ANTI-REGIMC O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000238

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000238 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019 TAGS: CVIS IR PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL SOCI TR SUBJECT: ANTI-REGIMC O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000238 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019 TAGS: CVIS IR PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL SOCI TR SUBJECT: ANTI-REGIME ACTIVIST ESCAPES IMPRISONMENT Classified By: DCM Doug Silliman for Reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In mid January CONOFF interviewed XXXXXXXXXXXX, an anti-regime constitutional monarchist, for an immigrant visa. Soltani was repeatedly jailed and released by the Government of Iran for subversive activities and narrowly escaped re-imprisonment prior to his visa interview. XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that the current anti-regime movements remain ineffective as the GOI maintains a tight control over all activities. XXXXXXXXXXXX opined that no significant changes will come to Iran unless the entire system of government is revised. ¶2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX explained that he has always been a member of the constitutional monarchist movement of Iran even prior to the Islamic revolution. XXXXXXXXXXXX told Consulate Istanbul's "Iran Watcher" in May 2008 that in addition to his membership in the pro-monarchist Kingdom Assembly of Iran, he also had some involvement with Iran's Tudeh (communist-leaning) party. XXXXXXXXXXXX later clarified to CONOFF that he never was an official member of the Tudeh party, though he had been "associated" with it. He spoke fondly of Mohammed Mossadeq, the main figure of Iran's constitutional monarchist movement in the 1950's. He noted that under the Shah constitutional monarchists were often accused of being communist in an effort to discredit democratic movements. ¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX explained that he was arrested twice immediately after the Islamic Revolution for activities against the regime. The first time all charges were dropped within a year of his first arrest. However, after returning from a US. visit to his family, he was again arrested and charged with being a supporter of the Pahlavi Regime, a capitalist, a threat to the Islamic revolution, and for transferring personal money to US. banks. He observed that many other male and female prisoners were executed for similar charges. XXXXXXXXXXXX was held for three months but, due to pressure from family and supporters, eventually released on bail with the condition that he not leave Iran for five years. He continued to be watched closely by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He eventually won an appeal and all charges were dismissed. ¶4. (C) After his release XXXXXXXXXXXX continued to find ways to fund the distribution of pro-constitutional monarchy information in Iran. When asked if he was connected or a supporter of Reza Pahlavi, he quickly disassociated himself and emphatically labeled the former crown prince as an idiot. He explained that the Iranian monarchy is not linked to any particular dynasty, as dynasties come and go. His efforts were to establish monarchy as a symbolic institution and not as a ruling force. ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX was adamant that no change would come to Iran unless the entire system of Islamic government was removed. Election of a more moderate president such as Mohammad Reza Khataemi would not be sufficient. Most mullahs are against the regime but the ones who "eat" from the regime are adamant about maintaining it. He claimed ninety percent of Iranians are anti-regime but most are too scared to do anything. He said that the prospects for democratic movements against the regime were weak as the government "grabs by the neck" before any serious challenge to the regime can develop. XXXXXXXXXXXX explained that in 2005 he met anti-regime UK based "Your TV." host Forood Fooladvand to discuss ways to advance their movement. Since that meeting he believes the regime resumed surveillance of his activities and even believes that the money he was distributing wound up in the hands of the regime. He later heard that Fooladvand was abducted from Britain and taken to Iran via the Turkish border and eventually killed. ¶6. (C) In September 2005 XXXXXXXXXXXX was arrested and charged with activities against the regime that included insulting the sacred principles of Islam through telephone contacts with Forood Fooladvand and Euro TV, actions against the security of the country, and keeping satellite receiver equipment. He was convicted of those charges in May 2006, which Iranian courts held up on appeal despite his petition to be released for medical reasons. XXXXXXXXXXXX was jailed for one and a half years in Evin prison under harsh conditions, including several months in solitary confinement in Ward 350. He told Consulate Istanbul's "Iran Watcher" in May 2008 that while he was held in Ward 209 in Evin prison, he saw or heard of at least two Al Qaida prisoners, as well as several Palestinians serving time for traveling to Iran on forged passports. Due to the need for urgent medical care, he was released on temporary bond in early 2008. While released for medical treatment, XXXXXXXXXXXX learned that his further appeals for medical release were denied and he was formally sentenced to ten years in prison and fined one million rials (USD 100). ¶7. (C) Soltani quickly escaped to Turkey to avoid imprisonment, arriving in Istanbul in May 2008. While in Istanbul, he met with the US Consulate and was advised to contact UNHCR to register as a temporary refugee. During his stay in Turkey he made a brief trip to Cyprus to maintain status in Turkey while awaiting an immigrant visa interview that was set in motion by his AMCIT daughter in the US. Due to concerns that his passport was to expire within seven months, and his situation in Iran, he was granted an IV emergency appointment at Embassy Ankara. After an advisory opinion from Consular Affairs, XXXXXXXXXXXX was issued his immigrant visa. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey Jeffrey