- 29 April 2010
- 4 Comments
- Human Rights in Iran, Iran Election 2009, Sanctions, Uncategorized
Ex-Iranian diplomat in Norway: target sanctions, talk up human rights abuses
29 April 2010 Posted By Darioush Azizi
InsideIRAN.org interviewed Mohammad Reza Heidari, the Iranian diplomat in Norway who defected over the June 12, 2009 elections and the aftermath. The full interview can be found here but we’ve highlighted some of his comments below:
I have friends in the IRGC, the basij, the Ministry of Intelligence, Iran’s radio and television, and other places who are against the government. They have to cooperate with the government because if they do otherwise, they will face many severe challenges. This issue requires a national will. Strikes are on the way. Teachers, who went on strike, have started the right thing. Iranian laborers are on the same path.
They have gathered a bunch of commoners around them to protect themselves. They try to associate the Green Movement with the rich and then tie them to Western countries. They are terrified. I am from the lower classes and I worked for the government for many years. All my friends are the same. The government has to spend large sums of money to feed people and bus them into cities in order to generate crowds for pro-government demonstrations.
Sanctions must be smart and targeted and only go after the ruling elite. These sanctions should not affect the Iranian people. Countries should not issue visas for the leaders of Iran and their families. Companies should be banned from dealing with the IRGC. The last issue I would like to mention is human rights. Western countries must make human rights the priority. Iran has made such a big deal of the nuclear program to divert attention from its human rights abuse.
4 Responses to “Ex-Iranian diplomat in Norway: target sanctions, talk up human rights abuses”
So we’re told by certain elements of the opposition as well as biased Western based analysts that the IRGC is the government; this disgruntled diplomat claims his friends in the IRGC are against the government.
Strikes are on the way? We’ve been hearing this since last July. There have been no widespread strikes, certainly nothing noteworthy from the Bazaar and oil industry.
“They” are terrified? President Ahmadinejad appears at town and cities, as he always does. During the Ashura riots, Iran’s ruling elite carried on with their planned activities, and Iran’s system of government has not missed a beat during this entire period of time.
The reality is that sanctions are a step toward war- plain and simple- and human rights issues are selectively applied in conformity to a greater agenda based on confrontation not associated with the issue itself.
It’s possible this diplomat found northern Europe an attractive place to reside on a permanent basis. Now he’s furnished himself the means to do so.
“It’s possible this diplomat found northern Europe an attractive place to reside on a permanent basis. Now he’s furnished himself the means to do so.”
That in itself shows how crazy this looney is. Leaving a country as prosperous and comfortable as Iran, where access to healthcare, education and food is provided to everyone, and rainbows with pots of gold at the end appear everyday over the clean fresh air of Tehran, for northern Europe?!!? We should discount everything he says, along with all the other accounts of dictatorship, totalitarianism and human rights violations by the Iranian government.
After all, no one (who is not in jail) in Iran is complaining. It is clear that those in Iran that “demand their rights” are criminals (since they are in jail), and those who leave Iran to report of crimes by the Iranian government are either crazy or liars, or both.
Therefore, Iran is perfect. QED.
You can’t argue with that logic. You can try, but it’s ill-advised.
Hey, Pirouz. How’s the view from the asylum? This guy risked far more than he could ever get back in “cushy” lifestyle.
Or is it that you’re the Iraqi Information Minister with a new gig?
The dictator and his little henchman cannot keep controlling the people forever, as they have a huge demographic problem. Once the older generations die and the younger guys grow up, the dictator may meet the fate of other failed dictators. Pirouz can then apply for North Korean citizenship, or maybe Venezuela, and tell us how those two countries are the most humane! Ha!