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Leaked Docs: Palestinian Hand in Iranian Politics?; Mud Flies in Regime Fracas

27 Jan 2011 15:22Comments

Press Roundup provides selected excerpts of news and opinion pieces from the Iranian and international media. Click on the link to the story to read it in full. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. The inclusion of various opinions in no way implies their endorsement by Tehran Bureau. Please refer to the Media Guide to help put the stories in perspective. You can follow other news items through our Twitter feed.

THE LEAD

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Palestinian Distrust of Iran Revealed in Leaked Papers

Guardian | Jan 26

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, tried to persuade a Palestinian businessman to contribute millions of dollars to a radio station for the Iranian opposition after the country's disputed presidential elections in 2009, according to leaked documents.

Abbas's move was cited by Saeb Erekat, the PLO's chief negotiator, in a meeting with the US Middle East envoy George Mitchell as evidence of the Palestinian Authority's support for US strategic goals in the region, in particular its attempts to counter the influence of Iran, which finances the armed resistance movements Hamas and Hezbollah.

The PLO official put a figure on the reported donation to Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign in a meeting with the US national security adviser, General James Jones, in October 2009. "Ten days ago, we had to convince a Palestinian businessman to pay $50m for Mussawi to have a radio station," Erekat said.

The Guardian has established from Iranian opposition sources that the approach was made by Iranians seeking to exploit old contacts with the PLO, but failed.

Shajooni Turns Out to be a Billionaire; Naderan a Fake War Veteran

Rooz | Jan 27

As some members of the Principlists party (Osulgarayan) in the Iranian parliament, including Ahmad Tavakoli, Elias Naderan, and Ali Reza Zakani continue to push for the prosecution of Ahmadinejad's first deputy Mohammad Reza Rahimi, several news sites affiliated with the same party which staunchly supports Ahmadinejad have started to leak private information against these MPs accusing them of harboring vicious agendas. According to these conservative news sites, Naderan not only owns up to eight residential complexes some of which are registered under his relatives' names but also received a real estate loan from the Majlis in the amount of one hundred million Tomans. Based on similar accusations, there is no documented record proving that Naderan actually served during the 8-year Iran-Iraq war and in fact "his claim for being a disabled veteran is related to an accident he had before the 1979 revolution, which has not been corroborated by the Foundation for Veterans and Disabled Affairs (Bonyad Janbazan va Omoor Isargaran)".

During [the] past few days, some of the same websites have revealed information about Zakani's college drop-out status as well as some irregularities in Tavakoli's electoral office and campaign. Previously, these sites had raised questions about Jafar Shajooni, an MP who had severely criticized Esfandiar Rahim Mashaee. Meanwhile some former political columnists of Kayhan newspaper accused Hossein Shariatmadari, its managing editor, of striving to eliminate Ahmadinejad's close allies from the political scene. In their accusations they described Kayhan as marred by a "legitimacy crisis" and denounced Shariatmadari for playing "political games".

The three MPs targeted by conservative news sites had accused Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Ahmadinejad's first deputy, of financial corruption.

See also: "Turnover and Turmoil in the Ahmadinejad Administration" (Tehran Bureau) | "A Vice President Like No Other" (Tehran Bureau)

OTHER NEWS

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Russia Says Stuxnet Could Have Caused New Chernobyl

Reuters | Jan 26

Russia said on Wednesday that NATO should investigate last year's computer virus attack on a Russian-built nuclear reactor in Iran, saying the incident could have triggered a nuclear disaster on the scale of Chernobyl.

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, said the virus that hit the computer system at the Bushehr reactor had caused centrifuges to spin out of control.

"This virus, which is very toxic, very dangerous, could have very serious implications," he said, describing the virus's impact as being like explosive mines.

"These 'mines' could lead to a new Chernobyl," he said, referring to the 1986 nuclear accident at a plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. "NATO should get to investigating the matter... This is not a private topic."

