Iran: High court confirms 133 years of sentences for 8 Facebook activists

NCRI - The Supreme Court in Iran has confirmed the sentences of eight social media activists in Iran who have been sentenced to a total of 133 years in prison for criticizing the regime on Facebook, according to reports received from Iran.

The activists had been originally charged with “colluding and gathering against national security, propaganda activities against the system, insulting sacred symbols, insulting the head of the government branches and insulting specific individuals.”

It is unclear whether the activists who have been arrested in various cities including Tehran, Yazd, Kerman, Shiraz and Abadan were acting together.

The eight individuals include six men, Massoud Seyed Talebi, Fariborz Kardarfar, Amin Kararmipour, Amir Golestani, Massoud Ghasemjani, Mehdi Rayshahri, and two women, Roya Saberi-Nejad Nonbakht, and Nagmeh Shahsavandi Shirazi.

Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht, 47 year Iranian British woman, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was arrested in the south-western city of Shiraz while visiting friends in the city of Shiraz.

The oldest is a 62-year old women and the youngest is 21-year-old man. The ruling by the high court is not clear in each individual sentencing terms but it is believed that they are sentenced between 8 to 21 years in prison.

They were originally arrested around the end of summer 2013 by the cyber police in Iran.

The official news agency IRNA then reported: ““Two of them were sentenced to 18 years and 91 days and 19 years and 91 days in prison respectively, with 50 lashes and fines of 1.3 million tomans ($500). Others in this case were sentenced to 21, 14, 20, 8, 11 and 16 years in prison.”

The Iranian regime’s Cyber Police are responsible for monitoring cyber activities. Their most notorious case was that of blogger Sattar Beheshti whom they killed in custody.

While social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are banned in Iran, some Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Cuba and the US maintain their positions on migration

THE EFE HAVANA

Cuba and the United States held on Wednesday "respectful dialogue" on migration issues, but both countries still maintain their conflicting views on the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act and politics "feet dry / wet feet" UStoward the island. 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Latin America at the State Department, Alex Lee, told a press conference that the US "Is fully prepared to keep the Cuban Adjustment Act," which "will continue to guide" theimmigration policy of his country to the island. 

That law, in force since 1966, with its "feet dry / wet feet" favors Cubans who manage to reach American territory that allows to apply for permanent residence one year later; while those intercepted at sea are returned to Cuba. 

For its part, the general director for USA Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Josefina Vidal, rejected the permanence of that law, which they consider "the main incentive to illegal migration and trafficking in persons to the United States." 

The Cuban diplomat explained that the Adjustment Act "gives Cubans preferential, exclusive and unique treatment" in regulating the situation in the United States, which according to her is causing an "increase in document fraud with intent entering the US. " 

Vidal also said the policy "feet dry / wet feet" "encourages Cuban health professionals to abandon their missions in third countries", which he considered a "reprehensible practice of brain drain (...) that goes against the migration agreements. " 

Despite these differences, both Vidal and Lee highlighted the "climate of respect" and "constructive spirit" in which the discussions took place, in which both countries reiterated their commitment to a "legal, safe and orderly migration" , purpose of the agreements for a migration dialogue signed in 1994 after the episode of the "rafters crisis". 

Cuba acknowledged that the United States "is complying with the migration agreements regarding the granting of no less than 20,000 visas a year to Cuban immigrants," and that there has been an increase in visas to Cubans for temporary visits. 

The parties also agreed to expand cooperation against illegal migration and continue holding regular workshops like those that have occurred between the US Coast Guard services and border guards troops in Cuba. 

They also agreed to perform soon, but date to be determined, one of these technical meetings on document fraud, advanced Vidal. 

The US representative reported that also addressed at the meeting other issues such as family reunification programs or the return of "excludable" Cuban residents in the US that the Government of that country wants to "return to the island," mainly because there have violated the law. 

"It is the duty of all countries to accept its citizens," Lee said. 

The US official also stressed that the fact that the talks have been "productive" and collaborative spirit "proves that despite the differences, there are opportunities "to continue working on issues of mutual interest" . 

The migration talks today are the first contact between delegations of the two countries since they announced the restoration of diplomatic relations last December 17; although this new round of migration dialogue was convened for months. 

