Kerry: “Human rights situation in the U.S. is not perfect”. . . Let’s forget about Iran

On Thursday, June 25, 2015, same days when the talks for a final nuclear accord were on process, US State Department released its annual human rights report. The report briefly points out to the violations of human rights by the regime of Iran, although some US official suggest that the situation in the US is not perfect.

The report said, “Iran continued to severely restrict civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, speech, religion, and press, and to execute citizens at the second highest rate in the world after legal proceedings that frequently didn’t respect Iran’s own constitutional guarantee to due process or international legal norms,”

It, further, said that other Iranian regime’s violations included disappearances; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, politically motivated violence and repression, lack of an independent judiciary, legal discrimination and violence against women, ethnic and religious minorities. . .  .

Nevertheless news media reported that US officials have said the nuclear negotiations are not intended to address other issues the U.S. has with Iranian behavior, including its support for terrorism and its records of blatant breaches of human rights. Some US officials have commented that the purpose of negotiations “is not to deal with the human rights issue. It’s a separate concern”.

Some critics may believe that Iranian people line up behind their government to support the nuclear accord.  Nevertheless the Iranians, who demonstrate in the streets of Iranian cities to protest “Iranian regime‘s violations” of human rights do not buy this. Let’s see what happened inside Iran on June 27 and 28, just at the same time when Kerry and Zarif met in a luxury hotel to discuss the final accord. The followings were reported by related news media, as well as by the National Council of resistance of Iran (NCRI) :

Sunday June 28-Habitants of villages near the city of Kamyaran in Iran’s Kurdistan protested for not having drinking water.

Sunday June 28- Dustmen in Rasht protested as their salaries for the past four months have not been paid   

Sunday June 28- Workers of a make-up factory in Karaj – near Tehran- protested for their past dues to them not have been paid.

Sunday June 28- Some of beneficiaries of the welfare office in Islam Abad, in western Iran, protested for the months they have not been paid.

Sunday June 28- Mine workers in Babak city protested the expelling of some of their fellow workers. They said next time they will come back with their whole families.

Sunday June 28- Workers in Imam Reza hospital, in Saqiz, gathered in protest for their unpaid salary of the past three months. The hospital is owned by IRGC.

Saturday June 27 –Iran’s Suppressive security forces at the Turkish border near the city of Oroomieh shot a backpacker dead .( Backpackers are those unfortunates who earn their living by crossing the border on foot and smuggling goods as much as they can carry on their backs). Earlier on June 20th when a group of backpackers were trying to pass from the Turkish Kurdistan into Iran, repressive guards attacked them with heavy machine guns. They kept them under fire for almost an hour. In an earlier incident on March 29th IRGC agents surrounded a group of backpackers and confiscated their belongings

Backpackers crossing border mountains into Iran.

Sunday June 28- Strike by nurses continued in some of the hospitals in Tabriz. Nurses protested low wages and their poor living conditions.

Sunday June 28- habitants of Islam Abad, covered by the city’s welfare office, set up a gathering as they have not been paid at all in the past three months.

 Sunday June 28- Expelled workers of Uraman excavation factory in Islam Abad demonstrated in front of city’s employment office.
Sunday June 28- workers of Taknaz factory, of the Islam Abad industrial city, protested as the company was closed down without considering their months of unpaid salary.

Saturday June 27 – Thousands of Habitants of three villages in Bloochestan province, south east of Iran, set up a protest gathering against regime authorities’ inaction that despite years of persistence but still they do not have drinking water.

Sunday June 28- Retired employees of Abadan Petrochemical Company protested as they have not received some of their salaries.

Sunday June 28- In Mirza Shirazi Street of Tehran by passers got into remonstrance and clashed with state security forces in defense of a news stand owner who became subject of extortion by government agents.

Saturday June 27 – A group of followers of “Ahle Hagh”, a religious minority in Kermanshah gathered in front of governor’s office to protest their being disqualified of their positions in government offices  for their believes.

Monday June 29 – Teachers, in Tehran, gathered in front of regime’s magistrates to demand the release of their syndicate leader arrested in earlier demonstrations. Teachers in many parts of Iran are on strike for their low salaries.

Teachers on strike in Iran

Sunday June 28- Nurses in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz, Yazd, and Chaloos set up demonstrations to protest their low wages and their six months unpaid salary.

These were some of the protests and demonstrations in Iran recorded only for two days coinciding to the time when P5+1 and Iran held talks in Vienna. This, tip of an iceberg, shows the war and exasperation that exist among Iranian citizens toward their government. Meanwhile Washington Times reported that in the past two years, under President Hassan Rouhani, execution of youth has increased. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, said, in his this year report to the UN General Assembly, “There are more than 160 infants in Iranian jails waiting to be executed”. Abu-Torabi, a member of the Legal and Judiciary Commission in Iran’s so-called parliament, referred to 300 cases of acid attacks in 1 year. Last October, a string of acid attacks against women by state Bassij agents in the city of Isfahan raised numerous protests inside the country and widespread outrage and condemnation from the international community.

The post nuclear talks may eager some to try their chances in the economic ties with the Ayatollahs; nevertheless it is the Iranian people who are paying the heavy price, each day, as long as this regime survives.