Iran: Widespread arrests of journalists and activists on the threshold of the 1979 revolution anniversary
Mass arrests of social, women's rights, and political activists during the ten days leading to Islamic Revolution's Anniversary has continued with arrests of Maryam Ghanbari, a member of the Maydan women's group, and Mah-Farid Mansourian, an environmental activist. - 2/9/10
Letter of Iranian Journalists to Foreign Colleagues: Listen to the True Calls of Iranians
A group of Iranian journalists have written a letter to foreign reporters who are invited to Iran by Iran's government to provide media coverage to the celebrations of the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. -Rooz Online - 2/9/10
Iran Revolutionary Guards want tougher laws against foreign media collaborators
A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards wants collaborators of what he refers to as "foreign and anti-Revolutionary" media to be treated as spies. -Radio Zamaneh - 2/9/10
Student Facing Execution in Iran for Throwing Rocks
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today strongly condemned the prosecution of a young student activist, Mohammad Amin Valian, under the charge of Moharebeh, or "enmity against God," which is punishable by death and called the charges "grossly disproportionate." - 2/9/10
Call for prosecution of former Tehran Prosecutor
A group of Iranian Members of Parliament called for the dismissal and prosecution of Saeed Mortazavi, former Prosecutor of Tehran and all other perpetrators of the "Kahrizak catastrophe." -Radio Zamaneh - 2/8/10
Shiva Nazarahari's Mother: "Release My Daughter, She is Innocent!"
Shahrzad Kariman, mother of imprisoned human rights activist Shiva Nazarahari who was arrested on 20 December 2009, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that her daughter's activities with the Committee of Human Rights Reporters was completely legal and charges such as "association with MKO" are baseless. - 2/8/10
Iran: Refomist Group Issues Demands, Calls For National Poll
The reformist party Etemad-e Melli, headed by opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, has issued a statement on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Etemad-e Melli has analyzed the causes of the current crisis and made comprehensive proposals to resolve the problems country is facing. - 2/7/10
Iran's Mourning Mothers: "Stop The Executions"
Mourning Mothers, a group of wives and mothers who have lost their spouses or children during the post-elections protests or whose spouses or children are currently in prison, have issued a statement, objecting to executions of political protesters and execution sentences for several political prisoners, demanding revocation of death sentences for political prisoners. - 2/7/10
Iran's Ayaollah Dastgheyb: One Person Cannot Rule 70 Million People
"It is not possible that only one person run the country. There have to be laws and the Supreme Leader is also in the law. There have to be a law because one person cannot rule 70 million people." - 2/7/10
Iran: Rights defenders pressured to "confess"
Seven members of an Iranian human rights organization, the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, are being held in detention in Tehran. They are under pressure to "confess" to links with a banned opposition group, in which case they might face charges which can carry the death penalty. -Amnesty International - 2/7/10
Iranian authorities arrest "collaborators of Radio Farda"
Iranian Ministry of Intelligence arrested seven people accused of "ties with Radio Farda." While the announcement by the Ministry does not refer to the identity of the detainees, it does claim that they "had gone through the hiring and training process in Dubai and Istanbul." - 2/7/10
Unite for human rights in Iran on February 11th
February 11th is Victory of the Revolution Day in Iran. Equivalent to the Fourth of July in the United States, it is a day commemorating liberty, independence and freedom...That is why we are asking everyone to show their solidarity online on February 11th – whether it's on your blog, website, or social networking profile. -Amnesty International - 2/7/10
Please Release Our Children
One evening last week at the Free Library of Philadelphia, I met Alex Fattal. I saw pain on his face, as he came up to me. A nice, kind young man, he told me who he was. I learned that he is the brother of Josh Fattal who, along with two of his friends, was on a hiking vacation in Iraqi Kurdistan before they were arrested by the Iranian authorities. -Fariba Amini - 2/7/10
Labor Protests Held In Several Iranian Cities
A series of labor protests have taken place in several Iranian cities this week, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. Protests and strikes have been held in recent months over unpaid salaries and other work-related demands, but the past few weeks have seen an exceptional amount of such actions. -RFE - 2/6/10
Iran: Qhoba Mosque in Shiraz Attacked by Basij Militia
Reformist website Jaras reports Basij forces attacked frequenters of Ghoba Mosque in Shiraz and injured them with rocks and stones. Shiraz's Ghoba Mosque has been witness to numerous altercations between pro-government forces and supporters of Ayatollah Dastgheib in the past months. - 2/5/10
Internet access heavily obstructed in Iran
At the threshold of February 11 protests, internet access has become more and more precarious in Iran. Internet users report that Gmail and Yahoo mail are consistently disrupted and in some cities internet access has been completely cut off for many hours during the day. -Zamaneh - 2/5/10
Human Rights: A Transformation for US-Iran Policy?
