Warring Against God!

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I'm sure this story is not novel in any way & I've read some horror stories
on human rights websites about the policies of this country but the charges
brought up against this woman really take insanity to new heights...

A court in Tehran, the Iranian capital, has tried a female human rights
activist and journalist on charges including "warring against God," which
has the potential punishment of death.
Shiva Nazar-Ahari, 26, went on trial on Saturday "on charges of
Moharebeh [warring against God], conspiring and gathering to commit a
crime, propaganda against the regime and harming public order,"
Mohammad Sharif, her lawyer, said.

"After presenting the last defence, the end of the trial was declared,"
he said. "We are awaiting the verdict and I am not pessimistic about the
fate of the case."
An opposition website also said that Nazar-Ahari had been charged with
links to the exiled People's Mujahedeen of Iran (PMOI).

"In the court, she expressed repulsion at this organisation [PMOI], denied
any links with them and dismissed the accusation as completely baseless,"
the website Kaleme.com, of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, said.
Nazar-Ahari was originally arrested after a disputed presidential election in
June 2009, but released on bail after three months.
She was then re-arrested in December when travelling to attend the
funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a chief dissident cleric, in
the city of Qom.

'Politicised trial'

The 2009 poll, won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sparked the largest
demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution that brought the current
Islamic regime to power.
The opposition against the result, known as the Green Movement, said that
the election had been fixed.
The government has since undertaken a widespread crackdown on
dissidents, with at least 10 people arrested in the protests being sentenced to death.
Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the Middle East co-ordinator for the Committee to
Protect Journalists, told Al Jazeera from New York: "These charges frankly
bear all the hallmarks of a politicised trial."
"Ms Ahari is one of a number of journalists who are being charged with
Moharebeh and this is the first time in history that journalists are being
charged with a capital crime such as this," he said.
"One of the charges is for something that never took place because she
was arrested before she arrived at the supposed location of the alleged
crime.

"She is not part of the Green Movement but a journalist and a human rights
activist. "There is no reason to charge a journalist and human rights
activist with combating God, which is essentially what Moharebeh means."

Drewary Dyke, an Iran researcher at Amnesty International, said to Al
Jazeera that reports suggest that the trial took place in "a relatively calm
and normal way".
"The lawyer is said to have been able to present the case for his client,"
Dike said.
"But the story here is not about a trial or seeking to get to the bottom of a
crime. It is about trying to created a narrative that the auths would like to
portrary about justifying the continued clampdown that we are seeing in
this country.
"And that is the subtext to the allegations to this group the PMOI. These
allegations are really baseless as far as anyone can make out."
link

So Moharebeh has become a weapon to stifle the work of journalists &
human rights activists documenting the horror's of an oppresive regime
that more than likely rigged elections, does anyone see the close
relationship between religion and authority? I've read a few people justify
life in Iran on this forum before so I'd be especially interested in seeing
how they justify the use of religion to stop a person who literally embodies
the courage of humanity.

To those who agree that Iran is a terrible regime, in light of the egging of
Blair today & the claims of war criminal, if you notice the discussion people
have used the monstrous regime Saddam was implementing as justification
for the Iraq war. My question is how would you react when the U.S. finally
does something major with respect to Iran using stories like the above as
justification, even if they lie about their motives?

I think some support for Shiva Nazar Ahari and the ten other people
involved in that horrendous action known as a street protest should be in
our hearts and minds at a time like this, not to say anything of the other
people suffering under Iranian rule.

http://iranhr.net/
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/08/nazar-ahari-lawyer-concerned/

Gregor Samsa

If, as such people claim, god is all-powerful, then let him fight his own wars. I can never understand humans punishing other humans for so-called offenses against an omnipotent being.

Galvasean

Every time I hear about Iran's latest mad-kap religiously motivated clusterf#ck I think "this must be some sort of parody". Alas, no.

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It's unbelievable isn't it, with god all things are possible...

