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« Photos of the Decade: 2003 | Main | Iran Special: Interpreting the Videos of the Tehran Dorm Attacks »
Tuesday
Feb232010

UPDATED Iran 18-Minute Video: Attack on Tehran University Dormitories (14/15 June 2009)

Previously unseen footage, taken by the attackers, of the assault on Tehran University halls of residence three days after the Presidential election and hours after the mass opposition rally:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52wtg1BROk[/youtube]

Iran Special: Interpreting the Videos of the Tehran Dorm Attacks
The Latest from Iran (23 February): Sideshows and Main Events


BBC Persian Report

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSn5Se3HHA[/youtube]

Reader Comments (25)

The interesting (and most damning) thing is that while there are some regular police actively involved in beating the students, the majority of the beatings are being conducted by Basij with many policemen imploring them to stop. Basij truly are animals.

February 22, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSaddened

Wrong links sorry.. here is the full thing on Mehdi Saharkhiz's youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52wtg1BROk

February 22, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterS

Animals. They're all animals, these bassij thugs and IRGC soldiers. This is probably one of the most distressing videos i've seen from the post-election turmoil.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDC

Basij are filthy low life, brainless animals, descendants of barbaric cave people. Even worse than the evil Nazi SS.
Iran's supreme leader needs to take a long hard look at himself, and ask the question, am I a heartless imbecile? The answer would be a resounding 'yes'.

Khamenei should step down and flee to exile or hang himself for this atrocity. The world will not rest until he and that evil regime are eradicated.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterNomoredespots

Scott
Please , could you send the links above or the video of this atrocity to all the media you know, in order to spread this information all over the world, so that everybody sees how iranian regime treat the students in the country; they had done the same atrocities a decade ago in the universities by defenestrating and killing people in dormitories but unfortunately new technologic means didn't exist at that time and people of the regime managed to hide this kind of informations ; now it's time to show this daily " dancing with death " of iranian people; which is normal in the other countries , is fatal in ours!
Thank you for everything you do for democracy and freedom .V

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterange paris

General tip: If you add "&fmt=18" to the address of a poor quality Youtube video you get better sound and picture quality. In fact you switch to the higher definition that can be found at the bottom of some Youtube videos - from 360p to 480p.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

This, with the films the next day of the damage done, is ghastly. I hope that there will be a translation or dubbing of what they are saying. Am I right, at the end, of hearing those around the cameraman laughing and mimicking the screams of those inside ?

And also, I'd like to know what was really going on, did they burn the vehicules and the buildings ? Were there students outside fighting them ? What time did it happen, and how long did it last ? Were they intending to burn the whole university, or dormitories ? Surely this is the most damning piece of evidence of the deliberately planned brutality and destruction !

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterpessimist

Unfortunately we don't understand much.The video is too big to post somewhere without commentarys and notes that support and help to realize what happens. We need more information in order to push the link. I hope somebody can do something about it. It seems to me that it's worth it...

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterin Athens, Greece

Nomoredespots

The SL is what is means -- SUPREME LEADER, so he is the first responsible. He has NO EXCUSE because if he had no control over anything (which he did in some ways), he should have said so, and criticized those who were overriding him. Or stepped down in protest.

The others who organized it and participated are obviously second responsible.

The question is, apart from the International Court, who in Iran will ever bring these criminals to justice ?

I hope Samuel and cie, will now have something substantial enough to show his pro regime relatives. That is, if he can get over the shock himself.

This film, with the recent execution of the two youths, the killing and attempted killing of opposition leaders' children (the filthiest method of attacking them), the basij's personal testimony, and of course neda's and others' killing are what have shocked me to the core of my being.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterpessimist

The link above is already in all the french media :-) ! what a shame for iranian regime !

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterange paris

I have forgotten to join the link, from Nouvel Obs.
http://sara-daniel.blogs.nouvelobs.com/archive/2010/02/23/i

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterange paris

I have joined the link of the video released in Nouvel Obs in France but I think my comment is caught in your filter syst.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterange paris

[...] here: Latest Iran Video: The Attack on Tehran University Dormitories (15 … Share and [...]

[...] here to read the rest:  UPDATED Iran 18-Minute Video: Attack on Tehran University … Share and [...]

