Wednesday
Jun302010
The Latest from Iran (30 June): Assessing "Crisis"
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 21:25 
2025 GMT: Revelations from Evin Prison. Norooz publishes an account from Hossein Nouraninejad, a senior member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, of a debate between political prisoners: "Many of us came to Evin with a strange illusion and a misguided sense of self confidence thinking our arrest was a misunderstanding that could be cleared thru debate with interrogators, only to realise later how wrong we were. [Journalist Emaduddin] Baghi used to tell us: 'Perhaps you did not expect to be treated this way because you did not know them, but I did."NEW Iran Eyewitness: “Life Continues for People…With the Hope of Change” (Fatemeh)
NEW Iran Special: The Significance of the “Universities Crisis” (Verde)
Latest Iran Video: Harassment of Karroubi in Mosque (29 June)
Iran: Can the Green Movement Ally with Workers? (Maljoo)
Iran Snap Analysis: Waiting for the Crumbling?
The Latest from Iran (29 June): Grading the Supreme Leader
1745 GMT: Economy Watch. Iranian Labor News Agency, complementing witness accounts on EA, reports on concerns over rising food prices --- especially for chicken, other meat, and fruit --- as Iran approaches the holy month of Ramadan.
1545 GMT: Nuclear Discussions (cont.). EA contacts follow up on the item below, pointing us to a Wall Street Journal article, "Turkey Asks Iran to Return to Negotiating Table":
"If they do not sit down and talk, we will be in a worse situation this time next year," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told a press conference in Ankara, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu Ajansi. "President Ahmadinejad mentioned August. We wish [the talks] would take place sooner."
Our contact gets to the point, "Seems someone's been talking to the Turks, getting them to put some pressure back on Iran."
1500 GMT: Resuming Nuclear Discussions? Two pieces of information pointing to a possible resumption of talks --- despite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's declaration that he would "punish" the West with an embargo until late August --- on Iran's uranium enrichment.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia, France, and the US have proposed a UN-brokered meeting with experts from all three countries and Iran, provided Tehran stops enriching uranium to 20 percent.
Lavrov's declaration, made during a trip in Israel, follows indications that the Brazil, Turkish, and Iranian Foreign Ministers are meeting this week to consider their joint declaration on uranium enrichment.
1410 GMT: The Kahrizak Verdicts. Of 12 defendants in the closed-door trial over the post-election abuses and killings in Kahrizak Prison, two have been sentenced to death and nine have been given prison sentences.
1350 GMT: Message to Foreigners --- You May Be Bad, but Give Us Your Money (unless You're Israeli). A bit of posturing from the President, who has ordered the implementation of a bill mandating the identification of Israeli companies and institutions to impose a ban on Israeli products. The Iranian Foreign Ministry is required to put forward a proposal for the boycott of Israeli commodities at international meetings, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement.
More substantive is today's announcement, in Fars News, that the Government has eased restrictions on foreign banks seeking to do business in Iran.
1340 GMT: Satire of Day. Ebrahim Nabavi considers "Ten Paradoxes of a Revolution". An example? "Our people, who wished no foreign intervention during the Shah's time; now, after 30 years without foreigners, they urge all foreign institutions, the European Union, US, and UN to help them to get rid of this regime."
1250 GMT: Today's All-is-Well Alerts (cont.). Hamid Hosseini of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines has insisted that the Iranian bank accounts frozen by the United Arab Emirates do not belong to key traders.
The UAE's central bank has ordered that transactions of 41 bank accounts and the holdings of those individuals targeted by the new UN sanctions against Iran be suspended.
1245 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch (Revolving Door Edition). One leading teachers' union activist, Ali Akbar Baghani, has been released from jail; another two, Mokhtar Asadi and Mahmoud Bagheri, have been detained.
1142 GMT: The War Within. Rooz Online claims that the move to exclude Motalefeh, a key party in the Islamic Republic since 1979, has started because of its lack of support for the Government. The website also asserts that internal Revolutionary Guard bulletins are warning of the "menace of war".
1139 GMT: Make of This What You Will. According to Peyke Iran, 30% of those living in Tehran are depressed.
1135 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Interrogations of Mohsen Armin, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament and leading member of the Mojahedin of Islamic Revolution, continue after 41 days in detention.
