Kaveh Shahrooz کاوه شهروز Profile picture
Lawyer. @MLInstitute Sr. Fellow. Of no party or clique. Anti-authoritarian. Tweets mostly on Iran, Canada, free speech, and the fight for liberal democracy.
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Apr 5, 2023 24 tweets 5 min read
[رشتوی طولانی. امیدوارم بخوانید]

۱/ دیروز نوشتم که سیاستی که برای دادخواهی در فردای پس از پیروزی انقلاب نیاز داریم به جای «نه می‌بخشیم و نه فراموش می‌کنیم» باید «کمیسیون حقیقت همراه با عفو و بخشش» باشد. در پاسخ به سوالات و انتقادات می‌خواهم که درباره‌ی این بیشتر توضیح دهم. ۲/ اول می‌خواهم درباره زندگی‌نامه و پیشینه خودم نکاتی را یادآوری کنم. خانواده من با اعدام‌ و شکنجه و زندان در دهه شصت از هم پاشیده شد. سالهای کودکی‌‌ام به ملاقات تعدادی‌‌ از بستگان شکنجه‌شده‌ام در اوین، گوهردشت و قزل‌حصار گذشت....
Dec 13, 2022 28 tweets 5 min read
🧵۱. من واقعا اطلاع ندارم که اپوزسیون متحد خواهد شد و #ائتلاف_اپوزیسیون شکل خواهد گرفت یا نه. ولی اگر قرار باشد این اتفاق بیفتد قطعا باید برای آن برنامه‌ریزی داشت.
در این رشته توییت به این پرداخته‌ام که چه باید کرد که ائتلاف موثر باشد. ۲. بنظر من اپوزیسیون باید فعالیت‌های پیش روی خود را در دو فاز مجزا ببیند: ۱- فاز انقلاب و ۲- فاز انتقال
Nov 11, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
مدافعان و حامیان رژیم درباره من دروغ می‌گویند تا مانعی بر سر راهم در برملا کردن واقعیت‌شان شوند. تلاش بیهوده‌ای است و جواب نمی‌دهد. Image واقعیت‌: حسین درخشان خمینی و احمدی نژاد را قهرمانان خود میداند. ImageImage
Nov 9, 2022 17 tweets 3 min read
🧵* 1/Why we need an opposition coalition comprised of figures inside & outside Iran, and why we need it urgently: a message to leaders of the opposition, including those reluctant to take up the mantle

[* A translation of the thread below, for friends who requested it ] 2/ Everyone has their reasons for why a coaltion is necessary. I see three reasons for it. But before stating them, let me say that I don't think forming this coalition is a "political" (or, more accurately, "partisan") act. It is a civil act.
Nov 8, 2022 18 tweets 3 min read
🧵۱/ چرا ما به ائتلافی از اپوزیسیون متشکل از چهره‌های داخل و خارج از ایران نیاز داریم و چرا این نیاز فوری و اضطراری است: پیامی برای رهبران اپوزیسیون، بخصوص آنانی که تمایلی به پوشیدن ردای رهبری ندارند. ۲/ هر کس دلایلی برای ضرورت ایجاد ائتلاف در اپوزیسیون دارد. من سه دلیل عمده بر ضرورت چنین ائتلافی می‌بینم. اما پیش از بیان دلایلم، لازم می‌دانم تاکید کنم که به نظر من تشکیل یک‌ جبهه ائتلافی کاری «سیاسی» یا دقیق‌تر بگویم «حزبی» نیست. بلکه یک کار مدنی است.
Oct 25, 2022 4 tweets 2 min read
1/ A few days ago, I criticized @DokhiFassihian for her long-ago involvement with NIAC. But she's very open with her criticism now 👇 & a trusted friends in the human rights community tells me that she has aince been a solid voice for human rights protections in Iran, including.. 2/... with respect to the establishment of the UN special rapporteur on Iran.

It's not my place, and I have no authority, to absolve anyone of anything. But my personal drive in talking about these issues has always been accountability, not vindictiveness. Image
Oct 24, 2022 8 tweets 2 min read
1/ There's a video circulating -& sent to me by many -of ppl yelling at the Richmond Hill MP on the streets of Toronto. I won't share the video here but it's not hard to find.
I've been thinking about it and am trying to formulate my exact thoughts. Think of this as a draft. Image 2/ I doubt anyone in the Iranian-Canadian community (or in Canada generally) has been more critical than me of MP Jowhari. I've been persistent in critizing him for his Tehran-friendly positions & friends.
But that video left me deeply unsettled.
Oct 16, 2022 10 tweets 6 min read
1/ 🧵As Iran's regime collapses, NIAC and the rest of the #IranLobby are desperate to pretend they have not defended it for years. They're putting out messaging that says they've "always" supported "regime change led by the Iranian people".
Is that true?
#مهسا_امینی ImageImage 2/ I could probably write a 500-tweet thread about how NIAC has talked about regime change over the years. But I'm just gonna do a few tweets to see if they've always been in favour of people-led regime change. (Aside: does NIAC not know that Twitter has a search function?)
Oct 14, 2022 19 tweets 9 min read
1/ 🧵Mr. Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman), you assert that the US shouldn’t disempower Iran’s regime.
But here’s a key question: in promoting a view favourable to dictatorial regimes, do you think it is important to disclose your own conflicts of interest?
#IranLobby
#MahsaAmini 2/ Do you think the fact that you’re obviously close to regime officials – here you are with Iran’s UK ambassador; me & my friends wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near him—might have something to do with your views on pressure on Iran's regime? Image
Oct 12, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
1/ The #IranLobby is under immense pressure. I love it. Keep it up!