From an iranian french blogger who had rapidly translated some of the scenes in the videos.

http://iran.blog.lemonde.fr/2010/02/23/la-video-qui-accable-la-police-iranienne/#xtor=RSS-3208

Most important parts, (but obviously some of my translation will be lost from the original persian) :

At 9 pm, the students have a protest against the election. Around 11.30 pm, the security forces who had surrounded the grounds decided to attack the dormitories. They were composed of special police forces, basijis in plain clothes.
Clashes break out between both camps and some fires are started. Some students on the roof throw stones (1:15) shouting 'resign, resign !" (meaning AM). The police also throw stones and tear gas. (1:24)

The basijis then try to enter the dormitory without success in an atmosphere of urban war (1:44)

Around 2:30 am, special police forces come as reinforcements (2:08) with no better results. We can see a man in a big white shirt asking for help, calling out to the "basiji children" (2:18)

One of the attackers complains of getting petrol on his face (2:34) "my face is burning !", while his colleague shouts, " it's nothing" (2:39).

After many attempts, the forces manage to enter the building armed with batons (3:17)

The groups who managed to enter the dormitories, coming out with the student residents, dragging them on the ground (3:44). One of them repeatedly kicked by a basiji in plain clothes ordering him to get up (3:48). However he doesn't look like a threat. It's a that moment confronted with such brutal violence that the cameraman pleads with him to stop, shouting "Don't hit him" (3:51). We can also hear several students pleading with their aggressors "don't hit me sir" (3:56)

The attackers then reach the building with the library and the dormitory (4:05), where several students are savagely dragged to the ground ( 4:09), beaten and insulted by the police. "Film him (photo him) and kill him !" shouts one of them pointing to one of them on the ground (4:30).

There are now about half a dozen piled up on the ground (4:50) like animals surrounded by the special forces who take advantage to hit them and insult them :

"load of bastards, you're hitting US ?" and "load of wimps, do you think you can do that ?" (5:01)

Symbolic of this attack, the violence of the special forces is such that it's the basiji militias who plead with them to stop the massacre. (5:06)

"Don't hit him, that's enough ! Don't hit ! Everybody, stop hitting now ! Men, on the life of Imam Hossein..". Up till now the basijis, a paramilitary militia composed of paid young volonteers, from the poorer areas, especially those in plain clothes, were considered as the most violent of the security forces and considered the main authors of the death of protesters of the opposition, and not the police. This is now seen from a different angle (police are more violent).

Each new arrested student is thrown onto the heap (5:34) while the cameraman tries again to intervene, shouting "Don't hit him !" (6:13)

Four policemen rush towards a student in a white shirt (6:17) who falls under their batons, and they continue to beat him on the ground. (6:20)

They are now a dozen of bodies piled up like beasts (6:40), whilst blood is coming from the head of one of them. (6:45). The students try as best they can to protect their heads from the violent beatings, when suddenly one of the attackers stands above them :
"Take your hands away, NOW ! "I'm talking to you !", then, "Lift your head up ! Look at me, Shit, look at me !" (7:29)

The man, whose deep voice we hear then captures their distraught faces with his camera (7:35) so as to better identify them later.

The student organisation Tahkim vahdat will announce the death of 5 students during this night, which was confirmed by the Guardian (see link). They are Fatemeh Barati (a woman), Kasra Sharafi, Mobina Ehterami (a woman), Kambiz Shoaee and Mohsen Imani and were buried the next day in a Tehran cemetery, without notifying their parents. According to the student website Autnews, the students found refuge in the toilets after the police invaded their dormitories, where the bedrooms were wrecked and their beds burned.

[...]

Before retiring, the chief of Tehran police, Rajab Zadey totally defended the work of his units during this terrible night.
.. ]

I would have done this quicker but at the same time (coincidence), on our TV, (Arte) there was the marvellous documentary on the Burmese revolts in 2007, selected for 2010 Oscars, "Burma VJ", do check it out. There were so many similarities to Iran, I was glued to it.

February 23, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterpessimist
February 24, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterali

Here is the name and photps of people killed by khamenei and his SOBs.
http://irancrimewatch.com/index_en.php?victim_id=115

February 24, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMegan

name and photos of people killed by Khamenei and his SOBs http://irancrimewatch.com/index_en.php?victim_id=115

February 24, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMegan

Name and photos of people killed since 2009 sham election http://irancrimewatch.com/index_en.php?victim_id=115

February 24, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMegan

Megan, I read all those pages. I came on board after the elections and didn't know about everything at the beginning, there was so much to read.

This one lead me to check out some old articles. No doubt most know about it all, but maybe some don't today.