At a panel presented yesterday by the Center for American Progress, Ghaemi was joined by Geneive Abdo, Matt Duss and Michael Signer to discuss how the US can elevate the role of Human Rights within its Iran policy. The panel collectively agreed that greater focus is needed on human rights issues involving Iran. -NIAC - 2/5/10
Court Rebukes Dutch Policy on Iranian Scientists
A court in The Hague has dealt a blow to the Dutch government's controversial attempts to keep sensitive nuclear technology out of the hands of Iran. Its policy to ban Iranian-born students and scientists from certain master's degrees and from nuclear research facilities in the Netherlands is overly broad and a violation of an international civil rights treaty, the court ruled today. -Science Magazine - 2/4/10
Iran: Leading Human Rights Activist Arrested
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran denounced the arrest today of Kaveh Ghasemi Kermanshahi, a leading human rights activist, member of the Central Council of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan, and journalist. - 2/4/10
Saudi operator Arabsat takes Iran's Al-Alam network off air
The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Saudi-run satellite operator Arabsat to return to air the Iranian-owned Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Alam, which stopped broadcasting January 27 without prior notice, according to international news reports. - 2/4/10
Renowned director presents her Prix Henri Langlois award to Mourning Mothers of Iran
Renowned Iranian director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad received the Prix Henri Langlois at the French festival for her collection of cinematic productions. "I dedicate this award to all the mourning mothers of my land", she said at picking up her award. - 2/3/10
Iran To Execute Nine More Protesters, As Opposition Leader Denounces 'Dictatorship'
The deputy head of Iran's judiciary says nine more protesters are to be executed soon over the unrest that erupted following the controversial June presidential elections. Iran's Fars news agency quoted Ebrahim Raisi as saying that the nine were linked to counterrevolutionary groups and planned to topple the Islamic regime. -RFE - 2/2/10
No Information About Jailed Iranian Artist Mehraneh Atashi
Internationally recognized photographer Mehraneh Atashi, along with her husband Madjid Ghaffari, were arrested on 12 January 2010 in their home in Tehran and detained, apparently in solitary confinement in ward 209 of Evin prison, but authorities have released no information about charges against them, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. - 2/2/10
Iran Judiciary Chief Reveals Political Pressures to Execute Detained Protesters
Sadegh Larijani, Head of Iranian Judiciary, said on Sunday that a group in Iran are demanding "accelerated" punishment of protesters arrested during the post-elections events in Iran. He has added that such demands are politically-motivated and illegal. - 2/2/10
Photos: Jask Villagers Have a Dream --- Water
Many villages in the vicinity of the Iranian port city of Jask still lack safe drinking water. Two tankers deliver water to 60 villages is the area every two months. When the village children see water, they think they've reached heaven... -Photos by Abdolhossein Rezvani - 1/31/10
Iran: Members of Committee of Human Rights Reporters Under Pressure to Make Forced Confessions
Different sources told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today that the arrested members of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters are under pressure to deliver forced confessions about the Committee's affiliation with the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO). - 1/31/10
Iran Puts 16 More Protesters On Trial
Iran's state media reports that 16 more opposition activists have been put on trial in Tehran today in connection with postelection protests in late December. The official IRNA news agency says five of the defendants are accused of being "mohareb" (enemies of God) and "corrupt on earth." Both are crimes punishable by death under the Iranian legal system, which is based on Islamic Shari'a law. - 1/30/10
SourceForge bars 5 nations from open source downloads
Open-source code repository SourceForge.net has begun automatically blocking the internet addresses of users from countries such as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Sudan, and Syria in an attempt to enforce a policy forbidding them from downloading free software. -The Register - 1/30/10
'You Can't Punish Someone Before He Commits A Crime'
