Iran: the outcome

Ali Ashtari, 43, who was arrested one and a half year ago on charges of spying for Israel, is sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
He is found guilty of mohareb (enemy of god).
According to his confession, published in full by Fars,, he was a salesman of telecoms equipment which sought to help the Israeli intelligence service Mossad access secret information from Iranian officials.
The verdict is not approved yet and Ashtari can appeal.
(Photo Press-tv)


In an explosion of natural gas tanks at the Mohammad-Shahr Gas processing plant, in the Iranian city of Karaj, Tehran province, 15 people have died.
The blast occurred Sundaynight at 2200hrs local time.
After the initial explosion an undisclosed number of gas tanks blew up.
According to Farsnewsagency, the cause is still unknown.



Iran announced that it will allow also foreign firms to purchase Iranian state-run companies, with the possibility of obtaining full ownership.
There will be no more differences between Iranian and foreign companies that wish to purchase state-run companies, provided that the combined ownership of foreign firms in any given industry does not exceed 35 percent.




A sandstorm with winds up to 100km/hour hit the city of Zahak, Sistan and Baluchestan province Sunday. The storm has forced to close down all the stores and offices in town, except for the emergency services.
The storm began five days ago, and has hit about 80 villages. There is great damage on agriculture, water installations, and electricity power lines.
Over 3,000 people were admitted to clinical centers for treatment of respiratory diseases because of the storm.
The notorious 120-day winds (Levar) which hits the area each year, leads to drought and damages for the local residents.

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

Iran: produce

Some 20 European, Asian and South American countries want to purchase the Iranian-made (MS) drug Cinnovex.
The head of Iran's Biotechnology Center said that Cinnovex is very similar to its US counterpart Avonex, but is priced half of the American version.
Cinnovex is the tradename for a recombinant interferon beta 1a, which is used for MS therapy.

(Photo: Press-TV)


India's state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has discovered a new oilfield in the Farsi Block in the Persian Gulf.
The capacity of the oilfield and further relevant information will be revealed after calculation of cost-effectiveness.
Earlier, ONGC said it plans to invest $3 billion with its partners to develop Iran's Farsi gas block.


Iran Khodro will hit the market with 3 new models in the Samand sedan series in the second half of this year.
One of the new models will have quality enhancements to over 50 separate parts and an improved exterior.
The most significant development in the announcement is the introduction of the first model in the Samand series with an automatic clutch.
Iran Khodro says the design and testing phase of the automatic vehicle has ended and that preparations for the car are now underway.The car is expected to hit the market by the end of the summer.
The third new model will have a diesel engine.

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

Iran: counter

The Iranian stateradio reported that a man is on trial in Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of spying for Israel.
The man was not named but the charges against him include spying for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
According to the report more details would be released in the next few days.


The Dubai based broadcasterAl Arabiya reported that two more of 16 Iranian border police were executed.
The broadcaster said that Jundullah (Soldiers of God) has said that the Tehran government had "two more weeks" to answer their demands or risk seeing the remaining captives killed also.



Reporters without Borders strongly criticized a new move by Iran’s government to ban the Association of Iranian Journalists.
In a statement they say that this is yet another attempt by the Iranian authorities to silence those who defend free expression in Iran.
June 24 said the Minister of Labor in a letter to the association, that the organization is illegal and could be closed down soon.
The authorities have been pressing for the removal of the association’s executive committee, which was elected in 2006, on the grounds of alleged procedural irregularities in the voting.
Also officials have been pressured to include pro-government journalists in its decision-making bodies.
Currently has the 1997 created association of Iranian journalists and 4000 members and since August 2006 several pro-government journalists tried unsuccessfully to take control.
This independent body is the only national organisation defending journalists.
It has since then been in open conflict with the Ahmadinejad government.



June 25, is Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, member of the Vahed Syndicate Executive Board from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) ordered by a judge to detention in Evin prison.
Judge Hassan Dehghan Dehnavi ordered that Gholamhosseini, , who is not charged with any crime, should be detained for an indefinite period whilst his case is investigated.
Gholamhosseini was arrested while visiting an event to mark Iran's Women's Day.
Security officials prevented him from entering and he was arrested. The event took place in Shirudi Stadium and was sponsored by Sherkat Vahed.
After the 2006 strike action Gholamhosseini had been dismissed from the company.
Although the court has ordered his reinstatement, the company is refusing to comply.