However, the parties used the meeting to start tomorrow the first official negotiations on the normalization of diplomatic ties, meetings will be headed by Secretary of State for Latin America, Roberta Jacobson, the most senior US official to visit Castro's Cuba. 

Vietnam Arrests Two Peruvians for Robbing Foreign Tourists

BANGKOK – Vietnamese police have arrested two Peruvians who allegedly robbed foreigners in hotels in Hanoi to fund their trips around the world, the Vietnamese press reported Friday.

William Rafael A.V., 43, and Jose Marcelino V.A., 63, were arrested after a Canadian tourist reported being robbed of several electronic gadgets, money and credit cards.

Police Lt. Col. Ngo Van Dap said that the pair had confessed to several thefts in different hotels frequented by foreigners, and that authorities were searching for more victims, according to the Tuoitre News portal.

According to the Peruvians, their modus operandi was to stay at two different hotels and use telephones to coordinate their crimes, the proceeds of which were used to finance further travel. 

Journalist Who Revealed Death of Prosecutor Nisman Leaves Argentina in Fear

BUENOS AIRES – The journalist of the daily Buenos Aires Herald, Damian Pachter, who last Sunday announced on his Twitter account the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, left Argentina Saturday in fear after finding that he was being followed, the Argentine Journalism Forum, or Fopea, said.

“Fopea reports that journalist Damian Pacter left the country because he feared for his safety,” the journalism association said on the social network Twitter.

“Pacter told Fopea yesterday, Friday, that he was being followed and thought he had better leave the country,” it said.

Damian Pachter set off alarms last Sunday with a scoop on social networks that there had been an incident in the home of prosecutor Nisman and a detachment of security forces had been sent there.

“They found prosecutor Alberto Nisman in the bathroom of his home in Puerto Madero lying in a pool of blood. He was not breathing. Doctors are there,” Pachter tweeted at midnight Sunday, three hours before the prosecutor’s death was officially confirmed.

“I’m leaving because my life is in danger,” the journalist said on the Infobae Web site, minutes before leaving the country on Saturday.

“Since all this began, someone who has been a close, trustworthy source for years and who knows how to move in the world of intelligence, has been sending me hints,” he said.

“I don’t known when they started following me” Pachter said on Infobae, but from a tweet he received from within the government, “today it was all confirmed. ‘Leave because they’re looking for you.’”

“I never imagined that after that tweet, in five days I’d have to leave the country on the basis of real evidence,” the journalist said.

“I don’t believe this solves Nisman’s death. Power covers its tracks,” he said.

After the news was made public, in a communique posted on the Web site of the daily Ambito, which belongs to the same media group as the Buenos Aires Herald, the company said that the journalist “at no time” expressed his fears to his superiors.

Alberto Nisman was found dead from a shot to the head at home in his bathtub in circumstances that have not been explained by investigators, who have not discarded any hypotheses.

Five days before his death, prosecutor Nisman had entered a complaint against Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, Exterior Minister Hector Timerman, and several ruling party leaders for presumably orchestrating a plan to protect the Iranians suspected of attacking the Jewish organization AMIA in 1994, in exchange for stepping up trade with Iran.

Maryam Rajavi: Evicting Iran regime from Iraq and Syria is foremost step in securing victory over fundamentalism

Speaking at conference titled “The crisis of terrorism and fundamentalism, roots, solutions, role of religious dictatorship in Iran”:

Partnering with mullahs in Iraq on pretext to fight ISIS is hundred times more dangerous than the nuclear bomb

The massacre of hundreds of thousands in Syria and Iraq will not end with these countries, the flames of this war will spread to the whole region and will also reach the heart of Europe

NCRI - On Monday, January 26, in a conference at Council of Europe titled “The crisis of terrorism and fundamentalism, roots, solutions, role of religious dictatorship in Iran”, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, described the eviction of the Iranian regime from Iraq and Syria as the foremost step to win the fight against fundamentalism and underscored on the need to help the Syrian people to overthrow Bashar Assad. She warned: The massacre of hundreds of thousands in Syria and Iraq will not end with these countries and the flames of this war will spread to the whole region and will also reach the heart of Europe.