1120 GMT: Today's All is Well Alerts. Press TV recycles the assurance, which we reported yesterday, by the head of the National Iranian Oil Distribution Company (NIODC), Farid Ameri, that "Iran is capable of meeting its gasoline needs under any circumstances without facing any difficulty".
The insistence comes amid news of more cut-offs of supplies by foreign oil companies.
And the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, says the country's first nuclear power plant will be inaugurated in the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr by late September: "Issuing resolutions against Iran will not have any effect as we are determined to continue with our plans," Salehi said.
Salehi said that a total of 3,000 Russian nuclear experts were working on the power plant and that the final tests for the inauguration of the facility were being conducted with only a two-week delay.
1115 GMT: The Hijab Pretext? RAHANA runs an analysis claiming that the increased enforcement of "proper" clothing is merely a pretext to put more security forces on the streets.
0855 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Yesterday we noted that the trial of Mahboubeh Karimi of the One Million Signatures Campaign had been scheduled for 29 June. It has now been put back to 9 July because of the absence of the judge.
Karimi's request for bail continues to be denied.
RAHANA reports increasing concern over the health of detained student leader Majid Tavakoli, who is "suffering from abdominal bleeding".
0850 GMT: Transmitting. The new "Green TV" has posted its provisional schedule.
0840 GMT: The Universities Crisis. Complementing the analysis of EA's Mr Verde, Deutsche Welle posts an article claiming that President Ahmadinejad is seeking to organise a "board meeting" of Islamic Azad University with his own representatives.
Iran's Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei is continuing to press the case for Presidential control, declaring that a judge's rulling supporting Parliament authority is invalid.
0835 GMT: Karroubi Follow-Up. Yesterday we posted the video of the Basiji harassment of Mehdi Karroubi in the mosque of Sharif University in Tehran.
Karroubi has issued a statement on his website, Saham News, concluding with the regret: "If we had one Shaaban Bimokh [a reference to Shaban Jafari, a particularly despised "enforcer" for the regime] during the Shah's times, this regime has brought up hundreds."
0825 GMT: Cyber-Warfare. Roshannews, a site for Iranian intellectuals, has been hacked shortly after its relaunch.
0820 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Ali Bikas, a member of the Student Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners, has been released from prison.
Bikas, detained since 14 June 2009, had been given a seven-year prison sentence by the Revolutionary Court.
0803 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The Revolutionary Court of Mashhad has sentenced student Yasser Ghanei to five years' suspended imprisonment for "propaganda against the regime". One of the charges against Ghanei, who spent more than two weeks in solitary confinement, is that he recorded the results of the 2009 Presidential election and made them available online.
Ghanei still faces charges of insulting President Ahmadinejad.
Human rights activist Saied Kalanaki has also been sentenced to one year of imprisonment for propaganda against the regime and two years in prison for insulting the Supreme Leader.
0800 GMT: Rumour of Day. Aftab claims that Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai said in a private meeting that he would accept the presidency of the Islamic Azad Universities.
0750 GMT: Corruption Watch. Member of Parliament Elyas Naderan, pressing his charges of corruption amongst President Ahmadinejad's advisors, has said that 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi --- accused of involvement in an insurance fraud -- should be "sentenced like a common citizen".
0715 GMT: We begin this morning with two features. Mr Verde analyses the wider significance --- for the President, Parliament, and the Supreme Leader --- of the current battle over control of Islamic Azad University. A new correspondent, Ms Fatemeh, writes for EA about her recent, extended visit to Iran.
Meanwhile....
Execution Watch
Writing in The New York Times, Nazila Fathi features the growing campaign against the possible execution of a female Kurdish activist, Zeinab Jalalian, who is accused of membership in the separatist PKK>. Fathi includes the recent statement of Zahra Rahnavard and the activity of Jalalian's lawyer, Khalil Bahramian, who has never been allowed to meet with his client.
Political Prisoner Watch
Azeri student activist Yunis Sulaimani has been seized and taken to Tabriz, where a two-month detention order has been issued.