Russia Calls for NATO Probe into Iran Cyber Strike

AFP | Jan 26

"The operators saw on their screens that the centrifuges were working normally when in fact they were out of control," Rogozin told reporters after a regular meeting with ambassadors from the 28-nation Western alliance.

Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr for civilian use.

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency said last week that the Stuxnet attack did not affect the country's nuclear programme, including Bushehr.

"I don't think there will be problems in that area. The Bushehr nuclear power plant will be operational and there will not be a second Chernobyl," ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said during a visit to Moscow.

Medvedev Tells Leaders at Davos That There Is No Proof Iran Is Building Nuclear Weapons

AP (via Maclean's) | Jan 26

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says the international community has no proof that Iran is building nuclear weapons.

Medvedev told world leaders and top executives on Wednesday that he spoke recently to Iran's president and encouraged him to demonstrate that his country's nuclear activities are peaceful.

Medvedev said, "The international community so far has no information that Iran is building nuclear weapons."

Iran to Hold Nuclear Disarmament Confab

Press TV | Jan 26

An Iranian foreign ministry official has announced plans to hold the country's second international conference on global nuclear disarmament in 2011.

Iran hosted a two-day summit on nuclear non-proliferation in Tehran on April 18-19 last year.

The conference was attended by representatives from dozens of countries as well as nuclear disarmament experts and representatives from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).

Iranian Workers Stage Protests over Nonpayment of Wages

RFE/RL | Jan 26

Workers in Tehran are continuing to stage protests against nonpayment of salaries that, in any case, do not keep pace with inflation.

The most recent such protest, reported by the ILNA agency, was in Tehran on January 24. Employees of the Pars Metal Company gathered in front of the Iranian parliament. They staged a similar gathering last summer in front of the presidential office after having not been paid for five months.

Workers say not only are they not paid on time, the money they do get does not go far enough.

The minimum wage for workers in Iran is pegged at 303,000 tomans (around $290) a month.

Various labor unions, including the Tehran and Suburban Bus Drivers' Union, have criticized the low wages. They argue that given the poverty line in Iran, the monthly salary should be at least 1 million tomans (around $960).

Inefficiency Triggers Push for Impeachment of Transport Minister

Tehran Times | Jan 27

A number of lawmakers, representing Azeri-populated cities in West Azarbaijan province, are trying to push impeachment of transport minister due to poor management of the ministry's affairs, the Mehr News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The move has come following the crash of an Iran Air Boeing 727 which occurred near Urmia, the capital city of West Azarbaijan province, on January 9 in which 78 passengers were killed and 33 were injured.

The relevant officials insisted that bad weather caused the incident, but a number of MPs said the plane was too old and probably crashed due to a technical failure.

So far, 25 MPs have signed the proposal for impeachment of the Transport Minister Hamid Behbahani, so the minister can be impeached.

Iran's Press TV Has British Bank Account Frozen: Report

AFP | Jan 26

Iran's state-run news channel Press TV has had its British bank account frozen, a report said on Thursday.

The English language channel, which is headquartered in Tehran but also has an office in London, has seen its main trading account at the National Westminster Bank suspended, Britain's Times newspaper reported.

The bank will shortly close the account, the paper reported. A spokesman for the bank declined to tell the paper why it was taking the action.

Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Tony Blair who works for Press TV and recently converted to Islam, blasted the move as a "politically motivated act," in comments to the paper.

See also: "Ken Livingstone Forced to Stop Taking Iran's Money" (Telegraph) and "'Red' Ken Slammed for Earning Money from Anti-Gay State" (PinkPaper.com)

Netanyahu Wants Iran Condemned on Holocaust Day

AFP | Jan 26

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the world on Wednesday to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and act against the Jewish state's arch-foe Iran.

Speaking to parliament ahead of international Holocaust Remembrance Day, he accused the "regime of the ayatollahs" of inciting a new "genocide" against the Jewish people.

