IRAN

[ feature ] Except for a brief period in the beginning of President Mohammad Khatami's first term (1998-2000); and earlier, between 1941, when Allied forces occupied Iran, and 1953, the year the CIA-led a coup against the popular government of Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh, freedom of the press in Iran has been under constant assault over the past century. Hundreds of Iranian journalists have been jailed or driven into exile. Many have been murdered. In short, Iran has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist.

Iranian officials have always claimed that there is complete freedom of expression in Iran. Many Iranians may agree with that assessment. The real problem is that there is almost never any freedom after expression. Almost any public expression of opinion in a large gathering has been immediately followed by harsh government retribution. This has been true for at least 120 years.

After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president in June 2005, Hossein Saffar Harandi, a Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was appointed Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the official organ that supervises and monitors the press and book publication. "Every official political group and party will be allowed to have its own publication and mouthpiece," Saffar Harandi pronounced at the time.

But it quickly became clear that what Saffar Harandi had in mind was a privilege reserved for Ahmadinejad allies. Even Hamshahri, the daily published by Tehran's city council, was assaulted by Saffar Harandi's Ministry, because it was acting as the mouthpiece of Ahmadinejad's competitor, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. Ironically, Qalibaf, a Principlist, was the former commander of the IRGC air force.

After the rigged June 12 presidential election, as widespread demonstrations and protests gripped the country, many leading reformist journalists and bloggers were arrested and imprisoned. The pace of arrests has not slowed down. While some journalists have been released, many more remain incarcerated, and others handed long prison sentences. Some journalists who are also recognized as political figures have been treated harshly. Long stretches in solitary confinement has been a common feature of these incarcerations.

Last month Reporters Without Borders (RWB), the international press watchdog group, released its latest Press Freedom Index (PFI), a ranking of countries in terms of the degree of freedom that their journalists enjoy. Although Iran's ranking has never been high, it fell precipitously in the wake of the demonstrations that broke out this summer. The demonstrations gave rise to what RWB called "regime paranoia about journalists and bloggers." But, in fact, that paranoia has always existed in Iran.

RWB's bottom ten consists of Vietnam, Yemen, China, Laos, Cuba, Burma, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea. Iran, a virtual military junta led by the IRGC, is in "distinguished" company: Burma, a country also run by a military junta; Turkmenistan, a nation under the spell of a cult of personality; and North Korea, a country in the clutches of a reclusive "Dear Leader."

So many reformist newspapers and publications have been closed after the rigged election that Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, the distinguished reformist journalist, estimates that at least 2000 people have lost their jobs over the last four months alone. He has said that 400 journalists have asked him for a letter of recommendation, hoping to find jobs abroad. At least 30 journalists have been forced to leave Iran, including Nazila Fathi, a contract writer in Tehran for the New York Times.

The following is a list of those whose arrest and imprisonment have been confirmed, together with a brief background, if available. Some may have been released, which is noted if the information was available. The list may not be exhaustive. This list contains the names of 74 journalists, but the RWB has said that 100 journalists have been arrested in Iran over the past 150 days.

Marjan Abdollahian was on the staff of the moderate conservative Hamshahri newspaper, published by Tehran's city council; arrested July 9.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi Chief of Staff, and then Vice President to Mohammad Khatami for parliamentary affairs; a principal advisor to Mehdi Karroubi (the other reformist candidate) in the rigged June presidential election; popular reformist and one of the first clerics to launch a blog, Webnevesht; a leading member of the Association of Combatant Clerics, the reformist leftist clerical organization that supports Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Bahman Ahmadi Amooei journalist and husband of Jila Bani Yaghoob.

Reza Alijani winner of RWB's 2001 Fondation de France press freedom prize; close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalition, has been jailed numerous times; arrested June 13 (later released).

Morteza Alviri leading advisor to Mehdi Karroubi; contributor to many reformist newspapers, particularly to the daily Hamshahri, when he was Tehran's Mayor (released recently).

Mahsa Amrabadi reporter for the Etemaad-e Melli (National Trust) daily, the mouthpiece of the National Trust Party of Mehdi Karroubi; arrested June 14 and kept in solidarity confinement while pregnant (released recently).

Karim Arghandehpour journalist writing for reformist newspapers Salaam, and, Vaghaa-ye Ettefaaghiyeh, both of which were shut down by the hard-liners. He ran a blog, www.futurama.ir.

Hassan Asadi Zaydabadi blogger, and director of the human rights committee of the Organization of University Graduates of Islamic Iran (known in Iran as Advaar-e Tahkim); a supporter of Karroubi.

Mohammad Atrianfar deputy Interior Minister in the first Khatami administration; member of the Central Committee of the Executives of Reconstruction Party (ERP), a reformist party; editor-in-chief of the popular daily Hamshahri during the second Khatami administration; manager of Shargh, a popular daily reformist newspaper shut down by the hardliners.

Shokoufeh Azar reformist journalist.

Jila Baniyaghoob prominent female journalist, working previously for many reformist newspapers; editor of the website Kannon-e Zanaan-e Irani (Center for Iranian Women); writing at http://irwomen.net; winner of numerous awards (released).

Behzad Basho cartoonist, arrested June 14.

Masoud Bastani journalist and husband of Mahsa Amrabadi. On 5 July when he asked authorities about the fate of his pregnant wife, he was also arrested. After his show trial, he was handed a sentence of several years in jail.

Misagh Bolhasani a poet publishing her work in dailies and other publications.

Mohammad Davari Editor of Soham News, the official website of Karroubi's National Trust Party; arrested August 12.

Alireza Eftekhari journalist working for Abrar, an economic daily; died from injuries sustained on 15 June at the hands of security forces.

Satiar Emami Photojournalist.

Mostafa Ghavanlou Qajar blogs at www.shajar.ir and contributor to the U.S.-funded Radio Farda.

