|
Iran Election
Coverage!!!!!
|
|
| Updates as of August 12 | |
|
IRAN: Sarkozy makes release of French lecturer 'top priority' The
release of Clotilde Reiss, a young French lecturer on trial in Iran on
charges related to post-election protests, is a "top priority" for
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, his office said on Monday. France
denies that Reiss was a spy. Iran Nuclear Capability After 2013, Says US Intelligence Iran is unlikely to be able to produce enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) for a nuclear weapon until at least 2013, according to a U.S. government intelligence estimate made public Thursday. The estimate, which sets a notably later date for Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear capability than other |
Iran's parliament bloc seeks to sue Mousavi over causing unrest Iran's president purges intelligence ministry Report: Iranian prison chief dismissed, arrested "One security official at the prison, who was responsible for reporting irregularities at the prison, as well as the prison warden have been sacked and are under arrest," Gen. Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghadam, commander of Iran's security forces, told the semi-official Iran Student's News Agency. Iranian court says 'confessions' prove Western plot |
|
History of Iran
The Iranian political system After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranians approved in a referendum a new constitution for a hybrid political system which combines elements of democracy with unelected religious leadership. Middle East - Timeline: US-Iran ties 1953 US and British intelligence services engineer a coup in which Iranian military officers depose Prime Minister Muhammad Mussadeqh, a leading exponent of nationalizing the oil industry, and taking control of the industry away from the British. 1979 16 January - US-backed Shah of Iran forced to leave the country after widespread demonstrations and strikes. 1979 1 February - Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns from exile and takes effective power |
|
|
Country
profile of
Iran
The supreme leader - the highest power in the land - appoints the head
of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV and Friday
prayer leaders.Moreover, he selects six members of the Guardian Council,
an influential body which has to pass all legislation and which can veto
would-be election candidates.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was founded in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the regime against internal and external threats, but has since expanded far beyond its original mandate. Today the guard has evolved into a socio-military-political-economic force with influence reaching deep into Iran's power structure |
Howard Baskerville (April 10, 1885 - April 19, 1909) was an American teacher in the Presbyterian mission school in Tabriz, Iran. He is often referred to as the "American Lafayette in Iran". In 1908, during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, he decided to join the Constitutionalists and fight against the despot King Mohammad Ali Shah. He was shot while leading a group of student soldiers to break the Siege of Tabriz. Iranians still pay tribute to Baskerville and consider him a martyr. He is buried in the Christian Armenian cemetery in Tabriz, Iran, a fact that enables tourists and ordinary people to visit his grave freely. However, "a mysterious admirer" is reported to "regularly" place "yellow roses" on his grave. |
| Updates as of August 2 | |
|
London Times: Iran Ready To Build Nuclear Bomb, Just Waiting For
Ayatollah's Order Iranian Forces Foil Plot for Chemical Attacks Khatami attacks Iran 'show trials' Mohammad Khatami, Iran's reformist former president, on Sunday condemned the trial of 100 opposition figures in Tehran Iran approves $280 million loan for Bolivia Twenty election 'rioters' to face trial Twenty people will face trial from Saturday in Iran for their alleged participation in big post-electoral protests in June. Charges include sending pictures to enemy media and vandalizing property. Tehran freed 140 protesters on Tuesday. Mousavi Barred From Neda Graveside Memorial By Iranian Police |
Iranian Police Arrest 50 Protestors, Karroubi Pays Respects At Cemetery
Iranian protestors flashed V-signs and waved green ribbons in a memorial
ceremony at Tehran's Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery yesterday, and police
fired tear gas and used batons to disperse thousands of mourners.
Mousavi: 'Medieval torture' used on protesters Iran hard-liners warn Ahmadinejad he could be deposed Mass trial for Iran protesters begins 100 reformers put on trial; 3 American Hikers Arrested In Iran Ex-Arafat aide guilty in Karine A case Military court convicts Fuad Shubaki of bankrolling Iranian arms ship intercepted by Israeli commandos. |
| Updates as of July 29 | |
|
Iran's Opposition Asks to Mourn Iconic Victim Iranian opposition
requests memorial ceremony for iconic victim of post-election unrest Iran intelligence minister sacked US officials charge seven North Carolina men with terrorism offences and conspiracy to murder persons abroad. Iran plane crash kills at least 16 'Iran was involved in Argentina attacks' Lieberman says Teheran is biggest sponsor of world terror groups as his South America visit continues. Ahmadinejad 'sacks four Iran ministers' |
Iran 'to release 140 protesters'
Ahmadinejad fires 1 minister, another quits Khamenei shuts detention centre Iran's Supreme Leader has ordered the closure of a detention centre where protesters against the recent election result are said to have been held. 'Revolutionary Guard tightens hold in Iran crisis The Revolutionary Guard tightened its already powerful hold over Iran during the post-election turmoil, raising alarm among some Iranians that it is transforming the Islamic Republic into a military state. Ahmadinejad Fires His Intelligence Minister, Culture Minister Quits |
| Updates as of July 23 | |
|
Reports: Iran reactor to be switched on this year Russian news
agencies quote the country's nuclear agency chief as saying a
Russian-built nuclear power reactor in Iran is still set to be switched
on this year Iran Rejects News on Iraq's Seizer of Oil Well Iran's ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi rejected news on Iraq's seizer of an Iran-Iraq joint oil well in Iran's Dehloran border region Iran internet law sparks suspicion Experts say legislation could be used to monitor users of cyberspace. IRIB 'to air' unrest masterminds' confessions Iran's state television will air the confessions of those arrested over involvement in orchestrating the post-election unrest in the country Ahmadinejad defies ayatollah on vice president Iran's president refuses an order by the supreme leader to dump the newly chosen official, who is despised by hard-liners for his remarks on Israelis. In Tehran, authorities crack down on protesters. |
The Case of the Fatwa to Rig Iran's Election In one prominent
example, on June 7, five days before Iran’s presidential election, the
website Tehran Bureau
reported:In an open letter, a group of employees of Iran’s Interior
Ministry (which supervises the elections) warned the nation that a
hard-line ayatollah, who supports President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has
issued a Fatwa authorizing changing votes in the incumbent’s favor. Arrests at new Iranian protests Iranian riot police arrest a number of pro-reform protesters in Tehran after demonstrations turn violent, reports say. U.S. lawmaker ready to push Iran fuel sanctions bill If the Obama administration can't persuade the Iranian government to end its nuclear program, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee warned on Wednesday he will move forward with legislation this fall that seeks to cut off gasoline exports to Iran. |
| Updates as of July 21 | |
|
Iran
blocks WikiLeaks
Purported Iranian Kamayeshe Kousar security force
recordings, 9 hours, 2007
Khamenei warns of 'collapse' Iran's supreme leader warns political elite against further opposition to Ahmadinejad. Rafsanjani: Iran in crisis Senior Iranian cleric calls for release of opposition protesters during Friday prayers.Iran's controversial new VP denies quitting Islamic Guards Emerge as Key Power Bloc in Splintered Iran Will Iran's political turmoil shake Hezbollah? Police tear-gas Iran protesters during prayer More violence, arrests in Iran after cleric's speech Government security forces beat demonstrators and fired tear gas in central Tehran Friday after one of the country's most influential clerics told a huge crowd of opposition supporters that the government would lose its claim to Islamic legitimacy if it didn't address widespread doubts about the results of June's presidential election.