Netanyahu said world leaders were aware of the mass murder of the Jews being carried out by the Nazis during the Holocaust but failed to act, and urged them not to make the same mistake today.

"They knew and did not act," Netanyahu said.

"Today they know, they hear, they see, they film," Netanyahu said of Iran's threats. "Will they act, will they speak, really speak, attack or condemn?"

Israel's Shalom Says Iran Taking Lebanon 'Hostage'

AFP | Jan 26

Israeli vice-prime minister Silvan Shalom said on Wednesday that Lebanon was being taken "hostage" by Iran and Hezbollah, after the Shiite group's preferred candidate was named as Lebanese premier-designate.

"The international community must do everything to stop Hezbollah and Iran from taking Lebanon hostage," Shalom told Israeli public radio.

"Hezbollah is not simply a terrorist organisation, it's a terrorist organisation controlled by the Iranian state," he said.

His comments came as Najib Mikati, a billionaire Sunni businessman backed by the powerful Shiite party, was holding talks to form a government.

Jumblatt Denies Iranian Interference in Beirut

Iran Daily | Jan 26

Leader of Lebanon's Progressive Social Party (PSP) Walid Jumblatt said Wednesday reports that Najib Mikati was appointed prime minister due to Iran's interference in Lebanese affairs are ridiculous and absurd.

Mikati had said earlier that some of his opponents like to claim that the new government emerging in Beirut is Iranian.

"Why should such a prejudgment be made about the future Lebanese government? This government should be established in an acceptable manner with the help of all people (of Lebanon)," Mikati said.

In an interview with the Lebanese daily As-Safir published Wednesday, Jumblatt referred to attempts by some quarters to distort the truth and said Mikati is committed to strong national principles and also to the Taif Agreement, IRNA reported.

The 1989 Taif Agreement (officially the Document of National Accord) ended the civil war in Lebanon.

The leader of Lebanon's Druze community added that Mikati is a moderate and a renowned businessman who has very good ties at the Arab and international levels.

Media Should Help Expose STL

Iran Daily | Jan 26

Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Ezatollah Zarqami said the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) offers an opportunity to the media to present to world public opinion a true insight into the "kangaroo court".

In an interview with Mehr News Agency Wednesday, he said the US-backed STL -- which has been probing the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri since 2007 -- and Lebanese developments, are things about which the free peoples need to know the truth.

"The important point about this tribunal is its lack of credit in the eyes of the peoples of the world...The masses simply do not believe in such fake courts," he said.

Such foreign schemes against the resistance in Lebanon are counterproductive, he stressed.

According to Hezbollah and many Lebanese officials and international analysts, the STL is a US-Israeli plot aimed at undermining unity in Lebanon and in favor of the narrow interests of the US and Israel. On January 15, Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed published a leaked recording of a meeting between former prime minister Saad Al-Hariri and a false witnesses used in the international Hariri tribunal. Hariri had in the past rejected any such meetings.

Afghanistan Ties to West No Threat to Iran, Karzai Insists

Globe and Mail | Jan 26

President Hamid Karzai took pains to reassure Afghanistan's neighbours that the long-term strategic alliance he hopes to forge between Afghanistan and the West would not pose a threat to them.

The Afghan leader pointedly addressed his remarks to the Iranian ambassador, who was one of dozens of foreign envoys and United Nations officials attending the opening of the new parliament.

He said Afghanistan would not let its territory be used for aggression against Iran, an oblique reference to Iranian fears that the U.S.-led forces now fighting the Taliban insurgency want to build permanent American bases.

Mr. Karzai peppered his speech with criticism of the American-led NATO coalition that has some 150,000 troops and has spent some $40-billion in the country since the rout of the Taliban regime in late 2001.

Iran, Pakistan Border Reopened after 6 Months' Closure

Xinhua | Jan 27

Iran on Wednesday reopened its border with Pakistan, which was closed after two suicide attacks in an Iranian border city, blamed on Pakistan-based anti-Iran group, officials said.

