Sting Makes Appeal for Kian Tajbakhsh and Iranian Detainees

By , August 6, 2009 10:47 pm

CloseUpSmall.jpg“The false imprisonment of Iranian/American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh and 100 other activists involved in the ongoing democracy movement in Iran deserves our immediate attention.

I urge those of us living in a democratic society to speak out against the current Iranian regime’s system of political repression and human rights violations threatening to silence these activists and journalists.

Without freedom of speech and the right of dissent, there can be no viable democracy.” stingsignaturesmall.jpg

  • همه زندانیانیان سیاسی و دیگر اندیش باید بدون قید و شرط آزاد شوند

  • Thank you, Sting, for caring and taking up the cause! The Iranian community and everyone fighting for freedom and justice appreciates you!

  • Jose M

    Freedom, always and forever

  • rose

    we appreciate him and we hope KIAN be free so sooonn

  • Sara

    Wow …I always loved your music but as an Iranian living in the US (left my beautiful country for all the oppression and curroption of the system), or more important as a human being living in a society thriving to take bigger steps towards human rights I admire your courage and concerns about my fellow Iranians…Even though a lot of people feel our pain but unfortunately UN and all the other organizations have not done much about the current situation in Iran …For you to speak up against these atrocities takes a lot …Thankyou for making us believe there is still good in people!!
    God bless you …VVVV

  • Roberto Gonzalez

    Totally agree with you. In the name of freedom.

  • Amin

    Thanks Dear Sting for supporting our movement toward democracy and freedom.

  • Azita Azarpira

    Please help people of Iran. They are taken hostage in their own land and are being killed for wanting basic human rights.

  • Maryam Etemadi

    Beloved Sting:
    I have admired you for decays and love your messages to the world. This movement is about all Iranians like Kian, there is no exception!! Thank you for your attention.

  • Monireh Mohammadi

    Free Kian Tajbakhsh

  • George

    Freedom of speech and human rights started in Persia 4000 years ago by Daryous. It is unimaginable why an ideology from a God send religion would take that away. Knowledge and human compassion will dissolve all ignorance sooner or later.
    Free falsely prisoned Iranians and coexists without fear.

  • pi overgaard

    make democracy and freedom not refugees ! freedom prevail !!

  • Fataneh

    Thanks Sting. Freedom for IRAN

  • Shahla

    Free Kian

  • Mahroo

    Thank you so much for your support

  • Randy Bacon

    This is true even in our own democracy. We don’t have to look far to see the consequences of rule without dissent. God bless the men and women who are on the front lines in the battle for human rights.

  • I agree and all the way from Denmark you are an inspiration. Thank you for speaking this very important struggle for all iranians and people all over the world fighting for basic human rights and a better future for all. I wish that there where more people like you who has the medias attention that would stand up and fight for their believes. Thank you so much.

  • Shahram

    I just wish all those politicians would do the same as Sting, but unfortunately OIL is more important to them than the human rights.

  • sousan

    please free the iranian detained for false reason thaey just asked to be democracy. hope for a free Iran

  • Hasan G.

    Sting just like U2 a gentleman, we need people like Sting to stand up and say the right thing, this is how west became west by people like Sting standing up to dictators and tyrrans and fighting for the innocents.
    We thank you

  • JAMILEH NEDAI

    FREEDOM OF POLITIC PRISONERS

  • Vicky

    Thank you Sting!!! :)))

  • Niloufar

    Thank you Sting:-)

  • Padmini

    Truly, freedom in communication is the key to a free society with free human spirits. Thank you Sting!

  • Kevin Ehsani

    Thank you forever. We need your help and the help of people like you more than ever. You can actually help save lives of countless individuals with your actions. Please encourage your colleagues and friends to join you with your noble action and cause. Our out most gratitude to you.

  • bta

    This is EXTREMELY sweet of you to show you SEE US, HEAR US and Care in a public manner. Thank you very very much from the bottom of our hearts :o)

  • a berkeleyan

    FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Kian and others. dictators get nowhere.

  • homa

    Dear Sting,

    Thank you for your support I wish every artist had your heart and desire to let the people of the world know the atrocities which are taking place in my country.
    Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  • Sina

    Mr.Sting, Your support and the other democratic country residents mean so much to us. Now the world can witness the day when brothers kill their brothers and sister…Hail to thee Mr.Sting, please faint not, it is not a play.
    Best

  • Sting rules! Love his Music and certainly love his attitude! FREEDOM FOR IRAN, DOWN WITH DICTATORS.

