Juli week 26/27
Door: Ingezonden
Dit is de voortzetting van de nieuwsdraad, welke ooit op www.joostniemöller.com begon, over het verzet van de groene beweging in Iran. Tevens worden hier links, video's en nieuwsberichten gepost over ontwikkelingen rond de nucleaire ambities van dit land. De draad wordt per 2 weken vernieuwd. Een chronologisch overzicht kunt u vinden in de categorie "Ondertussen in Iran".
Geplaatst door: Ingezonden
op 28 jun 2010. Gearchiveerd onder Ondertussen in Iran.
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Attempted Assassination of Shahriar Hosseinbar, Student Activist from Sistsan Va Baluchistan University
Shahriar Hosseinbar is a pro-reformist student activist in Sistsan Va Baluchistan University who came under attack by unknown individuals on the university campus on Monday, June 14.
Mr. Hosseinbar has already received disciplinary orders twice, leading to the interruption of his studies. The first citation came in 2008, in connection with a student gathering protesting the lack of security inside the university, and the second citation came in the summer of 2009, in connection with a student protest against last year’s disputed presidential election results. During the last term, Mr. Hosseinbar was banned from entering the university.
http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=4213
The Downside of Sanctions on Iran
As Washington wrestles with the conundrum of Iran, it appears to have shelved the policy that sought to lure Tehran to the negotiating table through blandishments and confidence-building measures.
Instead, the Obama administration has adopted a two-track policy of applying pressure while remaining open to a diplomatic dialogue. The objectives remain the same, but the strategy has shifted from conciliation to coercion.
The most consequential features of the new policy are incremental economic pressure, fortifying the defenses of the Gulf Arab states and enhancing the U.S. naval presence on Iran’s periphery.
The idea is that U.N. Security Council resolutions, informal financial prohibitions targeting Iran’s investment sector, direct military deployments and substantial arms sales to the Gulf sheikdoms will combine to make Iran pay a price for its intransigence.
A militarily beleaguered and economically distressed Islamic Republic will then sue for peace and return to the negotiating table a more pliable partner.
The problem is that at best, this approach will produce protracted and ultimately inconclusive negotiations.
The principal cause of Iran’s economic malaise is mismanagement, inefficiency and an inability to chart a judicious course. Three decades after the Islamic revolution, Iran’s ruling clique is still unable to reconcile the inequalities of a market economy with the revolutionary pledge to uplift the dispossessed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/opinion/26iht-edtakeyh.html
The Statement of the Iranian Teachers Trade Association
In the Name of the God of Soul and Wisdom
Two months have passed since the arrest of the general secretary and the spokesperson of the Iranian Teachers Trade Association. Two months that we spent with difficulty but patiently. At the time of their arrests, the first question for everyone was: for what reason?
The Iranian Teachers Trade Association, considering the delicate situation in the country in the current school year, despite our criticisms and objections with the performance of the education officials, refrained from any public protest actions and even issuing critical statements. The Association patiently stayed silent on the lengthy incarceration of our colleagues especially Rasoul Bodaghi and the cutting of his salary hoping for speedy judicial process and resolving of his case and his freedom. We remained witness to the difficulties faced by his family especially his small children not having their father around. We are also witnessing the continued incarceration and summoning of our other colleagues Hashem Khastar, Abdollah Moemeni, Mohammad Davari, Esmael Abdi, and others.
http://iranlaborreport.com/?p=956
ISRAEL 'PLOTS TEHRAN RAID'
MANAMA: Israel is massing warplanes in the Caucasus for an attack on Iran, it was revealed yesterday.
Preparations are underway to launch the military attack from Azerbaijan and Georgia, reports our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej, quoting military sources.
Israel was, in fact, training pilots in Turkey to launch the strike and was smuggling planes into Georgia using Turkish airspace, they said.
However, Turkey was unaware of Israel's intention of transferring the planes to Georgia, the sources said.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=281041
UN rights chief says torturers will face justice
Grote woorden van een club die de laatste jaren overal schiitert door afwezigheid.
Maar Ik wil me laten verrassen
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay on Friday warned torturers that they could not escape justice even if they might benefit from short term impunity.
"Torturers, and their superiors, need to hear the following message loud and clear: however powerful you are today, there is a strong chance that sooner or later you will be held to account for your inhumanity," Pillay said.
"Torture is an extremely serious crime, and in certain circumstances can amount to a war crime, a crime against humanity or genocide," she added in a statement to mark Saturday's International Day for the Victims of Torture.
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20873:u…
The Real Race for Iran: Human Rights Vs. Tehran's Defenders
Since Iran was thrust into internal turmoil by last year's election, the world has been moved by events that unfolded during the protests of the Green Movement. As we watched the violence of the agents of the Iranian government against peaceful demonstrators, most of us thought that it would be impossible to defend the regime's position amidst the bloodshed we witnessed on our TV screens.
Not so. The Iranian Government, despite all the detentions, abuses, and unlawful killings since June 2009, still has support overseas in the guise of purportedly unbiased political analysts, none more vocal than that of the authors of Race for Iran, one a former CIA and National Security Council official, the other a former diplomat in the State Department.
Their solution to the human rights abuse issue? Pretend it is not relevant. Arrests, torture, rape, and the murder of protesters are set aside.
The testament to how far they can go in defending an indefensible position? Consider the lengthy response of RFI's authors to "Misreading Tehran", a series of seven articles published on the Foreign Policy website.
In this article, the duo close their eyes to all other internal matter to declare that the 2009 Presidential election is legitimate, simply because the opposition has allegedly not provided any evidence to back up claims of fraud. Thus, the vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must be free and fair.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-shahryar/the-real-race-for-iran-hu_b_625225.h…
Iran: Khomeini's grandson calls for end to extremism
Seyed Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, says "extremism" must be abandoned and "extremists" must be churned away in the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to families of the seventh of Tir bomb attack victims, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic stressed that Iran is not realizing its potentials despite all the "revenues from oil and the vast human force" it possesses.
Hassan Khomeini insisted on the importance of resolving the economic problems of the society since unemployment amongst the young, closure of factories, import of foreign goods and high inflation has only "disheartened" people.
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1236.html
G-8 'fully believes' Israel will attack Iran, says Italy PM
World leaders meet in Ontario for two days of talks, urge Iran to 'respect rule of law' and 'hold transparent dialogue' over its nuclear program.
World leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday.
“Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G-8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively,” Berlusconi told reporters following talks with other Group of Eight leaders north of Toronto.
