Amnesty International Cites/Condemns 'Shocking' Beating of Iran Protesters

[Hissyspit]

Source: DPA

World
Amnesty International cites 'shocking' beating of Iran protesters
London/Washington | Monday, 2009 9:35:19 AM IST

The human rights organisation Amnesty International Sunday condemned reports of excessive violence by Iranian security forces against people protesting the results of Friday elections and called for an investigation.

"The shocking scenes of violence meted out by the security forces need to be urgently investigated and those responsible for human rights violations must be brought to justice," said Hassiba Hadj, an AI official, in a statement e-mailed to DPA in Washington. Hadj is deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa programme of the London-headquartered organization.

Amnesty International said that at least 170 people were arrested Saturday as supporters of Iran's opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi protested the results that declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected by a 62 percent majority.

Iranian police said 60 people had been arrested as some protestors threw rocks at store windows and carried out other acts of violence.

Read more: http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/World/20090615/1275193.html

[kickysnana]

1. Did they make the same accusation at the RNC Convention? n/t

[Hissyspit]

2. Yes:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/098/2008/en

DOCUMENT - USA: DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE AGAINST PROTESTORS AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index: AMR 51/098/2008
05 September 2008

USA: Disproportionate use of force against protestors at Republican National Convention

Amnesty International is concerned by allegations of excessive use of force and mass arrests by police at demonstrations in St. Paul, Minnesota during the Republican National Convention (RNC) from 1 to 4 September 2008. It is calling on the city and county authorities to ensure that all allegations of ill-treatment and other abuses are impartially investigated, with a review of police tactics and weapons in the policing of demonstrations.

The organization’s concerns arise from media reports, video and photographic images which appear to show police officers deploying unnecessary and disproportionate use of non-lethal weapons on non-violent protestors marching through the streets or congregating outside the arena where the Convention was being held.

Police are reported to have fired rubber bullets and used batons, pepper spray, tear gas canisters and concussion grenades on peaceful demonstrators and journalists. Amnesty International has also received unconfirmed reports that some of those arrested during the demonstrations may have been ill-treated while held at Ramsey county jail.

Amnesty International is also concerned at reports that several journalists who were covering the RNC were arbitrarily arrested while filming and reporting on the demonstrations. They include Amy Goodman, host of independent news program ‘Democracy Now!’ and two of their producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar who were both allegedly subjected to violence during their arrest. A photographer for the Associated Press (AP) and other journalists were also arrested whilst covering the demonstrations.

MORE

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. Did they blah blah uninformed what blah blah?

I'm guessing that you actually don't know a damn thing about what you're talking about.

[troubledamerican]

3. Meanwhile, the EU has inexplicably announced that it favors the coup

http://www.eu2009.cz/en/news-and-documents/cfsp-statements/eu-presidency-statement-concerning-the-iranian-presidential-elections--12-june-2009-25213/

[EFerrari]

4. It looks like that page has been pulled. n/t

[troubledamerican]

6. Only 2 links I can find

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html
Liveblogging @ 6:36pm on the list

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/on-the-streets-of-iran-today.html

You can't seem to Google "EU + Iran" to get any news.

It's a sad, sad state of journalism. Even on the Internet, you can't find news.

[EFerrari]

7. This is what is up at EU now:

EU Presidency Statement concerning the Iranian Presidential elections

The Presidency of the Council of the EU closely followed the course of the Presidential elections held on 12 June 2009 and notices Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected for the second term as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Presidency is concerned about alledged irregularities during the election process and post-electional violence that broke out immediately after the release of the official election results on 13 June 2009.

The Presidency hopes that outcome of the Presidential elections will bring the opportunity to resume the dialogue on nuclear issue and clear up Iranian possition in this regard. The Presidency expects the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take its responsibility towards international community and respect its international obligations.


* * *

Maybe this is an update. I imagine entities that have relations with Iran had two versions of an acknowledgment set to go. With the upheaval, I bet a lot of official sites are having to pull their first response and put up something new.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. Well, we'll see if Chavez puts up something new. Or whether he continues to cheer on

the results.

[EFerrari]

12. Only Chavez? What about everyone else?

lol

Seriously, the Chenis is all powerful.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

14. Well, I don't see the defense of "But he said this Friday BEFORE the violence!" used for anyone but

Chavez. Hence, why I referred to him.

If people are making excuses for other people, then the same rules apply.

[EFerrari]

15. What other threads have been posted to call out pro forma acknowledgments?

The Chenis must be very, very powerful in order for only his phone call to be singled out!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. He's a target because he's constantly being argued about on DU.

Because there is a sizable group that supports him here. There is no such group supporting the other leaders.

[EFerrari]

18. He's a target because the PTB hate him and want him dead.

He's the most important politician in Latin America in the last fifty years and it's not only BushCo that he's irritated. He's bombastic and blunt and even so, he's supported Ecuador and Bolivia far enough that they've booted out the oil companies, the DEA, all kinds of other vampires. Ditto for Nicaragua and to an extent, El Salvador.

He's not a target because some of us recognize that. He's a target because he's cost multi nationals a lot of money all over Latin America. I'm just surprised they haven't killed him yet.

Maybe it's a good thing he's still here to kick around. :party:

[Turborama]

8. Some reports from Europe on this...

EU and Germany air concerns about Iran's re-election of Ahmadinejad

The European Union and Germany have expressed concerns about alleged irregularities in Iran's presidential election, as supporters and opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rally on the streets of Tehran.

More: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4324296,00.html

EU concerned over Iranian vote results, violence; France condemns police response
By Jenny Barchfield – 12 hours ago

PARIS — France criticized Iranian authorities on Sunday for their "somewhat brutal reaction" to the street protests in Tehran over the country's presidential election, and the European Union expressed concern about how the ballot was conducted.

More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jUWlch-J1VG1hZAmxk0bFl17Arag

Czech EU presidency concerned about presidential polls in Iran
Prague Daily Monitor - ‎1 hour ago‎

Tehran/Prague, June 14 (CTK) - The Czech EU presidency has expressed concern about the alleged irregularities during the presidential election process...

More: http://praguemonitor.com/2009/06/15/czech-eu-presidency-concerned-about-presidential-polls-iran

[EFerrari]

13. All the pressure seems to have worked because the Guardians

have reversed themselves. Hopefully, this can be settled w/out any more casualties.

[Turborama]

16. Guardians?

Please define.

[EFerrari]

19. Here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3923311

[Turborama]

20. Thanks.

I get what you meant, now.

[bananas]

9. No, it hasn't been pulled, the DU BBS software mangled the URL

This link should work:

EU Presidency Statement concerning the Iranian Presidential elections

The Presidency of the Council of the EU closely followed the course of the Presidential elections held on 12 June 2009 and notices Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected for the second term as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Presidency is concerned about alledged irregularities during the election process and post-electional violence that broke out immediately after the release of the official election results on 13 June 2009.

The Presidency hopes that outcome of the Presidential elections will bring the opportunity to resume the dialogue on nuclear issue and clear up Iranian possition in this regard. The Presidency expects the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take its responsibility towards international community and respect its international obligations.
Contact:

* Milan Řepka, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* tel.: [phone], GSM: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]

Last update: 15.6.2009 9:49

edit to add: DU mangles urls that end in a slash, this is a long-standing bug.
I pasted in what's at the link now, I don't know what it used to say.

[EFerrari]

11. Thank you, bananas!

[babylonsister]

21. Good. The 'government' can try to hide their abuse... nt