A tid bit : someone who knew someone...
http://quriosity.com/2009/06/22/iranian-cleric-issued-fatwa-authorizing-election-supervisor-to-rig-the-election/

In fact one could say that much that happened was because of this guy and colleagues :

occupation : Sisco specialist working as a contractor on the Ministry of Interior’s intranet network security
Status: Killed in a staged car accident
Time: June 12
Location: Tehran
Notes: Mohammad Asghari. Killed in a staged car accident. He was a Sisco specialist working as a contractor on the Ministry of Interior’s intranet network security. Two days after the election he leaked the actual election results and was killed in a staged car accident. The actual election results he leaked was as follows: Qualified voters: 49,322,412 Participated voters: 42,026,078 Voided votes: 387,161 Musavi votes: 19,075,623 Karubi votes: 13,387,104 Ahmadinejad votes: 5,698,417 Rezaie votes: 3,754,218

February 26, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterpessimist

The following brief study might answer a lot of questions ?

(here just a few questions to be answered:
why do the security forces appear relatively disorganized?
why are rules, normally painstakingly observed by security organs, not observed?
Why do some/quite a few of the perpetrators (members of the security unit) appear not to be as physically fit and present as it is to be expected from trained security forces?
why has this video been published at all and now? etc. etc.)

»Ansar-i Hizbullah / Followers of the Party of God

Ansar-i hizbullah, the followers of the party of God, (also known as Ansar-i Hezbollah or Ansar-e Hezbollah), is a semi-official, paramilitary organization in Iran which carries out attacks on those whom it perceives to be violating the precepts of Islam, such as women wearing makeup, reformist protestors, and unmarried couples.

This clandestine organization took its formal name in 1992. However, its origins date back to the street gangs of the urban poor, called "Hezbollah" (Party of God), organized by various forces in the Islamic Republic regime during the revolution of 1979. Most of the members of Ansar-i Hizbullah either belong to the Basij militia or are veterans of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) who believed that they must continue fighting for the integrity of Islam. They realize their vision through physical intimidation of those whom they view as the enemies of Ayatollah Khameini and Islam. They are known to break up demonstrations against the government, assault people in western dress, and raid shops that sell forbidden items. They have also been accused by some of politically-based assassinations.

Ansar-i Hizbullah became more prominent after it attacked student dormitories at Tehran University in July of 1999. This attack was in response to a peaceful student protest on July 8th concerning further restrictions on the press. In concert with police, members of Ansar-i Hizbullah chased and beat the students back to their dorms. At the end of the morning, two students were dead and twenty were hospitalized. When the newspapers reported these attacks, protests lasting five days spread to 13-18 other cities in Iran.

The Iranian government has chosen to tacitly support groups like Ansar-i Hizbullah because they both aim to maintain the conservative status quo in Iran. Senior conservative clerics use gangs like Ansar-i Hizbullah as a way to consolidate their power and harass and/or eliminate their enemies. Therefore, Ansar-i Hizbullah enjoys a semi-official status; while they are not officially a part of the government, they complement the Iranian government's existing intelligence and security apparatus. Many senior clerics have been associated with Ansar-i Hizbullah and are thought to finance it. Additional evidence of its favorable status lies in the fact that during its 1999 attack on Tehran University, its members used 1000cc-engine motorcycles, which only security service members are allowed to possess.

Thus, the Iranian government is behaving in a manner similar to Maoist China when it channeled youthful nationalists into Red Guard gangs which would assault the government's purported enemies. Like these Red Guards, Ansar-i Hizbullah wishes to make the revolution permanent by assaulting those who advance an agenda of change.

The Iranian government, confronted with internal calls for reform, enacted a compromise by not performing a massive military crackdown on the dissidents, but rather letting militant groups like Ansar-i Hizbullah prevent the movement from spreading further.

While paramilitary groups like Ansar-i Hizbullah are currently useful in extending the government's control over its citizens, they also pose a threat to the government. First, the Iranian government must keep these groups on a tight leash or they may become powerful enough to challenge the government for political power. Second, if the government ever decides to institute any reforms, groups like Ansar-i Hizbullah may violently oppose any such actions and create instability and unrest.

Ansar-i Hizbullah has succeeded in quieting many of its political opponents through its intimidating tactics. Nonetheless, its recent violent acts may be a portent that they, along with their conservative backers, are losing power in Iran - Ansar-i Hizbullah would not be committing these acts of violence if there were no signs of modernization to confront.«

Source:
Website of GlobalSecurity.org – page last modified 26th April, 2005

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/ansar.htm

February 26, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterPublicola

interesting, but those in the film are obviously easily indentifyable. Were there any Ansar-i Hizbullah ?

Actually, I'm mystified as to why this film hasn't been on MSM, the alternative media nor on blogs. Is there something mysterious or is it too horrible, or that the students did some damage too ? Are people bored and can't take any more ?

BTW do we know who killed mousavi's nephew, Ansar-i Hizbullah ? And who attacked Karroubi and his son, and who killed the doctor of the prison, and, who killed the nuclear physicist ? Any news inside Iran ?

February 26, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterpessimist

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