The conference “The crisis of terrorism and fundamentalism, roots, solutions, role of religious dictatorship in Iran” was held at the invitation of British, Swiss and Finnish parliamentary committees concurrent with the official meeting of the Council of Europe at its headquarters in Strasburg. In this conference, Mrs. Rajavi expressed abhorrence for crimes such as the slaughter of journalists and opening fire on defenseless people in France and stated that the spirit of Islam rejects these actions with utmost repugnance.

In this conference held at the presence of a number of European legislators, including leaders of groups of representatives from various European countries and different political groups, Rajavi emphasized on the need for the eviction of the Iranian regime, the Qods Force and its so-called Shia militias in Iraq. She reminded that without uprooting the Iranian regime and its militias in Iraq, even if the war against ISIS weakens the group in Iraq, it will spread this phenomenon internationally.

In another part of her speech, Rajavi mentioned that the weakness shown by the West in the face of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons program, the inclusion of this regime in the international coalition against ISIS, or courting this regime in some way in Iraq and Syria, are all elements that would defeat the strategy of confronting fundamentalism and would give this regime space to operate in and attack from, devastating other countries in the region in fire and bloodshed.

Mrs. Rajavi said that the narrative that Sunni fundamentalism is more dangerous than Shiite fundamentalism and the former should be confronted with the aid of the latter, is a dangerous theory for closing the eyes on the clerical regime’s destructive dominion over the region. This is part of the narrative underpinning a policy with which some American and western politicians have steered the world toward the current disaster. She warned: Acquiescing regime's meddling in Iraq on the pretext of fighting ISIS is a hundred times more dangerous than the nuclear weapon and a prelude to a greater catastrophe and it is tantamount to avoiding a hole but falling in a well.

President-elect of the Resistance also participated today in official meetings of several political groups, including the Christian Democrats (the largest group in the Council of Europe) and the Liberals, making speeches at the request of the representatives.

Similarly, Rajavi warned about offering concessions to this regime in the nuclear talks and stated that the regime’s nuclear program has no legitimacy for the Iranian people. She thus called on the international community to implement the United Nations resolutions in this regard.

In this conference, presided over by senior Finnish legislator Kimmo Sasi, the following offered speeches: Jordi Xucla, Leader of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group and sent Carmen Quintanilla (Spain); Tiny Kox (Netherlands), Leader of Unified European Left Group; Mike Hancock and Alan Meale (Great Britain); Eric Voruz (Switzerland); Senator Bernard Fournier, Frédéric Reiss, Emile Blessig (France); leaders of Italian and Estonian delegations; Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania) and Scott Sims (Canada); Nazir Hakim, General Secretary of Syrian National Coalition political delegation, and Nejat al-Astal, President of the Palestinian delegation in PACE.

President-elect of the Iranian Resistance accentuated: The ultimate solution in confronting fundamentalism lies in the overthrow of the Iranian regime as the epicenter of fundamentalism and terrorism. With the regime's downfall, al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hezbollah or Houthis will no longer present a serious threat to peace and democracy and will be deprived of power and influence. In the face of this destructive force with its source in Tehran, instead of appeasing the mullahs, the will of the Iranian people to overthrow the clerical regime must be recognized by the international community.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 26, 2015

Female protester killed on eve of Egypt uprising anniversary

Ton of Cocaine Seized on boat in Panamanian Island

 

PANAMA CITY – Panama’s Senan naval air service seized a total of 1,141 kilograms of cocaine on an island off the country’s Caribbean coast near Colombia, a Senan official said Monday.

The seizure of the drugs took place on the weekend on Tiger Island after last Friday Senan received intelligence information about a boat that sailed from Colombia carrying the coke, Senan chief Jose Laniado told reporters.

The drug shipment was found on board the boat after it ran aground on Tiger Island, some 160 km (99 mi.) north of the Panamanian capital, after being pursued by two Senan patrol boats, Laniado said.

The packets of cocaine were stamped with assorted logos, including that of Audi, the luxury and sports vehicle manufacturer.

The San Antonio anti-drug operation is still under way as authorities search for the crewmembers of the boat transporting the drug, officials said.