Iran After The Elections Conference
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Iran After the Parliamentary Elections: The Dynamic of Reforms in the Islamic Republic (german: Iran nach den Parlamentswahlen: Die Reformdynamik in der Islamischen Republik; commonly known as the Berlin Conference in Iran) was a three-day conference about future of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
after landslide victory of the reformists in 2000 legislative election, organized by the
Heinrich Böll Foundation The Heinrich Böll Foundation (german: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V., HBS) is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was founded in 1997 when three predecessors merged. The foundation was n ...
and held in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
in April 2000. The conference was less notable for its proceedings than for its disruption by anti-regime Iranian exiles, and for the long prison sentences given to several participants upon their return to Iran.


The conference

The conference was held by the Heinrich Boll Institute, "an independent German cultural organisation close to the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
," in the wake of a sweeping victory by
reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...
candidates in the Majlis elections of February 2000,THE BERLIN CONFERENCE ON IRAN: A GOOD IDEA THAT BACKFIRED
/ref> It was attended not only by "reformist intellectuals" from Iran, but also by "banned and exiled Iranian political activists." Unfortunately, the organizers did not anticipate the large political gap between the exiles and the more conservative Iranian reformists. On the second day of the conference, hundreds of Iranian exiles stormed the ''Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt'' (''House of World Cultures'') and "staged protests both against the participants and the political situation in Iran." Shouts of "death to the Islamic Republic" and "Mercenaries, go home" prevented the participants from speaking, while according to anti-regime
Iran Press Service Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, "a girl appeared on the main tribune and stripped to almost her last piece except for an Islamic scarf, and later a man climbed on a chair and fully undressed, exhibiting pictures of the clerical leaders of the regime" BERLIN CONFERENCE OF IRAN AFTER ELECTIONS ENDED IN CHAOS
Iran Press Service, April 8, 2000 for the benefit of television viewers in Iran where the conference was being televised. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
also reported the protesters "included a man removing his clothes and a woman dancing with bare arms."Germany's 'concern' at Iran verdicts
/ref> Hardline elements in Iran were infuriated by the broadcast of the protests, and following the conference "at least ten" Iranian participants were arrested, tried and sentenced to several years in prison after their return to Iran for crimes such as "insulting the former Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah
Khomeini Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
, and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic system."Iran: Further information on torture/ill-treatment/prisoner of conscience - Akbar Ganji


