such health conditions as “pretending to be ill,” and does not do a proper checkup. The prison food is not suitable, or better said, it’s not edible.”

News Background:

Mahdieh Golroo, a student activist and a member of Right to Education Council was arrested along with her husband Vahid Lalipour on December 3rd, 2009 after their home was stormed by several security forces. The couple were taken to Evin Prison. Vahid Lalipour who did not have any records of political activities, spent 65 days in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, 32 days of which were spent in solitary confinement. Lalipour’s charges were similar to his wife’s–propagation against the regime, congregation and mutiny and relations with Mujahedin Khalgh Organization. Mahdieh Golroo was formerly sentenced to one year’s imprisonment which was suspended for five years. Currently several members of the Right to Education Council are in prison–Zia Nabavi, Majid Dorri, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Peyman Aref, and Mahdieh Golroo. Zia Nabavi and Majid Dorri were tried and sentenced to 15 and 11 years in prison in the same court branch.

A Letter of Suffering by Bahareh Maghami, A Victim of Prison Rape

Source: Persian2English
April 13, 2010


My name is Bahar (the meaning of Bahar is spring in Persian). It is spring and I write to you of flowers, but flowers with scattered petals. I write to you of the green sprouts, but crushed sprouts that have been trampled on by hatred; a hatred by betrayers toward beauty and those who seek justice. I write to you of those who are not real men.

My name is Bahareh Maghami and I am 28 years old. There is nothing left of me anymore, so I have no reason to hide my identity anymore. I have lost everyone important to me. I have lost relatives, friends, neighbours, companions, co-workers, and colleagues. I have lost everything. Those who pretend to be men stole it all from me unjustly. They stole my life. Now that I have left the country, I want to share my pain with someone, even if I only share it once. I would like to ask other friends who have experienced a similar painful fate to write about it as well. They must write about what happened to them. Even if they fear their lives or the loss of their dignity, then they should use anonymous names. They must write so that history is aware of what happened to our generation, the grief-stricken generation. They must write so that the next generation who will live in a free Iran understands the price paid for their freedom, so they are aware how many lives were destroyed and how many hopes have vanished. They must know about the broken backs and the bent knees.

When my father found out, his back broke and he shattered into pieces. My mom aged a hundred years overnight. I still have not been able to look into my brother’s eyes and he doesn’t look at me either. He doesn’t want me to suffer any more than I already have. When he found out, it was like they took away his manhood. When he found out that there are people who pretend to be men, he began to hate his own manhood. For the [fake men], dignity, nobility and chastity have no meaning.

I was a first grade teacher. I was teaching the children of our country how to read and write. I was teaching them [how to write] “Dad brought water,” “The man comes,” “The man brings bread.” For me the image of a man was the kind breadwinner. I was waiting for him to arrive. And now that image has changed. He is angry and blinded by his desires. I cannot rid myself of his infectious smell of sweat. I am always scared of him coming back. I jump out of bed in the middle of the night fearing his footsteps. My whole body shakes with the smallest sounds and my heart starts beating faster because I fear his arrival. I am always ready to escape. I leave the lights on at during the nights and I pass the days with tears and grief.

Our house was on Kargar Shomali Street. I was at Ghoba Mosque with my brother when I was arrested. They beat me and took me away and then they destroyed me. As our ancient poet Hafez said, “They did what the Mongolians did!” [referring to the Mongol invasion of Iran]

Some had broken arms, some had broken legs, and some had broken backs. Others like me had broken spirits, as if all of humanity was stripped from me. I used to be Spring, and now I am dead. I am a squashed corn poppy.

I would like to ask those who read this letter and who know someone who is a victim of rape to show more kindness and sympathy toward them. The issue is that in our culture, rape is not just a blow to one person; it is a blow to the whole family. A victim of rape is never healed with the passing of time. With every look given by a father, the wounds open again. Her heart breaks again with every drop of her mother’s tears. Relatives, friends, neighbours and everyone else cut their relationship off.