Saeed Hajjarian leading reformist strategist; advisor to Mohammad Khatami during his presidency; editor-in-chief of Sobh-e Emrooz (this morning), a leading reformist newspaper shut down by the hardliners; member of the Central Committee of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front, Iran's largest political party; deputy Minister of Intelligence for counter-intelligence (1984-89); semi-paralyzed by an assassination attempt on his life in March 2000; recently released after receiving a suspended five-year sentence following a televised show trial.

Mir-Hamid Hassanzadeh formerly with ISNA, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) and director of Ghalam News website, close to Mir-Hossein Mousavi; arrested August 5.

Hadi Haydari cartoonist and member of the public relations department of the Islamic Iran Participation Front. (released)

Mashallah Haydarzadeh a journalist active in southern Iran; arrested June 14.

Arash Hejazi writer and publisher (tried and sentenced to several months in jail).

Alireza Hosseini Beheshti Editor-in-Chief of Kalameh Sabz (green word), the daily mouthpiece of Mir Hossein Mousavi. The daily was closed after the rigged election (since released).

Kouroush Javan photojournalist.

Hamzeh Karami reformist journalist.

Mohammad Reza Khatami younger brother of the former president; a medical doctor (nephrologist); former deputy Health Minister for two years; one of the founders of the Islamic Iran Participation Front in 1998, its first Secretary-General, and currently a member of its central committee; a faculty member at Tehran University of Medical Sciences; elected in March 2000 to the 6th Majles as the first Tehran deputy with 1,794,365 votes; managing editor of the now-banned reformist daily Mosharekat [participation], the mouthpiece of the IIPF; married to Zahra Eshraghi, granddaughter of Ayatollah Khomeini and an activist in women's rights (released later).

Mehdi Khazali publisher of Hayyan; son of prominent conservative cleric, Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali.

Ebrahim Khoshchehreh journalist close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalition, active in Lahijan (in northern Iran); arrested June 21.

Saeed Leylaaz Economic advisor to the Khatami administration; journalist; strong critic of Ahmadinejad's economic policies.

Hassan Maadikhah director of the Zarreh Publication and son of Abdol-Majid Maadikhah, the former Minister of Cultural and Islamic Guidance.

Hamideh Mahhozi a reformist journalist active in southern Iran.

Mehdi Mahmoudian Reformist journalist and human rights advocate; arrested September 16.

Javad Mahzadeh reformist journalist.

Rajabali Mazrouiee head of the Journalists Association; reformist Majles (parliament) deputy in the 6th Majles (2000-2004); economic editor of Salaam (1991-1999), the popular reformist daily that was closed by the hardliners in 1999; arrested on 20 June (released later).

Seyyed Khalil Mir Ashrafi a television producer and journalist, arrested June 14.

Mohsen Mirdamadi Secretary-General of the Islamic Iran Participation Front; chairman of the 6th Majles Committee on National Security; one of the three principal leaders of US Embassy takeover in 1979; editor of Norooz, the mouthpiece of IIPF, which was closed by the hardliners; arrested June 14.

Saeed Movahedi freelance photojournalist; arrested July 9.

Mohammad Hossein Naeimipour blogged at www.mowj.ir; leader of Pouyesh-e Sabz (Green Wave), a youth organization supporting Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi; son of Mohammad Naeimipour, the prominent reformist journalist.

Shiva Nazari Ahari blogged at http://azadiezan.blogspot.com; member of the Reporters of Human Rights Committee; arrested June 13.

Behanam Nikzad journalist arrested on November 4.

Kambiz Norouzi Secretary of the Legal Committee of the Iranian Journalists Association.

Mohammad Reza Nourabakhsh editor of the daily Farhikhtegan (the intellectual elites); recently closed by the hardliners.

Hossein Nouraninejad runs the blog, haboot-e natamam; director of Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign in western Tehran; a leading member of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front.

Fariba Pajooh journalist covering national politics and foreign policy for major Iranian news agencies and newspapers since 1999, including dailies such as Shargh, Etemad Melli, Ham Mihan (all closed by the hardliners), Iran, Aftab Yazd, and Seda-ye Edalat; Shahr news agency, the Iranian Labor News Agency, the Iranian Student News Agency; and Gozaresh, a monthly magazine.

Ali Pirhosseinlou blogger for Norooz, the website of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front; arrested together with his wife (released after 50 days in jail).

Farhad Pouladi journalist working for AFP; arrested November 4 (reportedly released).

Mojtaba Pourmohsen editor of Gilaan-e Emrooz (Today's Gilaan); Gilaan is a province in northern Iran by the Caspian Sea; contributor to Radio Zamaneh (a Persian radio station based in the Netherlands) from Rasht (Gilaan's provincial capital); arrested June 15.

Mohammad Qoochani prominent reformist journalist, editor of many reformist newspapers shut down by the hardliners (e.g., Shargh [east]; Hammihan [compatriot], and the weekly, Shahrvand Emrooz [today's citizen]); editor of Etemaad-e Melli; son-in-law of Emad Baghi, the prominent journalist and human rights advocate (released recently).

Taghi Rahmani close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalitions; has spent 14 years in jail over the past 30 years; husband of Narges Mohammadi, a prominent human rights advocate; arrested June 13 (and later released).

Hoda Saber close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalition; jailed numerous times; arrested June 13 (released later).

Shadi Sadr journalist and human rights advocate (released later).

Eisa Saharkhiz an outspoken journalist critic of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; contributor to www.roozonline.com; in charge of the domestic press during the first two years of Khatami's presidency, a period when the Iranian press blossomed; arrested July 5.

Majid Saidi Photojournalist

Kayvan Samimi Behbahani Managing editor of Naameh (Letter), a monthly publication, close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalition. Naameh was also closed.

