VZCZCXRO6425
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUEHAK #0870/01 1740722
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230722Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9984
INFO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 5900
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000870 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12598:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS IR TK
SUBJECT:  Iranian Visa Applicants Talk about the Crisis. 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.(SBU) Ankara's Iranian visa applicants confirm news reports of 
continuing anti-regime demonstrations and violence throughout the 
country.  Virtually one hundred percent of applicants queried 
believe the result of the presidential election was corrupted.  Few 
will risk projecting what lies ahead for Iran, but all favor major 
change. 
 
------------------ 
WIDESPREAD DISSENT 
------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Conoff queried a cross-section of visa applicants on June 
22 for their opinions and observations about the recent events in 
Iran.  All applicants reported being extremely unsatisfied with the 
results of the June 12 election.  One applicant stated it was not an 
election, it "was a coup d'tat."   Another applicant, after 
receiving his visa remained in the waiting room until all other had 
left.  He then approached conoff and implored the embassy to have 
our President back the people of Iran in their quest for democracy. 
 
 
(3) (SBU) Applicants have confirmed that these demonstrations are 
widespread, the largest naturally being in Tehran, but others have 
also seen or heard from family about demonstrations in Rasht, 
Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan, and even the very conservative city of 
Mashaad.  In the latter city, the applicant stated the demonstrators 
were students and the protests were confined to the University area. 
 There does not appear to be any attempt by the GOI to prohibit free 
travel as none of our applicants reported any extra security at 
Tehran airport. 
 
------------------- 
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS 
------------------- 
 
 
(4)(U) A University of Tehran student headed to the University of 
Michigan was a participant in Saturday's demonstration that took 
place between Azadi Square and Revolution Square.  This man said he 
has been a participant in the past in different student 
demonstrations, but in past years there had been no blood shedding. 
On Saturday he reported seeing as many as 100 individuals who had 
been injured by the thousands of security personnel he identified as 
Revolutionary Guards.  He witnessed the Revolutionary Guards destroy 
one of the university's dormitories and estimated there were 
5000-6000 guards in the area. He saw students hurling rocks at the 
guards who responded by beating them with batons.  He did not see 
any guards shoot anyone, but said he saw a number of people who had 
injuries that he believed were gunshot wounds. 
 
 
(5) (SBU) He told conoff that his initial fear abated as the 
righteousness of the cause took hold.  He also said he has no fear 
in going back and plans to continue to demonstrate against the 
government until his visa to America is ready.  He described the 
demonstrations as not being led by any one person, but the entire 
community standing up to Khameni.  He said the media coverage was 
very slanted and GOI was broadcasting that the crisis was a result 
of foreign influence, specifically the United States and Britain. 
He ended the conversation by saying that he believed that June 12 
was the "last election in Iran" and that both he and his father, who 
participated in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, thought a major change 
was imminent. 
 
 
(6) (U) Another student visa applicant from the University of Tehran 
heading to Columbia University gave a passionate account of the 
atmospherics in the city of Tehran.  He said that he was ashamed of 
his nation after the GOI told its citizens that Mahmoud Amadinejad 
had received between 63-69% of the vote in all regions of the 
country.  This led him to participate in the demonstation on Monday, 
June 15, from Iman Hussein Square to Azadi square.   He too stated 
that the demonstration does not have any leaders, it is the people 
who want their vote back who are collectively in charge. He spoke 
emotionally about Neda, the psychology student who was killed on 
Saturday and whose death was widely broadcast after being captured 
on a cell phone. He stated that anyone who could kill an innocent 
girl was an animal.  He said there were many brave people 
demonstrating, even his parents and siblings who he described as 
being generally apolitical.  He also confirmed that there were large 
numbers of women in these groups and that he considered them very 
brave. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
ANKARA 00000870  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
(7)  (U) Iran's visa applicants are usually reticent to speak openly 
with USG officials about internal Iranian issues.  But on the 
subject of the current crisis in Iran, there is genuine anger and 
little restraint in telling us their story. 
 
Jeffrey