IRAN WATCH CANADA

Monday, March 31, 2008

Play the video clip and listen to a new born voice.
http://www.daryadadvar.com/Darya-Video/index.html

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For Immediate Release
Iran: Private Homes Raided for ‘Immorality’
Authorities Escalate Arbitrary Arrests, Harassment

(New York, March 28, 2008) – The arrest of more than 30 men attending a party in a private home in the city of Esfahan signals renewed efforts by Iranian authorities to enforce “morality” codes, and highlights the fragility of basic rights in a country where police powers routinely undermine privacy, Human Rights Watch said today.
It urged Iranian authorities to release the men reportedly arrested in late February, and to drop charges against people accused of consensual homosexual conduct, drinking alcohol, and other related “morals” offenses.
“When police routinely break down doors to enforce a brand of morality, it means a line has been crossed to invade people’s privacy at any time,” said Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Iran’s repressive system of controlling people’s dress, behavior, and personal lives violates fundamental rights.”
Sources inside Iran report to Human Rights Watch that on February 28-29, police in Esfahan raided a private home and arrested 30 or more men attending a party. They have been jailed for almost four weeks without access to lawyers and without charge. Police reportedly referred them to a forensic medical examiner to look for “evidence” that they have engaged in homosexual conduct.
In May 2007, during a nationwide crackdown to enforce dress codes and conduct, police raided another private party in an apartment building in Esfahan. They arrested 87 persons, including four women and at least eight people whom they accused of wearing the clothing of the opposite sex. Victims told Human Rights Watch that police stripped many of them to the waist in the street, and beat them until their backs or faces were bloody. Several reportedly had bones broken.
Of those arrested, 24 men were tried for “facilitating immorality and sexual misconduct,” as well as possessing and drinking alcohol. In June 2007, an Esfahan court found all of them guilty of various combinations of these charges. Most were sentenced to up to 80 lashes and to fines of 10 million to 50 million riyals (US$1,000-5,000). The verdicts are under appeal and have not yet been enforced.
Sources in Iran have told Human Rights Watch that since the May 2007 arrests, police have intensified surveillance, harassment, and abuse against people connected to the 87 arrested men, or otherwise suspected of homosexual conduct. Several described being detained by police and interrogated to reveal contacts.
According to one man’s account, police “poured water over me. … They threatened me, they said ‘cooperate with us.’ … They are after everyone, they said, ‘You are completing your gang, you are creating new members, where do you gather?’” They told me, ‘Go out and meet people.’ In essence, I should spy for them.”
Human Rights Watch learned that in December 2007 at another private gathering in Esfahan, police arrested 16 more people, subjecting them to forensic examinations. Authorities released them after four days in detention.
Other reports indicate that in March 2008, Esfahan police entrapped several men over the internet by answering personal advertisements, and interrogated them to reveal the names of friends and contacts. Police found erotic pictures of men on another man’s mobile phone after arresting him, and a court reportedly sentenced him to three years of imprisonment.
Iranian law provides punishments up to death for penetrative same-sex sexual activity between men on the first conviction, and punishes non-penetrative activity with up to 100 lashes. Homosexual conduct between women is punishable with death on the fourth conviction. Iran’s Penal Code requires four reiterated confessions, or the testimony of four “righteous men” as eyewitnesses, to prove lavat, or sodomy. However, judges are permitted to accept circumstantial evidence or inference. At the May 2007 raid in Esfahan, police reportedly brought four civilian witnesses to prove that “immorality” was taking place.
The last documented death sentences for consensual homosexual conduct in Iran were handed down in March 2005. It is not known whether they were carried out. In extensive interviews with men and women inside and outside Iran, Human Rights Watch has documented widespread patterns of arbitrary arrest and torture based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Western sources have suggested that charges of consensual homosexual conduct are converted to charges of rape in the Iranian judicial system, but Human Rights Watch has found no evidence of this.
“In Iran, for some people, the spy at the bedroom window or the knock at the door can mean the threat of a death sentence,” said Stork. “Privacy, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and freedom from torture are human rights. Police and judges must respect them.”
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on Iran, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=mideast&c=iran

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Judge and Police Chief are Mobsters
Roozonline-
Noushabeh Amiri - 2008.03.25

