Category: English News
Activist on trial in Tabriz
RadioZamaneh-Iranian women’s rights activist Faranak Farid went on trial today in Tabriz as several women writers, poets, lawyers and other activists attended. A Zamaneh correspondent reports that Farid has been charged with propaganda against the regime and insulting the leader. The court cited Farid’s attendance at various conferences abroad, interviews with the media and the [...]
Widespread arrests in Sanandaj and Mashhad
RadioZamaneh-In the past two days, the Iranian ciities of Sanandaj and Mashhad have seen widespread arrests involving 220 people. The Kordpa website reports that the Intelligence Ministry in Sanandaj arrested 35 people gathered at a house in Hassanabad, a Sanandaj suburb. The identities of the detainees have not been announced yet, and the charges against [...]
Azerbaijan says it busted pro-Iran terror group
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Azerbaijan’s security agency says it has busted an alleged terrorist group working for Iran’s secret services. The National Security Ministry said in a statement carried Tuesday by Azerbaijan’s state television that it had arrested an unspecified number of people suspected of preparing terror attacks against foreign citizens at Iran’s behest. The [...]
Iran ‘Orders Execution’ Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (Update)
TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)– Iran again ordered the death penalty for jailed Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani for refusing to recant his faith in Christ and return to Islam raising fears his execution is imminent, a well-informed church official told BosNewsLife Tuesday, February 21. “I was informed yesterday evening that the Gilan [Province] Court ordered the execution” said [...]
Hossein Ronaghi Maleki interrogated at Evin prison’s court
RAHANA-Ronaghi recently wrote a letter from prison criticizing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Human Rights House of Iran reports that this is the second time this month that Ronaghi Maleki has been transferred to the prosecutor’s office in this prison. He has been put under great pressure and subjected to severe duress along with threats that his [...]
Rights group calls for accountability in Khuzestan deaths
RadioZamaneh-The group Justice for Iran has issued a statement denouncing the crackdown on protesters in Khuzestan that saw two detainees killed while in custody. Justice for Iran claims that the people responsible for these deaths appear to enjoy immunity from prosecution in Iran. It has called on anyone who has any information about these incidents [...]
Iranian journalist sentenced to jail
RadioZamaneh-Iranian journalist Mahsa Amrabadi has been sentenced to a prison term for the second time in the past two years. The Kaleme opposition website reports that Mahsa Amrabadi has been sentenced to five years in jail for “assembly and collusion against national security.” Four years of her sentence is suspended; however, one year of it [...]
Iranian Internet access disrupted, raising fears of censorship
REPORTING FROM TEHRAN AND LOS ANGELES — Internet access was disrupted in Iran on Monday, raising fears that the state might be stepping up censorship ahead of national elections next week. Foreign websites beginning with “https” were not available, an Iranian technology expert said. The disruptions followed a week of spotty email and interrupted access [...]
Regime lashes out as pressure mounts
Written by: The Freedom Messenger Team The situation for the Iranian regime has never been so dire, facing crippling sanctions and international isolation coupled with the intensifying uprising against its only ally Syria. As the pressure begins to build, the regime has become increasing volatile and desperate, both domestically and internationally. This week began with [...]
Iranian journalist held in Azerbaijan over drugs
BAKU (Reuters) – An Iranian journalist is being held in custody on suspicion of drug possession in Azerbaijan, prompting a warning from Iran’s embassy that the arrest could damage already tense relations between the neighboring nations. Anar Bayramli, a reporter for Iran’s Sahar TV and the Fars news agency, was detained last week and Azeri [...]
U.N. Agency Returns to Inspect Iran Nuclear Program
(NYT) LONDON — A team of United Nations inspectors arrived in Iran on Monday for its second visit in three weeks, saying its highest priority remained “the possible military dimensions” of Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran insists that the program does not have and which the inspectors’ previous visit did nothing to resolve. International tensions, pressures and counterpressures over the [...]
Top cleric says women can’t be judges because they lack resolve!!
In answer to why women could not become judges [according to the laws of the Islamic Republic] Hojatol Islam val Moslemin Qeraati said, “God has created women for the upbringing of [children] and upbringing needs great kindness, compassion and love which has been entrusted to women. These feelings and love are dangerous for judgment because [...]
Government will seriously deal with ‘election crimes’ in fear of protests
The head of the Kohkiloyeh and Boyer Ahmad Judiciary stressed that dealing with election crimes is the priority of the judicial system. “In light of the fact that dealing with election crimes is a priority in the judiciary, these cases will be seen to immediately and by issuing effective sentences that will also work as [...]
80 percent of Iranian workers live under poverty line
The head of the Contract Labor Union announced the rate of a labor family’s expenses as 900,000 tomans [about 900 dollars]… Fathollah said that the poverty rate had increased since the Smart Subsidy Plan [in which the government cut subsidies] was carried out. “Currently, 80 percent of laborers in the country live under the poverty [...]
Top cleric: human rights laws based on modern ignorance because lack of religious foundation
“Human rights do not have a scientific history and these few laws that the United Nations operates on have been compiled based on modern ignorance”, a cleric said… “The human rights that the United Nations talks about lacks a scientific base because the laws of these countries that have not leaned on religious laws, has [...]
Iran arrests 24 people in Kurdistan for selling firecrackers
Colonel Mohammad Shah-Mohammadi said in an interview, “After ongoing efforts and after identifying fireworks smugglers, agents of the Kurdistan Police arrested 24 of these people following coordination with judicial officials”. “The enemies try to create insecurity in the country, especially via using smugglers to bring in dangerous fireworks under the excuse of the Feast of [...]
Iranian navy ships dock at Syrian port
Feb 20 (Reuters) – Two Iranian naval ships have docked at the Syrian port of Tartous, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Monday, in a development likely to raise concern in the West. The ships docked on Saturday and were said to be providing training for Syrian naval forces under an agreement signed a [...]
Lawyer of woman sentenced to death by stoning jailed for 6 years
Tehran, 20 Feb. (AKI) – The Iranian lawyer of a woman who was sentenced to death in 2006 for adultery has himself been sentenced to six years in prison by a court in Iran, according to human rights group Herana. The court in the northern Iranian city of Tabriz sentenced Javid Hutan Kian, the lawyer [...]
Iran using Malekpour as ‘pawn in a bloody chess game’
(CTVNews) International condemnation has yet to persuade Iran to call off a Canadian resident’s imminent execution, fuelling fears that he’s being used as a political tool. Saeed Malekpour, arrested in 2008 while visiting his ailing father in Iran, faces execution for purportedly spreading corruption through a web program he developed. His sentence has been criticized [...]
Afghans caught between Iran and a hard place
(DAWN) HEART: Abdullah was left catatonic and almost mute by the electric shocks meted out to him by Iranian police before they bussed him to the border and sent him back to Afghanistan. His arms marked with slashes of red paint to identify him as a deportee, the 18-year-old lies on a bed of cushions [...]