The leaders of the G-8, which comprises Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States, devoted much of their two-day session to discussion of the contentious nuclear programs unfolding in North Korea and Iran.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/g-8-fully-believes-israel-will-att…
The Kidnapping and the Brutal Torture of Osanloo’s Daughter in Law
Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran report on the brutal kidnapping and torture of Zoya Samadi, the daughter in law of Mansour Osanloo, the Tehran Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate leader in Karaj. The brutal arrest has taken place at 5:30 p.m. on June 23 at Karaj metro terminal where Zoya was returning home from work. The witnesses saw Zoya being pulled by her hair from the trains by the security operatives while yelling I am the daughter in law of Osanloo. The assailants put masking tapes on Zoya’s mouth to prevent her from shouting further and then took her with them.
Three operatives took Zoya Samadi to an unknown cell location in their car putting hand cuffs, shackles, and blind folds on her and tied her down while torturing her for a long period. She was severely beaten mostly on her face and head and had her head banged to the walls repeatedly. She has suffered injuries on her gums, her teeth, bump on her head, and cuts on her arms and her right legs. She has marks all over her body due to the suffered tortures.
http://iranlaborreport.com/?p=958
En als je als gevolg van deze mishandelingen een miskraam krijgt word er tussen neus en lippen door verteld dat je er maar beter over kunt zwijgen.
Daughter-In-Law Suffered Miscarriage After Officers’ Attack
Mansour Osnaloo’s family called for in investigation into the beating of the family’s young daughter-in-law. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Mansour Osanloo’s wife said, “My daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and we didn’t know. After the attack she was bleeding heavily, and when we looked into it, it turned out that she was two months pregnant. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage.”
Parvaneh Osanloo also told Rooz, “What happened to my daughter-in-law was a warning sign for all of us. I ask all international human rights organizations to help us and not allow for things like this to happen anywhere in the world. I announce right now that the Islamic Republic officials are responsible if any member of my family’s life is in danger or anything happens to us.”
Mansour Osanloo is the president of Iran’s bus drivers’ union and one of the country’s most prominent labor activists. He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on national security-related charges
http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/june/27//daughter-i…
Rafsanjani Criticizes Iran's Political Milieu
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Chairman of Iran’s Assembly of Experts says that people’s judgement will save the Islamic Republic form the recent “character assassinations.”
ISNA reports that Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is also the Chairman of the Expediency Council gave a speech at the office of Islamic Republic Party at the threshold of the anniversary of the bombing of the party's office 29 years ago which killed tens of Islamic Republic top political figures at the time.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani told his audience that “the enemies have diversified and enemies disguised as friends have infiltrated our ranks.”
He described the current political atmosphere of the Islamic Republic saying that in this milieu “divisiveness is called honesty, insult is called candour, lies are called tact, slander is called boldness and slogans are called insight.”
http://www.eurasiareview.com/201006283983/rafsanjani-criticizes-irans-political-…
UAE freezes 41 UN-banned Iran accounts: report
The central bank of the United Arab Emirates has ordered that 41 bank accounts targeted by the new UN sanctions against Iran be frozen, a local daily newspaper reported on Monday.
In a circular sent to all banks, moneychangers, investment and finance companies operating in the UAE, the central bank also ordered the freezing of remittances to entities and individuals listed by the June 9 UN resolution, Emirates Business daily said.
This move was to conform with the resolution "regarding non-proliferation of nuclear weapons," the circular said.
However, the notice also warned against targeting accounts and remittances by entities or individuals whose names are not listed by the resolution.
The move comes a week after Dubai, home to a large Iranian community, reportedly closed 40 international and local firms in a crackdown on companies violating UN sanctions on Iran.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gOSnI7exLZZv-WQx-GiJoN75YP_Q
European Union – Iran Relations
In June, 2009, the European Union presidency, at that time held by the Czech Republic, expressed its concerns regarding irregularities in the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as the violence that followed the vote. In a statement released on June 14, 2009, the EU presidency indicated that it hoped Iran "will take its responsibility towards international community [sic] and respect its international obligations."
Nuclear:
The European Union has stated that it supports the right of all countries to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as dictated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency.[2] According to the website of the European Union, the EU doubts the entirely peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program. The EU has supported a dual track approach, offering financial and technological incentives if Iran agrees to cooperate while voting in favor of UNSC sanctions as long as Iran refuses:
“The discovery in 2003 of nuclear activities undisclosed by the Iranian authorities to the IAEA casts serious doubts about the character of Iran’s nuclear programme as does the reluctance of Iran to cooperate proactively with the IAEA…However, in October 2003, in the light of a general approach defined by the European Council, France, Germany and the United Kingdom launched a diplomatic effort aimed at resolving the issue through negotiations. They were joined in 2004 by the EU High Representative offering the support of the whole EU. In 2005, in June 2006, and again in May 2008, they presented far-reaching proposals to the Iranian authorities which would help Iran to develop a modern civil nuclear power programme, whilst meeting international concerns about its peaceful nature…The June 2006 proposal was offered by Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Russia and the USA. If Iran would take up this offer, it could also benefit from far reaching cooperation with the EU, as repeatedly stated by the European Council…
Diplomatic/Military Relationship:
Iran and the EU currently have limited political relations as a result of the EU and international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.[19]
“There is great potential for deeper relations between Iran and the EU. Whilst practical cooperation between the EU and Iran already exists, the scope is currently well below potential. The limits of our cooperation reflect ongoing concerns in the EU and international community, chiefly connected to Iran’s nuclear programme. The EU is also following the situation of human rights closely. The European Commission has no Delegation in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) but is nevertheless working in close collaboration with the EU member states embassies in Tehran.
http://www.irantracker.org/foreign-relations/european-union-iran-relations
Spain's Repsol pulls out of Iran gas project
Spain's largest oil company Repsol has pulled out of a contract it won with Royal Dutch Shell to develop part of the South Pars gas field in Iran, a spokesman said on Monday.
A spokesman for Shell declined to confirm whether the company will remain to develop phases 13 and 14 of the South Pars project, but noted that Shell will comply with any international trade restrictions which are placed on Iran.
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20880:s…
Iran: kinderen smeken om het leven van hun moeder
Deze is ingestuurd door de Heer E.J. Bron maar die wilde Ik niemand onthouden
http://www.pi-news.net/2010/06/iran-kinder-flehen-fuer-das-leben-ihrer-mutter/
Iranian Trade With Dubai Hit by Sanctions, Says Group
Dat zou de reden kunnen zijn dat de Amerikaanse zeemacht richting de Persiese golf gestuurd is om eventuele schepen die waren willen smokkelen naar iran te kunnen controleren
Bloomberg – Trade between Iran and Dubai, a key source of imports for the Islamic Republic, is being squeezed by sanctions over the Persian Gulf country’s nuclear program, an Iranian business group said.
Customs authorities over the past few months have adopted a new system to check every shipment that passes via the emirate to Iran, said Morteza Masoumzadeh, a director of the Dubai-based Iranian Business Council, a group that promotes economic ties.
