Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society --- From Nature's Day to A Site for Repression (Arseh Sevom)
Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 14:23
In the US, 1 April is marked with practical jokes. In Iran the date is celebrated as Nature’s Day (sizdah-be-dar) with millions taking to parks all over the country. Iranians around the world mark the end of the celebrations marking the new year with picnics, family, and friends. However, this year during the new year’s holidays, just 14 prisoners of conscience were given furlough to spend time with family.
In keeping with the theme of nature and sizdah-be-dar, we begin this week’s review with some environmental news. The cranes have returned to one of their habitats in the Salmas plain in Northwestern Iran. According to IRNA’s report they are being well protected by park rangers.
Four park rangers were injured while doing their jobs while another one, Assad Taghizadeh, is on the death row after being charged with manslaughter when he killed a poacher who had fired upon him and his co-workers. This sentence is based on the Islamic princible of Qesas (an eye for an eye). Many environmental activists have demanded Assad Taghizadeh’s release.