Basiji: I raped girls before their execution
Khatami calls for Iran referendum Ex-president seeks referendum to resolve dispute over June 12 presidential vote |
US-educated scientist to lead Iranian atomic energy drive Iran frees last UK embassy worker Ahmadinejad criticized over VP choice President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, already at the center of a post-election crisis, came under criticism from his own hard-line supporters Sunday for appointing a first vice president who once caused an outcry by saying Iranians were friends of Israelis. Report: Iran's 'friend of Israel' VP resigns amid outcry Iranian Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, whose appointment sparked an outcry because of previous comments in which he said Iranians were friends of Israelis, resigned Sunday, local media said Iran-linked militant held for U.S. base attack Iraqi authorities have arrested a member of an Iranian-backed militia suspected in an attack that killed three American soldiers in southern Iraq, police said Saturday. Maj. Gen. Adil Daham, chief of the Basra provincial police, said the militiaman confessed early Saturday to the attack on a U.S. base near the airport. The soldiers were killed Thursday night in a rocket attack, the U.S. military said, in a rare assault on troops in the comparatively quiet south. During a search of the house where the suspect and an aide were arrested, Iraqi officials say they seized four Iranian-made rockets |
| Updates as of July 17 | |
|
Iranian consumers boycott Nokia for 'collaboration' The mobile phone
company Nokia is being hit by a growing economic boycott in Iran as
consumers sympathetic to the post-election protest movement begin
targeting a string of companies deemed to be collaborating with the
regime. Will Rafsanjani Rally Iran's Fading Protest Movement? Iran Cracks Down on Internet Bloggers Rights group says 34 killed in Tehran protests U.S. held Iranians as 'hostages,' officials say Three members of Iran's elite Quds Force who were seized in Iraq by the United States were held for more than two years even though they had not been involved in anti-U.S. activities and were functioning as diplomats at the time, a former and a currently serving senior U.S. official said Tuesday. The former official, who served in Iraq and was in a position to know about the issue but asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic, said that the three - who were turned over to the Iraqis last week and then to Iran Iran's Khamenei blames protests on Zionists
|
'Iranian Bob Dylan' sentenced to five years for singing Qur'an Iran's nuclear chief resigns, with links to Mousavi cited The man in charge of Iran's nuclear programme has resigned amid signs that his departure is linked to political turmoil following last month's presidential election. 7 photographers detained in IranIran plane black boxes 'damaged' Damaged black boxes are recovered from a plane that crashed in Iran with the loss of all 168 on board, say officials. Iran hangs 'Sunni rebels' Thirteen members of Jundallah group put to death in city of Zahedan, state media says. Mousavi To Attend Prayers For First Time Since Election, Demonstrations Expected Ahmadinejad Associates: Montazeri's Fatwa's A Fake The media close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are stating that the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri against the regime and against the Ahmadinejad government was fake, and that it was written by the intellectual and cleric |
| Updates as of July 14 | |
|
Iran: Clerics threaten to leave after election protests Reporters Without Borders: 41 Iranian Journalists and Bloggers ...Forty-one Iranian journalists and bloggers have been detained in the one month since the disputed June 12 presidential elections in Iranian Shiism's two faces | Peter Beaumont
Underlying the battle for Iran's political
future is a century-old debate within Shia
Islam about the rightful place of the clergy
There is a pamphlet that was published by
Iran's Ministry of Education. Condemning the
secular and materialist enemies of Islam,
not least those filling "the private sphere
of Tehran", its author denounced them
bitterly as "traitors". They are sentiments
that could have come out of the mouth of
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or any of their
hardline clerical supporters, confronted by
the
pro-democracy demonstrators that poured
onto the country's streets to protest the
alleged theft of the recent Iranian
elections. The thing, however, is that the
treatise in question was written almost a
century ago by Ayatollah Asad Allah
Kharaqani in the aftermath of another
political crisis, one that both mirrors and
informs current events in Iran in crucial
ways, most importantly in the divisions
among the country's senior clerics. It is
not simply a point of academic interest.
Instead, the reality is that the core issues
at the centre of the present debate in Iran
today remain largely similar to those
confronted by the secularists and clerics
who led – or opposed –
Iran's constitutional reform movement at
the beginning of the 20th century.
Iranian TV Features Protestors’ Violence Against Security Forces |
Mousavi 'Party' gains momentum General Strike in Iranian Kurdistan 7 saboteurs with MKO links nabbed in Iran US worried about American scholar detained in Iran 14 PEOPLE ARE SCHEDULED TO BE HANGED IN PUBLIC IN AN IRANIAN CITY TOMORROW JULY 14. Pipeline deal is sweet music for Iran An Iranian hand in reducing Europe's energy dependence on Russia, thanks to a project which is a blatant American political venture - this is Moscow's worst nightmare, now a reality. On Monday in Turkey, the US$11 billion Nabucco trans-Caspian gas pipeline venture was formally launched. For Tehran, it is a means to enter into a strategic partnership with Europe in the near term After a long absence, pro-Mousavi cleric Rafsanjani to lead prayers Former President Mohammad Khatami reportedly will also attend Iran's weekly keynote sermon Friday. The reformists' return to the event can be seen as a challenge to hard-liners or a sign of a truce. Former military despot faces 30 years in prison for crimes including genocide and political assassinations Senior Iranian cleric calls for revision of election laws Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani tells worshipers that spelling out rules regarding campaigns and debates could remove tensions. An Iranian American academic is detained again. |
| Updates as of July 9 | |
|
Iran 'arrests prominent human rights lawyer' US releases 5 Iranian officials in Iraq Khamenei's son takes control of Iran's anti-protest militia Iran Vows To "Smash" Opposition Protests Videos Show First Major Demonstrations In Weeks Many, many more videos here. Iran's Revolutionary Guard acknowledges taking a bigger role in nation's security Iran says it will free 100 more people detained over unrest Iran Opposition Chiefs: End Crackdown Iran opposition leader vows to continue campaign against regime. |
Iran holds US responsible for any Israeli attack
IUS will be held responsible for any Israeli attack against Iran,
said Ali Larijani Iran’s Shura Council Chairman. “The Zionist entity can
lead no operations without getting the green light from the United
States’’, Larijani said in Doha,, during an official visit. In response
to statements ... Today is the Anniversary of the 1999 Iran Protest Mousavi To Form New Political Party: PaperNew communications crackdown. "The head of the judiciary Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi today has issued a directive to Iranian courts allowing them to sentence anyone working with satellite television channels or Internet networking websites to up to 10 years in jail, according to several news agencies." |
| Updates as of July 5 | |
|
Iran releases reporter for The Times Israel won't base submarines in Red Sea, says defense official Iran: British-Greek reporter held for weeks freed (AP) Iranian clerical group says vote result "invalid" (Reuters)Khatami denounces Iran election, arrests Mousavi details accusations of fraud in Iran vote Clerical Group Defies Leader on Disputed Iran Election The most important group of religious leaders in Iran called the disputed presidential election and the new government illegitimate on Saturday, an act of defiance against the country’s supreme leader and the most public sign of a major split in the country’s clerical establishment. Jordan shuts down Press TV? Sara writes, "According to BBC Persian, Al-Alam has written to the network news offices in Amman ordering the state offices of the English-language Iranian television network of Press TV to be shut down." More Press TV discussion below.Iran cleric says British embassy staff to stand trial. The New York Times reports: UN watchdog: no hard evidence Iran seeking nukes. Some provocative comments from the new IAEA chief: "The incoming head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Friday he did not see any hard evidence Report: U.S. to block Iran sanctions at G8. "The United States is opposed to enacting a new set of financial sanctions against Iran that are due to be discussed in the G8 summit next week Hardline Editor Claims Mousavi Is A U.S. Agent, Should Face Trial
