5/27/2011
Article - Untitled Article
Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Oct 22, 1979; Section: None; Page: 6
Bazargan submits plan as fresh violence flares
Kurdish • proposals
put to Khomeini
From Liz Thurgood
in Telierah
The Iranian Prime Minister,
Mr B at aa , yesterday
travelled to the holy city of
Qoni, to present to Ayatollah
Khomeini proposals aimed at
ending the heavy fighting in
Kurdistan.
Ihe proposals , believed to
have been submitted last week
by the ICurds , were discussed
at a Sp 44 session of the
Cabinet on Saturday but no de-
tails were avallable
A key issue Is believed to be
the granting of amnesties for
the Kurdish leaders, Sheikh
Ezzedk Ru eini and Dr Abdor
Rahinan Ghassemlou, who were
declared traitors and driven
into hiding in August when
Ayatollah Khomeini mobilised
the Armed Forces against the
Kurdish rebels.
O ilier issues, are probably
the withdrawal of paramilitary
forces loyal to the Ayatollah,
and the setting up of semi-
autonomous town councils. The
proposals were delivered by
the State Minister, Darloush
Farouhar, who has returned to
Teheran from a series of meet-
ings with leaders in Kurdistan.
The Prime MiuiLL IJt
Tehran amid reports of v iew
violence in the Kurdish town
of Bukan, and COaflicUn news
from Mahabad where Kurdish
rebels gained control after
fierce fighting on Saturday
night.
A report submitted by Aya-
tollah Khomeini's special envoy
to Kurdistart said 74 had died
In Ll i M habad fighting, but
the figure was later challenged
by the Government -
that Iraq has been helping the
Xurdish rebels
Ktesvy shooting broke out In
one sector of gahabad, which
was under seige yesterday 1 but
rebel sources said several
hundred Kurdish guerrilla&
were still Luldhj 5 most of the
town. Mobile patrols of guer-
rillas were reportedly trying to
flush out pockets of revolu-
tionary guards in the town and
Government forces were firing
from inside their barracks.
Rebel reports that the Gay-
eminent was using helicopter
guosbips could not be con-
firmed. They said rockets bad
been fired from the revolu-
tionary guard barracks,
Meanwhfle. a group of
Iranians has accused The Gov-
of gaoling and tortur-
ing dissidents for their
political beliefs.
According to the Association
of Polltical Prisoners, the
number of Irania ns currently
in prison for crimes ranging
from distributing party lltera
tare to involvement in the
ethnic minorities struggle, Is
more than 1,500. At least 130
Iranians have been executed
r th ;r political beliefs since
Ayatollah Khomeini came to
power last Pebruary. -
The APP also accused the
regime of bo ldlnz secret trials
In which defen4ants had no
right of access to lawyers, or
advance information of their
charges. In many cases, re-
ported the Association, the
only participants in court were
the clerical judge and the
accused. Tx lals frequently
lasted less than fifteen nilnutes
and, In one case I I evidence
was found in the home of the
accused after he had been exe-
cuted,' the APP said,
The APP, which was
founded durinç the last
months of the Shah's regime,
defined a political prisoner as
“a militant child of Iran,
against imperialism, dktstorr
ship, and reaction.” Not in-
cluded, said the APP action
committee, were “the cr1
flhlDals , te nturers and plun-
derers” associated with the
Shah ,
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5/27/2011
Article - Untitled Article
According to the Govern- In a report released at the
inent news agency, Khomeini's weekend, the APP said: “
special envoy yesterday flew to conditions of political prisoners
Xhaneghain -on the border, for ds no different from what It
talks with Iraqi officials, The was under the cruel regIme of
talks follow claims by the Mohainniad Reza PthlavL”
Iranian ,Government and clergy Among the methods used by
today's regime to extract con-
Sessions, said The Association,
were kicking, punching, and
cablewhipptng.
The APP report was the
latest attempt by political acti-
vists to highlight the plight of
political prisoners and those
gaoled by the Shah, who now
find themselves treated as
“trouble-makers “ by the new
leaders.
Among the examples of
alleged Injustice cited by the
APP were the cases of a 13-
year-old student, All Amw
Shekarl, who was recently exe-
cuted in the city of Kennan
after being “found in posses-
sion' of leaflets “, and All
Absan Nahid who, with a
broken leg and arm, was sent
before an Islamic fixing squad
on a stretcher.
The APP also touched on
the cases of the 12 Socialist
Workers Party members, R ca
Saadati, and eight Journalists,
who have become test cases of
justice under the new Islamic
leadership., Despite lengthy
periods in gaol, only two have
been charged and sentencet
• UN adds from Cuernavaca,
Mexico: The Shah has com-
pleted the me moirs of his
years on the throne and they
will be published In French
within a couple of months,”
the Shah's spokesman Sd at
the weekend.
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