Channel 4 colludes with Iran tyranny

Channel Four has handed President Ahmadinejad a propaganda victory. It has given him a prime-time slot in which he poses as a defender of justice and peace, while ignoring his own human rights abuses. His regime executes children, journalists, gay people, and political, religious and ethnic dissidents. There are no apologies for these crimes against humanity in the President’s broadcast. It is pure propaganda, said Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner.

‘This programme is an insult to the 100,000 Iranian people who have been murdered since the Islamic fundamentalists seized power in 1979,’ he said.

Mr Tatchell was commenting on the decision by Channel Four Television to broadcast the Iranian President delivering The Alternative Christmas Message today, Christmas Day. It will be transmitted after the Queen delivers her traditional Christmas Message to the nation.

Mr Tatchell is calling on Channel Four to:

‘Pull the plug on this criminal despot, who ranks with Robert Mugabe, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and the Burmese military junta as one of the world’s most bloody despots.

Channel Four executives would not give Ahmadinejad this propaganda coup if it was their partners or children who were being tortured in Evin prison, Tehran.

This Christmas, thousands of Iranian families are grief-stricken. Their loved ones have been jailed, tortured and executed. Instead of inviting one of them deliver The Alternative Christmas Message, Channel Four is giving airtime to the man responsible for their loved ones’ suffering,’ he said.

According to Channel Four’s advance text of President Ahmadinejad’s broadcast, his speech includes the following statement:

‘Jesus, the Son of Mary, is the standard bearer of justice, of love for our fellow human beings, of the fight against tyranny, discrimination and injustice ...’

‘If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over ...’

‘I pray for the New Year to be a year of happiness, prosperity, peace and brotherhood for humanity.’

‘Ahmadinejad’s apparently reasonable words are pure propaganda. His actions are devoid of love, justice, humanity and brotherhood. They involve the brutal repression of his own people,’ commented Mr Tatchell.

Trade union, student and women’s rights activists are imprisoned and tortured. His government is pursuing a racist, ethnic cleansing policy against Iran’s minority nationalities, such as the Arabs, Kurds and Baluchs.

According to Human Rights Watch, in March this year an Iranian parliament member, Hossein Ali Shahryari, confirmed that 700 people were awaiting execution in Sistan and Baluchistan province, which is only one of Iran’s many provinces. Many of those on death row are Baluch political prisoners. This staggering number of death sentences is evidence of the intense, savage repression that is taking place under the leadership of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In 2004, in the city of Neka, a 16 year old girl, Atefah Rajabi Sahaaleh, who had been raped and sexually abused by men for many years, was convicted of ‘crimes against chastity.’ She was hanged by the method of slow, painful strangulation, hoisted by a crane in a public square.

‘Ahmadinejad’s regime exports terrorism. Many of the death squads in Iraq are trained, armed and funded by Tehran. They murder political and religious dissidents,’ said Mr Tatchell.

Peter Tatchell is the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford East www.greenoxford.com/peter and www.petertatchell.net