My family was forced to sell our house significantly below market price and move to Karaj (a suburb of Tehran), but we didn’t last there either. The agents found our new address quickly and monitored us. They stood in the corner of our street and smirked at my father every time he passed by.

We left everything behind and immigrated [to Germany]. At their old age, my parents became refugees in a camp. I can easily say that the cultural wounds were much harder to deal with than the physical ones. Many people smile when they hear about rape. I swear that there is nothing funny about rape. It is about the suffering of a simple family. It is about a young girl or boy who loses his or her dignity. Breaking the dignity of love is not funny.

Those who raped me laughed. There were three of them. All three were dirty and they each had a beard. They had terrible accents and foul mouths. Their curse words were directed toward my entire family. Even though they saw I was a virgin, they accused me of being a whore and forced me to sign a statement that declared I was a prostitute.

I am not ashamed to say it anymore. Not only am I not ashamed, I am even proud to say it: they called me a whore. They said, “Sign this you whore!” I told them that I was a teacher and I would not sign. They said they had three witnesses who had seen me sleep with three people in one night. I told them that I have 30 witnesses who can confirm that I am a teacher, and that if anything happens to me [in prison], it would be their fault. They laughed and said, “Well, it’s not that bad for you. Your pay has now increased!” The privacy and dignity of people is worthless to them. Words like modesty and chastity are empty to them. They have never seen these virtues. All women are whores to them. But, it was not only women. They did the same to men. They were not human beings. They suffered from self-subordination. They had turned into perverted animals who knew nothing but how to destroy beauty. Sometimes I see people cursing at the mothers and sisters of these people [the rapists]. I feel sorry for those who have to live with these rabid animals all their lives. My front teeth broke and my shoulder was displaced; my womanhood was destroyed.

I know that I will never be able to love a man or get close to him and trust him. I realize that my land bears many brave men who have also suffered, but for me, real men and fake men are the same. My life as a woman has reached an end and I resemble a zombie, but I still write. I write in order to regain my livelihood. I write that I was a teacher who turned into a prostitute and who is a writer now. I write that I was Spring, and although I turned into Autumn, I am now more beautiful. I am a beautiful whore who turned into the outcast of the neighbourhood. I turned into a teacher without a classroom. I became the subject of ridicule who has been sentenced to loneliness and immersed in the injustices of the oppressors. For the Islamic Republic, I am the woman with a broken arm and a bloody face. I am proud to be a whore for freedom. I know that I am not alone.

With my lifeless body lying on the ground of my cell, I would often hear their voices in the nearby cells displaying their fake manhood.

I ask all people who have suffered like me to write. They need to express their suffering any way they can because these are the same pains that Sadegh Hedayat (contemporary writer) referred to as, “pains that chew at a person’s soul.” Let it all come out. Let everyone know. You should realize that you are not alone. There are many like me and you. We all share this pain.

This letter of suffering should be much larger than this, but I will end with one last message to Khamenei [the Supreme Leader of Iran]: You consider yourself the father of this nation. I was a daughter of Iran. Your sons raped me. Who will pay for the loss of my dignity?

Bahareh Maghami,
April 2010, Germany

Status of Detained Honours Student Mitra Aali

RAHANA

Mitra Aali completed her BA at Amir Kabir University in Tehran. While a student, Aali was an activist and editor-in-chief of Simorgh Magazine, a publication by the university’s Islamic Student Association. Upon completing her BA and ranking seventh in the entrance exam, Aali was admitted to the master’s program at Sharif University. She was allowed to enroll only after she agreed to refrain from political activities.

During the course of her studies, Aali was summoned once by Sharif University’s disciplinary committee. On another occasion, she was interrogated by intelligence agents in the basement of the university’s security office.

During the disputed presidential election in 2009, Aali worked for the Karroubi campaign. On June 14, 2009, two days after the election, she was arrested when her house was raided by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence. She was released a day later after being interrogated at the investigations office of the Ministry of Intelligence.