“What we see is Dubai customs is being very strict,” he said in an interview yesterday. “These sanctions will have a negative impact on trade.”
http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/8415/1/
Rafsanjani Islamic Republic in Chaos
In a statement published to commemorate the anniversary of ayatollah Beheshti’s passing, Assembly of Experts and Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described the Islamic Republic’s situation as “chaotic.”
Referring indirectly to the post-2009-election events, Hashemi Rafsanjani wrote, “Despite all the advice from our leader, we now lack the tolerance that we used to have, perhaps because of the current gloom.”
In the statement, which was published on his personal website, Rafsanjani wrote, “We do not tolerate the kindest of criticisms, and do not recognize the evil plans of enemies disguised as friends. We view divisiveness to be honesty, insult to be candor, lies to be fact, slander to be bravado and slogans to be insight.”
In a direct reference to ayatollah Khamenei, he wrote, “Our enemies have multiplied but our ability to identify the enemies has decreased. Enemies disguised as friends have infiltrated our ranks and muddied our windows to the future. Daily routines are making us nervous.”
http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/june/29//rafsanjani…
Brother of Zeynab Jalalian: “Many have contacted to help, but no one has done anything”
Unconfirmed reports published on June 27th indicate that Zeynab Jalalian is at imminent risk of execution. Jalalian has been sentenced to death and there are no recent reports available that confirm the execution of her sentence.
Jalalian is 28 years old and was born in the town of Maku (in the northwestern part of the West Azerbaijan province of Iran). She was sentenced to death for cooperating with the PJAK party in 2009 (a Kurdish opposition group). She was arrested in Kermanshah in 2009 and was later transferred to Sanandaj Prison. She was then transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison for undisclosed reasons. She is detained in the security ward even though she has already been sentenced.
Jalalian was sentenced to death under the charge of Moharebeh(waging war against God) in October 2009 and the Appeals Court upheld the sentence. Her trial lasted a few minutes and her attorney was not present. Jalalian has not accepted the charges against her.
The recent executions in Iran add to concerns surrounding her imminent execution. Public support is greatly appreciated. Despite the difficulties and with the help of others, we were able to find her family.
Zeynab’s family has not heard anything in regards to the execution of her sentence. In an interview with RAHANA, her younger brother stated that after attempts to follow up on the case, authorities stated that Zeynab’s file was lost.
http://persian2english.com/?p=12287
Weekly Report on Violation of Baha’i Rights
RAHANA: The recent Baha’i rights violations are as follows:
June 22
Navid Khanjani’s Bail Amount Increased
Student rights activist, Navid Khanjani, presented his last defense in the 3rd branch of Prosecutor based Interrogation Center in Evin prison. His bail was raised from 50 million ($50,000) to 100 million ($100,000) toomans.
June 23
Mashhad Baha’i resident, Nora Nabilzadeh, Detained
Nora Nabilzadeh, a Baha’i resident of Mashhad was detained. According to the RAHANA reporter, she was detained while playing music for a group of children in an orphanage. The Intelligence Ministry authorities charged her with Baha’i propaganda.
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6145
Video of the Site where 50 Homes of Baha’is in Ivel, Mazandaran, were demoished.
On 24th fo June, 2010, 50 homes of the Baha’is in Ivel were demolished. The news of this cruel act has filled the media. The following is a cell phone video recording of the site:
The Editor
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6142
Homes demolished in campaign to drive Baha’is out of Iranian village
Homes belonging to some 50 Baha’i families in a remote village in northern Iran have been demolished as part of a long-running campaign to expel them from the region.
The action occurred in Ivel, Mazandaran, when inhabitants – incited by elements inimical to the Baha’i community – blocked normal access to the village, while allowing trucks and at least four front-end loaders to begin leveling the houses.
Amateur video, shot on mobile telephones and posted by Iranian human rights activists on the Internet, showed what appeared to be several buildings reduced to rubble as well as fiercely burning fires.
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6137
Latest Iran Video: Harassment of Karroubi in Mosque (29 June)
Claimed video of Basij harassing Mehdi Karroubi in the mosque of Sharif University in Tehran today. Karroubi reportedly said, “It saddens me that the Basij force that once defended this country is now reduced to beating people inside the mosques, cheating in the election and killing people on the streets.”
http://enduringamerica.com/2010/06/29/latest-iran-video-harassment-of-karroubi-i…
On June 28, the Persian-language radio station, Radio Farda, broadcast an interview with Mr. Derakhshan, one of the Baha’is whose property was destroyed in the village of Ivel, Iran.
Een bijdrage van Pieter op het Forum Only democratecy for Iran.
Dit is geen op zichzelf staand geval, maar dit gebeurd op regelmatige tijden.
De Bashi mensen worden op alle mogelijke manieren getreiterd met medewerking van het Regime in Teheran, hoewel die natuurlijk net doen of ze uit hun neus bloeden.
Zelfs begraafplaatsen worden met shovels plat gereden en totaal vernield zoals D.G. Neree eerder aangaf.
Heiligdommen worden vernield dan wel via overheidswege verwijderd.
De regeringen van andere landen zijn er allemaal van op de hoogte maar doen alsof hun neus bloed.
Zoals Ik zei Religie doe me niks maar laat andere mensen hun religie beleven.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai
Excerpts from the interview (via Baha’i World News Service) are transcribed below:
Mr. Derakhshan: We had heard some rumours about the destruction of the village and the burning of homes of the Baha’is but did not believe that such a thing could happen. However, we went to the offices of the governor general, the governor and the deputy governor in that district and informed them that this was what [the villagers] had said they were planning to do, and asked whether it was true. We were told not to worry and that there was not such a possibility; we believed them. However, when Mr. Mahmoud Piri and his family were going to [their home] in Ivel, as soon as they arrived in the village he was severely beaten and verbally insulted. He was told that he should not be there. At that point he noticed that they were destroying his home.
Radio Farda: Who were the people who beat and verbally abused Mr. Piri?
Mr. Derakhshan: The local residents – because they had told him that he should immediately leave the area and that he was not to get close…for 48 hours. Unfortunately, with the help of the local residents, they destroyed 50 houses, using four bulldozers. It is shocking to see 50 houses demolished and burned in one instant.
Radio Farda: What is happening to the residents of these homes and what happened to their belongings?
Mr. Derakhshan: Every house we go to, we hear their lamentations. I should mention that these friends were not living there. During the first few years after the revolution, on [28 June 1983], these people were expelled from their homes. They [the residents of the village] told them that they had to convert to Islam; they were imprisoned in a mosque, threatened and beaten with shovels and axes. They were then thrown out of the village.