Iran closed the border with Pakistan at Taftan after two suicide bombers struck a mosque in Zahidan in July 2010 which had killed 22 people and injured 160.

Iranian authorities said that attackers crossed into Iran from Pakistani territory, the charges Islamabad always denies.

A formal border opening ceremony was held at Zero Point at Taftan, which was attended by officials from both sides.

Qatari Minister Confers with Ayatollah Moqtadaei

Iran Daily | Jan 26

Director of the Qom Theological School Ayatollah Morteza Moqtadaei said Tuesday the Qom Theological School is willing [and] prepared to establish constant interaction with Qatar in scientific and research areas.

"Mutual political ties are at a favorable level and officials in the two countries are expected to strengthen two-way ties based on common traits and spirit of Islamic solidarity".

The ayatollah was satisfied that Shiites are able to perform their religious rituals in the Persian Gulf Arab state without harassment.

The threats Qatar may be facing inside the country emanates from the Salafis and Wahabis, he added.

"Shiites and Sunnis have brotherly and friendly ties in all Islamic states.... It is the terror of Wahabis that should be removed," he noted.

Iran Sends First Training-Operational Fleet of Warships to Gulf of Aden

Fars | Jan 26

The Iranian Navy dispatched its first training and operational fleet of warships to the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.

During the mission, the Iranian Navy cadets are due to be trained and made prepared for defending the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against the continued threat of attack by Somali pirates in future missions.

In addition to its training program, the fleet is also due to gain good intelligence and information on the regions it is due to visit during the mission.

Earlier this week, the Iranian Navy Lieutenant Commander Rear Admiral Gholam-Reza Khadem Biqam had told FNA that during the mission, the fleet of warships will enter the waters of the Red Sea and then will be dispatched to the Mediterranean Sea.

Spirit of Tunisia Comes to Egypt

Mehr | Jan 27

Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, firing tear gas at the crowds and dragging away demonstrators.

The protesters, who are inspired by a spectacular success of their Arab compatriots in Tunisia, burned tires and hurled stones at police as groups gathered at different parts of the capital Cairo, Reuters reported.

The scenes were unprecedented in the country, one of the United States' closest Middle East allies, and follow the overthrow two weeks ago of long-serving Arab strongman, Tunisian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, in a popular uprising.

A former Arab League envoy to the United Nations says the Tunisian revolution is inspiring the Arab world, which is worn-out by various dictatorial regimes.

In an interview with Press TV, Clovis Maksoud said Tunisia's revolution "is one of the most inspiring events of the Arab world in the contemporary time."

Egypt Bans Actress from Performing in Iranian Film

Iran Daily | Jan 26

The Government of Egypt banned actress Hanan Tork from performing in an Iranian movie about the 33-day war by the Zionist regime against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance reported on Wednesday although she had signed a contract with an Iranian director, the Egyptian Government did not let her fly to Iran to start filming, IRNA reported.

Hanan Tork is an Egyptian actress who chose to wear the Islamic head scarf (hijab) in 2006. Since then, she has faced some restrictions in her career by the Government of Egypt.

Director of 'Hedda Gabler' in Tehran Accused of Ties to Foreign Elements

Radio Zamaneh | Jan 26

Vahid Rahbani, director of the recent production of Hedda Gabler in Tehran was accused of ties of to foreign elements and the Iranian opposition abroad by Keyhan columnist, Payam Fazlinejad.

Fazlinejad, an Iranian journalist with close ties to the Iranian intelligence ministry, told the state website Jahan News that Vahid Rahbani is collaborating with Iranian opposition forces abroad, the French and the Freedom House in the US.

"Why has Rahbani received a permit to put on a show? And why has he not been prosecuted for his anti-Iran activities upon entering Iran?" Fazlinejad asks.

Fazlinejad calls for action against the ministry of culture. Praising Tehran prosecutor's decision to shut down the play, he insists that not only the organizers and prosecutors of the play but also the government agents in the ministry that have issued a permit for Hedda Gabler to go on stage should stand trial.