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

Iran: manipulate

In the cities Sarbaz and Iranshar, Sistan-e-Baluchestan province are according to the head of police 10 terrorists arrested by security forces.
They entered Iran illegally from Pakistan and were armed with missile launchers, semi-automatic rifles and RPG-7s.
They were planning bombings in Iran.



Compassdirect writes that a from Islam to Christianity converted Iranian couple Tina Rad, 28 and Makan Arya, 31 June 3 are arrested and detained for 4 days on charges of "acting against national security".
Both were released on bail, $30,000 bail for the woman, and $20,000 bail for the man.
During those 4 days they were foltered and threathened, among which to take their 4-year-old daughter away and trial them for drugstrafficking with possible deathsentence.
According to the report they were forced to sign a statement that they wouldn’t go back to their house church and that they would have no contact with other Christians and that if they did, “they will be punished by the law of Islam.”
They were arrested after a relative of Arya informed security police of the couple’s Christian activities. In order to pay the bail payments, Arya obtained financial help from his father, on the condition that he promise to divorce his wife.He promised, but he refuses to divorce and his father gave him an ultimatum.



The daily Etemad writes that Mateen Meshkeen has been banned from continuing his studies at Amir Kabir University even though he has even written his PHD thesis.
Although university's bylaws forbid it to throw out a scholarship student, the President of Amir Kabir University has ruled againt his own university's rules.
Meshkeen was formerly a leader of the university's Islamic Student Association.


Fars newsagency says that hardline journalist Jalal Fayazi has called Iran's Association of Journalists "corrupt from the start". He said that the election of the association's board of directors was rigged.
The board of directors were mostly made up of members of the editorial board of the 1999 banned reformist pro-Khatami daily 'Salaam'.


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

Iran: informative

Iran launched Wednesday officially a national barcode system.
Production, distribution, and purchases and sales will become better organized.
This system is regarded as a important infrastructure project, which directly influences the distribution market and electronic trade.

(photo wikipedia)

The Supreme Leader Wednesday called on the heads of the three branches of government to launch a campaign against financial corruption.
He said that the call made seven years ago on heads of three branches of the government to fight economic corruption is still in effect.
He said this to a group of Judiciary officials headed by Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.
He also said that the judiciary must seek public satisfaction and try to create a safe haven for the oppressed. He called for qualitative promotion of the judiciary in light of the management of Shahroudi.
He called upon the judiciary to shorten the process for investigation of files and investigate speedily, carefully, and strongly free from any hue and cry.


Five students of Imam Khomeini International Universiteit of Qazvin are summoned to appear within 3 days for the Revolutionary Court.
If they do not appear in court within the next three days arrest orders will be issued for them.
Three students did not want their names publicized, the other two are Payom Haydar Qazvini and Yashar Dalulshafa.
Also other students of this reformist studentgroup have been in a state of an undeclared suspension since last year. (source Amir Kabir Newsletter)
(photo wikipedia)


May 24 is Hood Yazrelo, a student of the school of industrial management in Masomin Qum University, arrested extra-judicially and without any charges.
According to a statement by the interrogator of Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court, Hood is held in section 209 of Evinprison in solitary confinement.
In spite of multiple inquiries have his familymembers not succeeded in securing any information about his condition. (source Amir Kabir Newletter)

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

Iran: family

The scheduled execution of the minor offender, Saeed Jazi, which was going to take place today, has been postponed for one month.
According to Iran Human Rights Jazi's lawyer is now trying to get pardon of the victims family.


According to reports in Iran, newspapers Etemad Melli (fa) and Kargozaran (fa) June 10 executed Mohammad Hassanzadeh was only 16 years and 11 months old.
The newspapers say that the death sentence of Mohammad was approved by the Iranian supreme court and the execution order was given by head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi.
Etemaad e Malli newspaper, also published a copy of Mohammad Hassanzadeh’s ID.
The newspaper also wrote that Mohammad Hassanzadeh’s father was, against all legal rules, not informed about the scheduled execution.
The case draw attention worldwide, and Iran's judiciary spokesman Jamshidi said at a press-conference that no minors are executed in Iran.

