ABC’s Jim Sciutto: Nobel Prize Winner Says Iran’s Regime Won’t Last
EmailABC's Senior Foreign Correspondent Jim Sciutto reports: In a calm but defiant interview with ABC News, Iranian human rights activist and 2003 Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi said the current Iranian regime has “no popular base”. “I promise you, this regime will not last,” she said. Pressed as to how a largely a popular protest movement can challenge a regime which seemingly has all the cards – police, military, basij paramilitaries, Revolutionary Guards – she said the movement is becoming more widespread despite the crackdown, spreading from Tehran to other cities. She said political backing from prominent religious leaders adds strength, and that while political leaders such as Mirhossein Mousavi have been largely quiet, “the real leaders are the people.” Asked about the international community’s renewed push for economic sanctions against the regime, Ebadi said sanctions will “harm the people and will not bring about the collapse of the regime”, explaining that the regime will use sanctions as a pretext crack down further. (She also opposes a military attack for the same reasons.) Her preferred remedy: that the US and the West express “verbal support only” for the opposition and seek to stop weapons sales to the government. On a more personal note, she said Iranian authorities did in fact confiscate her 2003 Nobel, despite the govt’s denials. She said the Revolutionary Court, which handles all cases involved security, confiscated her and her husband’s safety deposit box, where the prize was stored. She said they also froze the couple’s bank accounts and pensions. and the govt is now trying to get her to pay taxes on her Nobel prize award money, even though she says such awards are not taxable in Iran.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
And none of this could have happened if Saddam was still in power…NO WAY.
It’s the domino effect.
And might as well forget describing people as Nobel Prize winners. We found out this year, it’s meaningless.
Posted by: Meaningless | December 8, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
No, meaningless, your countries and presidents achievements are just meaningless to you. Take your ball and go home.
Posted by: parrothead | December 8, 2009, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
There is no worse oppression than religious oppression.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 8, 2009, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
Shirin Ebadi is a hero. She has been an active human rights defender in Iran — representing the rights of ethnic minorities, Baha’is, women, and children. She has done all of this, knowing that the Islamic Republic would unleash its vengeance against her.
On behalf of the Iranian people, “Thank you, Mrs. Ebadi!”
Posted by: Ali Najafi | December 9, 2009, 12:50 am 12:50 am
Ebadi denies that Islam is a guideline of brutality against holders of any other belief including nonbelievers. After 30 years of torture, murder and rape by this regimen, she still believes that Iran’s theocratic regimen shouldn’t be toppled. i wonder why Nobel commission gave her the peace prize.
Posted by: from iran | December 9, 2009, 4:56 am 4:56 am
I would respect Mrs. Ebadi and pray for her.
Posted by: Abdollah | December 9, 2009, 6:18 am 6:18 am
One would hope that the Iranian people would topple this terrible, dictatorship-like regime. When the police are beating up the people to try and protect the govt, things slowly start to unravel. Heavy sanctions from the world will help this process along. One wonders what will happen to Hezbollah and Hamas if the regime falls. Will Syria pick up where Iran leaves off?
Posted by: Bob | December 9, 2009, 8:39 am 8:39 am
@Meaningless
you’re just wrong on this. The US led invasion of Iraq helped Ahmadinejad’s initial election greatly.
Iran has been slowly heading towards reform for years now, but the hard-liners capitalised on the fact that one of the great enemies of the regime had moved a lot of its troops/firepower/etc into the country next door to win in 2005. You know, like Bush used patriotism/fear of terror attacks in his election campaign in 2004
Posted by: Oliver | December 9, 2009, 10:45 am 10:45 am
I hope she’s right. Meanwhile, there’s the question of what the USA can do to help the process.
Perhaps Bush was right to isolate and not negotiate at all with the Iranian regime. Or perhaps negotiations would give Ahmadinejad -who was considered a bad boy by the theocrats and NOT they’re favorite at one point- or other important secular leaders more strength to overthrow the religious control.
And note that Ahmadinejad has never personally been the terrorist and blackmailer that Qaddafi was in Libya – Reagan even sent bombers to bomb Qaddafi’s residence – yet Bush made up with him and even declared Libya a “most favored nation” that gets better trade benefits from the USA than many countries who’ve never sponsored terrorism.
So, in another decade, the U.S. government could see someone in Ahmadinejad’s party (though probably not I’m-a-dinner-jacket himself) as an ally instead of an enemy.
I hope the current government makes the right moves.
Posted by: The_Mick | December 9, 2009, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
God bless Shirin Ebadi who is an example to every human being. She is standing up for justice and challenging the most evil and unjust figures of authority in Iran. “Justice is the first virture of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thoughts”. “Without justice peace and unity will not be possible”. Proud of her and proud of all the young men and woman of Iran for standing up for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Posted by: Nooshin | December 9, 2009, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm