So, what's been happening to the thousands and thousands of young, idealistic Iranians who've marched peacefully, hoping for justice and truth, and been detained by Iranian officials the last few weeks? This story, from The UK's Guardian is, many fear, all too common.

Here's a few excerpts:

[...]

He came to my shop around 10.30am. You could tell straight away that he had just been released. His face was bruised all over. His teeth were broken and he could hardly open his eyes. He was not even into politics. He was just an ordinary 18-year-old in the last year of school. Before the election he came to me and asked how he should vote. He looks up to me. His father is an Ahmadinejad supporter.

He had gone home directly after his release, but his father did not let him in. He didn't mention he had been raped. At first, he didn't tell me either. It was the doctor who first noticed it and told me. When he came to my shop he collapsed in a chair. He said he had nowhere to go and asked if he could stay with me. I called a friend of mine who is a doctor to come home and see him. Then I brought him home.

His shoulder blades and arms were wounded. There were some slashes on the face. No bone fractures, but he was bruised all over the body. I wanted to take some photos but he did not let me. The doctor said only four of his teeth were intact, the rest were broken. You could hardly understand what he said. Then the doctor told me what had happened.

He had suffered rupture of the rectum and the doctor feared colonic bleeding. He suggested we take him to the hospital immediately. They registered him under a false name and with somebody else's insurance. The nurses were crying. Two of them asked what sort of beast had beaten him up like that. He was a broken man. He told us not to waste our money on him, and that he would kill himself.

[...]



This is a foul fucking regime.

Saturday, July 4th is American Independence day. Enjoy the hotdogs and fireworks, and be grateful.