"Shiva Nazar Ahari’s lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, has expressed concern
about his client’s upcoming trial considering the heavy charge of
moharebeh (enmity with God) in her case. “Shiva Nazar Ahari’s case is
being reviewed in the same branch that reviewed Badrolssadat Mofidi’s
case. I believe the ruling in Ms. Mofidi’s case to be illegal and therefore am
seriously concerned about the court’s potential ruling, considering the fact
that my client’s initial charge is moharebeh,” he told the International
Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

According to Sharif, one of his concerns is that even though the presiding
judge for Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Courts is a known judge, another
judge appeared at Ms. Mofidi’s trial. “My client has been informed of three
charges. One of her charges is moharebeh, enmity with God, the subject of
Article 186. The other charge is assembly and collusion to commit a crime,
the subject of Article 610. Her final charge is propagating against the
regime, based on Article 500,” said Sharif. “I have read Shiva Nazar Ahari’s
case file. I have written my defense bill and have submitted it,” he added.
Nazar Ahari’s mother, Shahrzad Kariman, told the International Campaign
for Human Rights in Iran that she is unaware of the charges.
Regarding whether her daughter was informed of her charges,
Kariman said,

“Maybe they have served Dr. Sharif, but I don’t know anything about it.
The moharebeh charge was conveyed in June 2009, but we didn’t think it
was in this case. When Dr. Sharif read the case for the 23 May court
session, we realized that when she had first been arrested in 2009, one of
the four charges the judge had written in her case was moharebeh.
When she was re-arrested on 20 December 2009,
moharebeh was not one of her charges.”

“Shiva is in a state of limbo. Her court date was announced so late.
They were going to move the date forward, but nothing has happened yet.
The situation in the Women’s Ward is dire. Most days there is no water.
The situation with hygiene is terrible. The situation with food is extremely bad,”
said Kariman.

Quoting the lawyer, she described Nazar Ahari’s imprisonment as illegal.

“She has been in this limbo for nine months. According to Dr. Sharif, Shiva
has been illegally detained for the past three months, because a temporary
detention can only be extended up to six months. Continuing a suspect’s
detention beyond six months requires a court ruling which Shiva’s case
doesn’t have,” she said.

Shiva Nazar Ahari is a human rights activist and editor of the Committee of
Human Rights Reporters website. She was arrested on 14 June 2009 in her
office. After spending 102 days in detention, she was released on 23
September 2009 on $200,000 bail. She spent 33 days of her detention in
solitary confinement. She was arrested for the second time on 20
December 2009, and has remained in prison without furlough and without
any explanation from authorities about the reasons for her imprisonment.
The second session of her trial is said to be scheduled for 4 September 2010.

Badrolssadat Mofidi is Secretary General of the Iranian Journalists
Association who was recently sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and
five years’ deprivation from press activities by Branch 26 of the
Revolutionary Courts. "
link

It's extremely scary to read the lawyer quoting article's like that, article
500 etc... when they relate to such ridiculously idiotic things.

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If you read this I think it would be worthwhile to go to the link at the
bottom of the page and just contribute, who knows? There's always hope
Send e-Letters to World Leaders highlighting the case of female journalist & activist, Shiva Nazar Ahari

Background
Shiva Nazar Ahari is a prominent Iranian human rights defender and a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. She has been arrested several times by the IRI for her efforts in human rights advocacy. Shiva was marked a “starred” student and banned from continuing her education and completing her master’s in civil engineering. Only days after her 26th birthday in June 2010, while still imprisoned in Evin, Shiva Nazar Ahari learned she faced the extreme charge of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) -- a charge that carries a risk of execution. Take action and urge the IRI authorities and world leaders to guarantee Shiva, and all other prisoners of conscience, a fair trial and a safe release.

Learn more about Shiva Nazar Ahari here: Global Voices in English » Iran: Blogger May Face Charge of ‘Waging War Against God’: http://bit.ly/a7RCUa

Directions
The letter is below. If you choose to add a personal message to the e-letter, please keep it polite, human-rights focused, and without rhetoric. To the right of the e- letter page are the various recipients of the e-mail you send -- this way you don't have to send a letter multiple times (one click will send your message to all of the listed embassies, consulates, interest sections, IRI authorities, and UN officials). Below the letter are personal fields to fill out. Enter as much information as you feel comfortable. A VALID e-mail address is required; however, if you don't feel comfortable sharing your e-mail, consider making an e-mail account just to use for actions like this.

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6160/action/SaveShiva-WORLD

(I deleted the "your excellency" at the start of the message, there's
no way I could write that part, I doubt they are going to read it but if
they do they deserve whatever affronts they can get).

Re-edit, I'm an idiot, this e-mail wasn't sent to Iran it was sent to other
heads of state, whoops

---

In a related case, look what they've been doing with regards to the
French first lady

http://jonathanturley.org/2010/09/05/iranian-state-run-paper-calls-for-death-of-french-first-lady/

:rolleyes:

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A US human rights group on Tuesday denounced the prison sentence
imposed in Iran on women's rights activist Shiva Nazar-Ahari and called for
her immediate release.
The group Freedom House said it "strongly condemns the unjust
sentencing" and "calls upon Iranian authorities to reverse the sentence and
immediately release Ms. Nazar-Ahari without harm".

