Established in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the Islamic Republic against domestic and foreign threats, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has been accused of playing a decisive role in the re-election of the incumbent president, Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Together with the Basij, a volunteer militia force charged with the task of internal security and suppression of anti-government demonstrations, the IRGC's role in the June 12 presidential election and its aftermath has largely consisted of campaign activities, the organization of rallies for the president, monitoring the elections and conducting crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations. While the highest authority in the country continues to be Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [Velayate Faqi-the Guardianship of the Jurists] the June 12 election marks a new stage in the paramilitary's emergence as a major political force within Iran's theocracy, entailing a shift in the balance of power towards the militant right faction within the conservative establishment. It was during the 2001 re-election of reformist president Mohamm... >>>
In conjunction with this likewise lengthy, thorough and surprisingly marvelous article from the New York Times posted by Darius Kadivar here two days ago analyzing the Guards from addtional angles, I think I finally got the picture. It isn't a very pretty one but it's well drawn and one worth viewing carefully.
//iranian.com/main/news/2009/07/21/hard-line-force-extends-grip-over-splintered-iran-0
I also came across this video yesterday made two years ago containing an apparently unique English-language interview with Basiji, currently on youtube and being circulated around the Net.
//iranian.com/main/news/2009/07/23/basijis-iran-s-culture-cops-video
Person | About | Day |
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نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |