BRIEF ON IRAN
        No. 330
        Thursday, January 18, 1996


        Representative Office of
        The National Council of Resistance of Iran
        3421 M Street NW #1032
        Washington, DC 20007



Demonstrators Demand Comprehensive Investigation of Human
Rights Violations in Iran, Iran Zamin News Agency, Jan. 17

        Last Tuesday, more than 400 Iranians gathered in front of
the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva to
declare their demands for a comprehensive investigation of the
horrendous human rights conditions in Iran.
        This coincided with the investigation by the United
Nations special raporteur, Mr. Maurice Capithorne, about the
situation of human rights in Iran.
        The demonstrators, who were the victims of barbaric
suppression and torture by the Khomeini regime, also
demanded that the regime's torture chambers be inspected in
presence of the Iranian Resistance's representatives to prevent
deceitfulness by the government.
        A delegation of demonstrators whose family members
were executed by the regime went into the UN building to
submit 150 letters to Mr. Capithorne's assistant.


Demonstrations against Increase of Prices, Saudi daily Al-
Riyadh, January 8

        Following hikes in the prices of agricultural seeds and
chemical fertilizers and the increase of oil price and its
derivatives, which has lead to unprecedented price increase of
basic goods in Iran, demonstrations have resumed in several
provinces of Iran.
        Voice of Mojahed Radio, reflecting the views of the
opposition Mojahedin Organization of Iran, said that two days
ago, the Khuzestan province in southern Iran, witnessed a large
demonstration in protest to the increase in the prices of
agricultural seeds and fertilizers. The radio also said that similar
demonstrations took place in Isfahan, Qazvin and Azerbaijan
provinces in protest to the sharp hikes in fuel prices, especially
in winter....

Shortages And Poverty
under Mullahs

Voice of Mojahed, January 9
        Kerosene (Iran's main heating fuel) is scarce in Bouyeen
Zahra, west of Tehran. It is not sold at petrol stations and is
hardly found on the open market. In Kashan, central Iran, too,
kerosene has not been distributed for a month.

Voice of Mojahed, January 9
        Each one-litter bottle of milk, found only in the black
market, is sold between 1,200 to 1,400 rials while the official
price stands at 200 rials. Potatoes, a main daily staple, are sold
at 2,000 rials per kilo. A large group of people in Omidieh, south
Tehran, protested in front of the Friday prayer against the
shortage and high price of potatoes.

Jomhouri Islami, January 11
        President of the Payam-e Nour University announced in a
press interview that  27% of the students quit school because
they could not afford a 10% increase in the tuition.

Voice of Mojahed, January 12
        Thousands of contract teachers of Mazandaran's rural
schools were laid off. This is while the 1,500 elementary schools
in this northern province have no teachers.

Tehran radio, January 9
        The Majlis ratified a bill banning any raise in the New
Year bonuses for government employees. The mullahs'
parliament emphasized that the credit allocated for New Year
bonuses is equal to that of last year's, forbidding any other
payment under any other pretext.