Negar Sayeh journalist

Hengameh Shahidi journalist for Etemaad-e Melli and advisor to Karroubi; went on a hunger strike in jail (released recently; currently on trial).

Ruhollah Shahsavar a journalist in Mashhad (in northeastern Iran); arrested June 17.

Saeed Shariti the editor of the news website Nooroz, the official site of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front, the largest political party in Iran.

Mehdi Shirzad blogger; son of Dr. Ahmad Shirzad, a leading member of Islamic Iran Participation Front, and a critic of Ahmadinejad's nuclear policy. (released)

Amanollah Shojaei a blogger living in Bushehr, in southern Iran; arrested June 14.

Hossein Shokouhi reporter and journalist writing for Payaam-e Jonoob (the Message of the South), in southern Iran.

Fariborz Soroush freelance journalist who worked for US-funded Radio Farda; imprisoned in the past for his work for Radio Farda; arrested in Karaj, a town 40 km west of Tehran.

Abdolreza Tajik political activist, economist, and close to the Freedom Movement of Iran and the Nationalist-Religious Coalition; has worked for many reformist newspapers, including Bahar (closed in 2001), Hambastegi (closed in 2003) and Shargh (closed in 2008); arrested June 14 at the headquarters of the daily Farhikhtegan (the intellectual elites). (released)

Mostafa Tajzadeh Deupty Interior Minister in the first Khatami administration; supervised elections for the first city councils and the 6th Majles, praised for its even-handedness and transparency; member of the Central Committees of both the Islamic Iran Participation Front and the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization; outspoken critic of the hardliners; contributor to many reformist newspapers and websites; arrested June 14.

Mojtaba Tehrani Journalist at Etemaad-e Melli daily, arrested 29 June.

Somayyeh Tohidloo blogger at http://smto.ir ; political activist; sociologist; supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Mehdi Yazdani Khorram an editor at Etemaad-e Melli, arrested 5 August.

Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah journalist and blogger, arrested 7 July.

Mehdi Zaboli is a photographer.

Ali Zare is photojournalist for the daily Hamshahri.

Nafiseh Zare Kohan is a blogger who worked for many reformist newspapers; arrested 4 November together with her husband Hojjat Sharifi.

Ahmad Zaydabadi distinguished journalist writing for roozonline.com and print media in Iran; Secretary General of the Organization of University Graduates of Islamic Iran (known in Iran as Advaar-e Tahkim); a supporter of Karroubi and close to the Nationalist-Religious Coalition. According to his wife Mahdiyeh Mohammadi, he has been kept in solitary confinement for so long that at one point he came close to committing suicide. He is said to be under incredible pressure to apologize to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for writing an open letter criticizing the Supreme Leader.

In addition, Maziar Bahari, the Iranian-Canadian journalist and a correspondent for Newsweek in Iran, was arrested on 22 June. He was released on bail on October 17 and was allowed to leave Iran.

Foreign journalists have also not escaped the wrath of the hardliners. Two Dutch TV journalists working for Nederland 2 were arrested and expelled. Reporter Yolanda Alvarez of the Spanish television station TVE was deported together with her crew. Jon Leyne of the BBC was also expelled. A Danish journalism student, Niels Krogsgaard, 31, has been the latest foreigner targeted. He was reported missing on Wednesday, 4 November after attending a rally making the 30th anniversary of the US Embassy takeover.

The new Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance is Seyyed Ahmad Hossein, who was the president of Payam-e Nour (message of light) University. The ultra-conservative's deputy in charge of the press is Mohammad Ali Ramin, a reactionary who lived in Germany, where he may have been associated with Neo-Nazis. Ramin was behind Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust, and secretary-general of the 2006 Holocaust conference in Tehran.

In his first act as the Deputy Minister, Ramin ordered closure of Sarmayeh (capital), a daily close to the reformists.

It's not clear what crime these journalists have committed other than showing support for candidates who were carefully vetted by the conservative Guardian Council. Others were defending the human and political rights of Iranians and deserve the support of all those who care about human dignity and freedom.

Shuttering newspapers and jailing journalists who have been reporting and analyzing the events of the past few months, even when critical of the government, is in the national interest of the Islamic Republic (especially if it continues to claim any part of that name). When people are unable to get accurate information and objective analysis from informed sources inside the country, they turn to foreign outlets whose understanding of Iran is far less. Some may even try to spin information to advance the interests of foreign powers. If Iran were a bit more sophisticated about its security interests, it should be clear by now that it's on the wrong path.

Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau

[ dispatch ] A quarter of a century ago, David Mack was the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and serving under him as consul general in Dubai was an experienced foreign service officer who spoke fluent Persian and Arabic. The Islamic revolution and the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran was a fresh memory then, and Mack recalls that Tehran's intelligence service had taken to keeping a close watch on the U.S. consulate in Dubai, a city which welcomed many thousands of Iranians, from political refugees who'd fled Iran to Iranian businessmen who used Dubai as a base of operations. The new consul general in Dubai, Mack remembers, received a steady stream of calls from many of those Iranians.

But Iran had a special reason to pay attention to the consul general in Dubai. He was John Limbert, the U.S. diplomat who'd been taken hostage in the embassy in Tehran and held for 444 days.

Today, Limbert is settling in as deputy assistant secretary of state for Iran in the Bureau of Near East Affairs, making him the chief partner of William Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs, who's been President Obama's point man on negotiating with Iran. Asked about Limbert after an appearance at the annual conference of the Middle East Institute in Washington on Tuesday, Burns seemed excited to be working with Limbert, who's returning to the State Department after retiring some years ago. "Oh, he's a wonderful man," says Burns.