Since those events, these Baha’is go to the village once a year for two to three days to harvest their crops. Of course they have to obtain a permit from the officials to be able to go there and stay in their own homes for a few days and cultivate their lands, even though most of their lands were confiscated.
Baha'i persecutions over the centuries…
Radio Farda: You mean that the owners of these homes and farms were made to obtain permits in order to be allowed to go to their own homes?
Mr. Derakhshan: Precisely. Each time or each year when they wanted to go there they had to obtain permits from the Justice Administration to be allowed to stay in their own homes for two or three days. We complained to a number of authorities concerning this issue and we were treated unkindly. When we went to the office of the deputy governor and told them that they were destroying our homes, we were told that the letters of complaint that we had written were considered to be in opposition to the regime. They even threatened to arrest us. We told them, “Our homes are being demolished right this minute. We are Baha’is and your fellow-citizens. We are not your enemies. We are not from Israel, England or America. By God, we are Iranian citizens. What should we do? God is our witness, we do not know what to do. Please help us.”
Radio Farda: Are the people who are involved in these activities the local residents or some government officials?
Mr. Derakhshan: What do you think? How could 50 homes – each having a wood storage area and a place for keeping animals – be demolished without prior arrangements? We informed [the authorities] before and during the demolition. What do you think the answer is? Besides all our friends [the Baha'i residents of the village] also informed the authorities, but unfortunately nothing was done to prevent this event.
Radio Farda: Do you think that the bulldozers were probably brought by the order of the governor or the deputy governor?
Mr. Derakhshan: We do not know and cannot say that it was ordered by someone. All we know is that unfortunately everything has been completely destroyed. It should be mentioned that when we visited the office of the governor general, we told his deputy that there was a possibility that such an incident may occur. His response amazed us; he said, “The governor general is like a physician in any society, if he feels that there is a malignant tumour in the body of the society he tries to remove it.” I now ask you a question, “How could the Baha’i farmers in the village of Ivel be considered as that malignant tumour?”
The tragic story of Taraneh Mousavi
Na Neda mogen we ook nooit vergeten wat er is gebeurd met Taraneh Mousavi een zeer mooie jonge vrouw die meerdere malen werd verkracht en tenslotte meer dan half dood werd achtergelaten bij een ziekenhuis waar ze later door agenten van het Regime werd meegenomen en op gruwelijke wijze werd vermoord en haar resten werden overgoten met benzine in brand werd gestoken en naast de weg gedumpt.
Bekijk de Videoanimatie om een idee te krijgen hoe in Iran vrouwen behandeld worden waarvan men denkt dat ze niet het gedachtengoed aan te hangen van het Regime.
Luca Serio Bertoulinni shows with this animation the story of Taraneh Mousavi. She was a beautiful young lady who was protesting after 2009 presidential election in Tehran.
Taraneh Mousavi
On June 28, 2009, Taraneh Mousavi, a young Iranian woman, was literally scooped off the streets without any provocation on her part and with no arrest warrant. This young woman was taken to one of the regime’s torture chambers where she was repeatedly brutalized, raped, and sodomized by Ahmadinejad’s agents and with the consent of the “supreme leader” Ali Khamenei.
http://www.onlydemocracy4iran.com/2010/06/29/video-the-tragic-story-of-taraneh-mousavi/
Shut the Majlis, oh Brothers!
The placard reads: We do not want a free Majlis!
The battle that coup perpetrators in Iran are wagging with the other faction on the right which has till now not fully surrendered to the rules of Ahmadinejad’s military-security administration supported by Mr. Khamenei himself, has reached new heights as the fight has turned to seize the country’s largest institution of higher education, Azad University. The battle is now fought house by house, chair by chair, and foot by foot. The Iranian Taliban is not in the least concerned that dark days await the homeland in the current domestic and international atmosphere.
In this situation, let us all say: Oh brothers! Plain clothesmen! Basiji students! All of you whose blood boils when the supreme leader issues an order and calms down when given a soft drink, pour into the Majlis which is still oblivious to the legislative charade that will soon come to end.
http://www.roozonline.com/english/opinion/opinion-article/article/2010/june/29//…
Condition of Isa Saharkhiz Worsens in Rajai Shahr Prison
Isa Saharkhiz was jarenlang acktief als Free lance journalist bij verschillende Nederlandse bladen
According to the published report by Kaleme, Isa Saharkhiz’s physical condition at Rajai Shar prison is dire. Prison officials have refused to transfer him to the prison infirmary and, despite his deteriorating condition, they have only provided him with a few basic pills not adequate to treat his condition.
Isa Saharkhiz, imprisoned journalist who has been in prison for a period of one year without a trial and suffers from hypotension, collapsed for the second time. He was transferred to the intensive care unit of the hospital.
His son Mehdi Saharkhiz stated that the lack of appropriate medical care in the prison and his father’s history of severe low blood pressure requires that he take special medicine and be under the care of a specialist. Mehdi Saharkhiz added that unfortunately even though the medical conditions at Rajai Shahr are sub-par to say the least, his father has been denied the right to leave prison in order to treat his condition.
Mehdi Saharkhiz pointed to the fact that even prior to his father’s transfer to Rajai Shahr, it was very difficult to visit him. He added that not only his family but families of other political prisoners such as Ahmad Zeidabadi and Massoud Bastani travel long hours in order to visit with their imprisoned loved ones. The implementation of a new rule, in which wives of political prisoners can only visit their husbands every other week, has made it exceedingly more difficult for many families to spend important days such as Father’s Day with their loved ones.
http://persian2english.com/?p=12362
The anatomy of an attack on Iran
In mid-June, Hugh Tomlinson in the Times of London wrote that the government of Saudi Arabia conferred on Israel the "green light" for use of its airspace for an attack on Iran. This revelation was said to be conventional wisdom inside the Saudi military. Tomlinson also quoted an unnamed United States military source stating to the effect that the US Department of State and the Defense Department had both said "grace" over this arrangement.
The Saudis and Israelis immediately denied the report, while US officials made no specific comments on the subject. The silence and denials nixed further media speculation.
First reported in the Times of London in July 2009 and referred to again in Tomlinson's recent article is word of a supposed meeting between Israel's Mossad chief Meir Dagan and unnamed Saudi intelligence leaders to discuss such an arrangement that both governments denied then and now.
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LG01Ak01.html
IRAN: Authorities release state-produced documentary on the death of Neda Agha-Soltan
In its latest attempt to explain the death of the Green Movement's inadvertent icon Neda Agha Soltan, the Iranian regime released a documentary last week to counter the widely accepted narrative of the incident.
It concludes that an unknown woman approached Agha-Soltan and, grabbing a gun in her purse, shot her.
A police officer announces, “It seems an unknown lady was leaning on the truck with her right hand in her purse, and perhaps she had a gun and shot Neda while her hand was in her purse.”