Panelists

Speakers of the conference had different backgrounds and belonged to a wide range of political groups. The panel included intellectuals and activists with
reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...
,
nationalist-religious The Religious-Nationalists (plural form in fa, ملّی‌مذهبی‌ها, Melli-Mazhabi ha, lit=The Nationalist-Religious Ones) or the National-Religious ( fa, ملّی‌مذهبی, Melli-Mazhabi as an adjective) are terms referring to a pol ...
and
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
leanings, namely: * Ali Afshari, student leader (affiliated with the OSU) *
Hamidreza Jalaeipour Hamidreza Jalaeipour ( fa, حمیدرضا جلایی‌پور; born 1957) is an Iranian sociologist and journalist, member of the Central Council of the Iran participation front, assistant professor in the department of sociology at the Univers ...
, sociologist and journalist (affiliated with the IIPF) *
Mahmoud Dowlatabadi Mahmoud Dowlatabadi ( fa, محمود دولت‌آبادی, ''Mahmud Dowlatâbâdi'') (born 1 August 1940 in Dowlatabad, Sabzevar) is an Iranian writer and actor, known for his promotion of social and artistic freedom in contemporary Iran and ...
, writer and novelist (secular) *
Mehrangiz Kar Professor Mehrangiz Kar ( fa, مهرانگیز کار) (born 10 October 1944 Ahvaz, Iran), a human rights lawyer from Iran, is an internationally recognized writer, speaker and activist who advocates for the defense of women’s and human rights in ...
, lawyer and human rights activist (secular feminist) *
Jamileh Kadivar Jamileh Kadivar ( fa, جمیله کدیور) is an Iranian politician and a former member of parliament. Biography Kadivar was born in Fasa, a town near Shiraz in southern Iran. She attended school in Shiraz until she was 16 years old, when she mo ...
, recently-elected MP for
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
(reformist) *
Mohammad-Ali Sepanlou Mohammad-Ali Sepanlou (محمدعلی سپانلو) (November 20, 1940 – May 11, 2015) was an Iranian poet, author, and literary critic. Born in Tehran, Iran. He has been a founder member, a member of the executive board, and editor of the jour ...
, literary critic and poet (secular) * Changiz Pahlevan, writer and scholar of cultural studies (secular) *
Ezzatollah Sahabi Ezzatollah Sahabi (9 May 1930 – 31 May 2011) was an Iranian politician and journalist. He was a parliament member from 1980 to 1984. Early life Sahabi was born on 9 May 1930 in Tehran, Iran. His father, Yadollah Sahabi, was an influential fi ...
, former MP and director of ''
Iran-e-Farda ''Iran-e-Farda'' ( fa, ایران فردا, Īrān-i fardā, lit=Tomorrow's Iran) is an Iranian nationalist-religious periodical publication printed in magazine-format and published digitally that focuses on current sociopolitical affairs of Iran ...
'' (nationalist-religious) *
Shahla Lahiji Shahla Lahiji (born 1942) ( fa, شهلا لاهیجی) is an Iranian writer, publisher, translator, women's rights activist, and the director of Roshangaran, a publishing house on women's issues. Career and activities Lahiji completed a degree in s ...
, publisher and women's rights activist * Alireza Alavitabar, political scientist and journalist (affiliated with the IIPF) * Kazem Kardevani, sociologist and writer (secular) *
Shahla Sherkat Shahla Sherkat (born March 30, 1956) is an Iranian journalist, publisher, author, feminist, women's rights activist. She is a prominent Persian feminist author, and one of the pioneers of Women's rights movement in Iran. Biography Sherkat wa ...
, director of '' Zanan'' and women's rights activist (Islamic feminist) * Fariborz Raisdana, economist (secular) *
Moniro Ravanipour Moniro Ravanipour ( fa, منیرو روانی‌پور; born July 24, 1952) is an Iranian-American and internationally acclaimed innovative writer who is the author of ten titles published in Iran, including two collections of short fiction, ''K ...
, writer (secular) * Khadijeh Moghadam, conservationist and women's rights activist *
Akbar Ganji Akbar Ganji ( fa, اکبر گنجی , born 31 January 1960 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly pop ...
, journalist and columnist (reformist) *
Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari ( fa, حسن یوسفی اشکوری, born 1950) is an Iranian cleric, researcher, journalist, reformist and former political prisoner. He has been described as "an active supporter of the revolution" who became "an outspo ...
, cleric and former MP (nationalist-religious) Chair of the panel on the first day was Ahmad Taheri.


Disruptions

Among the attendees were members of two political organizations of Iranian exiled dissidents, the Worker-communist Party of Iran (WCP) and the Berlin Exiled Women of Iran Against Fundamentalism (BEWIAF), who had schemed to disrupt the conference. On the first day, they tried to prevent the conference from starting by chanting slogans such as "Death to the Islamic Republic" and "Akhund (cleric) get lost!", the latter referring to
Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari ( fa, حسن یوسفی اشکوری, born 1950) is an Iranian cleric, researcher, journalist, reformist and former political prisoner. He has been described as "an active supporter of the revolution" who became "an outspo ...
who was going to speak. When some other in the audience attempted to stop the chanting members of the WCP and the BEWIAF, a brawl occurred between the two parties and police was called up to the venue, leading to escort of BEWIAF leader
Shadi Amin Shadi Amin ( fa, شادی امین; born 1964) is an Iranian writer and activist. She was forced to leave Iran in early 1980s because of her political activities. Amin is currently living in exile in Germany. Biography Prior to leaving Iran, Am ...
outside. The organizers accepted to announce one-minute silence in "in memory of the thousands of victims of the Islamic Republic" before starting the conference, which BEWIAF had asked. The second day started with more interruptions, when WCP protested that they have not given a voice in the conference. The organizers gave
Mina Ahadi Mina Ahadi ( fa, مینا احدی, Minâ Ahadi, born 1956) is an Iranian-Austrian political activist. As a Communist political activist, she is a member of the Central Committee and Politburo of the Worker-communist Party of Iran. Advocacy ...
of the WCP fifteen minutes to talk at the rostrum, but it soon became evident that they were interested only in disrupting the meeting. Ahadi said they will "disrupt anyone who defended
Khatami Sayyid Mohammad Khatami ( fa, سید محمد خاتمی, ; born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 t ...
" and are only willing to "who had not been among the leaders of the Islamic Republic", and then started chanting "Death to the Islamic Republic" followed by some in the crowd. Some of the speakers were unable to fully deliver their speeches as a result of constant disruptions. On the third day, the organizers did not allow members of the WCP and BEWIAF into the building of the conference. Entry cards were issued for the rest of participants and the speeches were made without disruptions.