    Peace Out,

    Payam Metal

  • Shadi

    Thank you Mr Sting.
    Freedom,always and forever…

  • Sherry

    <3 Sting <3
    wish u the best things

  • neda

    thanks for joining support of freedom activists and Free Iran movment

  • Behtarin

    You are a real Man.Thank you.

  • mehdi

    Thank you sting for your support. we love you, i hope to see you in iran in a bigggggg concert 🙂

  • Nasrin

    Dear Sting,

    Thank you so much for being such a caring humanitarian. I hope that the American administration is inspired by you and takes immediate and effective action to free Iranians from this theocracy.
    You have always been my favorite and now when I listen to your CD’s I will remember your statement about Iran as well that warms my heart.
    Thank you,
    Nasrin

  • sima

    In the name of freedom.
    I always loved your music.
    Thank you so much for your support.
    Thank you Sting.

  • anita

    The green revolution is not about Iran. It’s about “global Peace”.
    It’s about eliminating a fascist government who is nurturing all terrorists around the world..

    Thanks for joining the people of Iran in this anti-terrorist movement.

  • Baharak

    Tyranny never wins… thanks sting

  • I am not at all surprised about you Sting ..I have loved you all my life ..thank you so much for your efforts for being an advocate for the humanaity! IRAN is a big prison now Iranians in custody for their basic human rights for 30 very long years
    Sting, please urge other celebrities to join you and free Iran!!Thank you again and you will be remembered and thank’d for by millions!

  • Farid Vojdani

    Dear Sting,

    I am writing you to ask humbly for your precious advice.

    As we know this movement is bigger than Iran, as it can also change other oppressed countries by its role model. Perhaps this is the reason, why -out of fear- literally all the dictators of the world back this junta and many artists and intellectuals already support this movement:

    You may have seen Joan Baez singing “We shall overcome” or Bon Jovi singing “Stand by Me” both in persian. U2, Madonna and Green Day are addressing this topic in their concerts.
    The most prominent film directors support this movement as well as almost all concerned NGOs. Even stars like Franchesco Totti or Garry Kasparov- who empheseizes on the unglorious role of the Russian leaders in this coup d´etat- are supporting the Iranian people.

    Noam Chomsky, Desmont Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, Jean Penn and Robert Redford supported the “Global Day of Action”, which was with events in over 100 cities on every continent the most global event in the history of humanity. So far 45 Nobel Prize laureates support this movement.

    While the struggle of the Persian people for democracy, justice, and peace continues more determined than ever, the media seems to have lost its interest in reporting about Iran. First I thought this is only because of the total censorship for all media in Iran and since Michael Jackson´s death. But even the “Global Day of Action” –the most global awareness project in the history of mankind- did not get the deserved media coverage. Therefore , I am writing to you to ask you humbly for advice:

    • What are the elements for a successful awareness project supported by the media?
    • What are the possible “door openers” to be considered?
    • How can I get more people to stand up for the cause of Democracy, Justice and Peace, which are also the prerequisites of ending poverty? (Fact is that severe poverty is an unknown phenomenon in really deeply rooted democracies, while even oil rich countries will continue to suffer poverty as long as they lack democracy. So ending tyrannical regimes may be the next milestone for making poverty history.)

    The situation in Iran:

    You may have seen the Video of a girl named Neda. She was shot in her heart on the streets while watching a demonstration- a Video that Barack Obama called heartbreaking. But she is by far not the only victim:

    Already hundreds of people have been killed. (So far the youngest victim was Alireza, a boy of only 12 years. He was killed at Neda´s 40 days commemoration at the cemetery. He was standing next to his father, as he was beaten to death by baton hits at his head by a group of basijis).

    Thousands have been detained, tens of thousands have been injured. The injured have no access to medical care as they are facing detention as soon as they approach medical facilities. They are even detained out of intensive care stations.

    The detainees represent all groups of the population: Women and men reaching from highest ranked politicians (former vice president, ministers, party leaders) to workers, unionists, journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, artists, army officers, clerics, professors, students and pupils.

    The detainees are brought to “secret centers” without hygiene, medicine, contact to their families or lawyers. They are under severe torture. Many deaths have been confirmed to be torture related. While the whereabouts of the detainees are being kept secret, some hundred corpses are piled up in huge fridge houses south of Tehran (similar to the pictures we know from the Nazi Camps).