If we have not learned anything during the past 30 years, we certainly have learned that ‎empty vessels make the most noise. So anyone who shouts “morals, morals” or “Islam, ‎Islam” the loudest is hiding something. But what Mr Zarei has done - supported by judge ‎Saeed Mortezavi who is the murderer of journalist Zahra Kazemi – is nothing other than ‎covering scandals with a tub not just a small pan: the tub of exposure.‎
Many years ago we had a tenant on the above floor of our small house whom everybody ‎in the neighborhood had been fed up with. She was a prostitute. Day in day out men like ‎Zarei visited her. One day we quietly complained to her. She turned red, and then pale ‎and said. “These men are my brothers and cousins!”‎
So one day we finally decided to raise the issue with the local police. After all how many ‎brothers and cousins could she have! On the way, we met a friend and told him where we ‎were going, and why. He laughed and said, “You are very naïve. These men know very ‎well what is going on.” When we asked why did they not do anything about such things ‎in an Islamic country, he said with a deeper laugh, “Because they are all one and the ‎same. If you protest, they will openly support it, and thus erase whatever respect may ‎exist.”‎
‎“So what should we do,” we asked in bewilderment. And his answer I will never forget: ‎‎“You can be certain that she is more resilient than the men. It’s best to talk to her and get ‎her to agree to vacate your building.” ‎
And that is exactly what we did. She packed up her things and left. But as she was ‎leaving she held my mother in her arms and said, “I am ashamed in view of your ‎decency. Forgive me for I am trapped by these brothers!” ‎
And now one of those very ‘brothers’, who put on a mask to ‘protect society’ and has, ‎under the protection of darkness, arrested many residents of this city [a reference to the ‎security plan that was implemented in Tehran], has been trapped with prostitutes who ‎were engaged in congregational prayers while naked. No, he was not trapped, he was in ‎fact exposed. And with this expose, one can see the lack of any self-respect in these men. ‎One can say, “You should face death because you have traveled from Friday prayers at ‎Tehran University to a Friday prayer led by Zareis, with support from Mortezavis. One ‎could even say …. . Let’s not go there now.‎
What is most disturbing and painful about this episode is not that these men have been ‎exposed, but the conditions under which the people of our country live where their ‎security and protection lie in the hands of people like Mortezavis and the Zareis. People ‎who will have to face Mortezavi if their daily life takes them to the court system or the ‎judiciary, or to Zarei if they have to deal with the police, or to other offices where the ‎names of their authorities we do not know. But they are not unknown to the Islamic ‎Republic. Many of these people with similar financial or sex scandals and cases – such as ‎Saeed Mortezavi – have been brought on board into the system and they have enriched it ‎with their own sleaze.‎
A friend used to say, “Remain silent. Do not write about Zarei.” And when I asked why, ‎he enlightened with, “If they would decide on even mildly punishing people such as Zarei ‎because you insist, they would release him on bail and then silently give him another ‎responsibility. After all, they need these people.” This is a sad state of affairs, is it not?‎
But my answer to this is that “God help those who do not know that as the number of ‎thugs and mobsters grows – as is the case – it is those in high office who are under threat ‎the most. When Mortezavis increase in number they will give orders to Zaeris to ‎surrender their own daughters to them. If Zaeris increase in number – which is the case ‎under Ahmadinejad’s administration –then they will expose you in the presence of Friday ‎prayers. The unity between Mortezavis and Zareis has no outcome for the Iranian nation ‎other than destruction and insecurity. But in an Iran that is unsafe and destroyed, the best ‎place that you will get is a small place to decorate the prayer spot for these gentlemen and ‎other exposed Friday prayer goers [Note that Zarei was arrested while he was in the ‎presence of six naked prostitutes in a house while he had forced them to engage in ‎prayers while naked!]. ‎
If any self respect and dignity still exist, if any humane values still survive in your body, ‎issue the order to round up all Mortezavis and Zareis.‎
And my last word: Every night of my life in this diaspora, I think of girls who are ‎entrapped by these men. I think of adolescents who are trapped. I think of children whose ‎teeth have been pulled out to enhance the scandalous corruption and sleaze practiced by ‎these men.‎
I prey that God ends these nightmares we go through.‎

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

News in brief-

According to a fresh report from the Association of Iran Political Prisoners (in Exile) the situation of two leading Iranian political prisoners Mr. Behrouz Karimizadeh and Mr. Peyman Piran's lives is in great danger.
Other prisoners who have seen these two prisoners inside the prison have said : They saw Mr. Behrouz Karimizadeh's arm was full of cigarrett burn mark and Mr. Peyman Piran could not walk and was crawling on the floor instead of walking .
Peyman Piran has told to one of the student of Alameh University that : Because of lashes, his sole and ankle had been physically damaged.
This was first reported by the "Student for Freedom and Equality" .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/news.jsp?essayId=14237

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008



First day of spring

Happy New Year to all !

Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز, various local pronunciations and spellings) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday celebrated in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, the countries of Central Asia such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as among various other Iranian and Turkic people in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Northwestern China, the Caucasus, the Crimea, and the Balkans.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian year as well as the beginning of the Bahá'í year.[1] It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (start of spring in northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on the March 21st or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.
As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism as well as Bahá'í Faith.[1] In Iran it is also referred to as an Eid festival, although it is not an Islamic feast. Shia Nizari Ismaili muslims, who trace their origins to Iran, celebrate the festival under the name Navroz. In their religious protocol, Navroz is officially recognized as an Eid, as with Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, although it involves a distinct set of religious ceremonies. Alawites also celebrate Nowruz.[2]
The term Nooroz first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 648-330 BC), where kings from different nations under the Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor (Shahanshah) of Persia on Nowruz.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz

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Monday, March 17, 2008


News in brief-
Roozonline
By: Shahram Rafizadeh

Closure and license cancelation of nine publication in one day !
The weight of the control board over media .

The control board over media , just one day after election , in a communique announced the cancellation of the license permit of nine weekly and monthly publication including" Donyaye Tasvir" which was running the business for 17 years .
In a communique about " the cancellation of nine publications" which the media office of the Ministry of guidance has published in its website yesterday , the ministry has emphasized that " the decision for the cancellation of these nine weeklies and monthlies was decided in a session on March 10,2008.
According to the internal news agencies, the nine publications included three weeklies such as:
" Talash" , " Besoye Eftekhar" and " Nedaye Iran" as well as ; three bi-weeklies :
" Donyaye Tasvir" , " Havar" and " Sobhe Zendegi" plus three monthlies such as ;" Haft", "Shoka" and "Baznegari ".
the communique also emphasized that thirteen publications also received warning " to follow the by-law of the media and stick to the media mission" set out by the Ministry of Guidance.
During the last two years the license permit of 63 newspapers, weeklies,and monthlies have been cancelled by the media board of the Ministry of the Guidance.

In Year 2007, between 25-30 publication faced license cancellation.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2008/03/post_6677.php


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Sunday, March 16, 2008

The plan of detention centre known as " 209" in Evin prison!
Click on the picture
From the student website
azady-barabary.com

This is the plan of detention centre " 209" in Evin prison.
The rooms that are facing the wards ( top of the plan ) are the interrogator rooms . This plan is drawn from the ward number four.
Ward number one and two are for women.
Ward number 3,4,5 and 6 are the solitary confinement.
Ward number seven of the general ward is separated from the rest.
Ward number eight and nine of the general ward are connected by a passage.
The doors in all wards opens to the outside.
The size of the cells which is shown in the plan are 2x3 which is covered by a cream carpet.
Detention centre "209" is controlled by the Ministry of Information.

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Miss. Mansureh Behkish reported from Iran that Many family members of the political prisoners who have been killed in mass during 1988 clean up of the prison from political prisoners gathered in " Khavaran " to lay fowers to their loved ones mass grave .
She said - this year there were more people and more youth.
They gathered there because of the coming Iranian New Year (in next Thursday March 20th).
This is "Khavaran " a mass grave of political prisoners killed by the Islamic Republic Judiciary in 1988.


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Friday, March 14, 2008



Save the life of this youth !

Mr. Amir Amrolahi was only 16 when he commited a murder. The Islamic Republic intend to hang this young man. If the head of the judiciary power wont stop this , the execution of this youth by hanging will be carried out.Your protest matters . Please write to Mr. Shahrudi the head of Iran judiciary power.

