Editor:

Last October the world press focused its attention on the elaborate “celebration of the 2500th years of Iranian Monarchy”. [The Shah’s lavish festivities held in Persepolis October 12-16, 1971] At the same time, however, the Iranian government was secretly arresting some 4,000 people in an attempt to stifle any public criticism of the Shah who was busy spending nearly one billion dollars on the event.

Among the arrested 4,000, there was a group of 37 (now increased to over 110) intellectuals who had allegedly organized political opposition to the repressive regime.

As usual the arrests were hushed up and it was only under outside pressure, mobilized by the Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS), that the arrests, charges and the trial date were made public. At the same time CIS requested all democratic organizations to send a delegation of observers to the trial. In the past this has been effective in calling public attention to the trials and reducing the sentences.

Some delegations from democratic countries all over the world are there now (The National Lawyers Guild from the United States).

The Shah’s regime will do its best to prevent observation of the trials. It has been our experience that world public attention is very effective on how this delegation is treated in Iran. Therefore we urge all progressive and democratic individuals and organizations to support our just cause. Send telegrams to the Iranian Prime Minister Hoveyda, [Amir-Abbas Hoveyda] Tehran, Iran, protesting the brutal and inhuman treatment of the 37 and other political prisoners and demand the right for international observers to attend the trials and meet with these political prisoners.

Iranian Student Association
at Cal Poly