Parliament v. President
The fight over the Ahmadinejad budget is not over, it appears. Yesterday, we noted the expected approval by a Parliament commssion of the President's 5th Plan. However, Rah-e-Sabz, quoting reformist MP Nasrullah Torabi, reports that Government officials suddenly left the meeting of the commission.
Reformist Backing of Mousavi
The Mojahedin of Islamic Revolution has issued a statement supporting the "Green Charter" of Mir Hossein Mousavi and declaring that the message of the Green Movement is an answer to the unfulfilled goals of the Islamic Revolution.
tagged Ali Akbar Baghani, Ali Akbar Salehi, Anadolu Ajansi, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Brazil, Burak Özügergin, Deutsche Welle, Ebrahim Nabavi, Elyas Naderan, Emaduddin Baghi, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, Farid Ameri, Fars News, Hijab, Hossein Nouraninejad, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Azad University, Islamic Iran Participation Front, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Kahrizak Prison, Khalil Bahramian, Mahboubeh Karimi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud Bagheri, Majid Tavakoli, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Mohsen Armin, Mojahedin of Islamic Revoluton, Mokhtar Asadi, Motalefeh, Mr Verde, Ms Fatemeh, Nasrullah Torabi, National Iranian, Nazila Fathi, New York Times, Norooz, Peyke Iran, Press TV, RAHANA, Roshannews, Russia, Saham News, Saied Kalanaki, Sergei Lavrov, Shaban Jafari, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yasser Ghanei, Zahra Rahnavard, Zeinab Jalalian, sanctions, uranium enrichment in Middle East & Iran
Ali Akbar Baghani, Ali Akbar Salehi, Anadolu Ajansi, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Brazil, Burak Özügergin, Deutsche Welle, Ebrahim Nabavi, Elyas Naderan, Emaduddin Baghi, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, Farid Ameri, Fars News, Hijab, Hossein Nouraninejad, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Azad University, Islamic Iran Participation Front, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Kahrizak Prison, Khalil Bahramian, Mahboubeh Karimi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud Bagheri, Majid Tavakoli, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Mohsen Armin, Mojahedin of Islamic Revoluton, Mokhtar Asadi, Motalefeh, Mr Verde, Ms Fatemeh, Nasrullah Torabi, National Iranian, Nazila Fathi, New York Times, Norooz, Peyke Iran, Press TV, RAHANA, Roshannews, Russia, Saham News, Saied Kalanaki, Sergei Lavrov, Shaban Jafari, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yasser Ghanei, Zahra Rahnavard, Zeinab Jalalian, sanctions, uranium enrichment in Middle East & Iran
Reader Comments (23)
Osanloo Family Face Increasing Pressures
Only a week after the brutal attack and arrest of Zoya Samadi (which caused her to miscarry), Mansour Osanloo’s daughter-in-law, the youngest son of this well-known labor activist was also summoned to branch 1027 of the Revolutionary Court today.
http://persian2english.com/?p=12312" rel="nofollow">http://persian2english.com/?p=12312
If you live in or near Los Angeles - check this out:
Amuzegar Chair Presents
The Green Movement in Iran One Year Later - Round Table
Dodd Hall 147, UCLA
July 11, 5-8 Pm
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1256.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1256.html
Here's an interesting report from the Financial Times, which I'm copying in its entirety because you have to register with http://FT.com" rel="nofollow">FT.com if you want to read it.
Iran charity keeps poor out of politics
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran
June 30 2010
On the surface, the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is nothing more than an ordinary Iranian charity. But this organisation, which serves around 9m people, plays a central role in Iranian politics.
By helping the poorest with food, housing, education and healthcare, analysts believe the state charity helped ensure that Iran’s most disadvantaged people stayed away from the anti-government unrest that swept the country after last year’s presidential election.
Hossein Anvaari, the head of the relief committee, acknowledged as much in a rare interview with the Financial Times. “According to the information we have, none of these families [helped by the charity] got involved in the destructive scenes which is natural because they have touched the warmth of people’s donations,” he said.
The opposition Green Movement emerged during the disputed election and gathered considerable support among the educated middle class. But it largely failed to win over the poor.
The street protests have lost momentum in the last six months and Mir-Hossein Moussavi, the opposition leader, has tacitly acknowledged the movement’s lack of support among the most disadvantaged, urging his followers to speak about economic problems to show they understand the concerns of the poor.