Mack agrees. "He was a clever appointment," says Mack, in an interview. "The Iranians always try to parade their victimhood in talks. 'You did this and that to us,' they say. But they'll have a hard time doing that with John!" Mack says that Limbert has done a lot of strategic thinking about how to negotiate with Iran. "Though he was deprived of his liberty for 444 days, he has no grudges," says Mack. "But he is also totally without any illusions about Iran."

One thing about Limbert makes him stand out: he is the only U.S. diplomat or official who has had a private encounter with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Back in 1980, when Limbert was a hostage, Khamenei -- then a senior member of Iran's revolutionary leadership who would eventually become president of Iran -- visited Limbert to inquire about his well-being. According to Mack, when Khamenei asked if he needed anything, Limbert looked the cleric in the eye and said that he needed his "liberty." Limbert, says Mack, spent a lot of time during his captivity taking the measure of the band of students who were holding the U.S. diplomats. "Limbert's attitude was unique," says Mack. "He knows a lot about the religion of Islam. His approach to the students was, 'I am your teacher, and I am very disappointed that you have not learned your lessons well.'"

Iran-watchers in Washington are abuzz about Limbert's appointment, first reported last week in Politico by Laura Rozen. Just this fall, Limbert published a book, Negotiating with Iran: Wrestling with the Ghosts of History, that draws lessons from past diplomatic encounters with Iran, from the Azerbaijan crisis of 1945-1947 to the Mossadegh crisis of 1951-1953 through the fall of the Shah and the Iran-contra affair of the mid-1980s. In a talk at the U.S. Institute of Peace to release the book on September 23, Limbert declared his belief that talking with Iran required patience, persistence, and an understanding of Iran's specific characteristics.

In person, Limbert is self-effacing and genial, sporting a mustache that matches his graying hair and sets off his dark brown eyes. Not only is he a Persian speaker, but his wife, Parveneh, is an Iranian. Going into talks with Iran, he says, "If you assume you are going to fail, you will fail." Based on his long-time study of Iran, including those difficult months in captivity, Limbert says that above all Iran is motivated by domestic politics and by its leadership's desire to stay in power. The priority for the regime, he says, is political survival. In talks, the question is: "Does engaging with the United States ... help my survival in power, or does it open the floodgates to political change that could sweep me out of power?"

It's long past time to talk to Iran, Limbert says. "The motto of the Near East Bureau is: 'Now is not the time.' Well, there's always going to be some obstacles." He rejects the idea that the United States ought to focus on regime change or human rights in Iran at the expense of serious talks on U.S.-Iran relations. "That's what we've been stuck in for 30 years. We've been glaring at each other. It hasn't gotten us anywhere."

Iran, he says, "is torn between being a state and being a cause." Lately, however, he says that Iran has tempered its earlier militant defense of Islam everywhere. It was, he notes, silent on China's conflict with its Uighur Muslim minority, and it hasn't spoken out on Russia's suppression of the Chechens.

From 1969 to 1972, Limbert was an English instructor at Shiraz University. As a foreign service officer, Limbert served as charge d'affaires in Khartoum and as ambassador to Mauretania. His new position, as DAS for Iran, is a brand new post at the State Department, and in effect Limbert replaces the role of Dennis Ross, a hardliner on Iran, who earlier this year moved over to the White House. At the State Department, Limbert will report to Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman.

In his book, Negotiating with Iran, Limbert writes:

"Talking to Iran, hard and disagreeable as it might be, is likely to be more productive than continuing almost three decades of noisy and sometimes violent confrontation. The U.S. should have no illusions. Discussions with the Islamic Republic are unlikely in the short run to have the kind of positive outcomes the U.S. might wish for. Iran is not going to change its behavior immediately and stop all of its misdeeds in the areas of terrorism, Middle East peace, human rights, and nuclear development. Yet through serious negotiations--even with a regime it dislikes and mistrusts--the U.S. may discover areas of common interest that lurk behind walls of hostility and suspicion."

Before going back to the State Department, Limbert served on the advisory board of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a lobbying group that has forthrightly supported unconditional talks with Iran and that opposes further sanctions. In a statement, Trita Parsi, the president of NIAC, said that Limbert is the right person to implement President Obama's vision of a new start with Iran.

"With Limbert in the State Department tasked to complete that vision, history will be completed: A person who stood at the center of U.S.-Iran relations when they broke down 30 years ago, will lead the efforts to restore the broken ties. There are few people in the United States that know Iran as well as Ambassador Limbert. He's not only expert on Iranian foreign policy, but also on Iranian poetry, which matters a lot. I can't think of anyone more suitable for this job," said Parsi.

Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau

Mesbah Yazdi's friends and allies

Tabnak | Nov. 9, 2009

Rajanews announced the names of Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi's students, confidants and political companions. The list includes the following names:

Hojjatoleslam Gholam-Reza Fayazi (philosophy teacher)
Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mahmoud Nabavian (Islamic thought expert)
Hojjatoleslam Mahmoud Rajabi
Hojjatoleslam Morteza Aqa-Tehrani (Mysticism expert and a graduate of a Canadian school; long-term former resident of Canada and US)
Seyyed Mohammad-Reza Tabatabayi (director of the Jameat al-Zahra women's seminary)
Dr. Abbas-Ali Shameli (assistant professor at the Imam Khomeini Institute)
Dr. Seyyed Ahmad Rahnamayi (information deputy at the Imam Khomeini Institute)
Dr. Mohammad Fanayi-Eshkevari (assistant professor at the Imam Khomeini Institute)
Dr. Shomali (assistant professor at the Imam Khomeini Institute)
Dr. Mohammad-Javad Zarean (head of the Imam Khomeini Institute publications)
Akbar Mir-Sepah (professor of Quranic sciences)
Seyyed Mohammad Qaravi (head of the psychology faculty of the Imam Khomeini Institute)
Mohammad-Hossein Bahjati-Ardakani (Friday Prayers Leader of Ardakan)
Ali Mobasheri (head of the Islamic Revolution Courts of Tehran)
Parviz Davoudi (former first vice president and head of the Imam Khomeini Institute's economics faculty)
Manouchehr Mohammadi (deputy foreign minister- head of the Imam Khomeini Institute's faculty of political sciences)
Abbas-Ali Kadkhodayi (Guardian Council Spokesman and head of the Imam Khomeini Institute's faculty of law)
Gholam-Hossein Elham (former government spokesman and Guardian Council member)
Ebrahim Fayaz, Hossein kachouyan, Mousa Najafi , Qasem Ravanbakhsh, Mohammad-Naser Saqayi-Biriya, Ali-Reza Panahian, Mohammad Fanayi-Nematsara, Mahmoud Namazi, Hossein Jalali, Mohammad-Hossein Borjian, Mahmoud Dehqani, Mojtaba and Ali Mesbah-Yazdi, Ahmad Jahan-Bozorgi, Abdolmajid Eshkevari, Abolhassan Haqqani, Ali Masouminia, Hamid Kasiri, Abdoljavad Ebrahimi, Mohammad-Mehdi Naderi, Ahmad and Ali Abutorabi, Hamid Rasayi and Ahmad Rahdar.

Saffar-Harandi unwelcome in Gilan

Tabnak | Nov. 9, 2009

Students at Gilan University objected to a visit from Hossein Saffar-Harandi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's first Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The former Ershad minister's visit came on the heels of a frosty [hostile] welcome from students at Khajeh Nasir Toosi and Tehran University earlier.

According to the Fars News Agency report, Harandi's speech was interrupted with cries of "O Hossein, Mir Hossein," and "Liar Liar," to which he responded by saying, "If I'm a liar, then why is it that your minister of culture and Islamic guidance has fled the country?"

He was referring to Ataollah Mohajerani who has been vocally discrediting the Ahmadinejad administration from abroad.

"Is someone walks in here without warning they will see who the real aggressors are," Harandi said.

"Can the cry of 13 million people silence the voices of 24 million voters?" he asked.

At that point, student supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi reacted by chanting, "O Hossein, Mir Hossein" again. Ahmadinejad supporters then responded by shouting "Saffar, we love you." Mousavi supporters demanded that Harandi leave the venue.

Saffar-Harandi responded to them by saying, "I haven't come here upon your invitation to leave after your dismissal." Students interrupted him this time by singing the "yare dabestani" [childhood friend] song.

"This song was written by Mr. Jam in opposition to the US and the Shah at the beginning of the revolution and he must be praised for his work," said Saffar-Harandi.

Students shouted "No to Gaza, No to Lebanon, only Iran."

An irritated Saffar-Harandi responded, "Whomever loves Iran must love Gaza and Lebanon because they are standing thousands of miles away and are defending the borders. If it was not for them, you would have had to fight on the borders."

This time students began chanting, "Death to Israel, Death to the dictator" and one of the pro-Mousavi students took off his shoe to toss at Saffar-Harandi.

This time Saffar-Harandi said, "Montazer al Zaydi's coragous act of throwing his shoe at the occupier of his country does not mean that you can take your friend's shoe and hide behind him to throw it at your compatriot."

Supreme Leader grants interior minister control over police

Press TV | Nov. 10, 2009

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has appointed Iran's interior minister as deputy commander of the country's Armed Forces in charge of police forces.

In a decree issued by Commander-in-Chief of Iran's Armed Forces Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar was handed the post of deputy commander.

"In line with the critical responsibilities of the interior minister to ensure public security and order and as the close connection between this ministry and the police would ensure order and security [in the country]" I call on the commander-in-chief to allow the interior minister to assume control over the civil forces, Mohammad-Najjar wrote.

In response to the letter, Ayatollah Khamenei wrote "I appoint you as deputy commander of Armed Forces in charge of police forces."

The Leader added that further details about the official duties of the post would be announced shortly.

Jalili says he didn't 'negotiate' with Burns

Tabnak | Nov. 9, 2009

The Leader's representative to the Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, said his encounter with US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns was not considered a negotiation.

Speaking to seminary students in Qom on Monday, he said, "In the Geneva meeting, Mr. Burns and I exchanged a few words about Iran's nuclear issues, but I told him the [proper] framework is the [International Atomic Energy] Agency; these issues require expertise and they have no place here."

"One of the issues raised by the 9th government was that with respect to the nuclear and other international issues, our stance should be that of a claimant and not the accused."

When asked what percentage of the nuclear negotiations was in line with the views of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Jalili said, "No one has the authority to take any action that is not in line with the views of the Leader."

"God willing our foreign policy will continue on the path set by the Leader," he said.

Shakeri: Ahmadinejad met with spies, not politicians

Tabnak | Nov. 8, 2009

Mojtaba Shakeri, a member of the Revolution's Altruists Society, rejected Mehdi Karroubi's remarks about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's meeting with 50 important US officials. Shakeri said they were CIA spies posing as journalists.

"This meeting was with a number of American thinkers and journalists and in my opinion the reporters attending such events are CIA operatives," he said.

"Such meetings are not unprecedented as they also took place during [Ali Akbar] Hashemi [Rafsanjani]'s and [Mohammad] Khatami's terms in office."

"The British, American and French intelligence services use reporters to ask their guided questions at such meetings," said Shakeri, questioning the reason why an Iranian president should meet with CIA spies.

"I believe what Ahmadinejad says about resuming relations with the U.S. are reflective of the establishment's opinion. The establishment has decided to resume ties if there is a change in US behavior toward Iran and the Iranian nation," he said, explaining the Ahmadinejad government's change in stance toward talks with the US.