    In order to cover up torture most deads are not even returned to their families or are buried without further notice, some were even burned. The families of the victims are even forbidden to mourn for their killed children and are persecuted if they don’t keep silent about the fate of their loved ones.

    Mass tortures surpassing imagination are taking place in some hundred different centers around the country. With 30 years of experience, huge financial efforts, a highly systematic approach, unprecedented collective commitment and widespread individual dedication Iran´s torture industry is today´s global benchmark.

    Specialties: the torture of collectives, “confession production”, “slow killing”, “jam sessions”, “no limit torture”, and “natural deaths”. Techniques: mix of environmental set up, drugs, “medical skills”, psychological, physical and gender related violence.

    A real torture culture has developed producing armies of “torture artists”. “Famous tortures” are treated within certain circles (basij and revolutionary guards) like stars. They are imitated down to the lowest levels and promoted to the highest ranks in the state. Most prominent example: Ahmadinejad. Today he still enjoys torturing for recreational reasons.

    Now some hundred detainees –including a former vice president- face a Stalin style mass “show trial”. While the entire process is sorely based on torture confessions, the defendants are refused even access to their lawyers. By this trial all reform politicians are intimated and very effectively silenced. They are threatened to be executed. (The execution figures of the islamic regime has already been very high. (Second in the world – only after China.) But since the elections even these already high numbers have multifolded.)

    But this trial is just the foreplay to a bigger one. It is expected that even Mousavi -the true winner of the presidential elections- and 2 former presidents will be the next to stand before a show trial and execution. The execution of high ranking politicians is no taboo in Iran. It has a certain tradition, that repeats itself in ever shorter circles.

    And what are the governments of the so-called civilized nations doing to prevent further killing of innocent people? Instead of heavy sanctions, they attend the inauguration of a coup d´etat regime, giving it international recognition. The only thing that matters to them is trade and the atomic talks. But in some years these same countries will make hypocratical speeches for today victims, claiming not having had known anything at that time, like they make now for Sebrenica or Ruanda. But where were they then? And where are they now?

    I could go on informing you about many other facts, but I am sure you are yourself aware of the situation and the necessities of the moment:

    • The people and the government of the world must be informed about the situation.
    • The governments of the world must be forced by its people into heavy sanctions.
    • The People of Iran must be shown that they are not left alone and that the free people around the world take pride in the words: “Ich bin ein Iraner” (JFK: “Ich bin ein Berliner”)
    • The Iranian junta must understand that they are held accountable for their actions. They must understand that the world is aware and watching, and that they can´t silence the people and the media.
    • The Iranian junta must understand as soon as possible that they will not win. (There is no doubt that this movement will ultimately win. But, as the junta is capable of really EVERYTHING, time is running. The sooner they surrender the more lives can be saved.)

    About me:

    I was born in Persia and had to leave my country at the age of six. I have not seen my native land ever since. I am not follower of any party or group. My concern is not political, it´s about human rights. As I am living in my safe exil in Austria, where it´s impossible for me to sleep at nights thinking about all these cruelties taking place at the same time. Just writing this letter to someone that could help making a change, already gives me comfort in my pain. Looking forward to your precious advice.

    Some links:
    Obama on Neda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=498J18K0P4g
    Neda video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KBrsz1oxs
    CNN interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPGoboNQPHk
    Stop this!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QSq9fpGfNY&NR=1

  • jalit

    Thanks a lot dear Sting. we need your vox every second that remain for showing the world this regim is the same nazis in the new century…استقلال آزادی جمهوری ایرانی

  • shery

    we want freedom and justice ,the basic human right.

  • The Cat

    Sting, thank you so much for the support of the Iranian people. Free Iran of cruelty, suppression, injustice, intolerance and brutality! Free Iran!

  • Sousan

    Dear Sting,
    I Thank you from bottom of my heart, we must win and no other choice

  • Yassi

    thank you for your support.

  • Dear Sting, I am so glad to hear our Iranian friends are not forgotten. Thank you for lending your name and support. I just wish we could get all political prisoners released in Iran, including the artists. No one should have to pay for tyrannical governing.

  • Farshid Irani

    Thanks you Sting for your kind support. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

  • shahin

    Free my professor Kian Tajbakhsh

  • ada

    freedom

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