Accessibility links

Breaking News

Iran Election Diary

Saeed Hajjarian (file photo)
Saeed Hajjarian (file photo)
The wife of prominent reformist figure and journalist Saeed Hajjarian, who was arrested during the postelection crackdown, has said after seeing her husband in jail that his health situation is critical.

Hajjarian is known as the brains or the strategist of Iran's reform movement.

Hajjarian's wife said that her husband, who was paralyzed after he was shot in the head in 2000 during a failed assassination attempt, looked very pale and frail and that his complexion has turned yellow.

She said her husband cried during the meeting, which took place in the presence of several security officers. She said that Hajjarian was sitting in front of a camera and couldn't speak freely about his situation.

Hajjarian's wife was quoted by a reformist website as saying that his body odor was very bad. She added that Hajjarian said he had been held in the sun for a long time. Temperatures in Tehran are currently between 35 to 38 degrees Celsius.

The comments have added to the concern over the health of the 55-year-old Hajjarian, who was arrested on June 15.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has said that Hajjarian's life is in danger due to the torture and pressure he's been subjected to in detention. The rights group has called on the Iranian authorities to release Hajjarian immediately and stop torturing him.

Hajjarian was reportedly hospitalized at least once during his detention. He is confined to a wheelchair and has difficulty speaking. He needs constant medical care and special medication and physiotherapy.
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
U.S. linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on July 24 about the postelection unrest in Iran. A couple of choice quotes:

"There was an expectation that this election would somehow be different and there would be opportunities for change, which certainly a substantial part of the population wants. And those hopes were dashed. The election results, both the manner in which they were presented and the numbers that came out, really lacked credibility and many people thought they were inaccurate, so they rose in protest. But to predict such protests has never been possible, too many factors are involved. Nobody I know predicted it in this case."

"Putting aside the details of the election, about which we don't know much, the whole structure of the regime is oppressive and authoritarian, and undermines basic civil and other human rights. Protest against it is not only honorable but courageous, because it faces extreme violence."

Load more

XS
SM
MD
LG