Nineteen-year-old Arash Rahmanipour was executed in Iran on January 28 after being convicted of waging war against God and attempting to overthrow the Iranian regime. The charges against Rahmanipour related to his alleged role in Iran's postelection unrest. His father, Davoud Rahmanipour, told Radio Farda broadcaster Baktash Khamsehpour about what he called an unjust sentence against his son. - 1/29/10
Hardliner Cleric Commends Iran Executions, Wants More
Ayatollah Ahmad Janati told today's worshipers at Tehran's Friday Mass prayers that it is no time to show "mercy" and if we show any "weakness," we will run into difficulties. He called on the Head of the Judiciary to confront "rioters" firmly without mercy. - 1/29/10
Silencing The Opposition: Five More Executions Pending Approval in Iran
Tehran prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi announced that five Ashura Day detainees have been handed the death sentence and their file is currently at the stage of appeal. Iranian Students News agency (ISNA) reports that Dowlatabadi also announced that the public trial of a number of other people charged on Ashura Day will take place on Saturday. -Zamaneh - 1/29/10
Iran: Pace of Political Executions Accelerating
The execution of two men charged with crimes in connection with alleged membership in illegal anti-government organizations, and the announcement of death sentences for nine other persons arrested for protest activities, are part of a growing wave of political executions in the Islamic Republic, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. - 1/29/10
Iran Hangs Two Sentenced In Postelection Trials
Today at dawn, 37-year-old Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and 19-year-old Arash Rahmanipour were hanged after being convicted of attempting to overthrow the Iranian regime. The two were among over 100 detainees who were put on trial following street protests that erupted in Iran following the disputed reelection of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 1/28/10
Detention of 10 Baha'is leads to fears for other prisoners
Concern is growing over the lack of information about the status of 10 Baha'is who were arrested earlier this month in Iran. In addition to worry about their safety, there are fears that charges against these 10 will be used to create false evidence in court against the seven Baha'i leaders who have been held since 2008 and whose trial is set to resume on 7 February. - 1/28/10
Iranina Feminist Attorney, Shadi Sadr, Critiques Mehdi Karroubi's Five-Point Plan
On January 11, 2010, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the two reformist presidential candidates who have challenged the fraudulent June 2009 Iranian election, issued a statement in which he offered five ways for the Islamic Republic to exit the "current extensive crisis." The next day, Shadi Sadr, feminist attorney and human rights activist, issued a critique which focused on the first point of Karroubi's five-point plan. - 1/27/10
U.S. Says Iran Denies Access To Jailed Hikers
The U.S. State Department has expressed concern about the welfare of three U.S. hikers who have been imprisoned in Iran since July, saying they may be held in "deplorable conditions." -RFE - 1/27/10
Academics Worldwide Condemn Assassination of Iranian Professor and State Violence
On 12 January 2010 Tehran University physicist, Professor Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, was killed by a remote control bomb in front of his house in northern Tehran. This was a clear case of targeted assassination and another example of atrocities taking place in the Islamic Republic of Iran. - 1/26/10
Call for indepndent probe into assassination of Iranian professor
Over 100 academics from universities all across the world have condemned the assassination of physics lecturer, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi in Tehran and called for an independent investigation into his death. -Zamaneh - 1/25/10
Concerns for health of Iranian political prisoner Ebrahim Yazdi
Friends and relatives of Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi have expressed concern over the state of his health and have appealed to international organizations for help in securing his release. - 1/25/10
Happy Birthday, Neda
If Neda Agha Soltan were alive, she would have turned 27 on January 23, 2010. Neda was shot and killed about seven months ago during a peaceful protest in Tehran against the reelection of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 1/24/10
Photos: Iranian political prisoner Mohsen Safai-Farahani, on leave from Evin prision, greeted by activists
A group of political activists visited Mohesen Safai-Farahani, prominent member of the Participation Front at his home. Safai-Farahani was given five days of leave from Evin prison on a heavy bail. - 1/24/10
Why Are Internet Rights Becoming Part Of U.S. Foreign Policy?