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/15635/

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

http://azady-barabary.com/
News in brief-
From the official website of the students for freedom and equality
communique about the torture in the prison
Friday, 07 March 2008
Report about the torture in Iran !
(Title from IWC)
Up to now, many times we have reported about the torture and physical abuses that the students for freedom and equality endured inside the ward number 209 in Evin prison. And now, we intend to present you a precise list of different types of torture that our friends received in this period, so that the world public and international civil rights organizations and all people who strive for freedom and equality know precisely about the inhuman activities of the Islamic Republic against political prisoners. The list that reported here is a list of tortures which is used on our friend during the last three months.

1- Inserting hard materials inside the ear
2- Putting the leg of the chair on the back and on the toes while the prisoners are forced to do the "seat and stand up" (this is when the interrogator is seating on the chair)
3-Steelyard handcuff: In this style the hands of our friends, one from below and the other from the above comes together by a handcuff and are hanged from the handcuff .Sometimes the interrogators were pulling them up and down to let them suffer more and in some instances the interrogators hanged themselves to the prisoners to put more weight during this practice .
Using this style brings more pain to shoulder blade and to the wrists. In one particular case, one of our friend’s shoulder blade was dislocated.

4- Electrical shock to the whole part of the body, even to the sensitive sexual parts.

5- Beating and foul language inside the interrogation room
6- Beating and foul language inside the interrogation room while blind folded
7- Sexual harassment while being naked
8- Putting wooden stick between the fingers and continuous pressure on fingers
9- Depriving prisoners from sleep, sometimes for three days and nights
10- Beating and foul language, slapping and cable are the routine torture in this period

The physical damages which have left as a result of these tortures are:
Bleeding and deafness, anal bleeding, internal bleeding (intestine), Severe waist, neck and foot pain, dislocation of shoulder blade and chronic headache .

It is needed to mention that the amount and degree of the torture differs and depends on the condition and situation of each friends and also the severity of tortures are different .

It is necessary to add that ; some of our friends at the time of arrest were also beaten which resulted to have broken head and finger.

-30-

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008


Police Chief Exposed in a Sex Scandal
Commander Zarei’s Arrest is Confirmed -
Roozonline
2008.03.13
Kourosh Salimi
Ten days after the disappearance of commander Zarei, the chief of Tehran’s police, who ‎has been among the leading proponents of Ahmadinejad administration’s policies, and ‎while the police has been attempting to present his removal as a routine event, the ‎judiciary under pressure from internet websites has now confirmed that the chief of ‎police has been arrested and then released on bail. ‎
According to a report published in the newsletter of Amir Kabir University, the reason ‎for the removal of commander Reza Zarei has been the discovery of the sex scandal ‎surrounding him, as the rumors in Tehran had been circulating for a week. Zarei had been ‎appointed to become Tehran’s police chief when the Ahmadinejad administration came ‎into office and on the recommendation of the President’s in law commander Ahmad ‎Moghadam the former police chief.‎
Police chief Zarei, which is the second highest commander in the force, was arrested ‎while in the presence of six prostitutes in a very vulgar scene in a house.‎
According to the Amir Kabir University newsletter, this arrest took place under the direct ‎orders of the chief of the judiciary ayatollah Hashemi Shahrudi and out of fear that the ‎close relationship between Zarei and Saeed Mortezavi Tehran’s chief prosecutor could ‎have prevented the arrest. So the issue was followed up outside the normal Tehran ‎judiciary channels and the head of the judiciary personally pursued the issue and ordered ‎the arrest. ‎
News reports from Tehran indicate that the head of the judiciary insists on a heavy ‎sentence and punishment against Zarei while the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic ‎too has called for the full implementation of the law in this regard. In this regard, the ‎office of the leader has asked that the prosecution should take place after the elections ‎and in a quiet manner.‎
What has made this arrest a major issue is that Zarei has been personally involved in the ‎execution of the policy to harshly confront urban criminals and those involved in ‎corruption cases which have led to violent confrontations of the police ending in the ‎arrest of individuals.‎

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Listen to :
GipsyKing

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Raheleh Asgarzadeh and another women's rights campaigner have been arrested and taken to Evin prison. They are accused of spreading propaganda against the Iranian regime.
the link to this news:

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A couple of Persian song:
غوغای ستارگان : پروین (The cry of stars )

پیک سحری : پروین ( message from dawn )