When asked why despite the lack of US policy change toward Iran, the government was still welcoming the prospect of mending Tehran-Washington ties, Shakeri said, "Those who make such claims [about the lack of policy change] must bring proof for their claims... and it should not be forgotten that announced policies and decision-making is up to the Supreme Leader; the government, as part of the establishment, will work within the framework [set by the Leader]."

When asked to what extent fear of military action and sanctions influenced the government's decision to [pursue] relations with the US, Shakeri said such threats had no effect because Iran had been confronted with more difficult periods and it had been proven that "sanctions and war are ineffective in making Iran budge".

He added that the Iranian establishment made decisions on international issues based on its interests.

Journalist faces deteriorating health in detention

Mowjcamp | Nov. 10, 2009

Detained journalist Fariba Pajooh was advised by prison doctors to take Xanax for a heart condition she has developed in captivity.

"While Ms. Pajooh's case was referred to the Revolution Court on Thursday, she is still under a lot of pressure. While she is no longer being interrogated and is therefore entitled to one phone call or visit every other day, she is still being prevented from it," an informed source told Mowjcamp.

"The indecent behavior of one of her female wardens has also exacerbated the situation," the source added.

The prison doctor has prescribed Xanax for a heart problem Pajooh has developed in prison. However, since the drug is not being administered on a regular basis, the doctor believes it will cause more severe health problems for her.

Pajooh is a journalist and blogger who has been in detention for 80 days. She has been under pressure from her interrogators. At times she had been threatened with immediate execution to confess to a wide range of crimes including having illicit sexual relations.

Iran 'frees Danish media student'

BBC | Nov. 10, 2009

The authorities in Iran have released a Danish media student arrested last week, the state news agency Irna says.

Niels Krogsgaard, 31, was detained on 4 November at an anti-government protest that coincided with a rally marking 30 years since the US embassy seizure.

On Monday, Iran's prosecutor general said Mr Krogsgaard had falsely claimed that he was a journalist when arrested.

Group asks Iran judiciary to halt execution of Ehsan Fatahian

HRI | Nov. 10, 2009

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today appealed to the chief of Iran's Judiciary, Ayatollah Larijani, to halt the execution of Ehsan Fatahian, whose execution is scheduled for 11 November at Sanandaj prison.

"We consider Mr. Fatahian to be a prisoner of conscience, who has been unjustly charged, sentenced in violation of Iranian law, and been convicted without due process and in the absence of evidence to prove the case against him," stated Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.

"The Judiciary should halt the execution and review the case to institute safeguards so similar miscarriages of justice will not occur again," he said.

Ehsan Fatahian, 28, is a member of Iran's Kurdish minority. He was initially arrested and tried in the first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj on the charge of conspiring against national security by being a member of an armed opposition group.

Mehdi Ahmadinejad's site filtered

Peymane | Nov. 9, 2009

Saniyehnews, a website allegedly belonging to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's son, Mehdi, was filtered. Mehdi Ahmadinejad is also the son-in-law of Esfandyar Rahim-Mashai.

The website had recently claimed that the Ayandehnews website belongs to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani.

Nateq-Nouri visits Kordan in hospital

Tabank | Nov. 9, 2009

Hojjatoleslam Ali-Akbar Nateq-Nouri visited the disgraced former Ahmadinejad interior minister Ali Kordan in the hospital.

Kordan, who has repeatedly undergone chemotherapy abroad for various illnesses, was hospitalized when his cold turned into something more serious.

So far Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Esfandyar Rahim-Mashai, Manouchehr Mottaki and a number of former and current ministers along with lawmakers such as Mohammad-Reza Bahonar and Alaeddin Boroujerdi have visited Kordan.

Rahnavard: Social problems led to Meshkatian's early demise

Tabnak | Nov. 9, 2009

Opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi's wife, Zahra Rahnavard, said the death of musician Parviz Meshkatian was not unrelated to the present situation in the country.

Speaking at the commemoration ceremony held for the Master Santour player at Tehran University, Rahnavard said, "The fragile souls of artists [such as Meshkatian] are unable to endure such social problems and so they become sick and leave the earthly plain."

"This was the fate of Meshkatian and the others who spread their wings and flew away from us before their time."

A lack of diplomatic etiquette?

Blog Watch | Nov. 9, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad awaited the arrival of Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Turkish Prime Minister's palace.

This is while diplomatic etiquette prevents the president of a country, as the highest ranking-executive power, to be left waiting for the prime minister of another country.

Reuters photos show the president waiting.

Iran's 2nd satellite scheduled for 2011

Press TV | Nov. 10, 2009

Iran has drawn up its final schedule to launch a semi-domestic research satellite, the Mesbah in 2011, part of Tehran's effort for an independent space program.

"The completion of the semi-domestic research satellite Mesbah is another recent achievement of Iranian aerospace experts," General Mehdi Farahi, head of Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) told Mehr News Agency.

"Mesbah (meaning 'Lantern' in Persian) has a lifelong of three years. It is equipped with a store and forward communications receiver that can gather information from various parts of the planet and transmits it back to earth," he said.

Iran October inflation rate down to 16.7%

AFP | Nov. 10, 2009

Inflation in the Islamic Republic fell to 16.7% in the Iranian month of Mehr, ending October 22, down from 18.5% during the previous month, AFP reported Tuesday, citing Iranian state television.

Narges Kalhor is the daughter of Mehdi Kalhor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's media advisor. In the following letter to the little brother she never met, she hints of the Orwellian lessons ahead.

My dear brother,

I do not know what kind of man you shall become: a baton-wielder, or a fatherless freedom-fighter! But I know that whatever fate awaits, you will tread an arduous and painful path.

I remember that when I couldn't yet read or write, Father would yell at us for the smallest errors. My sisters would hold me close; Mother would helplessly apologize. Time and time again, we'd wait in a darkened room until their fighting ended. Back then, my wish was to
have a brother who would stand up to Father, whose body wouldn't tremble like mine, whose scream would not catch in his throat.