|
No power struggle in Iran following crisis: Rafsanjani Iran's
ex-president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said on Saturday that there was no
power struggle in Iran following the crisis triggered by alleged fraud
in the June 12 presidential election, ISNA news agency reported. Mullen cautions against strike on Iran Vice President Joe Biden seemed to give Israel a green light for military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat, saying the U.S. “cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do.” Iran official urges media crackdown Judiciary head wants "anti-regime satellite channels and websites" to be confronted. The Nation's cover story: "Iran's Green Wave." It is absolutely worth going over and reading Robert Dreyfuss' complete cover story in this week's Nation magazine. He was in Iran for the election and its aftermath, and has a wealth of interesting details. Here's a taste:[T]here was the Obama factor. Countless Iranians watched his June 4 Cairo speech, and its transcript was parsed word by word. By offering to respect Iran rather than locating it in the "axis of evil," Obama appealed to secular nationalists, activists seeking greater individual freedom and businessmen hungering for an end to the sanctions strangling Iran's economy.U Summons ALL Iranian Ambassadors In Coordinated Protest Israeli sub sails Suez, signaling reach to IranConspiracy Theories in Iran Flourish (Time.com) 29 people are to be executed tomorrow in Iran New video. this video was uploaded today, but the date of the events is unclear. Given the smaller crowd sizes, it seems very likely to have been filmed at least a few days after the massive demonstration on Saturday. |
| Updates as of July 3 | |
|
Attacks, arrests slowing online news from Iran Bloody attacks and
midnight arrests, combined with a regime growing more technologically
savvy, have begun stemming the flow of online information from
dissidents in Iran, activists and human rights officials say. Iran hardliners urge legal action against Mousavi Iranian hardliners pressed on Thursday for legal action against moderate leaders accused of inciting post-election turmoil that has dimmed Western hopes of engaging Tehran on its disputed nuclear program .ABC News Reporter Tweets That Iranian Detainees Are Being Waterboarded
|
Mousavi: New Iranian government illegitimate Iran to investigate defiant Mousavi Government militia accuses losing candidate of "disturbing the nation's security". Iran arrests 7 allegedly tied to exiles Iran announces more arrests in the post-election turmoil, detaining seven alleged provocateurs of violence it says were linked to Iranian exiles. Iran reports more protest arrests Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media. |
| Updates as of July 1 12am | |
|
Iranian recount results in small increase for Ahmadinejad MKO provoked Iran's post-vote unrest: Iraq Even authorised gatherings are suppressed Debating the election on state TV. Will Ward at Iran in the Gulf writes, "Here is an interesting debate show in three parts on the election results from Iran's English-language Press TV featuring Ali Ansari, Kaveh Afrasiabi, and Seyed Mohammad Marandi. Angered by Afrasiabi's insinuations that he is a British agent, Ansari walks off the set in segment 2." Here's that video -- more here. 'Obama urged to punish US firms for aiding internet censorship.' Internet activists are urging Barack Obama to pass legislation that would make it illegal for technology companies to collaborate with authoritarian countries that censor the internet. Iran state media cover Khatami's call for impartial election probe. PressTV's English write-up is here. Host quits Iran's Press TV over 'bias' after election. "It is called Press TV, is funded by the Iranian regime, and opponents say that from its nondescript offices off Hanger Lane in northwest London the 24-hour news station is beaming pro-Tehran propaganda into homes across Britain. Nick Ferrari, a leading British radio presenter, quit his show on the station yesterday in protest at the regime crushing dissent after the Iranian elections, but Press TV continues to employ plenty of other Britons -- including MPs and Cherie Blair's sister." |
Amnesty Int'l
warns of torture-induced confessions. Amnesty International is gravely
concerned that several opposition leaders detained in the wake of the 12
June elections may be facing torture, possibly to force them to make
televised "confessions" as a prelude to unfair trials
in which they could face the death penalty. [...]
Newsweek journalist reportedly "confesses" to aiding protests. A reader sends along this report in the state-backed outlet Fars stating that imprisoned Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari has "confessed" to "lying" and helping the demonstrations. Senior cleric releases statement defending Mousavi. Sara at the 'Where Is My Vote?' blog reports: Revolutionary Guard "to counter organized web crimes." "Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had set up a new unit to counter organized crimes on websites, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday. The new IRGC unit which has been named 'anti-cyber system' would engaged in campaigns against organized crimes, espionage, economic and social corruption, money laundering and cultural inroad through the internet, IRNA cited an announcement the source of which was not specified." Suspicious Photos Of Iran Ballots EmergIran To Prosecute Doctor Who Tried To Save Neda |
| Updates as of June 29 12am | |
|
Iran Officially Certifies Ahmadinejad Victory, Protests Reportedly Break
Out Iranian Cleric: Execute Some Protesters Iran: Night Raids Terrorize Civilians Iranian police clash with up to 3,000 protesters Iran Escalates Its Fight With Britain; New Clashes Erupt CNN's Fareed Zakaria takes a look inside the Iranian Revolutionary Guard with a former member Rafsanjani calls for fair probe of vote Mir Hossein Mousavi arrested in Iran Mousavi's Facebook site denies arrest reports. There are several accounts tonight that Mousavi was arrested. A message just posted on his Facebook page appears to deny them: "Mir Hossein Mousavi is not under house arrest, he is not about to leave the country, he is under strong pressure to end this. but he always said he will stand for the people's will to the end ! He is amongst people..." Iran militia raids 'target homes' Fareed Zakaria's GPS: There's been a military coup d'état in Iran by the Revolutionary Guard in 2009 Robert Baer, former CIA agent who was once called "perhaps the best on-the-ground field agent in the Middle East," discusses Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the U.S. government's knowledge of what is really going on in Iran. Click here to read more about Robert Baer. Full interview - he continued for another minute NYT:
Ahmadinejad Reaps Benefits of Stacking Agencies With Allies PersianKiwi reappears? Yesterday, there were reports that a reliable and prolific Iranian on Twitter known as PersianKiwi had been arrested. Readers today are directing me to the account of a new Twitter user alleging to be the same person. One of those posts today reads, "WARNING! Am Safe. Basiji corrupted my twitter acct. DO NOT SEND INFO TO ME @persiankiwi! Great danger!" Senior cleric calls for separation of powers. The NIAC translates a story today about Ayatollah Javadi Amoli calling for separation of powers in Iran. "When one person alone enacts, executes and judges the law, there will be problems." ... Amoli, who led the Friday prayers sermon in Qom, believes that the best way to resolve the current situation is a separation between the executive branch, the judicial branch and the Islamic jurist. Amoli said separation of powers is not a recent phenomenon and it existed before Islam. "Separation of powers does not belong to a particular century. Islamic and non-Islamic governments have it now, too," he said. China, Cuba, Other Authoritarian Regimes Censor News From Iran |
Hospitalized Iranians seized Iran 'arrests UK embassy staff' June 28 Iranians rally at Ghoba Mosque Obama rejects Iran apology call US president rejects demand by Tehran that he apologise for condemning crackdown.
