Palestinian Intellectuals, Authors Express Solidarity with Iranian Protests

People protest in Tehran, Iran December 30, 2017. (Reuters video grab)
People protest in Tehran, Iran December 30, 2017. (Reuters video grab)
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Palestinian Intellectuals, Authors Express Solidarity with Iranian Protests

People protest in Tehran, Iran December 30, 2017. (Reuters video grab)
People protest in Tehran, Iran December 30, 2017. (Reuters video grab)

A group of Palestinian intellectuals and writers issued a statement in solidarity with protests in Iran, saying that the demonstrations witnessed in Tehran and several Iranian cities in the last few days confirmed the longing of the Iranian people for freedom and to rid themselves of theocratic tyranny they live under.

Ayatollah clerical hierarchy was exploited to impose absolute control over the people, they said.

The Faqih totalitarianism’s power is cemented by the regime, guardian of the jurist, the Revolutionary Guard militia, its extra-territorial arm, the Quds Force and other security services.

“In this statement, we affirm our unbound solidarity with these popular movements (the Tehran protests) and their just and legitimate demands based on issues related to freedoms and justice, and for establishing neighborly relations not overwhelmed with prejudice and aspirations of hegemony,” the statement said.

They also collectively backed the “restoration of the rights of the Iranian people and the liberation of Arab countries—such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen—from the heavy toll brought about by the Iranian regime, and freedom from its crude and malicious interventions.”

The signatories considered that the success of the Iranians in overthrowing the state Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, the Faqih rule, and the Revolutionary Guard, putting the country back on the rightful track of revolution and building a pluralistic and democratic system, which recognizes human rights as stipulated in international charters, will have a profound and positive impact on the structure of subsequent political transformations in the Arab world.

It would also open a new horizon for transformations towards a state based on freedom, citizenship and democracy in the Middle East.



Russian Helicopter with 22 on Board Goes Missing in Far East

A Russian Mi-24 helicopter flies at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. (File photo: AFP)
A Russian Mi-24 helicopter flies at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. (File photo: AFP)
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Russian Helicopter with 22 on Board Goes Missing in Far East

A Russian Mi-24 helicopter flies at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. (File photo: AFP)
A Russian Mi-24 helicopter flies at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. (File photo: AFP)

A Russian helicopter with three crew members and 19 passengers on board has gone missing in the far eastern peninsula of Kamchatka, the emergencies ministry said on Saturday.

The Mi-8T helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano and the crew failed to report at the scheduled time of 04:00 GMT, Interfax news agency reported, citing the federal air transport agency, Reuters reported.

The emergencies ministry said the search and rescue operation was being hampered by thick fog in the area.

Kamchatka, which is nine hours ahead of Moscow, is a popular tourist destination, known for its pristine rivers, geysers and volcanoes.