Aftermath


Prison sentences for participants

Among those sentenced were: * Saeed Sadr, a translator at the German embassy, was originally accused of 'waging war on God' (
Moharebeh In Islamic law, ''hirabah'' is a legal category that comprises highway robbery (traditionally understood as aggravated robbery or grand larceny, unlike theft, which has a different punishment), rape, and terrorism. Ḥirābah ( ar, حرابة) is ...
), a capital crime in Iran by the prosecution. In the end he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. * Khalil Rostamkhani, a journalist with the Daily News and Iran Echo and director of a translation company, was sentenced to nine years in prison. He appeared before Teheran's Revolutionary Court on 9 November 2000. The prosecutor sought the death penalty and accused him of being a "
mohareb In Islamic law, ''hirabah'' is a legal category that comprises highway robbery (traditionally understood as aggravated robbery or grand larceny, unlike theft, which has a different punishment), rape, and terrorism. Ḥirābah ( ar, حرابة) is ...
" (fighter against god), of having "received and distributed leaflets and press releases from opposition groups based abroad and of having participated in the organisation of the Berlin conference, which posed a threat to the country's security." Rostamkhani helped organise the conference, but did not attend it. *
Ezzatollah Sahabi Ezzatollah Sahabi (9 May 1930 – 31 May 2011) was an Iranian politician and journalist. He was a parliament member from 1980 to 1984. Early life Sahabi was born on 9 May 1930 in Tehran, Iran. His father, Yadollah Sahabi, was an influential fi ...
, was managing editor of the now-banned journal Iran-e Farda (The Iran of Tomorrow. On 13 January 2001, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to four and a half years’ imprisonment. * Ali Afshari, a well-known Iranian student leader, was sentenced to five years. After being released from prison on bail in 2002, he publicly apologized "to the Iranian people" for confessing to a "lie about his plot to overthrow the IRI and other allegations," and for not being unable to withstand torture he said was used to force his confession. *
Mehrangiz Kar Professor Mehrangiz Kar ( fa, مهرانگیز کار) (born 10 October 1944 Ahvaz, Iran), a human rights lawyer from Iran, is an internationally recognized writer, speaker and activist who advocates for the defense of women’s and human rights in ...
a feminist lawyer, was given four years, reportedly for "acting against national security by participating in the Berlin Conference, and by disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran." *
Shahla Lahiji Shahla Lahiji (born 1942) ( fa, شهلا لاهیجی) is an Iranian writer, publisher, translator, women's rights activist, and the director of Roshangaran, a publishing house on women's issues. Career and activities Lahiji completed a degree in s ...
a feminist publisher, was given four years also reportedly for "acting against national security by participating in the Berlin Conference, and by disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran." *
Akbar Ganji Akbar Ganji ( fa, اکبر گنجی , born 31 January 1960 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly pop ...
, celebrated Islamic revolutionary turned investigative journalist, and editor of Fath (Victory) newspaper, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, to be followed by five years in exile (later reduced to six years imprisonment and no exile) for "retaining classified documents from the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, insulting the former Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic system." His prison time was marked by hunger strike and dramatic courtroom display of torture marks. *
Shahla Sherkat Shahla Sherkat (born March 30, 1956) is an Iranian journalist, publisher, author, feminist, women's rights activist. She is a prominent Persian feminist author, and one of the pioneers of Women's rights movement in Iran. Biography Sherkat wa ...
, founder and publisher of Zanan (Women) magazine, was sentenced to four months in jail and two million tomans in fines. *Hassan
Yousefi Eshkevari Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari ( fa, حسن یوسفی اشکوری, born 1950) is an Iranian peoples, Iranian cleric, researcher, journalist, Iranian reform movement, reformist and former political prisoner. He has been described as "an active supporte ...
, a religious scholar and journalist with Neshat and Iran-é-Farda, was imprisoned upon his return in August and tried before a Special Court for the Clergy beginning in October. He was originally charged with apostasy, a capital offense, but was sentenced to seven years and serving four years.


