This is a Coup - Recognize it!
Nima Baz | 15.06.2009 03:24 | Repression | Social Struggles | World
Since the fraudulant result of the recent Iranian presidential elections have come out, many Iranians abroad have organised on going protests na d demonstations in front of Iranian embassies across the world. The main reason for such actions are to condemn the electoral fraud, to announce solidarity with the young men and women of Iran who are being arrested and beaten up by the police ever since, to announce solidarity with the political activists and journalists who are being cracked down, and to encourage the western govornments to denounce the coup govornment of Ahmadinejad, to ask for a fair re-election in Iran and not to recognise the coup govornment. Additionally the aim is to denounce the western official media for their cautious stance and their angst for reporting the whole truth. The following is the statement of a group of Iranian students studying inthe UK who are organising a peaceful demonstration in front of the Iranian embassy, on Monday 15th of June in London. Please take their demands seriously, the freedom seeking Iranian activists need the help of western independent media.
This is a coup d'état – recognize it!
Coup d'état: “a sudden and great change in the government carried out violently or illegally by the ruling power” (Oxford English Dictionary)
Following the widespread electoral fraud in the Iranian Presidential Election waves of protests have risen across Iran. However, these peaceful demonstrations have been brutally attacked by the Revolutionary Guards. Moreover, hours before the announcement of the final results of the election, high profile political figures from the reformist parties have been either arrested or have been put under house-arrest. Not only major reformist media have been closed down, the coup government has also cracked down all independent journalists; as a result, a great number of news and networking websites have been banned, newspaper offices have been attacked and journalists have been warned and threatened about what they report.
Tehran streets are still witnessing violent clashes between the Revolutionary Guard forces and the unarmed demonstrators – tear gases have been fired on people, police batons are used in an excessively brutal manner, in addition reformist student unions, political parties and ordinary people have been widely denied their constitutional right to peaceful demonstration and gatherings. This is an illegal overthrown of the rightful president of Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi, through fraud, violent suppression of people and protestors, and a worrying wave of illegal arrests. This is a Coup d'état.
We have gathered here to renounce the biased and cautious attitude of the British government and media towards the events in Iran. While the free and independent press are being increasingly cracked down in Iran, we demand:
* Official British Government stance not to recognize the election result and the coup government of Ahmadinejad – push through diplomatic processes for running a new fair election in Iran.
* Appropriate coverage of the events in Iran by the British Media,
We invite all those who want to show their solidarity with the Iranian people, to pressurize the British Governments and the British Media to take appropriate actions regarding the abovementioned demands.
Coup d'état: “a sudden and great change in the government carried out violently or illegally by the ruling power” (Oxford English Dictionary)
Following the widespread electoral fraud in the Iranian Presidential Election waves of protests have risen across Iran. However, these peaceful demonstrations have been brutally attacked by the Revolutionary Guards. Moreover, hours before the announcement of the final results of the election, high profile political figures from the reformist parties have been either arrested or have been put under house-arrest. Not only major reformist media have been closed down, the coup government has also cracked down all independent journalists; as a result, a great number of news and networking websites have been banned, newspaper offices have been attacked and journalists have been warned and threatened about what they report.
Tehran streets are still witnessing violent clashes between the Revolutionary Guard forces and the unarmed demonstrators – tear gases have been fired on people, police batons are used in an excessively brutal manner, in addition reformist student unions, political parties and ordinary people have been widely denied their constitutional right to peaceful demonstration and gatherings. This is an illegal overthrown of the rightful president of Iran, Mir Hossein Mousavi, through fraud, violent suppression of people and protestors, and a worrying wave of illegal arrests. This is a Coup d'état.
We have gathered here to renounce the biased and cautious attitude of the British government and media towards the events in Iran. While the free and independent press are being increasingly cracked down in Iran, we demand:
* Official British Government stance not to recognize the election result and the coup government of Ahmadinejad – push through diplomatic processes for running a new fair election in Iran.
* Appropriate coverage of the events in Iran by the British Media,
We invite all those who want to show their solidarity with the Iranian people, to pressurize the British Governments and the British Media to take appropriate actions regarding the abovementioned demands.
Nima Baz
e-mail:
nimaria@gmail.com