But here today, leagues away from where you are now, there are no more shouts. He is now with you and I worry for your young dreams and the absence of a sister's warm embrace at your side.

Father's strictness, no matter how severe, did not diminish our affection for him. He was a legend to us, especially when he was painting in silence. He would not utter a word as his gaze was trained on the canvas. There was such calm in his deep silence that it was
difficult for me to recall the uproar of the night before. I don't know if Father still moves his brush with wavy lines and colors over paper. And I wonder if he will speak to you about art school or narrate travel stories from his youth.

Sitting here in an asylum camp in Germany, in a small room with two Kurdish and one African girl, I ask myself: what became of my dream father? What am I to do here? And how did we get to this point?

I recall vividly the first book that Father lent me. It was a short novel called "Animal Farm." The prose was lucid and the arresting narrative told of the foment and the fall of a revolution. I was nine years old. I finished reading it in a day, but kept the book with me a few days longer. I stared at the cover, an illustration of a handful of animals. Father gave me an elaborate interpretation of the story back then, and provided concrete examples in context. I was mesmerized by the author's ingenuity and Father's explanations. I doubt that when you learn to read and write, however, that he will lend you this valuable book. But I hope you will read it at the first chance. You can even ask him if he still has his copy; I wonder how he'd respond. He may tell you, "I've never read that book." Or: "I lost it somewhere..."

These types of bizarre responses from Father were experiences that confounded me starting about three years ago. Hearing him speak like this, I felt a huge chasm yawning between us. This gulf was not created overnight, nor was it confined to the distance between the Presidential office and our small house. But that distance has led Father to imagine his daughter an enemy of himself and his ideologies.

The path I chose for myself upon entering society in my young adulthood was one that in no way could be reconciled to be in step with Father's. The types of people I began to socialize with did not turn out as he had pronounced or expected, and I could no longer accept his judgments without question.

My ideas for short films were rubbish to Father, while his suggestions for "custom productions" filled me with horror. Outwardly, I pretended to give up on filmmaking, so he'd stop asking me to participate in [state-sponsored] film festivals like Iman and Noor.

Father and I grew further apart, dear brother, as he became more livid and I more lonely, for the sake of one sole reason: my independent thought.

This is a good time to reflect on my life. I have no doubt that until you can think for yourself, and acquire an open-eyed evaluation of your surroundings, Father will always be at your side. Solitude begins the moment you observe your surroundings clearly, and remain honest to yourself about what you see. Solitude begins when you refuse to brush aside reality, or allow yourself to forget. I know there is nothing more challenging than to alter your life completely, to choose an unknown path leading to an uncertain future. I know that there is nothing more painful than having to file away forever the image of your Father in a corner of your mind. But my brother, that is the way that one must go, otherwise the path that will remain is a lifetime of silence.

Copyright © 2009 Tehran Bureau

Iran charges three detained Americans with espionage

Reuters | Nov. 9, 2009

Iran has charged three detained U.S. citizens with espionage, the official IRNA news agency quoted a judiciary official as saying on Monday.

"The three are charged with espionage. Investigations continue into the three detained Americans in Iran," Tehran general prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said. The three were held after they strayed into Iran from northern Iraq at the end of July.

MP: Mousavi, Karroubi supporters will kill each other off

Khabar | Nov. 8, 2009

Khalil Hayat Moghaddam, a member of the Majlis judicial commission, said Hassan Karroubi's remarks about Mir Hossein Mousavi clearly show that the two opposition figures -- Mousavi and his father Mehdi Karroubi -- are sparring.

"I knew it would come to that," he said.

"These two have forgotten that they made a name for themselves under the banner of the Revolution, Leadership and martyrs...," he said, "as the tears of the mothers of the martyrs and the blood of the martyrs are what protect the establishment and the Leadership [from harm]."

"Mousavi and Karroubi's story brings to mind the tale of those people who were fighting over imaginary spoils of war; they have forgotten that they will not be able to inflict harm on the establishment and the Revolution."

"The harsh stance adopted by Hassan Karroubi against Mir Mousavi Mousavi clearly shows that disagreements are increasing between the supporters of the two political figures, and it will come to spelling each other's end."

Fars claims private hospital helped fuel unrest

Fars | Nov. 7, 2009

Fars News Agency reported that a private hospital fueled the post-election unrest by refusing to treat injured police officers and individuals resembling Basij militiamen.

The Parcham report carried by Fars wrote that the unnamed private hospital had allocated its resources to treating a 'certain group of people and turned away all bearded individuals who had a Basiji appearance.'

According to the report, while Health Ministry regulations clearly state that the names of patients must be registered on hospital administration forms, many of the "leaders" of the unrest who were brought in were treated without their names being recorded.

Parcham also alleges that after treating the wounded, demonstrators were given clean clothes and sent home in ambulances.

After the unlawful behavior of the hospital's director was brought to light, he left the country on an alleged research grant and returned to Tehran a few days before Nov. 4, Parcham added.

The hospital director continued his unlawful behavior after his return and refused to admit many of the wounded brought in during Nov. 4 protests, the report claimed.

National Coach: European teams reluctant to come to Tehran

Tehran Times | Nov. 9, 2009

Iran football coach Afshin Ghotbi said that the big European teams are not interested in coming to Tehran. "I would rather face the powerful European teams but they are reluctant to come here. Meanwhile, we have to pay a lot of money to big teams to play with them and Iran's Football Federation has no budget for this," Ghotbi told reporters in the national team's training session ahead of the warm-up match against Iceland which will be held at the Azadi Stadium on Tuesday.

