Iran's American Detainee: The Case of Kian Tajbakhsh

At 9 p.m. on 9 July, Iranian security forces arrested Kian Tajbakhsh, the only American detained in connection with Iran's post-election the crisis, in front of his wife and young daughter at their home in Tehran. His arrest was first announced on 13 July on state-sponsored Press TV English, which alleged that he was cooperating with Hossein Rassam, the head of the security and political division of the British Embassy in Tehran, to foment post-election turmoil. Rassam has since been released on bail, but Tajbakhsh continues to be detained in an unknown
location.

Then, on Saturday, Tajbakhsh appeared in a press conference after the Tehran trial of almost 100 defendants (there is no indication that Tajbakhsh was amongst the defendants). Family and friends of Tajbakhsh had previously warned in a public declaration that they feared he was being held in an attempt by the Iranian authorities to obtain forced statements from him, noting that “such statements are repeatedly extracted under conditions of torture for the sole purpose of staging televised show trials”. They are distressed by photos of Tajbakhsh published by the Iranian official agency Fars News, which indicate that he is under intense strain.

Tajbakhsh, who received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, is a social scientist and urban planner affiliated with the New School in New York. He has always been noted as an academic who has sought political neutrality in an effort to bridge cultural divides. However, Iranian state television is now pointing to his American citizenship to blame foreign powers, especially the US and Britain, for interference in its internal affairs and post-election disturbances.

Those seeking more information on the case can find it at the "Free Kian '09" website.

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The Supreme Leader's Endorsement of Ahmadinejad - Embrace or Distance?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDoSiWxu80k[/youtube]

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6YTscQv5eo&feature=channel[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob9_0S_sWtc[/youtube]


Vanak Square, Tehran

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7gKEtFqK2Q&feature=channel[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKaOjcZxSC0&feature=channel[/youtube]

Nighttime Protest, Tehran

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_IiAJrVXY&feature=channel[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhA3Un4bkxs&feature=autoshare_twitter[/youtube]

CNN on the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad "Non-Kiss"

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More "Confessions" from Mohammad Abi Abtahi and Mohammad Atrianfar

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGTTaFTukhU[/youtube]

The "Confession" of Former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaMjteVXHbA[/youtube]

Abdolhossein Amini to Press TV on his son Mohsen (killed in detention)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInjUdqVUo0[/youtube]

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Morning Update (0630 GMT): The official event today will be the Supreme Leader's endorsement of President Ahmadinejad, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, but this has already been eclipsed by other events. With Ahmadinejad a lame duck even before his second term starts, with the battle now between the regime and Hashemi Rafsanjani as well as the regime and the Green opposition, and with the headline issue of detentions reinforced by the images of Saturday's trial, the focus will not be on Ayatollah Khameini's formal declaration but what he says in addition to it.

This will be the Supreme Leader's first significant public statement since his dispute with Ahmadinejad over the selection of the First Vice President, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai. Since then, the President has made an ambiguous statement about his position, both in general and specifically in relation to Khamenei. It is far from clear, however, that "conservative" and "principlist" blocs inside and outside Parliament --- also angered by the firing of the Ministry of Intelligence and the attempted dismissal of three others --- have reconciled with Ahmadinejad against the supposed threat of an opposition working with foreign elements and the real challenge of clerical and political criticism of the Government's abuses of the legal system.

So does Khamenei make any reference to either a new, resurgent beginning with the President or a lingering criticism of him? Or does he just let Ahmadinejad dangle by saying nothing of direct or implied substance?

Meanwhile, the opposition appears to be building to its own reaction on Wednesday, during Ahmadinejad's inauguration, rather than today. The talk now is of symbolic steps such as disruption of traffic, "flash" demonstrations, and power overloads rather than any mass action. Indeed, it appears that the new impetus for the movement, again including Rafsanjani as well as other leaders and protestors, is the response to Saturday's trials. There is a very real and significant whether they can turn initial defense (we are not guilty of a "plot") into a damaging assault on the Government's credibility (they are guilty of degrading and abusing not only the detainees, but the Revolution and Islam).

In that context, there are some very interesting signals from Press TV. While other state outlets such as Fars News were allowed to give full coverage from inside the courtroom, Press TV was shut out (probably because of confusion, rather than a deliberate step) along with opposition and foreign media. Pushed to the side on the direct reporting of the proceedings against the "enemy", Press TV has been giving airtime to blunt criticism of the regime, such as the challenge to the trial from reformist member of Parliaments and the reflections on prominent scientist/politician Abdolhossein Roohul Amini on his son Mohsen, who died in detention in Evin Prison (see the videos in our separate entry).

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Correspondent Mani has provided an English translation of Mir Hossein Mousavi's latest statement on the Tehran trials and the manoeuvres of the regime:

It has been claimed that the children of the revolution have confessed in yesterday's court that they were colluding with foreign powers to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Personally, I have paid close attention [to these confessions] and I could not find anything to support this claim. On the contrary, [these so-called confessions] are painful statements of the painful conditions of the accused in the last fifty days.

When the spirit is crushed, individuals admit to everything their interrogators want, while in fact these confessions are just chronicles of woe. These chronicles imply that Mohsen Roohul Amini [who died in detention] rightly chose to be a martyr; that if we [the prisoners] had not resisted for 50 days this farce would have been performed earlier; that we [the prisoners] confessed to whatever they told us to so this would be obvious to all, that these confessions were coerced out of us.

The teeth of the torturers and confessors has reached the bone, and now their policy is to find victims amongst individuals who have done great service to this country and this establishment and indeed have played the most sensitive roles in establishing it. Can you threaten those who yearned for martyrdom with anything less? Are you intending to target the foundation of Islam and the prestige of the establishment after slaughtering the basis of its republic? Observing such a kangaroo court leaves humanity no recourse but to indict those responsible for this trial of hitting a great low in morality and ethics and credibility.

These scenes that we observe is nothing other that a clumsy attempt [by a faction] to jump start the [new] tenth government. They expect a court that is totally fraudulent to verify that no fraud has taken place. If you do not cheat, display your honesty by abiding with the basic procedures of a legal court process.

With such trivial indictments, by stating nonsense, by referring to three-penny publications, by basing your cases upon journalistic reports of dubious quality, and by invoking confessions that reek of the medieval justice system [of Europe], how do you expect to satisfy the people? Have you not read that the prophet [Mohammad] has stated that for a person that confesses after torture there can be no punishment, or that the prophet has stated that from a person that is imprisoned and consequently threatened no confession can be taken?

Our people sympathize with their children, whom they were only able to see after 50 days of uncertainty. Our dear [imprisoned] brothers, be not dejected! Be sure that the people understand your situation and know that your safety is of paramount importance. In the very near future the people will witness how those who performed these horrific iniquities will be legally prosecuted....As the holy book says...the punishment of the oppressors will be visited upon them exactly at the time that God has determined.