A demonstrator talks about prominent reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh, held since soon after the 2009 elections and sentenced to six years
We have been reporting for weeks on the Iranian regime's support of Occupy Wall Street as the "American Awakening" --- following Tehran's "Islamic Awakening" --- to change the US system. There have been regime-backed demonstrations, a glossy website "Wall Street Fall", and a declaration that 250,000 Basij militia will mobilise for the movement.
But the regime's love might be unrequited --- it appears that the US protesters only have eyes for those who have been detained in their pursuit of rights and justice. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports:
An Iranian activist and a student of anthropology at Yale University has launched Campaign99 to generate international solidarity with political prisoners in Iran.
Ali Abdi is using the Occupy Wall Street movement to "introduce" to Americans and other Westerners those Iranians who have been jailed for their ideas, human rights work, and political activism.
Here is how Campaign99 is being described on its website:
The idea is simple. We decided to talk with 99 people engaged in the Occupy Wall Street Movement around the world. We listen to each person's narrative of why s/he has joined the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Then we narrate the life story of an Iranian prisoner of conscience for that person. After this mutual exchange of stories, we ask the person to send a message to and make a poster for that Iranian prisoner. While s/he is holding the poster, we take a picture.
On the campaign's Facebook page and website, those participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York and also in Washington, D.C., provide some background about themselves and describe why they have been touched by the fate of Iranian prisoners of conscience.