Mousavi's website shut down, supporters
torturedIran
arrests 70 professors who met with Mousavi
June 28 Iranians rally at Ghoba Mosque Large Crowd Outside Tehran's Bagha Mosque Chanting "Death to Khamenei" (?) - 06/28/09 Footage from above: Basij indiscriminately firing into crowd below (06/28/09 - apparently) Is the Revolutionary Guard really in control? Two U.S. analysts -- former National Security Council staffer Gary Sick and former CIA operative Robert Baer -- argued today that the events in Iran over the last two weeks amount to a military coup by the Revolutionary Guard. Here's Sick writing for the Daily Beast: Mousavi calls into today's protest. Several readers have passed along this video posted on Facebook. Reader Kia offers a description (slightly edited for clarity): "Dr. Beheshti (son of the Ayatollah Beheshti, who was a founder of the revolution and assassinated some 30 years ago -- the event today was held in his memory), who is a supporter of Mousavi, is first talking to people telling them that Mr. Mousavi is stuck in traffic and is not able to join them. Then they call Mousavi, and we can hear Mousavi's voice from his cellphone (very hard to figure out what he is saying -- apparently thanking the protesters and asking them to stay non-violent Several Mousavi campaign aides reportedly released. Via a very helpful reader, the news site Gooya reports, "According to an Ayandeh reporter, Mousavi's election campaign leader (Ghorban Behzadian-Nejad) as well as 22 out of 25 staff members of his newspaper, Kalameh Sabz (translation: green word) that were arrested last week, have been released. However, 1 member of Kalameh's website has been detained since." Firing from a rooftops. "Incredible high point overview at the chaos in Tehran when the Iranian regime began to brutally crack down on the pro-democracy demonstrations on June 20th 2009 - look at the Basij shooting down off the roof..." |
| Updates as of June 26 12am | |
|
What a difference a video makes. This 10-minute video. It appears to be video from yesterday's events. And as you can see -- warning, there is footage of protesters beaten and anxious moments when people are trapped in between cars -- there was serious unrest yesterday. Report: In 1997, US officials leaked false story blaming Iran Despite that consistent denial by al-Sayegh, a Washington Post story on Apr. 14, 1997 quoted U.S. and Saudi officials as saying that al-Sayegh had met two years earlier with senior Iranian intelligence officer Brig. Gen. Ahmad Sherifi and that Iran was the “organising force” behind the Khobar bombing. That story, leaked by officials supporting the Saudi version of the Khobar story, cited Canadian intercepts of al-Sayegh’s phone conversations in Ottawa before his arrest as allegedly incriminating evidence. "Foreign bullets." NBC's Ann Curry: "Today Iran's state tv reported that Neda was murdered by a foreign bullet. It is the only source for this claim." A brave Iranian emailed this video he took yesterday of Iranian officials firing at demonstrators from a nearby roof. Iran 'buries victims of violence' Iranian says militiaman killed protester in Tehran An Iranian doctor who claims he tried to save Neda Agha Soltan as the young Iranian protester bled to death on the streets of Tehran said Thursday that she apparently was shot by a member of Iran's pro-government Basij militia. Trail Of Carnage: More Videos Emerge Of Killings Iran election turmoil bad news for oil sector Mourning ceremony due to be held in Tehran (on Thursday June 25) |
Tehran mayor wants protests allowed. Iran's state media: Firing at crowds. This video, uploaded three days ago but apparently not widely viewed, seems to show the Basij paramilitaries firing shots at a crowd of people. Near the end, as the camera shifts right, you can make out uniformed police beating some members of the crowd. Mousavi legal adviser reportedly arrested. An Iranian journalist on Twitter reports, "Ardeshir Amir Arjman, who is in charge of Mousavi campain's [sic] legal matters is arrested." "The measure of a nation is its vote." Mousavi's Facebook page highlights posters featuring what the NIAC calls one of Khomeini's "more famous quotes." How to defend against riot police. In a sign of the times, many on the web are linking to this piece posted on Iranian.com describing methods of "defending yourself when attacked by Basij or Security forces."Another sign of the times: YouTube videos with the faces of demonstrators blacked out after a few websites popped up urging people to identify people in the videos and report them to the government. A trail of carnage. In this video posted today (date of taping unknown), a man shows the results of an alleged night raid by government forces, who damaged the cars outside his home, then invaded the house and vandalized or destroyed most everything, including the communications equipment on the roof. |
| Updates as of June 25 12am | |
|
BLOODY RALLY REPORTED OUTSIDE IRAN'S
PARLIAMENT
Britain Expels 2 Iranian Diplomats In Retaliation
Tehran says courts will teach
‘protesters a lesson'
Iranian authorities said they would teach a
lesson to "rioters" held in the worst unrest to
befall the country since the 1979 Islamic
Revolution. A moderate cleric defeated in this
month's disputed elections called on Iranians to
hold ceremonies on Thursday to mourn those
killed at protests over the last week.
Moussavi’s HQ Apparently Raided Pro-Iranian regime hackers invade Oregon computers Hackers broke into the computers of the Oregon University System and posted a message telling President Barack Obama to mind his own business and stop talking about the disputed Iranian election. Iran crisis: live - 24 June 2009 The official state media Press TV reports that Mir Hossein Mousavi has denied any part in organising the bloody protests at Beharestan Square outside the parliament building today. On Comment is free America, Richard Silverstein writes that American neo-conservatives, "those guys who brought you regime change in Iraq, imaginary WMDs, fake Iraq-al-Qaida connections, 4,000 dead GIs and a trillion-dollar war" are beating the drum for US intervention in Iran. |
Arrests of Rafsanjani kin show
Iran clerics split -
Iran's government said Sunday it arrested the
daughter and four other relatives of former
President Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the
country's most powerful men, in a move that
exposed a rift among the ruling Islamic clerics
over the disputed presidential election.