"Shiva Nazar-Ahari has been a lifelong peaceful advocate for human rights
in Iran and because of this, she has continuously been a target of Iranian
authorities," said Paula Schriefer, acting executive director of Freedom
House.

"The fact that Iran is a signatory to all international human rights treaties,
and that President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad is presently attending the
United Nations General Assembly session, stands in stark contrast to the
blatant human rights abuses perpetrated by the Iranian government."

On Sunday, reports said Nazar-Ahari was sentenced to six years in jail on
charges including "warring against God", an offence that can carry the
death penalty.

Freedom House said the activist was also sentenced to 74 lashes or the
payment of a $US400 ($A420) fine. Nazar-Ahari has vigorously denied all of
the charges and plans to appeal the sentencing, the group said.

She is the latest among the scores of activists picked up amid the mass
protests that followed Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in June last
year to receive a stiff jail sentence.

Nazar-Ahari was first granted bail three months after her initial arrest but
was rearrested last December while on her way to the Shi'ite shrine city of
Qom for the funeral of dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali
Montazeri.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/us-decries-sentence-for-iran-woman-20100922-15lx8.html

More detailed breakdown:

RAHANA: Her attorney Mohammad Sharif stated that the 26th branch of
the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Pirabbasi has sentenced her to
3 ½ years of imprisonment and exile to the Izeh Prison for Moharebeh
(waging war against God), 2 years in prison for unlawful gathering and
conspiracy to commit a crime, and 6 months in prison for anti-regime
propaganda. She also has to pay a fine of 400,000 tooman ($400) as a
substitute to 76 lashes.

In an interview with ILNA, her attorney also mentioned that he is surprised
to find out that she has been convicted of Moharabeh when the case lacks
any evidence to prove the charge. He further stated that he is going to
appeal the case and he is hoping that the appeals court will issue a fair
verdict.

Shiva Nazar Ahari was released on a 500 million tooman ($500,000) bail last
week.
http://www.rahana.org/en/?p=7131

There is a facebook page set up for her & this time there are hundreds of
officials whose names are available to send e-mails too. I know it's a bit more stress to copy & paste these names in to an actual e-mail but
it can't hurt to barrage officials throughout Europe with this particular
case to highlight that people do not approve of Iran's actions one iota,
let alone the fact they sign human rights treaties! :mad:

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Okay I just spent an unpleasant 20 minutes dealing with this e-mail so I'll
make it a lot easier for anyone who would like to send it

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=151287524905006&id=120167939239

This is the e-mail to send, just change the xxxxxx to some name wrote:

Subject: Please help Shiva Nazar Ahari, prisoner of conscience in Iran

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm writing you as I'm very concerned about the fate of Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights activist and a journalist who was detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran since December 20 2009. Though Ms. Nazar Ahari was recently released from prison temporarily after posting bail, she has never the less been charged with the crime of being a Moharebeh (Enemy of God), colluding against the national security of the country, disturbing public order and propaganda against the regime and sentenced to 76 lashings and 6 years imprisonment at Izeh prison a remote city in province of Khuzestan.

Ms. Nazar Ahari was detained and sentenced because of her work as a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. I would like to remind you that collecting and publicizing information on human rights violations is a right guaranteed under Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party, which includes "the freedom to speak, receive and impart information regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media". Shiva Nazar Ahari is a young lady who deeply loves her country and has spent her best years helping disadvantaged children and defending human rights in Iran. I think that Iran should be proud to have such a daughter who honors the high tradition and history of her country and should not be persecuting and detaining her.

To this end, I ask that you urge the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran (particularly the Head of Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani) to drop all charges against Shiva Nazar Ahari, including the charge of Moharebeh and to guarauntee her continued and unconditional release from prison.


Respectfully,
xxxxx

Here are the e-mails, I sent these through hotmail and had to send 6
different ones, just copy the e-mail addresses in then go to forward and
re-send with the next set of e-mail addresses. The paragraph indicates
how many 1 e-mail sends (mine has a limit).


<< MOD SNIP >>


Thank you :D:D


MOD NOTE:
Worthy and all as your cause is, it's not fair the account holders of ALL those email addresses to have them exposed to the spambots that sniff out forums like our own.
I can PM you what you posted if you want to forward it on anywhere.
Dades