How the world saved MAZIAR BAHARI What Went

How the world saved MAZIAR BAHARI

What Went Down • June 12, 2009 – Iran holds Presidential Elections. A huge voter turnout causes the polls to stay open for an extra six hours. – Incumbent, Ahmadinejad, is declared winner with 66% of vote. – Candidate Mousavi, the main challenger and first runner-up, declares that the election appears to have “irregularities” and demands a revote take place. – Protesters, mainly supporters of Mousavi, take to the streets.

What Went Down • June 13, 2009 – June 14, 2009 – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, declares Ahmadinejad the winner. – Tens of thousands of pro-Mousavi supporters take to the streets in Tehran despite threats of violence from extremist Ahmadinejad supporters and official warnings against gatherings. – At sundown on June 13 th, fearful of persecution, supporters of Mousavi took to yelling from rooftops in the dark, “Death to the Dictator”. – On June 14 th, police storm Islamic Iran Participation Front HQ arresting over 100 reformists. – Mousavi officially requests the Guardian Council nullify the election results.

What Went Down • June 15, 2009 – June 17, 2009 – The casualty count rises as protests continue throughout the country, as does the number of arrests. There is no access to actual numbers. – Guardian Council agrees to a partial recount but not to annul the results. – Pro-Mousavi supporters march to the state-run television station, clashing with riot police. Throughout Iran protests continue. – Authorities ban foreign journalists from leaving their offices to cover the protests. Many foreign reporters flee Iraq, as they are told that their visas will not be renewed. – Maziar Bahari’s final article before his arrest was published in Newsweek. It is entitled, “Who’s Behind Tehran’s Violence? ”

What Went Down • June 18, 2009 -June 20, 2009 – The Iranian football team shows their solidarity with protesters by wearing green wristbands. – Mousavi supporters hold a candle-light vigil and march for those killed during the protests. – Guardian Council announces it will meet with the three losing candidates. – Khamenei gives a speech declaring that protests are to cease immediately and that the West is responsible for trying to create unrest in Iran. He further indicated that leaders of protests would be responsible for any “bloodshed and chaos” to come.

What Went Down • June 21, 2009 “Maziar Bahari was home asleep at 7 a. m. when several security officers showed up at his Tehran apartment. According to his mother, who lives with the 41 -year-old reporter and documentary filmmaker, the men did not identify themselves. They seized Bahari's laptop and several videotapes. Assuring her that he would be their guest, they then left with Bahari. ” Source: http: //www. newsweek. com/id/203036

Who is Maziar Bahari? Maziar Bahari was born in 1967 in Tehran. He studied film and political science in Canada before working both as a journalist and filmmaker. He has Iranian-Canadian dual citizenship. Bahari has written and directed several documentaries relating to the Iranian culture. At the time of his arrest, Bahari had a permit to report from Iran as a foreign correspondent for Newsweek magazine. He has also reported for the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK and worked for UNICEF and UNHCR. Until his arrest, Bahari had worked cooperatively with the different administrations, including the current one.

• http: //us. cnn. com/video/? /video/world/2009/10 /25/gps. what. in. world. iran. trial. error. cnn • http: //www. msnbc. msn. com/id/22425001/vp/3 3231207#33231207 • http: //www. pencanada. ca/programs/prison/bah ari-june 2609. php • http: //www. culturebase. net/artist. php? 3133 •