Iran's Nobel Laureate Has Become a Target of the Regime
The Wall Street Journal / Azadeh Moaveni
06-Jan-2009 (2 comments)

Last Thursday, local police stood by and allowed a group of "demonstrators" -- most likely thuggish young men dispatched by the regime's hard-line Basij militia -- to attack her home and office. It was the most alarming act of violence the state has permitted against her in nearly two decades of intimidation and threats. In late December, the authorities closed her Center for Defenders of Human Rights on the grounds that it was operating without a permit. Government agents raided her private office, seizing her computers and files. Though the government has long viewed Ms. Ebadi uneasily, it has been forced to abide her in recent years because of the popular base of her support. Until now, the state has bullied her only discretely, and the timing and hostility of the present moves against her say a great deal about both her influence and where Iran stands today.

Next June, Iranians will face one of the most critical presidential elections since the 1979 revolution. Virtually everything that can matter to a nation -- from basic freedoms to the economy to relations with the outside world -- will be at stake.

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Paymaneh Amiri

Ahmadinejad's election through Ebadi's harassment?

by Paymaneh Amiri on

Author suggests Ebadi is harassed to boycott the upcoming presidential elections in Iran so that in the absence of her middle-class supporters' participation in the elections, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would win again as he did in 2005. 



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It's too far-fetched I'm

by Nel (not verified) on

It's too far-fetched I'm afraid especially as Ms. Moaveni doesn't bother to back up her assumption with quotes
On the contrary boycotting elections is rather a luxury accomodated at less suffocating times when civil disobedience means something.

The "silent majority" don't need Ms.Ebadi's directions as many don't follow her work or even read the papers

The thing is economy is in such shambles and hardliners in key positions (Guardians Council, judiciary, state TV) stand so unwavering that hardly any heavyweight candidates would be willing to run.
Mr. Khatami can sure garner enough votes to beat Ahmadinejad as polls show but the fact that he has not yet announced his candidacy could have to do with a serious doubt about the possibility of real reforms, just as Mir Hossein Mousavi has refused to run in the past decade so far as his demands of control of the police and the TV as president are not met.
Suppose a proper reformist is elected and manages to save the economy and mend fences with the West, what guarantee is there that he will not be thrown out once things have improved only to hand over power on a silver platter to conservatives again?!
The crackdown on Ebadi does play into a pre-vote scenario, but it's more aimed at emboldening and rallying loyalists than getting her to boycott the elections and earn a desired low turnout!!!
and it has do to with generally supressing dissent starting with its flagbearer as the country is about to scrap subsidies and social unrest is anticipated