'Iran After the Elections' Conference
Encyclopedia
The "Iran After the Elections" Conference was a three-day social and cultural conference on reform in Iran
organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation
and held in Berlin
on April 7 and 8, 2000. The conference was notable less for its proceedings than for the disruption of them by anti-regime Iranian exiles, and for the long prison sentences given to several participants upon their return to Iran.
, by the Heinrich Boll Institute, "an independent German cultural organisation close to the Green Party
." It was attended not only by "reformist intellectuals" from Iran, but by "banned and exiled Iranian political activists." Unfortunately, the organizers did not anticipate the large political gap between the exiles and the more conservative Iranian reformists.
On the second day of the conference, hundreds of Iranians exiles stormed the Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt (House of World Cultures) and "staged protests both against the participants and the political situation in Iran." Shouts of "death to Islamic Republic" and "Mercenaries, go home" prevented the participants from speaking, while according to anti-regime Iran Press Service
, "a girl appeared on the main tribune and stripped to almost her last piece except for an Islamic scarf, and later a man climbed on a chair and fully undressed, exhibiting pictures of the clerical leaders of the regime" for the benefit of television viewers in Iran where the conference was being televised. The BBC
also reported the protesters "included a man removing his clothes and a woman dancing with bare arms."
Hardline elements in Iran were infuriated by the broadcast of the protests, and following the conference "at least ten" Iranian participants were arrested, tried and sentenced to several years in prison after their return to Iran for crimes such as "insulting the former Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini
, and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic system."
The imprisonments were thought to have been part of an anti-freedom-of-expression clampdown by hardliners directed against reformers. In "April 2000 around 20 newspapers
were closed by the Press Court. Also, other journalists including Mashallah
Shamsolvaezin, Emadeddin Baqi and publisher Hojjatoleslam Abdollah Nouri have
been imprisoned in connection with newspaper articles they have published."
to which is affiliated the Heinrich Böll Institute" that organised the conference. However conference attendee and political prisoner Akbar Ganji
has cast doubt on this charge, pointing out that Iranians could not go to the conference without the authorities permission, and that the authorities themselves had received the leader of the allegedly Zionist-controlled Green Party, Mr. Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister.
If the
and asking why
Others more sympathetic to the reform movement, such as Iran Press Service
, have described the conference as "a good idea that backfired." The Service complained that
organizers Thomas Hartman, Mehdi Ja'fari-Gorzini, Bahman Nuroumand "were unaware of the weight, importance and complexities of the task," and lacked "any experience or skill for such a highly sensitive and touchy diplomatic performance."
Visiting Iranians were "visibly shocked" at the un-Islamic irreverence and ridicule of the protestors, while the expatriates were "astounded by the low level of general knowledge, the lack of sophistication, low degree of education" of visiting Iranians, such as the newly elected MP Mrs. Jamileh Kadivar.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation
Heinrich Böll Foundation
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was originally founded in 1987 and rebuilt in 1997...
and held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on April 7 and 8, 2000. The conference was notable less for its proceedings than for the disruption of them by anti-regime Iranian exiles, and for the long prison sentences given to several participants upon their return to Iran.
The conference
The conference was held in the wake of a sweeping victory by reformist candidates in the Majlis elections of February 2000Iranian parliamentary elections, 2000
Iranian parliamentary elections, 2000, was the election held for the sixth parliament of Iran after the Iranian revolution. The election was swept by reformist parties, such as the Islamic Iran Participation Front. They won 189 out of 290 seats in the Majlis, with conservatives winning 54,...
, by the Heinrich Boll Institute, "an independent German cultural organisation close to the Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
." It was attended not only by "reformist intellectuals" from Iran, but by "banned and exiled Iranian political activists." Unfortunately, the organizers did not anticipate the large political gap between the exiles and the more conservative Iranian reformists.
On the second day of the conference, hundreds of Iranians exiles stormed the Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt (House of World Cultures) and "staged protests both against the participants and the political situation in Iran." Shouts of "death to Islamic Republic" and "Mercenaries, go home" prevented the participants from speaking, while according to anti-regime Iran Press Service
Iran Press Service
Iran Press Service was an independent, private news gathering and disseminating service based in Paris, France. The agency has often published articles critical of the Iranian government, and is thought to be supported by exiles in Europe....