Karroubi: Iranian government doesn't know what it's doing

Deutsche Welle | Nov. 8, 2009

Opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi addressed Iranians in a video message in which he criticized the Ahmadinejad government's changed stance toward the United States.

Karroubi expressed surprise at Iran's policy change toward the U.S. and said that the sending of a congratulatory message and letters to Washington was in direct contrast with the regime's bashing of the American government.

He referred to Mohammad-Reza Mir-Tajeldini's remarks about Ahmadinejad's two-hour meeting with 50 American officials during his last trip to New York and said, "If even a tenth of such a meeting had taken place during previous administrations, shroud-wearing devotees would have [taken to the streets and] thrown Tehran, Qom and Tabriz into chaos."

"Why is it though that hardliner dailies such as Kayhan have nothing to say about this issue?"

"Iranian interests are not the play-toy of nouveau politicians. One day there is a meeting with the Americans over Afghanistan, the nuclear issue, and oil, and next, they ruin everything."

"I think such policies will create doubts among the people and it is obvious that the government is confused and does not know what it is doing," said Karroubi, adding that he believed talking about such issues were his duty.

Three disgraced judges handled national security cases

Harana | Nov. 8, 2009

After a report began circulating in the corridors of the Iranian parliament, a few more details began to emerge about the three suspended judiciary officials charged with the cases of post-election detainees.

Citing a Parleman news report, Harana reported that the Sept. 5 order to suspend the three judges was in connection to their investigation of cases at the notorious Kahrizak detention center.

Identified as "Judge M.," "Judge H." and "Judge H.," all three appear to be well-known judges who were in charge of cases pertaining to national security.

Kahrizak detention center was closed on the direct order of Iran's Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Student activist released on bail

Mowjcamp | Nov. 8, 2009

Ashkan Zahabian, a student activist from Mazandaran province in northern Iran, was released on a $30,000 bail after 40 days in detention.

Zahabian, who had been detained on charges of "breaching national security" and "propagating against the regime" following the disputed presidential election, has been taken to the hospital and is being treated for back, digestive tract, and head injuries.

Death row inmate on hunger strike

HRA | Nov. 8, 2009

Reports from Sanandaj prison in the Iranian province of Kurdistan revealed that Ehsan Fatahian, a political prisoner sentenced to death, started a hunger strike on Sunday to protest his sentence.

According to Harana, Fatahian is presently being held at Ward 2 of the main correctional facility in the city of Sanandaj.

A number of political prisoners in the same prison have also gone on hunger strike to protest Fatahian's sentence.

New ethics teacher appointed to Ahmadinejad cabinet

Tabnak | Nov. 7, 2009

Hojjatoleslam Morteza Agha-Tehrani, ethicist to the Ahmadinejad administration, said that from now on two ethicists would be teaching the 10th administration.

"When the second [Ahmadinejad] term began, I did not continue teaching the cabinet and I repeatedly asked the president to find a replacement for me," Aqa-Tehrani said.

"The reason for my insistence was that a new person could provide new teachings to the new cabinet," he explained. "But three weeks ago, Mr. Ahmadinejad officially ordered me [to stay on and] to participate in the classes."

"During the previous government term, I was only able to appear in 90 out of 200 ethics sessions and Mr. Ahmadinejad was adamant that the ethics classes be held without pause. But given my work schedule as a Majlis representative, I cannot teach ethics classes twice a week," said Aqa-Tehrani. Ayatollah Mohyelddin Hayeri, he said, would be teaching the cabinet on Wednesdays.

Agha-Tehrani was asked if in his weekly classes he would bring up criticism that has been directed at the Ahmadinejad government. "In ethics, criticism should also be taken into consideration," he replied. "Social, political, and economic criticism, however, has no place in such classes as they are not ethical issues."

Lawyer: Nabavi pleads not guilty in Revolution Court

Radio Farda | Nov. 8, 2009

Behzad Nabavi's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said his client did not accept any of the charges made against him at the closed court hearing held on Sunday.

Nabavi, who was arrested within a few days of the 10th presidential election, was held at Evin Prison for more than fourth months before being hospitalized for heart problems.

During his court hearing, held at branch 15 of the Revolution Court, Nabavi was indicted by the Tehran prosecutor of participating in protests held on June 13 and 15, disrupting traffic on both days, propagating against the establishment and having classified documents in his possession.

Nikbakht said his client had refused to plead guilty to his charges and offered documented proof of his innocence.

"Mr. Nabavi read out a 12-page defense he had written in hospital," Nikbakht told the Islamic Student News Agency. "He rejected propagating against the establishment and said that he believed in the principles of the establishment and had accepted its entirety and fought for it for thirty years."

"My client said that he had participated in the June 15 protests like hundreds of thousands of other people but only for 20 minutes and because police officers did not prevent the protest from taking place and during the time that he was outside the Sahbalzaman mosque since no clashes took place he does not believe it was a riot."

Labor activists begin prison terms

IHR | Nov. 9, 2009

Four leaders of the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (Syndikaa e Kargaran e Karkhaneh Neyshekar), including Fereydoun Nikoufard, Jalil Ahmadi, Ghorban Alipour and Mohammad Haydari have been summoned by intelligence officials and arrested to begin serving prison terms, and are being held in Dezful prison, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.

Behrouzi: Mousavi, Karroubi always been at odds

Khabar Online | Nov. 8, 2009

Maryam Behrouzi, a lecturer at the Zeynab Society, said opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi's alleged dispute was "nothing new" as they "have always been at odds."

"I believe that Karroubi and Mousavi have always had their differences. The are now confronting each other over Mousavi's absence at the Nov. 4 rallies," Maryam Behrouzi told official state news agency IRNA.

"The presence of reformist members of parliament in front of the former US Embassy was a part of efforts to create national unity and it was a clear message intended for those opposed to the revolution and [Islamic] establishment," she added.