“The danger for the regime would be when the lower class, who do not have much to lose, pour into the streets, not the middle class who retreat when they face the regime’s might,” said one fundamentalist politician.
Mr Anvaari argued that the committee had been “effective for national security” since the revolution in 1979. “The opponents of the regime have tried to strike a blow whenever they have got the chance, but they have been unable to recruit soldiers from these [poor] groups,” he said.
He added that the poor did not join “numerous small and big crises” because the regime’s charity had given them dignity and helped them “not to sell themselves cheap”.
Of the 9m people aided by the committee, 4m receive long-term assistance. They include 1.5m elderly people, 1m female breadwinners, 300,000 orphans and 900,000 students who enjoy regular food, bonuses, medical treatment or housing.
Mr Anvaari put his organisation’s budget at over $2bn (€1.6bn, £1.3bn) most of which comes from the government. About 25 per cent is provided by public donation.
Reformist politicians say the committee has made its network available to the fundamentalist government of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, president. The charity is used to implement the regime’s official policy of giving cash handouts to the poor. Meanwhile, these donations to the needy are allegedly accompanied by recommendations on who to vote for during national elections.
Mr Anvaari denied his organisation was involved in politics and said it was careful to remain neutral during the last election. “We even stopped our services one month before last year’s election because of such accusations,” he said.
He added that the rise in the committee’s budget under Mr Ahmadi-Nejad was only in accordance with economic growth and inflation. He noted that it has increased by only 6 per cent this year.
But even conservative politicians – including Ali Larijani, the speaker of parliament, and Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, a former president – have criticised the government for adopting what they call a “charity economy”.
Despite the charity’s efforts, 10m out of Iran’s 73m people endure “absolute poverty”, while another 30m live under the poverty line, according to the Iran Census Centre.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/10d13554-8394-11df-b6d5-00144feabdc0.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/10d13554-8394-11df-b6...
Re: 0850 GMT: Transmitting. The new “Green TV” has posted its provisional schedule.
The link is not the “Green TV” schedule. It is a joke which makes fun of a supposed “Green TV”. It is from Khodnevis which was set up by Nikahang Kowsar, one whose recent cartoons making fun of Mousavi’s latest statement was featured at EA:
http://enduringamerica.com/2010/06/22/iran-to-lead-or-to-follow-4-cartoons-on-mousavi-and-the-greens/" rel="nofollow">http://enduringamerica.com/2010/06/22/iran-to-l...
Lotfollah Forouzandeh, Deputy Chief of Management and Human Power Development of Islamic Republic's President's Office announced that the "elements of sedition" must be identified in government offices.
http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1254.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1254.html
Russia complains about German seizure of Iran items:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100628/pl_nm/us_nuclear_iran_germany_russia" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100628/pl_nm/us_nu...
How IR legalize pedophilia ; 950 000 married girls under 11 years old :
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18627" rel="nofollow">http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18627
Kink Abdallah and President Obama supporting worldwide efforts to counter the military nuclear ambitions of Iran:
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18623" rel="nofollow">http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18623
Sepah under highest alert because of international warships heading towards persian golf:
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18622" rel="nofollow">http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18622
Pictures from Iran; some of them are very beautiful :
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18603" rel="nofollow">http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=18603
RE 1115 GMT: RAHANA runs an analysis claiming that the increased enforcement of “proper” clothing is merely a pretext to put more security forces on the streets.
That seems to be in line with the analysis in this http://Mianeh.com" rel="nofollow">Mianeh.com article I linked to awhile back on:
" ... the government campaign against immoral behaviour also serves a secondary purpose – pressuring women and young people who played a major role in last year’s protests.
The presence of police on the streets is an open display of the regime’s iron fist. This show of strength used to be effective – before last year’s election it would never even have crossed people’s minds to stage street protests.
The campaign against “bad hejab” gives the police and other paramilitary forces a valid reason to patrol the streets and wage psychological war on citizens, deterring would-be protestors from coming out to demonstrate.
http://www.mianeh.net/en/articles/?aid=338" rel="nofollow">http://www.mianeh.net/en/articles/?aid=338
IRI needs MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :
Iran Lifts Restrictions on Foreign Investment in Joint Banking Operations; President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed an order on June 27 for government departments, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to implement the banking-law amendment approved by the parliament in May, the government said today on its website. This amendement was approved in order to encourage investment.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-30/iran-lifts-restrictions-on-foreign-investment-in-joint-banking-operations.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-30/iran-l...