, "a girl appeared on the main tribune and stripped to almost her last piece except for an Islamic scarf, and later a man climbed on a chair and fully undressed, exhibiting pictures of the clerical leaders of the regime" for the benefit of television viewers in Iran where the conference was being televised. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
also reported the protesters "included a man removing his clothes and a woman dancing with bare arms."
Hardline elements in Iran were infuriated by the broadcast of the protests, and following the conference "at least ten" Iranian participants were arrested, tried and sentenced to several years in prison after their return to Iran for crimes such as "insulting the former Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
, and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic system."
Prison sentences for participants
Among those sentenced were:- Saeed Sadr, a translator at the German embassy, was originally accused of 'waging war on God' (MoharebehMoharebehMoharebeh is the title of a crime in Islamic law. Mohareb refers to the perpetrator of the crime. Moharebeh has been translated in English language media sources variously as "waging war against God," "war against God and the state," "enmity against God." Mohareb has been translated by English...
), a capital crime in Iran by the prosecution. In the end he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. - Khalil Rostamkhani, a journalist with the Daily News and Iran Echo and director of a translation company, was sentenced to nine years in prison. He appeared before Teheran's Revolutionary Court on 9 November 2000. The prosecutor sought the death penalty and accused him of being a "moharebMoharebehMoharebeh is the title of a crime in Islamic law. Mohareb refers to the perpetrator of the crime. Moharebeh has been translated in English language media sources variously as "waging war against God," "war against God and the state," "enmity against God." Mohareb has been translated by English...
" (fighter against god), of having "received and distributed leaflets and press releases from opposition groups based abroad and of having participated in the organisation of the Berlin conference, which posed a threat to the country's security." Rostamkhani helped organise the conference, but did not attend it. - Ezzatollah SahabiEzzatollah SahabiEzzatollah Sahabi was an Iranian scholar, humanitarian, democracy activist, politician and former parliament member. He was famous for his political-economical social analysis, and also for the many years of imprisonment in both the pre-revolution and post-revolution eras...
, was managing editor of the now-banned journal Iran-e Farda (The Iran of Tomorrow. On 13 January 2001, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to four and a half years’ imprisonment. - Ali AfshariAli AfshariAli Afshari is an Iranian activist.For ten years Afshari has campaigned for reform-minded leaders and change within the Islamic Republic, with posts including membership on the Central Council of Office for Strengthening Unity and membership on the Central Council of the Islamic Student...
, a well-known Iranian student leader, was sentenced to five years. After being released from prison on bail in 2002, he publicly apologized "to the Iranian people" for confessing to a "lie about his plot to overthrow the IRI and other allegations," and for not being unable to withstand torture he said was used to force his confession. - Mehrangiz KarMehrangiz KarMehrangiz Kar is a prominent Iranian lawyer, human right activist and author of the book Crossing the Red Line, as well as many articles.Mehrangiz Kar is a celebrated activist of women's rights in Iran....
a feminist lawyer, was given four years, reportedly for "acting against national security by participating in the Berlin Conference, and by disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran." - Shahla LahijiShahla LahijiShahla Lahiji is an Iranian writer, publisher, translator, and director of Roshangaran, a prominent publishing house on women's issues....
a feminist publisher, was given four years also reportedly for "acting against national security by participating in the Berlin Conference, and by disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran." - Akbar GanjiAkbar GanjiAkbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran’s preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly...
, celebrated Islamic revolutionary turned investigative journalist, and editor of Fath (Victory) newspaper, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, to be followed by five years in exile (later reduced to six years imprisonment and no exile) for "retaining classified documents from the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, insulting the former Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic system." His prison time was marked by hunger strike and dramatic courtroom display of torture marks. - Shahla SherkatShahla SherkatShahla Sherkat is a journalist, prominent Persian feminist author, and one of the pioneers of Women's rights movement in Iran....
, founder and publisher of Zanan (Women) magazine, was sentenced to a four month in jail and two million tomans in fines. - Hassan Yousefi EshkevariYousefi EshkevariHojjatoleslam Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari is an Iranian cleric, researcher, journalist, reformist and former political prisoner. He has been described as "an active supporter of the revolution" who became "an outspoken and influential critic of the current Iranian version of theocracy." In 2002 he...