Soon after Agha-Soltan was killed on June 20, 2009, eyewitnesses reported that a plainclothes security official or militiaman, not the civilian woman highlighted in the film, had shot her in the back.
But the Iranian government video insinuates, ultimately, that the People's Mujahedeen Organization (often known as the exiled terrorist group the MKO) may have played a role in the killing. The MKO is an Islamic Marxist opposition group that the Iranian regime has periodically cited as an instigator of civil unrest. Other more independent sources view them as a small, insignificant and nearly defunct organization.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/06/trudging-down-a-tehran-sid…
Israeli ambassador: Iran sanctions could inadvertently lead to war
In an interview in his office Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to the United States warned that Iran might unleash a wave of terrorist violence in the Middle East in retaliation for the tough new sanctions that passed the U.S. Congress last week.
"What better way to divert attention from a sanctions regime than by starting another Middle East war?" the ambassador, historian and author Michael Oren, asked. Iran might respond to severe restrictions on its ability to buy gasoline and finance its state-owned companies by returning to the negotiating table, or use its connections to Hezbollah and Hamas to fight back by having those groups attack Israel and perhaps others, Oren said.
"The next step is not to fall into that trap," Oren said, arguing that the international community shouldn't be deterred from enforcing the sanctions. The question would then be who can hold out longer, the international community-or the regime in Tehran.
The sanctions might work to convince Iranian leaders to change their calculus over their nuclear program, if the energy measures are enforced, Oren said. The test of whether the sanctions are having an effect will be if the Iranian regime reacts, either by coming back to the negotiating table or waging a proxy war on Israel or the West.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/29/israeli_ambassador_iran_sanct…
Henk juni 28th, 2010 19:25 Het verhaal blijft verder gaan. Nu word de Familie verder onder druk gezet.
More Pressure on the Osanloo Family
According to Mansour Osanloo’s wife, Parvaneh, their young son has been summoned to the court branch number 1027. He once was arrested on June 22 of the last year and held for 18 days. He was released subsequently with no need for further action on his case. According to Parvaneh, their son had just come out of a surgery on his skull at the time and was still resting. He had gone out for shopping when the street unrests had subsided.
Accordin to Parvaneh, these measures are along steps to put increased pressures on Mansour Osanoloo and his family. Their daughter in law, Zoya, was recently subjected to kidnapping and severe beating which led to her miscarriage.
http://iranlaborreport.com/?p=1001
Kahrizak offenders receive death sentences
The Judicial Organization of the Armed Forces has sentenced two of the accused in the case of the notorious Kahrizak detention center to death.
According to the announcement issued on Wednesday, the court meted out prison sentences, payment of blood money, cash fines and temporary suspension from duty for 9 other offenders. The court also exonerated one person from all the charges. The court's ruling is not final and shall be effective subject to legal proceeding.
No news of the identity of the accused has been published and the details of the trials have been kept confidential.
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1273.html
Arrest of Sara Mahboobi, one of the students deprived of education
Veel mensen zullen dit zien als een niet echt belangrijk bericht, maar hieruit blijkt weer hoe zeer de Baha'i in Iran gediscrimineerd worden.
Men doet er alles aan om de Baha'i onder de duim te houden.
Hrana News- Sara Mahboobi, a university student who had been deprived of her right to a university education residing in Sari, was arrested this morning after visiting the Follow-up Office of the Ministry of Information in Sari.
At noon on Saturday the 29th of Khordad [19 Jun], security officers had gone to her home to arrest her, but had failed due to her absence from Sari.
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6148
Iran's nuclear smugglers raided
Shipments of illegal nuclear and weapons-building material have been intercepted in Dubai and other ports in the United Arab Emirates, local authorities have admitted.
Officials have accepted for the first time that the country is being used as a transit point for smuggling money and -illegal goods.
The admission comes as part of a drive to crack down on underground trade ties with Iran.
In the past week, the authorities have staged raids on dozens of companies regarded as fronts for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Dubai, and frozen 41 Iran-linked bank accounts.
At a meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in Abu Dhabi, a senior figure revealed the extent of the trade in weapons and "dual-use" goods.
Hamad al-Kaabi, ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said new laws relating to the trade in nuclear and dual-use goods had "led to the shutting down of dozens of international and local companies involved in money laundering and proliferation of dual-use and dangerous materials".
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Iran+nuclear+smugglers+raided/3222099/story.htm…
Ahmad Batebi “The Green Movement Goes Underground”
Persian2English have now published the third part of a recent interview with activist Ahmad Batebi, now living in exile in the US. The first two parts, “People’s Movement Will Stay Alive with Knowledge and Information” and ”The Green Movement and Mousavi” are already posted on EA:
http://enduringamerica.com/2010/07/01/iran-interview-ahmad-batebi-the-green-move…
Iran tells UN it is 'more determined' on nuclear drive
A defiant Iran said on Thursday it has told UN Security Council members that new sanctions will not affect its nuclear programme, prompting France to say Tehran was not heading in the right direction.
Tehran "considers that the adoption of such (UN) resolutions will not affect its utterly peaceful nuclear programme," the official IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying in letters to the 15 Security Council members.
Instead, Mottaki said in his letters to the countries' foreign ministers that Iran is now "more determined" than ever to develop its atomic programme.
He criticised "the hasty adoption, at the insistence of America and its allies, of an unjust and illegal resolution against the great nation of Iran."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/7500017/iran-tells-un-it-is-more-determined-o…
Iranian-Kurdish Activist Faces Threat of Imminent Execution
Zeinab Jalalian, a 27 year old Iranian-Kurdish activist, is reportedly in imminent danger of being executed after being convicted of Moharebeh, or waging war against God, in a trial that has been roundly condemned as unfair and unjust by human rights defenders in Iran and around the world.
Reports indicate that Jalalian’s trial lasted only minutes, she was denied access to a lawyer, and no evidence was presented against Jalalian during her trial.
“The entire case is so full of irregularities that the authorities are obligated immediately to investigate the circumstances of her detention and trial,” said Hadi Ghami, spokesperson for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI). “The life of a young woman hangs in the balance; her execution will be interpreted as another state-sanctioned murder in cold blood.”
http://niacinsight.com/2010/07/01/iranian-kurdish-activist-faces-threat-of-immin…
Wat een verschrikking. Niemand is daar zijn leven nog zeker zo. Dat kan toch nooit lang goed gaan? Een regime dat op wrede repressie drijft, moet zich vanzelf tegen zichzelf keren.
@Henk, je noemt mij hierboven ivm met een opmerking over vernielde graven. Ik kan me daar niets van herinneren. Weet je nog waar dat was?