Rafsanjani has enough support to remove Khamenei: reports ... Bio Brief: Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei Iran's supreme leader has held the post for 20 years How Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, sees the world Iranians disinvited to July Fourth The White House has rescinded the invitations to Iranian diplomats to attend July Fourth celebrations at U.S. embassies around the world, in the most concrete action taken so far by the Obama administration to walk back from its agenda to engage with Tehran following the crackdown on anti-government protests there. Iranian protesters face multiple security groups Protesters face the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, a paramilitary group loyal to the government Neda Soltan family 'forced out of home' by Iranian authorities The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world. |
| Updates as of June 24 12am | |
|
EXCLUSIVE: US contacted Iran's ayatollah before election Prior to this month's disputed presidential election in Iran, the Obama administration sent a letter to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for an improvement in relations, according to interviews and the leader himself. - "The Arabs' Forlorn Envy of Iranians" - Interesting analysis of the Arab world's reaction to the Iranian uprising from Rami G. Khouri, the editor-in-chief of Lebanon's Daily Star and Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. According to Khouri, the Arab world is reacting to the news with "fascination, confusion, and concern," reflecting in many ways envy at the fact that such demonstrations would not be possible in their own countries: |
President Obama's Remarks on Iran [with Persian
subtitles]
Obama Managed To Keep His Mouth Shut While Israelis Killed 1500 People In Gaza! REPORT: MOUSAVI UNDER '24-HOUR GUARD' Mousavi camp to issue report on Iran vote 'fraud' Traffic jams, strikes the new Iranian protest Does Letter Prove Iran Election Fraud? Greek journalist arrested in Tehran Iran election: police attack protesters in Tehran Oil prices could surge if Iran crisis worsens Feared Basij militia has deep history A reader emailed a translation of the much-discussed report in the Kayhan newspaper (closely affiliated with Supreme Leader Khamenei) which is said to lay the groundwork for an arrest of Mousavi. Report: Khamenei Extends Deadline For Election Complaints... Iran Council Rules Out Vote Annulment... How Western media instigates the green revolution in Iran - 23 Jun 09Iran Bans Protesting soccer playerR Reader Noel sends along this CitizenTube video of a severely-injured young man, who appears to have suffered blunt trauma to his head so severe during protests that it looks like a dent to his forehead. |
| Updates as of June 23 12am | |
|
Ex CIA Robert Baer discusses Iranian superpower pt.1/2 Robert Baer is by far the best source on what is going on in Iran, including a discussion on the power structure of the country, as well the reality behind Mousavi's fight for the presidency. Ex CIA discusses Iranian superpower pt.2/2
|
|
|
Mousavi to supporters: Keep protesting, but with restraint
Guardian Council rules out vote nullification Iran admits possible discrepancy in 3 million votes Iran Threatens to Review Ties with Europe TEHRAN – Iran threatened yesterday to reconsider its relations with major European states because of their meddling in Iran's state affairs. POLICE VIOLENTLY BREAK UP MEMORIAL FOR DEAD 'Color' revolution fizzles in Iran Last week's power-play proved that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's capacity to command Iran's seemingly explosive political situation was never really in doubt as it thwarted rival Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's attempt to rally the clerical establishment. Meanwhile, United States President Barack Obama played it cool, never going back on his pledge to directly engage Tehran BRAND NEW VIDEO TODAY Protesters being shot!! EXTREMELY GRAPHIC A 19-year-old shot in the head and killed during the demonstrations... and Iranian officials asked his parents to "pay an equivalent of $3,000 as a 'bullet fee' -- a fee for the bullet used by security forces -- before taking the body back." One of the most tragic stories I've read in a long time, by the Wall Street Journal's exceptional Farnaz Fassihi. "Uprising in southern Tehran?" Video of a kind of post-apocalyptic scene, apparently from southern Tehran. The date is unknown, though recent. The woman in the video says, "Bravo to the youth." |
Candidates and followers are different from rioters: Larijani
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said late on Saturday that the Islamic
Republic system welcomes citizens’ questions about the presidential
election results but everyone should make a differentiation between the
candidates and critics of the election results and the rioters.
ANALYSIS: RAFSANJANI POISED TO OUTFLANK KHAMENEI 'Rafsanjani poised to outflank Khamenei.' An analysis by Eurasianet, a project of the George Soros' Open Society Institute Special court for arrested protesters. "Iran's judiciary will set up a special court to try protesters arrested in the surge of civil unrest since the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a judiciary official said on state television, as the government continues its crackdown aimed at crushing its greatest domestic challenge in 30 years." Iran buying more from US in spite of tensions Iran spent nearly twice as much on U.S. imports during President Barack Obama's first months in office as it did during the same period in 2008, showing that despite trade penalties and tense relations, the two countries are still doing business.... Video of large crowd attacking police MILITARY CHARGING "BULLET FEE" TO FAMILIES OF DEAD PROTESTERS |
| Updates as of June 22 12am | |
|
Timeline of protests Brief Summary of the structure of Iranian society Power structure Larijani criticizes Guardian Council, IRIB (Iran's Parliament Speaker) Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani suggests that some of the members in the Guardian Council have sided with a certain candidate in the June 12 presidential election.Protester: 'On 9/11, the world said we were all Americans. Tonight, we are all Iranians.' 'Neda' becomes rallying cry for Iranian protests "RIP NEDA, The World cries seeing your last breath, you didn't die in vain. We remember you." Neda with her father, before she was shotHigh definition footage of brave protesters trading stones with riot police in Tehran |
Video Below: Paramilitaries Conduct Terrifying Home Invasions At
Night... Injured Arrested At Hospitals... Rafsanjani's Daughter In
Custody... More Deaths Reported... Obama To Demonstrators: "We Are Bearing Witness" Militants, 'hacktivists' exploit Web, eye recruits (AP) Terrorist groups that have long used the Internet to spread propaganda are increasingly tapping the Web to teach Islamic extremists how to be hackers, recruit techies for cyberwarfare and raise money through online fraud, U.S. officials say. Global Rallies Support Iran Protestors Over 90,000 Protest In Paris; 4,000 March In Hamburg, Germany Iran's Mousavi urges more protests, gunfire heardNEWSWEEK REPORTER ARRESTED IN IRANYoung Iranian woman describes beating June 21: Massive crowd floods st. chanting "Don't be afraid we are together" & "Death to dictator!" |
| Previous News | |
|