In a speech on Internet freedom on January 21, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that "countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic rights of Internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the next century." -Charles Recknagel, RFE - 1/24/10
Another vicitm of torture at Iran's notorious Kahrizak prison identified
Abdolhosein Ruholamini revealed the identity of another Kahrizak torture victim and called for the resignation of Saeed Mortazavi, former Tehran Prosecutor. Abdolhosein Ruholamini is the father of Mohsen Ruholamini, another Kahrizak victim. He announced that Ramin Aghazadeh Ghahremani is the fourth detainee who died from the severe injuries he suffered in Kahrizak. - 1/23/10
Program in Sunnyvale, California in Support of Iranian Journalists
Saturday, Jan 23rd 2010 - 7:30 to Midnight -- Join Us to Support Iranian Journalists who have been forced to flee their country to escape the relentless repression since the fraudulent presidential election in Iran . We invite you to a special event to benefit Iranian journalists, photographers, and bloggers who are in urgent need as they search for safe refuge. - 1/23/10
Iranian authorities step up pressure on student group
Iranian security officials are pressuring the student organization, Unity Consolidation Bureau (Daftar-e Takhim-e Vahdat) to announce its dissolution. Bahareh Hedayat, Milad Asadi, Mehdi Arabshahi and Morteza Samiari are the detained executive members of the Bureau who are being pressured to make this announcement. -Zamaneh - 1/23/10
Human Rights World Report 2010: Iran Targets Human Rights Messengers
The 612-page report, HRW's 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights trends in more than 90 nations. Human Rights Watch cited Sudan and China as countries that routinely shut down human rights groups and Iran and Uzbekistan as countries that openly harass and arbitrarily detain human rights workers and other critics. - 1/23/10
Lawyer says two Iranian doctors may soon be released on appeal
Two celebrated Iranian AIDS doctors with ties to Boston who were convicted in Iran of trying to overthrow the regime could soon be released from prison on appeal, according to their lawyer. -Boston Globe - 1/23/10
Families of Iranian Detainees Targeted by Authorities
Leila Farhadpour, journalist and women's right activist, was arrested yesterday at her home by security officials. On Monday, she had gone to Evin Prison to follow up on her detained son's case. Suffering from heart complications, she fainted at the prison and was transferred to the hospital. She was later arrested back at her home. -Zamaneh - 1/22/10
Iran: No Information About Detained Women's Rights Activist
Hundreds of Detainees in Similar Situation, Disappeared into Prisons --- Iranian judicial and prison authorities have refused to release any information about charges against women's rights activist Somayeh Rashidi (24), who was arrested on 19 December 2009, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. - 1/22/10
Another 18 Protesters Indicted by Iranian Judiciary
Iranian judiciary has indicted another 18 detainees of Ashura Day events in Tehran. According to the judiciary report, following the "completion of investigations and based on official reports and detainee confessions," the accused are charged with "assembly and collaboration against national security and propaganda against the regime." -Zamaneh - 1/22/10
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