Kurdish journalist Mohammad Sadegh Kabovand is June 22, sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The former editor of since 2005 banned weeky Payam-e-Mardom-e-Kurdistan is sentenced for “activity against national security.”
Kabovand is detained since his arrest in July 2007, and spent the first five months in solitary confinement. His lawyers, Nemat Ahamadi and Mohammad Sifzadeh have protested against the sentence, describing it as “political.”.
They also condemned the court’s decision to hold the trial behind closed doors.
Saeed Matinpour,, who wrote for the weekly Yarpagh in Azerilanguage, is June 11, sentenced to 8 years in prison for “maintaining relations with foreigners” and “publicity against the Islamic Republic.”
Both journalists appeal the verdicts.
Matinpour is free after 8 months in prison, having paid a bail worth 530,000 dollars.
Kabovand is still in prison, because his family was unable to raise the bail from $160,000.


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

Iran: move

Since there are no indications that the execution of Saeed Jazi(Jazee), 21 is postponed, it is believed that his execution will take place on June 25th in Evinprison in Tehran.
Saeed Jazi was already transferred to the Evin prison from the Rajaee Shahr prison two weeks ago.
Saeed Jazi is sentenced to death for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 17-year-old.


British parliament formally removed People's Mujahedeen of Iran from U.K.'s list of banned terror groups.
The judge of the Appeal Court ruled in May that the organization should no longer be listed.
The british Home Office Minister said that the government had unsuccessfully appealed against the Court of Appeal's decision.
The organization was listed because of the violence it showed since the 70's in the struggle against the Iranian regime.
The PMOI is considered a terrorist organization in the U.S. and European Union, but supporters of the PMOI said they now expect the EU to review the PMOI's status.
The spokesman for the Iranian government asked UK to rethink its decision.

Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri-Hamedani warned the Iranian government over soaring consumer prices.
During a meeting with the Iranian Minister of Commerce he said that government officials must endeavor to provide justice, welfare and low commodity prices for all Iranians.
At another meeting with Iran's Parliament speaker he said that the government and the parliament should join hands to find solutions for the country's runaway inflation.
Another Iranian cleric, ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi also had called on the government earlier to take immediate action and avert the economic crisis.
President Ahmadinejad said Monday that the government has taken measures to control runaway inflation.
According to the latest figures released by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), the country's annual inflation rate surged to 25.3 percent in the twelve months to May 20.


Near Quetta at the border near Pakistan are 30 Pakistani arrested by Iranian security forces and handed over to the Taftanpolice.
Pakistani police officials said that the people were crossing the border without any legal documents and wanted to proceed to some European countries via Iran.

Iran seized less than half of the 2,500 tons of drugs that entered the country from Afghanistan in 2007.
The police confiscated 900tons of drugs. Iran has lost hundreds of police killed in clashes with drug smugglers in recent years . Also there is a lack of funding and support from the West to combat the traffickers.
The total volume of Afghan drugs transiting through Iran fell to 31 percent in 2007 from 42 percent in 2006. The volume itself was unchanged due to a major rise in Afghan production.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has said that Afghanistan accounts for 93 percent of global opiumproduction.

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

Iran: shake

An earthquake, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted the city of Shahdad, Kerman province.
The quake occurred on Saturday at 16.21 GMT.
There are no reports about casualties or damages.


The Supreme Court confirmed the execution orders for four individuals accused of hooliganism.
According to the deputy prosecutor for the country, stated who confirmed these four death sentences, these people have prior arrest records and have been kept in jail with a hefty bail bond.
He added that the execution will be soon.
This decision has ramifications for Hany Khandar and Hamed Akbari, both of whom are arrested in Tehran last year at the crackdown for social security and accused of the same crime.
After being arrested among more than 1,000 people who are still being kept in jail,they spent four months in Kahrizakprison.From here they were transferred to a section of Evinprison, policed by members of the Information Ministry.
Khandars mother happened to find out that her sons name is on the list with 27 names of people on death row published by the prison’s security guards.


In Iran the value added tax (VAT) will be implemented.
A bill was presented by the Iranian government five years ago, but implementation will end the decades of waiting for a tax reform.
President Ahmadinejad directed the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance to implement the new tax law for a 5-year trial period, now it has been determined that the country among other things can meet computertechnology necessary to put the VAT into action.
Difference to a salestax is that VAT is calculated at each stage of the production proces.
This reduces the likelihood of nonpayment of taxes or other tax fraud.
The new VAT-law consists of 53 articles which cover the supply of all goods and services as well as imported and exported goods.


