In Iran trial, detainees linked to terrorist groups

Iranian authorities have reportedly indicted some of the detainees of the post-election riots on charges of having links to terrorist groups and a slew of other illegal activities.

Trial proceedings began Saturday morning with Deputy Prosecutor-General of Tehran’s Revolution Court Abdolreza Mohebbati reading out an indictment against the detainees.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a close aide to former president Mohammad Khatami, and former deputy parliament speaker Behzad Nabavi are among the political figures in the dock.

The defendants are facing charges of acting against national security, disturbing public order, as well as having links with counter-revolutionary groups.

The following is excerpts of the indictment read out by Mohebbati:

“Reza Khademi, known by the nickname Habib, son of Abbas, is suspected of acting against national security by establishing links with the Monafeghin [the Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO)].

The mentioned suspect left the country illegally, visited Camp Ashraf in Iraq, took part in various military training courses and returned to the country after gathering news and intelligence…

The suspect was arrested while throwing Molotov cocktails at members of the police force…

Naseh Faridi, son of Mohammad, contacted the MKO via telephone and Internet links and sent them photos, films and information after taking part in student and union gatherings…

He took part in illegal gatherings and riots in addition to gathering information, which he later sent to the MKO…

The named suspect was a member of Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi’s election headquarters…

Ali-Reza Zamani, son of Mohammad-Reza, is another member of the abovementioned terrorist organization with a criminal record of fraud, forgery of stamps that belonged to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the prosecutor’s office and the Judiciary.

The suspect traveled to Iraq from February 12-March 21, 2007 accompanied by Hamed Roohinejad and Ahmad Karimi, where he established an organized link with US and Israeli forces.

The suspects held numerous meetings with US officials in Dahook, Erbil, the Rabia regions bordering Syria and Sulaimaniyah, where they received funds and returned to Tehran to carry out their mission.

Key missions handed down to the suspect and his team included the assassination of an official in the city of Paveh, gathering intelligence on [voluntary] Basij forces, inciting labor gatherings, making bombs, identifying political and religious buildings for bombings, gathering intelligence on the structure of the IRGC, finding methods to smuggle weapons to the Iraqi Kurdistan, gathering intelligence on the Imam Hussein station, carrying out terrorist operations during the Eid al-Adha prayers in the Tehran’s grand Mosalla [prayer venue] and providing intelligence for several bombings carried out in religious centers between March 20-April 19, 2008…”