Ahmadinejad orders ban on Israeli goods :
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132778§ionid=351020101" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132778&sec...
Russia urged to keep S-300 promise; "The S-300 equipment concerns a defense deal between Tehran and Moscow, and has nothing to do with UN resolutions. Russians should be answerable for that." Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by IRNA as saying on Wednesday. "
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132787§ionid=351020101" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132787&sec...
Ha Ha Ha !! :Iran Bushehr plant 'ready by Sept.' :-)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132766§ionid=351020104" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132766&sec...
:-)
Iran: No concern for petroleum shortage :
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132767§ionid=351020103" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132767&sec...
:-)
Iran says gasoline stocks enough for two years :
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100630033554/Iran%2520says%2520gasoline%2520stocks%2520enough%2520for%2520two%2520years" rel="nofollow">http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100630...
Majlis speaker meets Palestinian officials :
http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1109908" rel="nofollow">http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?News...
A pre-Islamic Iranian doctrine for the nation's return to freedom and tolerance for all beliefs : "Think good, speak good, do good!" :
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2010/me_iran0583_06_28.asp" rel="nofollow">http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/...
BBC News Death penalty for Iran jail abuse
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10466595.stm" rel="nofollow">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10...
Good overview by UPI on rumors military presence is being build up around Iran: "For the last two weeks there has been a crescendo of reports that Israel and the United States are preparing for war against Iran. On the face of it, they appeared to indicate that war was just around the corner. But they don't stand up under closer examination."
"The U.S. security consultancy Stratfor, noted these reports may have originated with a June 18 article by a "sensationalist American opinion writer."
Wish I knew who that was...
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/06/30/Iran-Rumors-of-war-reach-fever-pitch/UPI-23581277916261/" rel="nofollow">http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/06/30/...
Pro-Ahmadinejad figures nominated for Azad University presidency. http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/06/proahmadinejad-figures-no.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/06/proahmadi...
"The disputes over the leadership of Iran’s Azad University in the Islamic Republic continues as its new board member, Farhad Daneshjoo announced three former Ahmadinejad cabinet ministers are nominated for the position of the university president. Farhad Daneshjoo, one of the new five board members told Mehr News Agency the new president will be appointed within three weeks."
"In the new guidelines ratified by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, the opposition leader, Mir Hosein Mousavi was omitted from the board. (...) Keyhan state newspaper reported that Mir Hosein Mousavi was present at the board meeting of the university last week. The new regulations were ratified by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution last May and was put to action. The board members claim the new regulations have several “religious and legal problems.”
"Last week a court decision announced that the new guidelines should not be implemented yet. A day after the court decision, Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejei, Chief Prosecutor-General requested the Head of Judiciary, Ayatollah Larijani to review the decision. Ayatollah Larijani has in turn heeded the Chief Prosecutor-General’s request and initiated a review of the case. Keyhan writes: “Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, head of the Assembly of Experts has said that the actions of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution were illegal and therefore, he had invited Mir Hosein Mousavi to the meeting."
@ 2025 GMT: Revelations from Evin Prison
Thanks for this interesting discussion. Fortunately Hossein Nouraninejad is sincere in admitting that a majority of reformists was mostly interested in gaining approval by the predominant hardliners in the IR political apparatus, instead of the people, whom they were meant to represent (a confirmation of their indifference towards people's demands).
As for the rest, I really doubt that a dialogue about democracy in its true sense will be possible with these ideologically fixated members of reformist parties. I hardly understood a phrase of this insider discourse, certainly addressed at fellow travelers outside the prison, and obviously at the regime, which tries to defame them as "ennemies".
Although Nouraninejad accepts that ignoring the people was an error, he insists on outdated reformists principles, i.e. accepting this stillborn "republic".
Perhaps it will take another 30 years, until politicians like him accept democracy. In any case the enlightened part of Iran's society has surpassed them already -- even the reformists lag behind...