, a religious scholar and journalist with Neshat and Iran-é-Farda, was imprisoned upon his return in August and tried before a Special Court for the Clergy beginning in October. He was originally charged with apostasy, a capital offense, but was sentenced to seven years and serving four years.
Protest of sentences
The German foreign minister Joschka Fischer expressing his "profound concern" over the sentences to the Iranian ambassador. Human rights groups campaigned against the sentences.The imprisonments were thought to have been part of an anti-freedom-of-expression clampdown by hardliners directed against reformers. In "April 2000 around 20 newspapers
were closed by the Press Court. Also, other journalists including Mashallah
Shamsolvaezin, Emadeddin Baqi and publisher Hojjatoleslam Abdollah Nouri have
been imprisoned in connection with newspaper articles they have published."
Criticism of the conference
The Iranian judiciary, which is often described as dominated by anti-reformist "conservatives," condemned the Conference as "organised by the `Zionists` who controls Germany’s Green PartyAlliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
to which is affiliated the Heinrich Böll Institute" that organised the conference. However conference attendee and political prisoner Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji
Akbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran’s preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly...
has cast doubt on this charge, pointing out that Iranians could not go to the conference without the authorities permission, and that the authorities themselves had received the leader of the allegedly Zionist-controlled Green Party, Mr. Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister.
If the
Intelligence Ministry, the Judiciary, the authorities knew that the organisers were Zionist and let us go to Berlin attend the meeting, they have then encouraged us to commit an offence
and asking why
officials can talk to Zionists and not ordinary citizen? How come that out intellectuals and scholars and sportsmen can exchange with the Americans with who we have no relations but not with German counterparts?
Others more sympathetic to the reform movement, such as Iran Press Service
Iran Press Service
Iran Press Service was an independent, private news gathering and disseminating service based in Paris, France. The agency has often published articles critical of the Iranian government, and is thought to be supported by exiles in Europe....
, have described the conference as "a good idea that backfired." The Service complained that
organizers Thomas Hartman, Mehdi Ja'fari-Gorzini, Bahman Nuroumand "were unaware of the weight, importance and complexities of the task," and lacked "any experience or skill for such a highly sensitive and touchy diplomatic performance."
Visiting Iranians were "visibly shocked" at the un-Islamic irreverence and ridicule of the protestors, while the expatriates were "astounded by the low level of general knowledge, the lack of sophistication, low degree of education" of visiting Iranians, such as the newly elected MP Mrs. Jamileh Kadivar.
See also
- Human rights in Islamic Republic of IranHuman rights in Islamic Republic of IranThe state of human rights in Iran has been criticized both by Iranians and international human right activists, writers, and NGOs. The United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission have condemned prior and ongoing abuses in Iran in published critiques and several resolutions.The...
- Freedom of speech in Iran
- Judicial system of IranJudicial system of IranA nationwide judicial system in Iran was first implemented and established by Abdolhossein Teymourtash under Reza Shah, with further changes during the second Pahlavi era....
- Ali AfshariAli AfshariAli Afshari is an Iranian activist.For ten years Afshari has campaigned for reform-minded leaders and change within the Islamic Republic, with posts including membership on the Central Council of Office for Strengthening Unity and membership on the Central Council of the Islamic Student...
- Shirin EbadiShirin EbadiShirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
- Akbar GanjiAkbar GanjiAkbar Ganji is an Iranian journalist and writer. He has been described as "Iran’s preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly popular pro-democracy journalist" who has crossed press censorship "red lines" regularly...
- Mehrangiz KarMehrangiz KarMehrangiz Kar is a prominent Iranian lawyer, human right activist and author of the book Crossing the Red Line, as well as many articles.Mehrangiz Kar is a celebrated activist of women's rights in Iran....
- Ezzatollah SahabiEzzatollah SahabiEzzatollah Sahabi was an Iranian scholar, humanitarian, democracy activist, politician and former parliament member. He was famous for his political-economical social analysis, and also for the many years of imprisonment in both the pre-revolution and post-revolution eras...
- Shahla SherkatShahla SherkatShahla Sherkat is a journalist, prominent Persian feminist author, and one of the pioneers of Women's rights movement in Iran....