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(IFJ/IFEX) -
The following is an IFJ media release:
Women's Magazine Editor from Afghanistan Arrested in Iran
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is extremely concerned at
reports that the editor of a women's rights magazine in Afghanistan was
arrested in Iran on March 4 and continues to be held without charge.
The Afghan Independent Journalists' Association (AIJA), an IFJ associate,
said Ali Muhaqiq Nasab, editor of the monthly Haqoq-e-Zan (Women's Rights)
magazine,
was reportedly detained by Iranian officials in Qumm, near the
Iranian capital Tehran.
Documents, phones and a computer were allegedly confiscated from his home
at the time of his arrest. The AIJA reports that Nasab's wife was denied
access to see him or seek any information about him, and officials from
Iran's embassy in Kabul would not answer the AIJA's questions.
The arrest of Nasab, a prominent supporter of women's rights, follows the
death sentence imposed by an Afghanistan court on Sayed Parvez Kambakhsh in
January on charges related to accessing materials about women's rights
under Islamic rule.
Kambakhsh, 23, a journalist for the daily Janan-e-Naw, was charged with
blasphemy and accused of distributing articles and books that contained
anti-Islamic sentiment. He is appealing the sentence and an international
campaign is calling for his sentence to be overturned.
Nasab also was accused of blasphemy in Afghanistan in October 2005, and
sentenced to two years in jail. The editor was charged with intentionally
publishing anti-Islamic articles in Haqoq-e-Zan, which questioned harsh
penalties for adultery and theft. He had reprinted articles by an Iranian
scholar criticising the stoning of Muslims who converted to another
religion and the use of corporal punishment for people accused of adultery.
Nasab's sentence was reduced on appeal to six months, despite some
religious groups' calling for the death penalty.
His arrest had been especially controversial because authorities bypassed
Afghan legislation that states journalists cannot be arrested until the
government-appointed Media Commission for Investigating Media-Related
Offences has considered the case.
When the commission did consider Nasab's case, following requests by Afghan
media groups and international human rights groups, it concluded that Nasab
had not deliberately insulted Islam and was not guilty of blasphemy.
The IFJ is alarmed at a trend of serious charges being laid against
journalists who maintain and act on their rights to freedom of expression,
especially in relation to their investigation of women's rights.
"Journalists as guardians of the public interest and free expression are
essential in promoting the rights of all in a free and open society,
including the rights of women," said IFJ Asia Pacific Director Jacqueline
Park.
"They must not be arrested without charge by any government. The IFJ calls
on the authorities in Iran, and Iranian officials in Kabul, to provide
valid evidence for Nasab's arrest or ensure he is released immediately."
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries.
For further information, contact IFJ Asia-Pacific, tel: +612 9333 0919,
e-mail: ifj@ifj-asia.org, or the IFJ, International Press Centre, Residence
Palace, Block C, 155 Rue de la Loi, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium, tel: +322 235
2200 / 2207, fax: +322 235 2219, e-mail: rachel.cohen@ifj.org, Internet:
http://www.ifj.org/
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of IFJ.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IFJ.


DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
555 Richmond St. West, # 1101, PO Box 407
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 3B1
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site:
http://www.ifex.org/

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Monday, March 10, 2008



News in brief-
Roozonline
Islamic Republic's security agents stopped two more Iranian women rights advocate from leaving Iran!
According to a report by Shirin Karimi: After banning Ms. Parvin Ardalan a journalist and women human rights advocate from leaving Iran to attend to a ceremony in Sweden to receive her Olof Palme award , the security agents yesterday March 9 ,have stopped two other women's rights advocate from leaving Iran.
One of this women is Ms. Mansureh Shojaei a women activist and an activist for the " Campaign for One Million Signature". Ms. Mansureh Shojaei planned to leave with Ms. Nasrin Sotudeh a lawyer to attend to an Iranian women event on "International Women's Day" in the neighboring country of Dubai .
Ms. Nasrin Sotudeh in speaking with the site of Women Association said: "12 hours before the flight , people who introduced themselves as security agents called me and told me not to leave the country ."
Link to this news:

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An Iranian diplomat was asked to leave Sweden on suspicions of spying on Iranian exiles.
The Associated Press
Published: March 10, 2008
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran expelled a Swedish diplomat last month for "not observing diplomatic norms," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.
The expulsion of the Swedish diplomat comes after an Iranian diplomat was asked to leave Sweden on suspicions of spying on Iranian exiles. Ministry spokesmen, however, refused to comment on whether the two cases were related.
"In February, we summoned the ambassador of Sweden and told him that one of their diplomats acted against diplomatic norms and we demanded he leave," said spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini in his weekly press briefing at the ministry.
Sweden's Foreign Ministry had announced earlier on Thursday that a Swedish diplomat was asked to leave Iran in February but did not explain why.
Swedish news agency TT, citing unnamed sources in the Swedish Foreign Ministry, said the Iranian diplomat had been expelled due to suspicions he had spied on refugee opponents of the Iranian system.
More than 70,000 Iranians live in Sweden, with most having fled there after the Islamists took power in Tehran in 1979.

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Sunday, March 09, 2008

Just a Persian song
Alireza Eftekhari - Ghadah
About This Video
Alireza Eftekhari - Gh... (more)

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Saturday, March 08, 2008

----------MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA----------
BAHRAIN:
JOINT ACTION: Twenty-one IFEX members, 34 other groups call for end to
jailing and torture of demonstrators and human rights activists in Bahrain
(BCHR)
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/91069/
EGYPT:
Information minister bans distribution of four foreign newspapers (RSF)
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/90985/
EGYPT:
Blogger Kareem Amer begins second year of four-year prison term; his
torture still not investigated (HRinfo)
http://www.hrinfo.net/en/reports/2008/pr0223.shtml
IRAQ:
- Journalists' union leader shot following criticism of attacks on media by
extremists (IFJ)
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/91055/
- CPJ condemns assassination attempt against journalist union leader
http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/mideast/iraq25feb08na.html
- RSF firmly condemns shooting attack on head of journalists' union
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25891
MOROCCO:
CPJ alarmed by Supreme Court's decision to uphold seven-month jail sentence
against journalist Mustafa Hormatallah
http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/mideast/morocco20feb08na.html
PALESTINE:
- "Al Ayyam" manager receives suspended jail sentence over controversial
cartoon; IPI calls on Hamas-led government in Gaza to lift distribution ban
on newspaper
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/91081/
- "Al-Ayyam" editor and cartoonist receive suspended six-month sentences
for cartoon deemed offensive; distribution of newspaper banned in Gaza
(RSF)
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/90993/

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Happy International Women's Day !
About This Video
March 8, 2006 Women's Day Tehran Iran (more)

BBC Newsnight report on Women's Day in Iran
BBC Newsnight Report on Womens' Day in Iran. In... (more)

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Thursday, March 06, 2008













Workers in 41 countries rallied in solidarity with the workers of Iran !
They demanded for the immediate release of
Mansur Osanlou and Mohmoud Salehi from the prison in Iran!

World Federation of Trade Union - Transportation Workers
of 41 countries today Thursday March 6 , 2008 rallied in their countries in solidarity with the workers of Iran and in support of Mr. Mansur Osanlou & Mahmoud Salehi two of the leaders of the workers in Iran who are currently in prison.
The rallies covered five continent which included : Australia, Philippines , Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Hongkong , Germany, Sweden, Britain, Canada, Indonesia, Iraq,Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Tunesia, Ethiopia, Morroco , Jurdan, Newzealand, Ukraine, Korea, Portugal , France , Austria, . ......
In some of these countries the workers gathered in front of the Islamic Republic's Embassy and handed their letter of protest to the embassy and demanded for immediate release of Mr. Osanlou and Mr. Salehi .

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news in brief-
Roozonline
2008.03.06
Reported by : Shahram Rafizadeh

the Begining of an international human rights campaign in Iran!
the gole of this campaign is to let the world know about the widespead violation of human rights in Iran.
The other day, the independent human rights activists reported about the start of the activity of an " International Campain for Human Rights in Iran".
About the motive to start such a campaign , Mr. Hadi Ghaemi the spoksperson for the International Campaign on Violation of Human Rights in Iran have told to the "Rooz " that :" the reason for starting this campaign is because of the systemic and widespread violation of human rights in Iran in the last two years."
the campaign have reported that " today the situation of human rights in Iran is the worst among the world . Although some countries are more oppressor than Iran but the regime in Iran particularly on human rights is very dangerous ..................."