Global Voices Online writes that the blog Digiaktiv writes that about 100 Iranian bloggers undersigned a declaration that condemns filtering and call for freedom of speech.
The blog Booyekhak (fa) published the the declaration and other bloggers supported it and signed it.


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

Iran: sounds

The daily Kargozaran wrote that Salah Ghaseh is now transferred to the Sanandaj prison for execution.
He is sentenced to death for a murder he committed when he was 15 year old.
He is now 18-year-old.




Amnesty International issued a statement UA 169/08 (pdf) for the womans rights activist and journalist Mahboubeh Karami, who was arrested along with 200 others in relation to a protest held in Mellat Park.
Karami was traveling on a bus past the location of the protest, when she and the other female passengers, were removed from the bus and taken into custody.
The protest was not related to women’s rights or the One Million SignaturesCampaign.
The protest was about the arrest of Abbas Palizdar, who had accused several senior Iranian officials of financial corruption.
The current whereabouts of all, including Mahboubeh Karami, are unknown and they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.


The daily Tehran Emrouz is banned after publicizing articles critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
According to Press-tv the daily published a special issue on the third anniversary of Ahmadinejad's election that contained numerous articles critical of the government's economic policies.
One article in particular questioned Ahmadinejad's earlier policies during his term as Tehran's mayor.
The newspaper published an apology Saturday, but the editor was summoned to a court on Sunday to answer charges of "printing pictures and editorial material insulting to the president and propagation of lies with the intention of agitating public opinion".
18 months ago the newspaper was launched and it was seen as being close to Tehran Mayor Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf,a conservative political rival of Ahmadinejad.


From June 22 to 24 will be held the third annual Women's Music Festival at several locations in Tehran.
Participants will compete and present their works in the categories of pop, traditional, regional, percussion, choral and solo performance.
In the jury are several renowned artists including Maliheh Saeedi, Mehrbanoo Tofiq, Hengameh Akhavan, Nasrin Nasehi, Shahla Milani, Tamara Dolidze, Arfa Atrayi and Fariba Vakili.




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

Iran: "arazel o obash"

In the prison of Bandar Abbas, Hormuzgan province, is last week a man hanged.
Farzad D. (27) was convicted for murder and robbery to 6 years in prison, 74 lashes and hanging.



According to several official Iranian media four people are scheduled to be hanged soon convicted of "arazel o obash" , which is directly translated to "rascals and villains".
The newspaper Iran (fa) writes that the verdict has been confirmed by the Supreme Cour. None of the men or the charges were named.
Several activist websites have raised the question whether Hani Khandar and Hamed Akbari, who were arrested along with more than 1000 others and charged with disruption of public order in Tehran, could be among those scheduled to be executed.
Their names were also among a list of 27 people sentenced to death, published by the security forces.


A report of the tortures from those who were arrested as "thugs" last year in Tehran for disrupting the order during the "security of society crackdown " can be found here (eng).



Kurdish womens right activist and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign Hana Abdi, 21, is sentenced to 5 year in prison in exile in Joffe, West Azarbaijan Province.
She was charged with gathering and collusion with the intent of committing a crime against national security. This sentence has been issued with reference to articles 189, 190, 191, and 194 of the Penal Code, and also article 610.
Her lawyer is going to appeal.
According to him this sentence is completely inappropriate given the case against his client.


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

Iran: shocking

Thursday, president Ahmadinejad accused enemies of plotting to kidnap and assassinate him during a visit to Iraq, last March. He told this at a meeting with clerics in the city of Qom.
He said that the plot was never carried out because of "intentional" last-minute changes in his schedule during the visit.
Statetelevision reported that the president had "unveiled a shocking story" that "Americans had intended to kidnap him during his trip to Iraq.
Iranian leaders usually use the term "enemies" to refer to Western nations and the United States in particular.



The group Jundullah (Gods Soldiers) said in a video aired by satellitebroadcaster Al Arabiya it would kill the kidnapped Iranian policemen unless authorities met their demands.
The video showed the hostages, flanked by masked gunmen.
The rebels set a deadline of June 27 for Tehran to release their arrested comrades.
Friday the same satellitenetwork showed footage of a video of two blindfolded men kneeling on the ground who were shot by the rebels.
The broadcaster said it would not show the full footage of the killings to avoid disturbing viewers.



Newsagency PJAK Awene reports that in the Hawraman region, Kurdistan province, 22 Iranian revolutionary Guardsmen have been killed.
This happened during fights which persists today.



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