TRIAL OF POLLSTERS WOULD ACCELERATE FREEDOM IN IRAN
PARIS, 4 JAN. (IPS) As abduction and intimidation of dissident intellectuals continues unabated in Iran, a senior journalist, political analyst and researcher accused the Judiciary of "distortion of the facts" in the ongoing trial known as the "pollsters".
Mr. Alireza Jabbari
, an Iranian writer noted for his translations of noted classical and modern authors such as Leo Tolstoy and Toni Morrison, was grabbed by plainclothes police earlier this week and has not been heard from since, his wife told the Iranian Student News Agency ISNA."Three men in civilian clothes showed up Saturday morning at the office of Alireza and took him to the house before taking him away with documents seized in the house," his wife, Parvaneh Shemirani, said, adding that since then, she has no news from her husband and did not even know where he is jailed.
There have been no official announcements from the authorities concerning Mr. Jabari's arrest.
The agents, who refused to identify or present any warrant, also searched the house for two hours and seized all the writings and notes of Mr. Jabbari, as well as his computer discs and magazines
His son speculated however that an interview his father gave to the Persian-language "Shahrvand", which is published in Canada, and is considered close to opposition circles, could be the reason for the arrest.
But observers said the pattern of the abduction of Mr. Jabbari has all the trademarks of the Iranian Judiciary power that serves as the police and political arms for Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alireza Alavitabar, one of the accused in the trial of the directors of a polling and social research institutes who are accused of espionage for foreign intelligence networks, said not only he stands by his "brothers" at the institute, but expressed "firm conviction" that the "unjust trial of innocent people" would eventually "speed up the venue of democracy and freedom in Iran".
In a statement published Saturday by the internet newspaper "Peykeiran", Mr. Alavitabar said the trial of Hoseyn Qazian, Behrooz Geranpayeh and Abbas Abdi is nothing more than a "parody of justice" and what the prosecutor has charged against the directors of the Institute of National Research are nothing more than "empty, baseless political slogans".
"What the prosecutor has said against my brothers at the Institute are not related to science and researches, but a string of political statements that proves that the scenario for the arrest of my friends had been written long time ago", he said.
"For the information of the honourable Prosecutor who seems does understand nothing from research, I have to tell him that a polling and research centre is different of an espionage agency", Mr Alitabar noted in his statement, warning that the present trial would not only give the Islamic Republic an even uglier face outside, but encourage more brains to flee Iran.
The three men, plus Mr. Alavitabar, are accused of having conducted a survey ordered by American and foreign firms working for intelligence agencies and having "fabricated" an opinion poll that shows more than 74 per cent of the Iranians do not support the anti-American policies of Ayatollah Khameneh'i, whom the Iranians consider as the least popular, able and wise politician.
The results, published partially by the official news agency IRNA, infuriated the ruling conservatives, who ordered the institute, which is sponsored by the Islamic Guidance Ministry, to be shut and all its directors jailed.
In their fist public appearance, both Mr. Abdi, who is a close aide to President Mohammad Khatami, and Mr. Geranpayeh, read brief written statements in which they "accepted" that by conducting the survey for the American Gallup firm, they had committed "mistakes" and "harmed" the Islamic Republic.
Mr. Abdi went even further and referring to ideas he had defended before, "acknowledged" that organising a referendum would be against the interests of the regime.
But in an interview with the Persian service of the BBC, Mrs. Geranpayeh accused the prison authorities of having "drugged" her husband and subjected him to physical and mental tortures.
"Behrooz is not a liar. Only few days before his arrest, he was telling me how proud he was from the scientific work they had done. Now, I hear him saying that he is ashamed, that the survey was not scientifically based, that he should have been more careful etc. This means either he had been given some special drugs or could not stand more tortures", she said.
Like Mr. Alavitabar, many Iranian political analysts also think that the trial is purely political, intended to silence all influential figures in the reform seeking camp.
"The fact is that the theory of leaving the leadership had both frightened and infuriated the conservatives. Now, they want force the reformists to leave the boat and go their own way", one veteran analyst told Iran Press Service on his return from Tehran.
The idea of abandoning the leadership was first put forward by Mr. Abdi, advising the lamed and embattled President to resign in case the bills he has submitted to the Majles for curtailing some of the powers of the Council of the Guardians and enhancing those of the presidency are rejected by the councilmen. ENDS CRACKDOWN CONTINUE 4103