Read more on this site :
http://www. iranhumanrights. org

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Tuesday, March 04, 2008

News in brief-
Mukrian news :

Mukrian news agency reported that; the judiciary officials opposed with the request of the family to transfer Mr. Khaled Hardani a prisoner from Khuzestan who is currently in Rejaei Shahr -Karaj prison to the city prison of Ahwaz .
Mr. Hardani was charged with hijacking an Iranian airplane . in preliminary court he was sentenced to death which recently revoked to life imprisonment.

-30-



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News in brief-

Islamic Republic is playing with the fire !
News indicated that a student activist from Alameh University has been arrested.
According to "Advar News" Mr. Faizolahzadeh student of literature and member of the Association of the Islamic Students in the past because of his involvement in the protests was sentenced to two term suspention from education.
The president of this university had extended his suspension for another two terms.
the news report indicate that Mr. Faizolahzadeh has been transfered to Evin prison.

Link to this news :
http://www.iran-emrooz.net


In another news Mr. Babak Zamanian a student of Amirkabir University has been sentenced to one year imprisonment.
He has been allegedly charged with " action against national security". and the complainant is the president of the university.At the time when Ahmadinejad the president came to Amirkabir university which brought widespread protest by the students Mr. Zamanian was the spokesperson of the university association.
In the past he has been arrested and spent 40 days in the ward number 209 in Evin prison.

Link to this news:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net

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Monday, March 03, 2008



Miss. Parvin Ardalan women's rights activist and a human rights defender in Iran and recent winner of swedish Olof Palme award was banned to leave the country.

Today Monday March 3 , 2008, while she was inside the airplane and leaving Iran for Sweden to receive the award, by the order of prosecutor she was taken out of airplane and her passport was also confiscated.

The swedish Olof Palme foundation planned on March 6,2008 in a ceremony to give its 2008 awards to Miss. Parvin Ardalan.

Miss. Ardalan said: "She was inside Air France when her name was called by the agents who told to Air France crew that i'm banned to leave the country."

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://www.iran-emrooz.net

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Students at Shiraz University in their 7th days of protest !

Students rallies for their student rights!
Today Monday March 3 close to 2000 students started their protest at around Pardis Aram square and Engineering college at Zand Street.
Slogans :
"Commander of the barrack, this is the last message,
The student movement is ready for mass demonstration"
"Student, student , unite "
They demanded that the president of the university Mr. Sadeghi to resign. The students protested to the summoning of 12 of their colleagues to the court of revolution.Here are their names:
Abbas Rahmati, Kazem Rezaei,Mohsen Goharinia, Esmail Jalilvand, Hadi Askari, Loghman Ghadiri, Abdolah Dawodian, Said Kushki and three other students.
The students boycutted the classes. The people in the streets around the university also supported the students .
Here is link for the news and more pictures:

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This film "Santouri" has been banned in Iran .
Why "Santouri" is banned in Iran? Part1/ چرا فیلم سنتوری توقیف شد
About This Video
About This Video
aariaeegirl
alisantouri
Ali Santouri, is a movie by Dariush Mehrjouyi w... (more)


03:48 From: aariaeegirl

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News in brief-
According to a report in Roozonline by Arash Sigarchi " without opposition and one week after government celeberation in Iran the third resolution hav been issued" against Iran. The five permanent members of the Security Council ( China, Russia, US, French and England ) voted for the resolution and against Iran . Also nine out of 10 non-permanent members of the security council voted for the resolution and against Iran. Only Indonesia voted abstain.

The third resolution decided to put more economic and financial sanction against Iran.This is all because the security council believe that the Islamic Republic didn't stop its uranium enrichment.
the third resolution also put more restriction on travel of Iranian officials who are dealing with nuclear energy to abroad including blockation of Iranian assets in abroad.
In the past resolutions against Iran, many banks and International financial institutions cut their relation with the regime in Iran or reduced to a very low level and also giant petrolum companies gave up contract agreements with Islamic Republic.

More on this issue visit:

http://www.iaea.org/

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Saturday, March 01, 2008



Iranian students at Amir -Kabir University , a part of student movement for " Democracy and Human Rights" .

In this picture they had a public debate with a reformist clergy.

The "National Front for Democracy and Human Rights " is alive and strong.

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