What you need to know about the Iranian Election The Iranian political system After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranians approved in a referendum a new constitution for a hybrid political system which combines elements of democracy with unelected religious leadership. Country profile of Iran The supreme leader - the highest power in the land - appoints the head of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV and Friday prayer leaders.Moreover, he selects six members of the Guardian Council, an influential body which has to pass all legislation and which can veto would-be election candidates. Middle East - Timeline: US-Iran ties 1953 US and British intelligence services engineer a coup in which Iranian military officers depose Prime Minister Muhammad Mussadeqh, a leading exponent of nationalizing the oil industry, and taking control of the industry away from the British. 1979 16 January - US-backed Shah of Iran forced to leave the country after widespread demonstrations and strikes.1979 1 February - Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns from exile and takes effective power Timeline: 30 years of history Proof CNN is no better then anybody else. This is a page on their site about the history of Iran. Since it is an American news site it of course starts Iranian history in 1979 when the religious leaders took power, and not in 1953 when the last democratic government of Iran was overthrown by the CIA. It fails to mention why the religious revolution had happened. It simply states that the Shah had to leave because the people of the country hated him, the reason being because he was pro-western. The piece fails to mention how the Shah had come to power, or even that the term Shah means king, or how the Shah forced modernization down the peoples throats. To give them some credit they do mention the incident in 1988 in which the US "accidently" shot down a Iranian passenger jet killing everyone on board. (290 people) Howard Baskerville (April 10, 1885 - April 19, 1909) was an American teacher in the Presbyterian mission school in Tabriz, Iran. He is often referred to as the "American Lafayette in Iran". In 1908, during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, he decided to join the Constitutionalists and fight against the despot King Mohammad Ali Shah. He was shot while leading a group of student soldiers to break the Siege of Tabriz. Iranians still pay tribute to Baskerville and consider him a martyr. He is buried in the Christian Armenian cemetery in Tabriz, Iran, a fact that enables tourists and ordinary people to visit his grave freely. However, "a mysterious admirer" is reported to "regularly" place "yellow roses" on his grave. What does this mean for policy BOOK REVIEW: Robert Baer's 'The Devil We Know' Reveals Some ...What about the looney-toon president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Baer argues that he's a figurehead, that the country is run by a secretive, calculating, rational shadow government that has succeeded in controlling the Shia areas of Iraq and has gained credence with the Palestinians, Jordanians and many in Egypt and the Gulf States because it has done what Sunni Muslims have never done -- defeat the mighty Israelis. Would an Iran with Moussavi at the helm look different? - CNN.com Though the 67-year old is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy as prime minister during a bloody eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s, he also was a hard-liner whom the Economist described as a "firm radical." He, like most Iranians in power, does not believe in the existence of Israel. He defended the taking of hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979, which led to the break in ties between the countries. He was part of a regime that regularly executed dissidents and backed the fatwa against British author Salman Rushdie. on the other hand..... Of Iran's population of 70 million, almost 60 percent are younger than 28 -- too young to have lived through the 1979 revolution. To them, Moussavi represents a sea change from Ahmadinejad. While the president calls the Holocaust a myth, Moussavi has condemned the killing of Jews. While Ahmadinejad has unleashed the morality police to ensure that women cover their hair in public, Moussavi has pledged his support for women's rights.Most importantly, the youth are unhappy about the faltering economy under Ahmadinejad, with the unemployment rate topping 30 percent by some accounts. They are hungry for anyone who represents change, analysts have said. LATEST UPDATES: Foreign Press Coverage Banned, Reporters Confined To Hotels... Iran's Mousavi calls on supporters to avoid violence Christiane Amanpour asks Ahmadinejad if his opponent is safe & can't get a straight answer MOUSAVI: I'M UNDER HOUSE ARREST Police Raid ABC, NBC Offices, Confiscate Cameras... Iran jamming BBC satellitesTEHRAN CELL PHONE ACCESS CUT OFF Iran Blocks Websites Supporting Mousavi Revolutionary Guards arrested? Could it be? Probably not, I'm told. But fyi. In case you hear of anything similar, let me know. According to the Cyrus News Agency, Tuesday morning 16 senior members of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps were arrested. "These commanders have been in contact with members of the Iranian army to join the people's movement," CNA reports. "Three of the commanders are veterans of Iran-Iraq war. They have been moved to an undisclosed location in East Tehran." Opposition Members Are Detained in a Tense Iran The Iranian authorities detained more than 100 prominent opposition members and unrest continued for a second day in the wake of the country’s disputed election. 'Shots fired' at Iran protest One person reported killed in shooting at banned pro-opposition rally.
Mousavi ready to make his case.
"Mousavi announced [Farsi] that he is prepared to
participate in live TV programs to talk about his position on the
elections."
One of the other minor reformist presidential candidates, Mehdi
Karroubi, appeared yesterday with Mousavi at the mass opposition rally
in Tehran. Apparently he has a new letter out. Reader Artur writes:
"Perhaps you already noticed what some Twitter sources say about
Karroubi's letter to the Council of Guardians in which he names
Ahmadinejad a liar. Here's the
link - could someone speaking Farsi translate it to english?"
President Obama: Not Much
Difference Between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi
Hezbollah in Iran? The big unanswered question -- a
solicitation to readers. I have seen countless reports from people in
Iran who believe that the plain clothes paramilitaries committing so
much of the violence right now are Lebanese Arabs, possibly Hezbollah
members, brought in by the Iranian government. The reasoning is that the
country's police and military would not be so willing commit violence on
their fellow Iranians. Many readers have sent
this story that ran in Der Spiegel claiming that Iran had brought in
5,000 people from Lebanon. But the sourcing on that piece is light, and
I have not seen good evidence anywhere else that firmly show Iran's Human Rights Activists Being Arrested, Nobel Prize Winner Tells NPR Battle in Parliament over dorm attacks by the Basij. Reader YS shared this news story (in Farsi) with us. According to a member of Iran's parliament quoted in the piece, a verbal scuffle -- and then a physical altercation -- broke out yesterday when several MPs questioned why more wasn't being done to stop the attacks by the plainclothes paramilitary Basiji. Still cracking down. "Two children of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a political opponent of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been barred from leaving Iran,ABC's Jim Sciutto's Twitter Account 'Hijacked.' By "pro Iranian messengers." Robert Fisk: Secret letter 'proves Mousavi won poll' Iranian who leaked election results may have been assassinated Amnesty International: Hundreds including doctors, academics arrested by Iran Khamenei tells Mousavi to toe the line over election or be cast out
OVER A MILLION
BACK ON THE STREETS... Google's Persian/Farsi-English
translation tool is now live. "All those close
to Mousavi have been arrested."
Via Jeremy, Mousavi's international spokesman Mohsen Makhmalbaf
writes for the UK Guardian: I have been given the responsibility of
telling the world what is happening in Iran. The office of Mir Hossein
Mousavi, who the Iranian people truly want as their leader, has asked me
to do so. They have asked me to tell how Mousavi's headquarters was
wrecked by plainclothes police officers. To tell how the commanders of
the revolutionary guard ordered him to stay silent. To urge people to
take to the streets because Mousavi could not do so directly. Another must read from Roger Cohen. It will be a sad
day when his visa expires. His writing has been
some of the best from the ground.
Samuel M. Jordan In appreciation of his many pioneering services to
the
Higher Education in Iran, a boulevard in Tehran,
Jordan Boulevard, was named after him. Although after the 1979
Iranian Revolution this street's name was changed (to Africa),
the old name is still widely used. A statue of him, perhaps the only of
a Westerner in Iran at the time, which is still on display in
Amirkabir University, was dedicated in
Alborz High School[citation
needed]. Further, a theater in Tehran was named after him.[1]
Ahmadinejad: Remarks taken out of context "I was addressing those
who started riots and set up fires and attacked people," he told the
state-run news agency IRINN in an interview. "I said these [people] are
nothing, they are not even part of the nation of Iran. They are alien in
relation to
Iran."
