Why isn't the Irish Embassy in Iran accepting injured civil rights protesters?

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Sunday June 21, 2009 02:41

by gurgle-tweet iosaf mac diarmada

As of 25 minutes a complete list of those states with embassies in Iran who have opened their doors to injured civil rights protesters has become available. So far only the state of Canada has refused to take in the injured from the ongoing serious unrest in the Iranian capital of the last 24 hours during which there have been over 20 confirmed deaths and untold injuries concurrent with the bombing of the Islamic state's founder's tomb.

I apologise to readers who might find my ongoing updated coverage of Iranian civil rights protests fragmented over several threads. However, each update has been placed to continue on from previous comments with related information.

This article presents a specifically Irish angle and as such merits its own thread.

Irish Embassy in Tehran, is located on
North Kamranieh Avenue
Bonbast Nahid Street, No. 8
19369
in the centre of the city of Tehran.

It is as proximate to both the crowd dispersal routes and bottling zones which followed yesterday's demonstration held by those Iranians whose civil rights to protest peacefully are supposedly guaranteed under the 27th article of the Iranian constitution. It shall be operating its normal office hours within four hours of the writing of this article. There are staff on site at all times.
Phone: +98-21-22803835 (08.30-16.30 Sun-Thurs)
Fax: +98-21-2283-2731 (09.00-12.00 Sun-Thurs)
Email: tehranembassy@dfa.ie

Yet it is not counted in the list of diplomatic legations which have allowed injured civil rights protesters to seek temporary sanctuary and avail of international red cross or other medical assistance.

At present the embassies of Belgium, Mexico, Portugal, France, Poland, Spain, Austria, Denmark have followed the British legation in opening their doors to civilians who have been brutalised, tear gased, fired at with plastic bullets and reportedly sprayed with irritants by helicopters.

The 2 hospitals in central Tehran have confirmed a death toll of over 20 people.

Rasoul Hospital - 11 confirmed dead.
Bank Melli Hospital 9 confirmed dead.

In addition there are is now ample video evidence on the libertarian and alternative as well as commercial citizen journalist networks to attest to deaths on the street including minors.

The atmosphere in Iran both Tehran and beyond in other cities is rapidly turning critical as all sides to the current political crises react to the bombing of the Ayatollah's tomb. There are credible reports of tanks and artillery being deployed in Tehran at this moment.

It is time for Ireland to put her "Lisbon European" exception behind her, as well as her butter sales and join with other European states in supporting civil rights of peaceful protest guaranteed under the Iranian constitution.
_____________________________________________________________________________

last 24 hours related links comprising of considered selection and cross-referenced reading of twitter postings, blogs, iranian state media & other sites with the assistance of the new Google Persian language translation tool :-

Saturday 4pm Iran time - people on street discussion of nightly chants & martydom theme
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92779?comment_limit=0&c...54202
Saturday 6pm Iran time - bombs goes off first reports & first notion of Mausavi as martry as repression begins
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92779?comment_limit=0&c...54216
Saturday 10pm Iran time - British open embassy compound to injured - Mausavi reported by western press & Irish times as being a martry while others die
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92779?comment_limit=0&c...54231
Sunday 1.30am Iran Time - spreading violence, hospitals policed, panic, fires and polarised communities
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92779?comment_limit=0&c...54239
Sunday 1.45 Iran Time - Obama issues statement alluding to "civil rights"
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92719?comment_limit=0&c...54241

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Comments (2 of 2)

Why did Canada say no? for a detained blogger's sake? or the 24th journalist?

by iosaf

Sun Jun 21, 2009 19:36

Most of us need no reminding how important Irish butter sales are to the floundering Irish economy and global credit rating. Back in February 2006 when Danish society chose to publish cartoons offensive to Islamic sensibilities our butter sales to Iran soared (c/f "Knowing which side thy bread be buttered :: Iran" http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74152 ) & perhaps mindful of the importance of such butter sales the FF/Green government decided not to piss off the Iranian authorities by taking in the injured last night.

