BRIEF ON IRAN No. 512 Friday, October 4, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran 3421 M Street NW #1032 Washington, DC 20007 Britain Objects to EU's Correspondence with Mullahs, Agence France Presse, October 3 The correspondence between the European Union and Iran's leadership on Salman Rushdie issue has faced the opposition of British government. According to diplomats, Britain is opposed to inclusion of the term decree (fatwa) in the correspondence between EU and Tehran's regime, since it gives legitimacy to the death sentence... So far, the regime's refusal to denounce terrorism, has led to the failures of repeated measures by EU to achieve a compromise with the clerical regime on Salman Rushdie's death sentence. Protest by Asylum-Seekers Continues in Turkey, Radio Israel, October 2 A human rights organization in Turkey has issued an statement in support of the Iranian asylum-seekers in Turkey. The statement said: "Thirteen months has now passed since the sit-in protest of 90 Iranians... and according to Turkey's laws, non-European refugees can stay in Turkey only temporarily. It is expected that Turkish government will order their deportation... In summer of 1995, "the Turkish police raided the sit-in protest of Iranian asylum-seekers... and arrested a large number of them..." The Human Rights Union of Turkey has asked for international assistance to resolve this matter... More Repressive Forces for Tehran, News Bulletin of NCR's Committee on Interior Affairs, October 2 The mullahs' regime has mobilized a new repressive patrol force called "Control and Security" in streets of Tehran. The members of this force have been selected from the regime's agents in high schools, and the area of their operation includes downtown, bazaar and crowded streets. The objective for mobilizing this unit is to intimidate youths and women, specifically students... Economic Hardship and Mass Migration, Iran Zamin News Agency, September 26 The daily Jomhuri Islami admitted that because of unbearable hardship, the people of southwestern city of Ahwaz have began to migrate to other cities. The paper, quoting the director of transportation in Khouzestan province, reported that last summer more than 400 families have migrated from Ahwaz. The paper indicated that the migration of people from this [oil-rich] province has recently increased. Rising Cost of Land and Housing, Radio Israel, October 2 An official report by the Islamic Republic on economic issues indicates that during last Iranian calendar year, the cost of land and housing in Iran has increased by 73%. According to a report by daily Kayhan, the cost of land and housing has risen by 61% in the capital, and in northwestern city of Ardebil by 73%... News from Inside The following news have been reported by the Resistance's supporters inside Iran. Khoi (northwest Iran), September 22 - The situation of exchange in free market has changed significantly. One U.S. dollar is exchanged for 4,400 to 4,500 rials. The reason for this is the crises in Iraq and Turkey and chaotic circumstances in the region. If the situation continues as such the prices will rise again. Tehran, September 3 - The people are captives of the high costs, and given the present economic policies of the government, this will continue to deteriorate. Rationing, daily fluctuation of prices and imposing government controlled prices, have caused the current situation... Every day from five in the morning, women enter the line for milk. Meanwhile, across the street, butter is distributed. People reserve places in these lines and constantly move between them. This is what they do till evening, and then they go to the bread line. On the other hand, men work two or three jobs to make the ends meet. Nobody has the chance or energy to think about politics. For a moment they think if it were possible to demolish this regime, but the next moment they have to run after their necessities. When you stand in various lines, 99 percent of the people are openly cursing the clerics. They say when we will be free? With situation like this, if the government decides to crack down on those who despise it, then it must arrest everybody... Ardebil (northwest Iran), September 25 - Corruption and bribery among government officials in Ardebil is outrageous. It is common knowledge in the Department of Industries that the director of this department, Porzahmat, and Ardebil's Governor have received one billion rials (approx. $2.3 million) from concrete manufacturers, and in return, have allowed them to purchase equipment from abroad. In a city where some residents cannot afford to send their children to school, these publicly known activities go unquestioned by the government...