Iran frees Nobel winner Ebadi's aide: website
Tehran has freed from jail an aide to Nobel peace winner Shirin Ebadi who was arrested before the anniversary of Iran's disputed 2009 presidential election, an opposition website reported Friday.
"I spoke to her just now. She told me she is out of the (prison) gate," Kaleme.com, the website of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, quoted Narges Mohammadi's husband Taghi Rahmani as saying.
Narges Mohammadi's arrest had been reported by the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which is chaired by Ebadi, on June 11, a day before the first anniversary of the presidential poll.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/7505144/iran-frees-nobel-winner-ebadis-aide-w…
Ayatollahs left all alone Iran shocked to see American, European chokehold on Tehran’s economy
The stunned Iran cannot believe it’s happening: The worst nightmare for the Ayatollah regime is taking shape right before its eyes, in the form of a complete chokehold on Iran’s economy within a few months. Iran’s soft underbelly is in the sights – oil and gas. The arrogant Ahmadinejad thought this day shall never come, yet the “higher power” that guides him, in his view, apparently no longer works.
The US and Europe have decided to suffocate Iran’s economy, no less. This is no longer about playing games here and there or about lukewarm sanctions against Iranian companies here and there. This time, the target is the whole Iranian economy. For Israel and most Arab states, there could be no greater success: The state behind everything that destabilized the Middle East is being threatened with collapse.
At the end of June, the US Congress and Senate approved by a large majority a law banning global companies engaged in ties with Iran’s oil and gas industry from coming into the US. This is a comprehensive and strict law that will dry up Iran as it dried up Cuba. Once the law goes into effect, anyone in the most sensitive industry for the Iranians who goes into Iran will not be allowed to go into the US. (While Iran exports oil, it must import refined oil for cars and planes, and therefore its dependence on the world is high.)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3913795,00.html
Iran threatens oil routes as Obama signs tough new energy sanctions
A US-Iran showdown loomed closer early Friday, July 2, when president Barack Obama signed into law a series of energy sanctions, the toughest yet, for arresting Iran's nuclear weapons program. Iran's defense minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi warned that searches of its ships or planes would have "dire consequences" for world security and the Middle East in particular.
The law drafted by Congress shuts US markets to firms that provide Iran with refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and jet fuel, invest in its energy sector, or provide financing, insurance or shipping services. Non-US banks doing business with blacklisted Iranian entities, primarily Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps organizations, will be banned from US markets.
These measures complement and strengthen the new UN Security Council sanctions and European measures and will hit every Iranian. The oil-rich country Islamic Republic imports 40 percent of its refined oil needs because of its own inadequate refining capacity. Any investors in projects for developing this sector would be punishable under the new US law.
Earlier, Gen. Vahidi warned world powers against implementing certain UN sanctions: "As regards inspection of (Iranian) ships, there are one or two countries which pursue the issue and have made some comments about it and this indicates that these people don't pay any attention to security issues in the region and the world," said.
http://www.debka.com/article/8889/
Young Political Prisoner with Multiple Sclerosis in Critical Condition
Hamed Rouhinejad, a young political prisoner in Evin Prison, is in critical condition due to complications related to multiple sclerosis and a lack of proper medical care.
It is reported that he is suffering from paralysis in one arm and that he is having severe issues with his eyesight. In addition, Hamed Rouhinejad has developed hearing problems. Although he has developed numerous medical problems, prison authorities have refused proper medical care for Rouhinejad. Furthermore, prison authorities have refused to provide him with the medication purchased for him by his family for complications related to MS
http://persian2english.com/?p=12459
Iran could halt uranium enrichment if given fuel: MP
A top Iranian lawmaker said on Sunday that Tehran could stop refining uranium to 20 percent purity level, the most controversial part of its atomic programme, if it gets nuclear fuel required for a research reactor.
"If the fuel for the Tehran research reactor is given, Iran will not insist on continuing the production of the fuel domestically," state news agency IRNA quoted Alaeddin Borujerdi, head of parliament's commission on foreign policy, as saying.
Iran has infuriated world powers by refining since February uranium to 20 percent level which when converted into fuel plates or rods can be used to power nuclear reactors.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j6vNbUexryNYXNqLp_qKVIRA0dNw
Human rights activist Narges Mohammadi hospitalised after release
Journalist and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was hospitalised on 3 July after a deterioration of her health following her release from the notorious Evin prison.
Mohammad was released from Evin prison on 1 July after a worsening of her health condition due to harsh prison conditions. The women’s rights activist had been suffering from various health complications since her release and was unable to even perform the simplest every day activities such as speech, according to the Feminist School website.
http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2010/jul/05/2138
Extreme reactions of Iran's Media Deputy called by Minister of Culture
The harsh treatment of journalists and newspapers by media deputy of the Ministry of Culture was finally noted by the Minister of Culture after the parliament questioned the impartiality of the ministry in dealing with the media.
Mohammad Reza Khabbaz, Iranian MP announced today that Minister of Culture confirmed that the Media Deputy of the ministry was guilty of some extreme reactions which the ministry has now corrected.
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1028.html
Who's in Charge?
An important question that those who follow Iran's political developments keep asking is, Who is the ultimate power in Iran, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and the clerics around him, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps? Given the complexities of Iran's political system and power hierarchy, the question is not easy to answer, but over the past few years, particularly since the rigged presidential election of June 2009, much evidence has surfaced that provides insight into the ongoing power struggle, not between the Green Movement and the hardliners, but between the Guards and the clerics who accept Khamenei as the legitimate Faghih, the Islamic jurist recognized as Supreme Leader.
To address the question of who is the ultimate power, we need to first understand the power base of each side. The fact is that, unlike his predecessor as Supreme Leader — Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — Khamenei has never had his own independent base of popular support. He did not belong to Khomeini's inner circle, nor was he an original member of the Islamic Revolutionary Council that Khomeini formed in January 1979 to prepare for the transition from the monarchic rule of the Pahlavi dynasty to an Islamic republic. He was brought into the council only later and given a relatively junior position, deputy minister of defense.
When Khamenei was Iran's president in the 1980s, he clashed frequently with Khomeini, particularly over the choice of Mir Hossein Mousavi as prime minister. Mousavi was strongly supported by Khomeini and is still known as the "Imam's prime minister." At one point, Khamenei even threatened to quit politics and stayed home for three days in protest. The deep differences between Khamenei and Mousavi partly concerned the latter's economic policy. Khamenei represented the conservatives who were not happy with Mousavi's tight control of the economy during the Iran-Iraq War and the price control system he established.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/06/fissures-in-the-reg…
Anti-government supporters active in Iran capital
Hier blijkt toch uit dat de protesten nog lang niet zijn afgelopen.
