Iran: minority, majority

Ebrahim Mehrnahad (m),16, Fazlorahman Jahras (m), about 16,Abdollah Salarzahi, (m), member of Voice of Justice Young People’s Society (VJYPS) and Asadollah Shahbaksh, (m), student, VJYPSmember are arrested and their whereabouts are unknown.
They all belong to Baluchminority in Iran.
Amnesty International called
March 12 for urgent action (PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/047/2008) UA68/08 Fear of torture.
February 21, Ebrahim Mehrnahad(younger brother of Ya'qoub Mehrnahad, 28, who is sentenced to death for allegedly having "contacts with the Jondallah group), together with Fazlorahman Jahras was arrested when they walked home from school.
VJYPS member Asadollah Shahbaksh was reportedly arrested in late February, and VJYPS spokesperson and Central Council member Abdollah Salarzahi was reportedly arrested in early March.


Naser Qasemi (m),23 Mohammad Reza Haddadi (m), 18 Reza Hejazi (m), 19 Iman Hashemi (m), 18, are sentenced to death as childoffenders.
Amnesty International called for urgent action (Public AI Index: MDE 13/049/2008 UA71/08) to prevent execution.


Great Brittain is to review the deportation of a gay Iranian, Mehdi Kazemi, 19.
The decision is made following a campaign of gay activists across Europe and a letter to the Home secretary, Jacqie Smith, signed by 80 peers.
Kazemi was denied asylum, after his partner was executed in Iran. He fled to the Netherlands , but also lost a legal battle there to have a claim for asylum heard.
Smith said that in the light of new circumstances since the original decision was made, she has decided that Mr Kazemi's case should be reconsidered on his return to the UK from the Netherlands,


This morning at 8AM(local time), 0430GMT are the pollingstations opened in Iran.They close at 6PM(local time), 1430GMT.
Some 43,8 million Iranians are eligible to vote.
There are 290 seats in parliament.
More than 300 journalists from various countries will cover the election.
Newsagency IRNA foresees a voter turnout of about 50 percent in Tehran and 60 percent in other major cities.
Because of the mass disqualification of reformist candidates they cannot, even if they win, get a majority in parliament.
pictures BBC.


In Kurdistan province were, according to Mehrnews, two terrorist cells disbanded.
According to local officials all members of the group were killed.
Security official Iraj Hassanzadeh said that the groups were linked to terrorism and insurgency and that they planned to sabotage the elections.
He also said a large cache of explosives, bombs, and weapons was confiscated.



In Iran there are childoffenders, still on death row.

Children are being hanged to death.
A child will be hanged to death.
Poster amnesty.nl