Iran opposition defies ayatollah, schedules protests on Saturday
Iran's opposition Friday called for a major new protest over the
disputed presidential election, defying a demand by Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Khamenei and setting the stage for a potentially violent
showdown in the streets with security forces and militias. China censors order downplaying of Iran protests.
Via reader Charlie, the South China Morning Post
reports: Update: Speaking
of Iranian hip-hop, here is a photo compilation put together by
Iranian-American hip-hop artist WeaponXEmcee, sent along by reader
Allie: Spokesman: Mousavi prevented from standing at microphones.
Associated
Press: "A spokesman for Mousavi said today the opposition leader is
not under arrest but is not allowed to speak to journalists or stand at
a microphone at rallies. Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf told the AP
from Paris it's even becoming difficult to reach people close to Mousavi.
He said he has not heard from Mousavi's camp since Khamenei's address." Girl shot dead by Basij SICK BASTARDS(EXTREMELY GRAPHIC) Basiji attacks. This video, posted to YouTube today and apparently footage from a few nights ago, appears to show plainclothes Basijis attacking pedestrians in the nighttime (a widely-reported practice). A reader translates the woman's words: Neda. That appears to be the name of the woman whose death in the streets today was captured on film, and has been broadcast around the world. I posted it earlier at 2:57 PM. From Twitter, via Chas: "Her name was ندا (#Neda), which means voice or call in Farsi. She is the voice of the people, a call to freedom - RIP, Neda" More video reportedly from today. Demonstrators square off with riot police. Some new photos here and here. Ahmadinejad building set on fire. Reuters, via reader Larry: "Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi on Saturday set on fire a building in southern Tehran used by backers of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a witness said. The witness also said police shot into the air to disperse rival supporters in Tehran's south Karegar street." Suicide bomber' hits Tehran shrine From a reader: "I'm watching state TV here in Dubai and they just did a report on the bombing at the mausoleum. There was NO DAMAGE. All they showed was a broken window saying the "terrorists" luckily blew themselves up outside the building before doing any damage inside. The "bombing" was clearly a fraud as there was NO DAMAGE done to the mausoleum other than a broken window they showed at the entrance of the building. It clearly looked like there was NO BOMBING, no explosion fragments or blood shown just one shattered window. Also a correction to my previous e-mail. The program said the youths had been talking to "friends" in the U.K. and the U.S. on the phone about causing destruction in Iran rather than actually going to the U.S. and being trained. Important difference but the subtext is the same. They're clearly building a case for foreign interference i.e. the U.K and U.S. Mousavi's message of reform. Spencer Ackerman helps us understand the relevance of the statement released today by Mousavi. Top clerical group Assembly of Experts supports Khamenei. If accurate, this statement reported by the Tehran Times -- by the one council with the authority to unseat the Supreme Leader -- appears to deal a significant blow to the idea that the clerical establishment would help bring down Khamenei. Attacking the defenseless. What is so shocking about many of these videos is that the armed police are willing to attack completely defenseless bystanders. This video, apparently from the university in Shiraz, shows police not in any immediate danger walking up to veiled women who are leaning against a fence and raising their batons above their heads, threatening them, and then occassionally striking them. It is pure brutality. Here is another longer video with some graphic content near the end Iranians hold mass rally in Paris Banned opposition group holds rally in France to show solidarity with protesters. TV: Iran's 10% ballot boxes to be recounted Top cleric may have role in Iran unrest One of Iran's most powerful men may be playing a key role behind closed doors in the country's escalating postelection crisis. |
Iran Holds Mass Demonstration To Show Support For Punishment Of Opposition Forces, Media Iran: 12 students reported killed in crackdown after violent clashes Rachel Maddow discusses the Iran situation w/ Richard Engel - especially technological Video: Garbage Men Join The Rallies... Raw Video: Iranians protesting in vast numbers against election result... Raw Video: Protest in Tehran of Iran Election Results -Vanak Square 4p... Iran election sparks clashesIran election protesters beaten Intense Fighting At Tehran University... I posted earlier about reports of violence at the university. Reader Phen emails: "I found this video from inside a dormitory at Tehran University surveying the aftermath of whatever happened there. The beginning looks a pretty tame, but as the camera advances things start to look a lot worse, it looks as though there's been an explosion or something. Absolute wreckage inside of the rooms Massive Demonstrations Clog The Streets, Mousavi Appears In Public For First Time Since Election Day
HUGE SPIKE IN
VIOLENCE REPORTED Pro-Mousavi March In Tehran Stretched Five Miles Long The war on computers, continued. Boston Globe posts a huge cache of fantastic, high-quality photos, including this one of a dorm room computer apparently targeted by police. Cyberwar guide for Iran election. "The purpose of this guide is to help you participate constructively in the Iranian election protests through twitter." Update: Readers say that link is down. Here's a copy of the post. Tehran Protests exceeds 1 million 'Boston Globe' Iran Photo Gallery Nets 750,000 Page Views in First 24 Hours "Supreme leader" urges Iranians to support president as clashes erupt BBC: Iran's Guardian Council Agrees To Recount Iran Council Agrees To Partial Recount... US rejects victory claim by Iran's Ahmadinejad Leaked results show Ahmadenijad came in third Iranian Filmmaker says Mousavi was told he won Yesterday, twenty agents in civilian clothing attacked press offices of Mousavi‘s campaign at Gheitarieh. They broke all communication devices and attacked the campaign staff, including Mr. Kharazi and Mr Amirzadeh. They beat up the staff and when the people confronted them, they fired tear gas at the crowd. These were agents in civilian clothing! Then the agents attempted to runaway. About seven of them were captured by the people and were kept at the campaign headquarters. Next the police arrived at the headquarters and demanded to have custody of the seven captives and said "We would punish these lawbreakers ourselves." . "No, we need this to be court documented; we know that after the election, you will lose them", said Mr. Amirzadeh. Speed of Iran vote count called suspicious How do you count almost 40 million handwritten paper ballots in a matter of hours and declare a winner? That's a key question in Iran's disputed presidential election Iranian Students' Plea To Obama: Don't Accept The Results EU Accepts Ahmadinejad Victory... White House Holding Off... Rafsanjani resigns Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and head of the Expediency Council - Iran's top political arbitration body, has given resignation from his office. Report: Mousavi Meets With Ayatollah Khamenei... With clashes continuing Sunday night on the streets in Tehran, Iran's opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi plans to make a speech to Iranians in the capital's Azadi (Freedom) square."The website of Akbar Aalami, a reformist member of Iran's parliament, says his house was attacked by paramilitaries last night. More images are posted there. According to a reader, Aalami writes that he lives in a condo with other tenants, and some of the others also work for government. He says all of the attackers were in plain clothes, but four of them were armed. Iranian militiamen shot 300 rounds during Monday's protest
One of the day's most
important developments -- that Iran's most senior cleric Grand Ayatollah
Hossein Ali Montazeri had denounced the election results -- wasn't given
nearly enough attention. Here's some more coverage from McClatchy
Newspapers:
McClatchy Newspapers:
Unrest in Iran spreads to provinces as students clash
with security forces
Was Ahmadinejad's Victory Really Fraudulent? Iranian Artists' Open Letter To The World...