On December 7, 2009, following a Student Day gathering at the university campus, agents attempted unsuccessfully to arrest the student activist, who was not present at the time of the raid. Two months later, on February 10, 2010, Aali was arrested again at her home by plainclothes agents, who also seized her personal belongings. She was released five days later to a third party custodian.

A few days before Norooz, and as she was preparing her thesis paper, Aali was contacted by her interrogators. She was asked to report to the investigations office to retrieve her seized belongings. She was arrested upon arrival on March 10, 2010 and taken to the notorious ward 209 in Evin prison. Since then, Aali has only called her family once and with her interrogator present.

During the brief phone call, Aali was not able to talk about her charges or her condition. According to prisoners who have recently been released from ward 209, the student activist remains in solitary confinement and is under heavy pressure by the interrogators. Her family’s repeated visits to the Revolutionary Court have proven fruitless, and judicial authorities refuse to provide any explanation for the detention.

Despite a written order by the case magistrate, the interrogators have instructed Evin officials to prevent the family from visiting their daughter. The cancellation of prison visits and her ongoing detention has led to fears that she is being mistreated by her interrogators.

Translation: RAHANA | Persian2English.com

Mansour Osanloo Taken before the Medical Commission in Handcuffs & Shackles

On Tuesday, April 13, Mansour Osanloo was taken before the Coroner’s medical commission in handcuffs and shackles.

RAHANA – The leader of the Tehran bus drivers’ union was examined for 9 hours by the coroner’s medical commission in a Karaj hospital. The commission was formed by the request of the Rajai-Shahr prison doctors.

According to HRDAI, Osanloo suffers from a multitude of illnesses, including a heart condition, a back problem which requires surgery, as well as an eye condition.

In an attempt to put further pressure on the union leader, the handcuffs and shackles had been tightened around his wrists and ankles to limit his movements during the trip to the hospital. He arrived at the hospital with wounded ankles.

Until now, on 3 separate occasions, the coroner has declared Oslanloo medically unfit to serve his prison sentence. The recommendation has been communicated to the Revolutionary Court, the Enforcements unit, as well as Rajai-Shah prison officials. The law requires that prisoners who are declared medically unfit to serve prison sentences be released to undergo treatment in medical facilities outside prison.

In the case of Osanloo, not only he has been denied medical treatment, but he has also been subjected to harsh psychological pressure, including incarceration for lengthy periods in solitary confinement. He is currently detained in Ward 5, known as the addicts’ ward, where most inmates are addicts and many suffer from contagious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis.

1500 Birjand Students protest in Iranian University

Since the protests last charshnbe soori, Student university have been actively protesting over logistic deficiencies. This has kept the news of the protests chained

1500 University Student of Birjand have staged a long lasting sit-in in protest of poor logistic and food University condition and demanded resignation of the pro-regime Head of Faculty. . They use every excuse to protest
The protesters blocked the entrance to the building and lied their till the morning.

Maryam Zia Summoned to the Revolutionary Court

RAHANA

According to the summon notice sent by branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, women’s and children’s rights activist Maryam Zia has to attend her court hearing on Wednesday April 21, 2010.

According to the HRDAI, Maryam Zia is currently under treatment because of mental tortures applied by the Intelligence Ministry interrogators. She is also receiving medical treatment because of her 13 days of hunger strike in prison in protest to the continuation of her illegal and inhumane detention.

Maryam Zia and Reza Khandan are founders of an NGO called “A Better Life for Children”, a place in which children activists used to offer educational, health and food assistance to child laborers. Recently, the landlords of the NGO’s building has been pressured to change the lock of this building and transfer the money that NGO founders had paid to him as the deposit to the Intelligence Ministry’s account.

Women’s and children’s rights activist Maryam Zia is 40, married and has two children. She was arrested on December 31, 2009 by Intelligence Ministry officers and transferred to the solitary cells in ward 209 0f Evin prison.