Protest of sentences

The German foreign minister
Joschka Fischer Joseph Martin "Joschka" Fischer (born 12 April 1948) is a German retired politician of the Alliance 90/The Greens. He served as the foreign minister and as the vice-chancellor of Germany in the cabinet of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005. Fi ...
expressed his "profound concern" over the sentences to the Iranian ambassador. Human rights groups campaigned against the sentences. The imprisonments were thought to have been part of an anti-freedom-of-expression clampdown by hardliners directed against reformers. The Amnesty International delivered a statement on the prosecution:
"In April 2000 around 20 newspapers were closed by the Press Court. Also, other journalists including Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Emadeddin Baqi and publisher Hojjatoleslam Abdollah Nouri have been imprisoned in connection with newspaper articles they have published."


Criticism of the conference

The Iranian judiciary, which is often described as dominated by anti-reformist "conservatives," condemned the Conference as " organised by the 'Zionists' who control Germany’s Green Party to which is affiliated the Heinrich Böll Institute" that organised the conference. However, conference attendee and political prisoner
Akbar Ganji Akbar Ganji ( fa, اکبر گنجی , born 31 January 1960 in Tehran) is an Iranian journalist, writer and a former member of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He has been described as "Iran's preeminent political dissident", and a "wildly pop ...
has cast doubt on this charge, pointing out that Iranians could not go to the conference without the authorities permission, and that the authorities themselves had received the leader of the allegedly Zionist-controlled Green Party, Joschka Fischer. If the
Intelligence Ministry, the Judiciary, the authorities knew that the organisers were Zionist and let us go to Berlin attend the meeting, they have then encouraged us to commit an offence
and asking why
officials can talk to Zionists and not ordinary citizen? How come that out intellectuals and scholars and sportsmen can exchange with the Americans with who we have no relations but not with German counterparts?GANJI IDENTIFIED FALLAHIAN AS THE "MASTER KEY" IN CHAIN MURDERS
Others more sympathetic to the reform movement, such as
Iran Press Service Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, have described the conference as "a good idea that backfired." The Service complained that organizers Thomas Hartman, Mehdi Ja'fari-Gorzini, Bahman Nuroumand "were unaware of the weight, importance and complexities of the task," and lacked "any experience or skill for such a highly sensitive and touchy diplomatic performance." Visiting Iranians were "visibly shocked" at the un-Islamic irreverence and ridicule of the protestors, while the expatriates were "astounded by the low level of general knowledge, the lack of sophistication, low degree of education" of visiting Iranians, such as the newly elected MP Mrs. Jamileh Kadivar.


See also

*
Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
* Freedom of speech in Iran * Judicial system of Iran


References

{{reflist


External links


Berlin conference video


2000 in Berlin 2000 in Iran 2000 conferences April 2000 events in Europe History of the Islamic Republic of Iran History of civil rights and liberties in Iran Conference, Iran After the Elections International conferences in Germany Conference, Iran After the Elections