Ganji and the opposition

First news:
Akbar Ganji, political prisoner in Iran since 2000, began a second hunger strike on June 11, 2005, protesting his continued detention for peaceful investigative journalism and public expression of views. In addition to Ganji’s unwarranted imprisonment and his periodic mistreatment in prison, he suffers severe respiratory problems. On July 17, Ganji was transferred to a hospital, where he has been placed under quarantine and prevented from regular access to his family and legal representatives.

On 3rd of August 2005, a number of Iranian political activists in the Netherlands gathered in front of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting department's pressure on the Iranian government so it would release Ganji or at least provide more information regarding his condition. The activists made also an absurd suggestion that the Dutch ambassador to Tehran would meet with Mr. Ganji in the hospital.

Second news:
Meanwhile, a group of five Iranian asylum seekers in the Netherlands has been on a similar hunger strike for approximately 44 days. The asylum seekers who have been transferred to a deportation center argue that the Immigration Service does not apply clear criteria in preparing and conducting the deportation of asylum seekers. They all demanded access to their official files at the Immigration Service. As soon as the story received some marginal attention from the media, the government decided to separate the hunger strikers and place them in normal houses, arguing that people in need of immediate medical care cannot be kept in a prison setting.

These developments took place in a context of national and international criticism on the Dutch Immigration policy. The Human Rights Watch condemned the treatment of asylum seekers in the Netherlands in a previous report. Earlier, the Inspectie voor de Volksgezondheid had criticized the non-humanitarian conditions in deportation centers.

Hydra speaks:
Let me just start with the so-called Iranian opposition gathering in front of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have been thinking about it a lot. But it is still not clear to me why these folks even bothered going to the Ministry building. First, no foreign country has ever been successful in correcting the Islamic Republic's treatment of its own people, although western powers certainly do like to interfere. Why these people think that the Dutch government could actually do something this time? Second, history teaches us that western governments simply do not really care if some journalist is dying in a prison in some exotic country. Third, what is the point of requesting a visit between the Dutch ambassador to Iran and Mr. Ganji? Is Mr. Ambassador a medical doctor, capable of conducting a medical examination and assessing Ganji's physical condition? Fourth, if the opposition groups want to protest, why don't they gather in front of the Iranian embassy in The Hague? They are the representatives of the wrong doers, anyway? And what is the meaning of this whole action? That the Iranian opposition in exile is not capable of changing things itself, so we need the foreign countries to assist us? I guess so... the Islamic Republic has absolutely nothing to fear. This opposition looks more like a cheap Saturday night TV act than a real political actor. Finally, Just what do you people think to achieve by requesting help from a government, which systematically violates human rights, and even create circumstances under which innocent asylum seekers decide to starve themselves to make a statement. Do we get their message? Do we?