2 developments: 2/ Touraj Darayee, prof at UC Irvine, occasionally linked to NIAC (I can't say how deeply linked; I honestly don't know) and thesis advisor to Assal Rad, NIAC's research director, feels pressured enough to put out video (see next tweet) distancing himself from the org.
Oct 11, 2022 7 tweets 4 min read
1/ Hi @rezaaslan -- I know you're peddling a book about Howard Baskerville these days, so it's good business to be a "revolutionary" all of a sudden.
But is this you, lauding Iran's elections and talking about how Iranians want Chinese-style govt "in a heartbeat"? #IranLobby 2/ Is this you writing with Trita Parsi, the IRI's single greatest apologist in West, criticizing exiles (you know, those that barely escaped with their lives) for saying that Iran's elections are a sham? ImageImage
Oct 10, 2022 20 tweets 11 min read
1/ 🧵THE LIES THEY SOLD THE WEST- Pt. 2

The #IranRevolution has made clear that Iranians despise their regime.

I'm looking at some Iran commentators to assess what they conveyed to Western audiences over the years.

Today: What the #IranLobby said about Qassem Soleimani 2/ To start, Soleimani's background: in short, he was a mass murderer.
> he & other IRGC commanders demanded that Prez Khatami crush the Iran's student protesters in 1999
> His Quds Force carried out attacks in Thailand, New Delhi, Lagos, and Nairobi
Oct 9, 2022 6 tweets 5 min read
1/ Here is Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj Media (@amwajmedia). He's from Sweden, but now seems to be in London.
According to the regime's own media (Mehr News), he began work at NIAC & then travelled down a natural pipeline to work for the regime's Press TV. #IranLobby 2/ According to Mehr News, Shabani served as go-between for Zarif, setting up meetings for the FM with Gary Sick (Columbia), @alivaez (Crisis Group & close Rob Malley [Biden's Iran envoy] associate, @rparsi (brother of NIAC's Trita). He also aided the IRI's nuke negotiation team.
Oct 5, 2022 12 tweets 5 min read
1/ 🧵 Most ppl understood why Richmond Hill MP @MajidJowhari wasn't allowed to speak at our weekend Iran Freedom Rally or get a photo-op. But for those that don't have the background, a short thread on why democracy/human rights activists & victims groups uniformly reject him. Image 2/ First, disclosure: in 2014, when I was more naive about Trudeau, I ran for the nomination of the federal Liberals in RH against Jowhari. He won that race (through truly nasty smearing of me). So, you're welcome to think this is score-settling, though I don't believe it is.
Oct 4, 2022 12 tweets 6 min read
1/ Today is the 1000th day after the murderous shooting of flight #PS752 by the IRGC.

A 🧵to remember the #IranLobby's reaction. I hope you'll distribute to media that continues to book these people/or ppl from orgs at which these people work. 2/ Let's start with Negar Mortazavi, who is regularly on television and newspapers commenting on Iran. This was her immediate take. (h/t @hafezeh_tarikhi)

The IRI's has issued an unprecedented" & "very responsible" statement that shows "good governance" and "transparency".
Sep 26, 2022 18 tweets 10 min read
1/ 🧵THE LIES THEY SOLD THE WEST- Pt. 1

The #IranRevolution has made clear that Iranians despise their regime.

Over the next few days, I'll look at some Iran commentators to assess what they conveyed to Western audiences over the years.

Today: Azadeh Moaveni
#IranLobby Image 2/ Ms. Moaveni is an author & regular commentator on Iran. She teaches journalism at @nyu_journalism and works at @CrisisGroup (I believe until recently under Rob Malley, President Biden's Iran Envoy.)
She has written for prestige publications such as @NewYorker @ @nytimes.
Nov 26, 2020 4 tweets 2 min read
1/ Some Questions for the @liberal_party and @JustinTrudeau :

Your Richmond Hill MP, @MajidJowhari, is seen here in parliament with Alireza Onghaei, the man alleged by CSIS to have laundered money for the Iranian regime.
Did Mr. Jowhari invite him to the Hill? If so, why? 2/ Just a few hours ago, Jowhari told @StewGlobal and @scoopercooper of @globalnews that he knew Onghaei only casually through Persian community social circles. The photo above, and the donation Mr. Onghaei made to Jowhari, suggests otherwise.

globalnews.ca/news/7483597/l…
May 13, 2019 6 tweets 2 min read
[LONG THREAD] 1/ You know what makes a mockery of Canada’s commitment to human rights? Inviting Trita Parsi (@tparsi), the Iranian regime’s chief apologist in the West, to testify before Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rts, as part of #IranAccountabilityWeek. #cdnpoli #cdnfp Image 2/ I hope the members of the subcommittee(@anitavandenbeld, @DavidSweetMP, @CHardcastleNDP, @DavidAndersonSK, @pfragiskatos, @iamIqraKhalid, @MarwanTabbaraMP) read this. And one of them can explain why Parsi was invited.