Iran: more

In a statement on yaarinews.com has Mohammad Khatami formally ended his candidacy for the June presidential race.
The main reason behind the withdrawal is that Khatami wishes to prevent dividing of the votes.
After Mir-Hossein Mousavi announcing his candidacy there were speculations about the need to unite and that not both be candidates together.
At the end of last week it was announced that the Principlist reached consensus to support one candidate only.
Although nobody of the Principlist yet announced their candidacy, it is expected that President Ahmadinejad will run for a second term.
source: Press-TV


According to information from Evinprison, the physical condition of Mohammad-Sedigh Kaboodvand is a cause for serious concern.
He is chairman of Kurdistan Human Rights organization an detained for 21 months.
Medical officers of the prison have warned of the criticality of his heart condition, but the deputy prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of Intelligence have rejected a relief plea to seek medical treatment outside of the prison. At the same time he was more then twice admitted to the prison hospital.
Kurdistan Human Rights organization has issued statements warning of the extent of Kaboodvand’s health issues and they have identified the deputy of the prosecutor’s office in Tehran and the Ministry of Intelligence as responsible parties.
source: ihrv.org


March 16 is the trial against students from Zanjan University held.
The students Alireza Firoozi, Surna Hashemi, Bahram Vahedi, Payam Shakiba, Arash Rayeji, Hasan Jenidi, Dr. Sarami and Tofighi are charged with holding a demonstration to protest against actions by an university deputy against a female student.
The next court session is scheduled to be held on April 7.
source: ihrv.org

Mohammad Ehsani, a linguistic student and filmer is named as fourth of a group of people who are charged with a "soft overthrowing" of the Iranian regime.Earlier this year the brothers Alaei and an unknown third person were sentenced to jail for cooperating with USA.
Ehsani was in 2008 invited by the Asian Association of New York and 5 other film centers in five US states, to exhibit his work.
It is said that he was arrested unexpectedly during his wedding ceremony on 6 July 2008 in Tehran and sent to Evin prison where he spent his detention in solitary confinement while his situation was not mentioned by the media.
It is unclear where and when his court has been held and if he was allowed an attorney, however he has been charged with cooperating with the United States.
Last year a film was showed at the inauguration of the Iranian art and culture centre in New York.
Reports indicate that the film was the request of the Iranian Cultural Heritage and tourism and it was confirmed after visit of the Asian Associations delegation and US Metropolitan Museum to Iran.
source: ihrv.org


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