A Canadian-Iranian blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, described in both north American media & the English "Times" as "the Blogfather for spawning Iran’s spectacular blogging revolution” was arrested in November 2008 on charges of spying, not for Canada but for Israel. [ a back article from the popular and influential internet magazine "Wired" on his case http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.06/posts.html?pg=6 His case was certainly peculiar and deserves consideration for why Canada has chosen to take its current stance of passive support for the Iranian regime. [........"In 2006, Mr. Derakhshan blogged about his trip to Israel, on both his Persian blog and his English blog. As he explained in English the night before he left for Tel Aviv: As a citizen journalist, I’m going to show my 20,000 daily Iranian readers what Israel really looks like and how people live there. The Islamic Republic has long portrayed Israel as an evil state, with a consensual political agenda of killing every single man and woman who prays to Allah, including Iranians. I’m going to challenge that image. There are many Iranian Jews residing in Israel now –including the president and the minister of defense. Many still speak Persian and love where they were born and raised. I’m going to talk to them and show Israel and Iran from their point of view. Historically, Persians and Jews have mostly lived in peace and have helped one another a great deal. But now, for whatever reason, they are perceived as enemies - even though they’ve never actually harmed one other, despite the existence of hard line leaders on both sides. A few days later, in Jerusalem, he told The Jerusalem Post that even though his trip to Israel, on a Canadian passport, could make it difficult for him to return to Iran, “it’s worth it.” During the trip he wrote: “I’m thinking of organizing an Israel tour for some young Iranian academics who are brave enough to help break this ridiculous taboo.”........After Mr. Derakhshan returned to live in Iran, he voiced support for Mr. Ahmedinejad and, The Times of London reported that some Israelis claimed that Mr. Derakhshan “had become ‘vehemently anti-Israel in his blog.’.........]

His supposed Israeli espionage career was expounded upon at length by "Jahan News" which is accepted as analysts as being a conduit for the intelligence services of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. http://www.jahannews.com/

In March 2008, the 18th to be precise The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs issued this statement on his case :-

- We have received confirmation from the Iranian Government that Hossein Derakhshan, a dual citizen of Canada and Iran, has been arrested.

- Since learning of his reported arrest in mid-November, consular officials have been in contact with Iranian authorities, including by diplomatic note, to obtain confirmation of Mr. Derakhshan’s arrest and to seek consular access.

- Consular officials will continue to press Iranian authorities for access to Mr. Derakhshan, consistent with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

_____________________________________________

The Vienna Convention is in fact the wad of international laws which covers accredited journalists.

which brings me to the statement by the international organisation "Reporters without Borders" in this last hour that 23 journalists have been detained by the Iranian authorities. http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=33474 Amongst the list is not counted one Irish person. Relief all round on Stephen's Green, I'm sure. The list though is incomplete since its publication there has been added a 24th name :-

& it's a Canadian!!!!! Maziar Bahari, a Canadian citizen and employed by Newsweek has been arrested this morning and is held incognito. He's lived in Iran for over a decade. This was his last published article which exposed concerns in the opposition that pro-Ahmadinejad groups were staging violence at rallies :- http://www.newsweek.com/id/202475?from=rss

Irish embassy to Tehran asks for sailor to be released (& this article shows we're on good terms).

Tue Dec 01, 2009 15:29

With typical aggrandisement, the british media has claimed all sailors who are currently being held by Iran after the yacht they were crewing accidently entered Iranian waters . But as any fan of Irish media knows, David Bloomer is a Dubliner. His detention by the Iranians ought remind us of how previously (as reported above) the Irish state has done nothing to get up the Iranian nose. It's time for us to collect on our collusion.

release mr Bloomer!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1201/iran.html

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Why isn't the Irish Embassy in Iran accepting injured civil rights protesters?

Comments (2 of 2)