Pro-democracy activists in Tehran have written new slogans in public places urging people to take part in 9 July protests commemorating the anniversary of the student-led uprising in 1999. The writings were graffitied on the walls in the Barq Alstom region, in and around Shahin Park and Sattarkhan Street, in the vicinity of Fajr Hospital at Pirouzi Air Force, around Mardom Hospital, as well as in Kerman and Ashtiani streets and Chaharsad Dastgah district. Slogans included: "We do not want compulsory veiling and religion, the mullahs must get lost: Onwards to 9 July
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20950:a…
Geen brandstof meer voor Iraanse vliegtuigen
TEHERAN (ANP) – Vliegvelden in Groot-Brittannië, Duitsland, de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten en Koeweit weigeren nog langer brandstof te leveren voor Iraanse vliegtuigen. Dit maakten de Iraanse persbureaus ISNA en IRNA maandag bekend.
Het besluit is het gevolg van een nieuwe wet die de Amerikaanse president Obama afgelopen donderdag heeft ondertekend. Met deze nieuwe wet, in combinatie met nieuwe sancties van de Verenigde Naties en de Europese Unie, wordt het voor Iran moeilijk om verder te gaan met zijn nucleaire programma, omdat het deels afgesloten wordt van de buitenwereld. Het land kan dan geen petroleumproducten meer importeren en ook haar toegang tot het internationale bancaire systeem wordt beperkt.
http://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/wereld/article3118290.ece/Geen_brandstof_meer_voor_Ir…
Dat lijkt me goed nieuws. Zal dat het regime verzwakken? Het komt me voor als een vrij beperkte maatregel, waar wel manieren omheen zijn.
Het zal toch het probleem gaan geven lijkt me dat er vliegtuigen kunnen gaan stranden of ze zouden naar een vliegveld moeten vliegen waar ze nog wel getankt worden voor zo lang het zal duren.
Dit kan een dure busniss worden voor Iran denk Ik.
excuus, ik had de vorige posts nog niet gelezen. Als de fondsen voor Ahmadinejad opdrogen en men de Basij knokploegen niet meer kan betalen, hebben ze echt een groot probleem.
Het scenario van een burgeroorlog lijkt me niet onwaarschijnlijk. Beter is het, als de groene revolutie doorzet. Ik heb de indruk, dat er ondergronds heel veel is gebeurd, dat men zich georganiseerd heeft en dat men zich klaarmaakt voor nieuwe protesten en wie weet geheime acties.
De optie van een burgeroorlog heb Ik enkele maanden geleden al geoppert.
Ik denk dat dat nog bij Joost was en toen werd dat me niet in dank afgenomen door een aantal Iraanse mensen maar helaas laat de Iraanse mens in Iran zich niet sturen door mensen uit het westen.
Het is een kwestie van je proberen in te leven in de situatie aldaar.
Ik heb het idee dat als mensen hun kinderen niet genoeg te eten kunnen geven dat ze tot veel in staat zijn ondanks de repressie.
D. G. Neree juli 2nd, 2010 00:38
Henk, je noemt mij hierboven ivm met een opmerking over vernielde graven. Ik kan me daar niets van herinneren. Weet je nog waar dat was?
Mij staat bij dat we het daar bij Joost al eens uitgebreid over gehad hebben maar Ik kan me vergissen mischien met iemand anders.
Als extra is het economisch natuurlijk een hele hap in het iraanse geldbuideltje als de vliegmaatschapijen gehindert gaan worden.
De Iraanse maatschapijen zullen snel als onbetrouwbaar bekend staan met of zonder hun eigen schuld maar toch!!
Overigens Rooz ligt waarschijnlijk weer onder vuur van het Iraanse cyberarmy.
Iranian youth sentenced to death accused of homosexual relations
An Iranian youth in Tabriz has been sentenced to death by hanging for the charge of having homosexual relations.
Mohammad Mostafai, attorney for the accused announced that three other people accused in the case were acquitted of the same crime.
According to Iranian law, homosexual relations are against the law and given the death penalty.
Mohammad Mostafai maintained that Hamid Taghi, Ebrahim Hamidi, Mehdi Pouran and Mohammad Rezai were accused of having homosexual relations and were sentenced to death in the preliminary court. Mosatafai adds after appealing to the Supreme Court, three of them were acquitted while Ebrahim Hamidi’s death sentence was upheld.
http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/07/iranian-youth-sentenced-t.html
Geen brandstof meer voor Iraanse vliegtuigen
Update
Iranian planes are getting fuel: foreign ministry
Iranian planes continue to refuel at airports around the world, an official said on Tuesday, a day after an Iranian news report that the country's aircraft had been denied fuel in Germany, Britain and a Gulf Arab state.
The Financial Times said oil major BP had stopped refueling Iranian jets, a move which would add to a growing list of companies shunning trade with the Islamic state amid a U.S.-led drive to isolate Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Iran has been hit by a new wave of international sanctions over its nuclear enrichment activities which the West fears could lead it to make a bomb, something Tehran denies it wants.
The United States has also stepped up its push to isolate Tehran economically. On Thursday, President Barack Obama signed into law far-reaching sanctions that aim to squeeze the Islamic Republic's fuel imports and deepen its international isolation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100706/wl_nm/us_iran_sanctions
COMING SOON! Iran to force men to wear hijab! LOL Iran's Islamic hairstyle catalogue: a guide to religious hair
Iran's culture ministry has produced a catalogue of haircuts that comply with Iranian culture and Islamic law. Here's a guide to the rules of religious hair.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7874274/Irans-Islamic-hair-c…
The Haghani School (Circle) These are the people running the country now.
Haghani school (also Haqqani) is a Shi'a school of thought in Iran founded by a group of clerics based in the holy city of Qom and headed by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, an influential hoze and theologian.
Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, the founder of Haghani School, is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ideological mentor and spiritual guide.
The Haghani Circle has its origin in the Haghani seminary, founded in 1964, which previously had been called Muntashiriya. After two of the leading members of the circle were assassinated (Ayatollahs Qodousi and Beheshti), the hawza changed its name to Shahidayn Seminary (Martyr Seminary).
“Anti-Baha’i rhetoric has soared since the election last year of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardliner alleged to belong to Hojjatieh, an anti-Baha’i organization.
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-440798
Weekly Report on Violation of Baha’i Rights (26 June – 2 July)
Lees en huiver wat gebeurt met de Baha´i
Monday, 28 June 2010
Mashhad Baha’i Resident Nora Nabilzadeh Indicted
Nora Nabilzadeh, a Mashhad resident who was arrested on June 22, 2010 after holding a free session for orphanage children in Mashhad, made a phone call on June 27 and said she had been indicted with her charges.