IRAN
WARNS OF DEATH FOR "RIOTERS"
Iranian athletes wear green in apparent protest
"EMERGENCY
MEETING"
Iran’s Feminists Dana Goldstein has two new pieces/posts out looking at the uprising in Iran from a feminist perspective and about what the opposition might mean for women’s rights.
Iran TV Accuses U.S. of 'Intolerable' Meddling as
Protesters Hit the Streets
Video surfaces of apparent attack on students.
We've heard for several days now of the wave of violence that swept over
Tehran University earlier in the week. There has been some video posted
of the results of the attacks -- dorm rooms and computers destroyed,
students sporting large bruises and cuts.
Watch Video Here
Police viciously attack university students in Tehran -
Brutal
Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising Video
surfaces of apparent attack on students. We've heard for
several days now of the wave of violence that swept over Tehran
University earlier in the week. There has been some video posted of the
results of the attacks -- dorm rooms and computers destroyed, students
sporting large bruises and cuts. A reader of Andrew's
feels the same way. "From Mousavi's perspective, being mildly put
down by Obama shows that he's not a secret puppet of the US government.
It lets him show his nationalist credentials. This defuses Supreme
Leader Khamenei's main attack on the Islamist reformers." They want blood. Frightening report out
from the New York Times, via Chas.Iranians shudder at the violence
unleashed in their cities at night, with the shadowy vigilantes known as
Basijis beating, looting and sometimes gunning down protesters they
tracked during the day. The vigilantes plan to take their fight into the
daylight on Friday, with the public relations department of Ansar
Hezbollah, the most public face of the Basij, announcing that they
planned a public demonstration to expose the "seditious conspiracy"
being carried out by "agitating hooligans." "Basiji Hunting." Steve Clemons posts an email
describing a new trend: By the way, two nights ago I went out to see
a few things ... as the general crowds spread into their homes militia
style Mousavi supporters were out on the streets 'Basiji hunting'. Their
resolve is no less than these thugs -- they after hunting them down.
They use their phones, their childhood friends, their intimate knowledge
of their districts and neighbours to plan their attacks -- they're
organised and they're supported by their community so they have little
fear. They create the havoc they're after, ambush the thugs, use their
Cocktail Molotovs, disperse and re-assemble elsewhere and then start
again - and the door of every house is open to them as safe harbour --
they're community-connected.
LATEST UPDATES:
Fear Of Violence Grips Iran Before Saturday Rally... Citizens Go "Basiji
Hunting," Chase Down Paramilitaries... BBC Enlists New Satellites To
Avoid Censorship... Congress Passes Iran Resolution...
Follow The Latest
On Twitter 1:07 AM ET -- They want blood. Frightening report
out
from the New York Times, via Chas. Iranians shudder at the violence
unleashed in their cities at night, with the shadowy vigilantes known as
Basijis beating, looting and sometimes gunning down protesters they
tracked during the day. The vigilantes plan to take their fight
into the daylight on Friday, with the public relations department of
Ansar Hezbollah, the most public face of the Basij, announcing that they
planned a public demonstration to expose the "seditious conspiracy"
being carried out by "agitating hooligans." SMS returning. The reasons are unclear, but a host
of Iranians are saying that (intermittent) SMS service has returned. Via
reader Paymon, now that the news is getting out one reliable Iranian on
Twitter warns: "Advice - your location can be identified from mobile
signal - + delete all sms after sending in case u are arrested"
Mousavi rally in doubt after Iran leader warning Backers of beaten
presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi will decide on Saturday
whether to defy a stern warning by Iran's top authority and stage mass
protests over a disputed election
Who's behind Iran violence? Website posts video in name-and-shame
campaign. The Internet is emerging as a way to undermine
pro-government vigilantes who attack protesters as police stand by
Banned Tehran rally to go ahead on
Saturday, wife of opposition leader Mousavi says
It's really
striking when you actually know what she's saying: At first she's
worried about her mom, who has left the house. She's concerned that her
mom may be caught up in a scene like the one she's watching. But when
she starts crying, it's actually because she sees "them" (she never says
who exactly, but you can assume from context that it's the basiji)
climbing balconies and breaking into houses with bricks. She keeps
screaming: "They're going into people's homes!" and "They're destroying
everything!" Mousavi issues letter. Guardian: "Mousavi has sent a
letter to the guardian council alleging that there were plans to rig the
election months in advance, according to his website. Here's the
Farsi version, and
there is a
very rough Google translation here." The world is watching. The people fight back against
the Basiji. Here is another video -- extremely, extremely graphic --
shows what is
apparently a young woman shot in the street from today.
Banned Tehran rally to go ahead on Saturday, wife of opposition leader
Mousavi says Where is Rafsanjani? "According to an online
reformist news source Rooyeh, Rafsanjani has been in Qom meeting some
members of Council of Experts and
a representative of Ayatollah Sistani. "I was beaten for taking photographs." That's Hanif,
a contributor to the citizen
photojournalism site Demotix, which has captured dozens of great
images over the past week. (Check out Hanif's full gallery from today
here.) Another Iranian
apparently shot dead today. It's important to remember, in the midst
of all this violence, that for several days this week, the reformist
demonstrators marched peacefully -- sometimes silently. Rights group: Injured demonstrators arrested at hospitals.
"Numerous Iranians beaten and injured by security forces as they tried
to stage peaceful demonstrations have been arrested and detained when
they sought medical treatment in hospitals," the International Campaign
for Human Rights in Iran reported today. Riot police target people with cell phone. A brave
Iranian photographer has been sending us photos (through an amazing
Iranian-American reader who has been helping us cover the situation
since we started). The photos are in the slideshow currently on
the homepage. |
|
Twitter News From Iran The Pirate Bay helps Iran critics dodge censorship Popular file-sharing site The Pirate Bay said Wednesday it has helped launch an Internet network in support of Iranian election critics allowing users to dodge the regime's censorship rules by surfing anonymously. Meanwhile, here's a list of English-language Twitter'ers in Iran right now, posting updates as news breaks.Some tweets translated from Farsi Security forces opening twitter accounts 2 pose as protestors and spread disinformation??? |
How Iranians outwit the net censors.
Informative article
from the New York Times, published back in April. How To Follow Iran News On Twitter 7 Best Twitter Protest Tactics Mother Tweets Emotional Search For Daughter Lost At ProtestA few days ago, I linked to an excellent interview conducted by the Nation's Robert Dreyfuss, titled, "Iran's Ex-Foreign Minister Yazdi: It's A Coup."And now comes news, via email:Ibrahim Yazdi was arrested at 3:00 pm today in the Pars Hospital in Tehran. He was hospitalized yesterday because of some health complications. He and close to about 100 others were taken from the hospital to Evin prison. |