Baha’i Citizen Nahid Ghadyani to Start 5-Year Prison Term
According to the RAHANA’s reporter, the authorities had previously promised to grant Ghadyani a prison leave and had even issued a bail amount which her family had submitted. However, they were suddenly notified of the start of prison term while awaiting approval of the prison leave.
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6164
Teenage Paramilitaries in Iran
On a cold February morning, primary-age schoolchildren are lined up for a ceremony in which they will shout "Death to America" and hurl old shoes at effigies of Uncle Sam, the Great Satan.
The event, part of annual celebrations of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is the work of the Student Basij, a subdivision of Iran's powerful paramilitary movement which is seen as a bulwark of the regime.
The Basij force made its name in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, as an army of fearless volunteers who acted as auxiliaries to the regular troops, marching across minefields and through concerted Iraqi fire to clear a way through.
The movement fielded at least 550,000 under-18s in the course of the eight-year war. Thirty-six thousand were killed or were reported missing in action.
More recently, the Basij has acquired a reputation as a domestic security force loyal to the Iranian regime, and was deployed on the streets of Tehran to counter the widespread protests that followed last year's disputed presidential election.
The Basij is the largest organisation in Iran and has a presence in schools, universities, factories, government offices and the private sector. Structurally, it sits under the powerful Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and its leader is appointed directly by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Student Basij has specific responsibility for work in the schools and recruiting younger members.
Under a 1996 law, the education ministry is required to supporting the Student Basij's activity.
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1047.html
Latest update about the demolition of homes of Baha’is in the village of Ivel
Although more than a week has passed since the demolition of a number of houses of Baha’is residing in the village of Ivel in Mazandaran, Baha’i residents of this village have not been able to go back into the village, and all their efforts to this effect have been fruitless.
According to HRA reporters, the main proponent of this demolition [whose identity has not been revealed by HRA] was able, through contacts in Tehran, to receive a permit for the demolitions from the Judicial Council of Tehran, and executed it within 12 hours.
http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/6174#more-6174
Four Executed in Esfahan Prison
Four people were executed by hanging in Esfahan’s central prison on Tuesday morning.
According to the Esfahan province’s justice department these four individuals were charged and sentenced to death for “drug trafficking”. No further information, including the names of the individuals is known at this time.
There has not been any confirmation of the validity of the charges against these individuals by independent sources.
http://www.en-hrana.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=158:000&cat…
Video: Merchants Strike, Keep Shops Closed at Tehran’s Bazaar
The following three videos purportedly show closed shops at the Tehran Bazaar, the result of a strike by Bazaari merchants in response to a tax hike.
Enduring America reports:
In what appears to be an immediate reaction to the strike, Mehr News reports that Iran’s Ministry of Commerce has reversed its decision to raise business taxes by 70%.
http://www.irannewsnow.com/2010/07/video-merchants-strike-keep-shops-closed-at-t…
MP rebukes Ahmadinejad for moves against Parliament
Ahmadinejad krijgt nu ook sterke tegenwind vanuit het Iraanse parlement, dus de scheuren binnen het apparaat worden steeds breder.
Iranian conservative MP Ahmad Tavakoli sharply criticized Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for inciting violations of the laws passed by the parliament.
Tavakoli condemned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for refusing to execute certain laws passed by the parliament and the Guardian Council based on his own judgement.
Ahamdinejad is also accused of blocking the course of justice in the financial corruption charges brought against his vice-president.
Ahmad Tavakoli maintained that Ahmadinejad actions have weakened the legislative branch of the government and the law.
Tavakoli also condemned the pro-Ahmadinejad crowd that protested in front of the Parliament recently threatening to “blast” the House if the parliament refused to follow Ahmadinejad’s direction.
Ahmad Tavakoli described the action as an “alarm bell” and urged the government and the judiciary to hear this “alarm.”
In addition to his declarations in parliament, Tavakoli published further criticism of Ahmadinejad in his website, Alef.
http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/07/imp-rebukes-ahmadinejad-f.html
Merchant killed by government agents in Tehran Bazaar – eyewitnesses
Tensions increased at Tehran's grand Bazaar on Wednesday after a respected merchant was stabbed to death, allegedly by pro-government supporters, on the second day of a major strike.
Azizollah Kashani, 68, died of his wounds in hospital after being stabbed several times by plainclothes agents who, along with State Security Forces, attacked shopkeepers in a bid to intimidate them into opening their stalls.
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20988:m…
Ahmadinejad brands US world's dictator ahead of summit
Als de mensen in Iran roepen over een dictator denk Ik toch niet dat ze het hebben over Amerika maar wel degelijk over hem
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday called the United States a global dictator and lashed out at Israel after arriving in Nigeria to meet fellow Muslim leaders at a summit.
"They are the self-proclaimed leaders and everybody should know that self-proclaimed leadership is dictatorship," Ahmadinejad, referring to the United States, told an audience of hundreds at the Iranian embassy in Abuja.
"The era of dictatorship is over," he added through an official translator.
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20995:a…
A Year Has Passed Since Isa Saharkhiz’s Arrest and Temporary Detention
Isa Saharkhiz is een Iraanse journalist die ook een tijd in Nederland gewerkt heeft op free lance basis.
Isa Saharkhiz’s temporary detention has now lasted a year. According to his son, Mehdi Saharkhiz, this is despite the fact that under Islamic Republic law, defendants are not supposed to be kept behind bars for more than 2 months for interrogation and while their case is being investigated.
Isa Saharkhiz, was the former Head of the Press Office [Internal Information] at the Ministry of Culture & Education during Khatami’s presidency and prior to that he was a reporter with IRNA in the United States. An active journalist, after resigning from the Press Office, Saharkhiz went directly into journalism and founded the newspaper Akhbar-e Eqtesad (Economic News) which was later banned in the year 2000.
http://www.rhairan.in/en/?p=5149
Letter from Sakineh’s Son Sajjad: Gratitude for Supporters Around the World and Hard Questions for the Islamic Republic
Accept my greetings and gratitude.
I who write this letter, Sajjad
Ghader-zade, 22 years old, want to first of all tell you about my mother and the
way she was convicted.
My mother, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, was arrested in
the city of Oskoo on charges of adultery. She was prosecuted in the Oskoo
criminal court. My mother and Mr. Naser and Mr. Ali Nojumiha were each sentenced
to 99 lashes there, and the sentences were fully served at the executive office
on everyone convicted in this case. Then as to why the case was sent to Branch
http://daughtersofthelight-briefs.blogspot.com/2010/07/letter-from-sakinehs-son-…
Voorpagina van The Times vandaag 8 Juli
http://m.friendfeed-media.com/fb09d3976c3ccebcabb36d27d8330fdb097a8757
Netanyahu on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with Larry King about the Iranian threat on Israel.
http://fartashphoto.wordpress.com/