The production of Hedda Gabler in Tehran was shut down amidst protests from Iranian media specifically Fars new agency which accused it of promoting "hedonism."

Canada Arrests Suspect in Murder Case

Press TV | Jan 26

Following measures taken by Iran's Foreign Ministry and Embassy in Ottawa, Canada has arrested a person suspected of killing an Iranian national in the country.

Elham Dashti Rahmatabadi was attacked on May 25th, 2010 in the Canadian city of Hamilton in Ontario in the shop she co-owned with her husband Mohammed Dashti Rahmatabadi.

She succumbed to her injuries two days later in the hospital. She was 32 at the time of her death.

Dashti Rahmatabadi, the mother of a six-year-old girl, was five weeks pregnant at the time of the attack.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has warned the Canadian foreign affairs department about the declining level of security for Iranians in Canada over the past months.

The Foreign Ministry has also cautioned Iranian nationals about travelling to Canada as a new wave of Islamophobia is sweeping across the North American country.

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Blogger Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki in Urgent Need of Surgery

RAHANA | Jan 27

Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, detained blogger who is held in Ward 350, is in poor physical condition since his kidney infection is causing him problems. Ronaghi's family told the Human Rights House of Iran that he was transferred to the Prison Clinic last night for treatment and the clinic personnel recommended that he would be transferred to a hospital. Ronaghi has refused to be transferred to a hospital. Ronaghi has stated that he would only agree to the surgery if he would undergo the procedure outside of prison and under the supervision of his family. He has demanded medical prison leave on bail.

Ronaghi was arrested on December 13, 2009 and has not been granted a furlough since then. After enduring one year of solitary confinement in Ward 2A of Evin Prison, he was transferred to Ward 350 of Evin Prison. The prisoners in Ward 350 are deprived of telephone contacts.

The appeals court has upheld his 15 year prison sentence for membership in the Iran Proxy internet group, anti-regime propaganda, and insulting the Supreme Leader and the President

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'A Fresh Round Of Pressure On Mostafa Tajzadeh,' Reports His Wife

ICHRI | Jan 27

Mostafa Tajzadeh's wife was recently able to visit with him after he was banned from having visitors and making telephone calls for 56 days. In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, his wife, Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour reported of increasing abuse and pressure on the prisoner of conscience. "It appears they have transferred someone to Mr. Tajzadeh's cell, who has a few problems. When I asked my husband about him, all he said was 'God willing, he will heal him,' and he did not explain further. I am concerned about who is next to my husband and how he is dealing with this. I think they want to use different ways to weaken Mr. Tajzadeh's morale, but most likely, they will not succeed, because he endured four months in solitary confinement with all that pressure, and he was able to maintain his spirits, so the new games won't be able to make a change in his spirits," she said.

"My in-person visit was last Wednesday for an hour. They promised that going forward, I could have regular contact with my husband, which of course never happened. Again, I have not heard from my husband. If my letters and other follow-up [methods] prove fruitless, I will have to find other ways for visiting Mr. Tajzadeh and eventually, helping to free him," said Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour.

Mostafa Tajzadeh, a member of the Iran Islamic Participation Front and Islamic Revolution Mujahedin Organization, and former Deputy Minister of the Interior in Mohammad Khatami's cabinet, was one of those arrested after the 2009 presidential election. He was tried in Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Courts on charges of "assembly and collusion against national security, and propagation activities against the regime," and sentenced to six years in prison and 10 years' ban on journalistic and partisan activities. He did not request an appeal.

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Iran Nuclear Talks: What Happened to the Nuclear Fuel-Swap Deal?

Scott Peterson (Christian Science Monitor) | Jan 26

On Friday night, the first night of Istanbul talks, Iranian negotiators seemed to "waver" in their insistence about previous preconditions, which paved the way for a Saturday morning meeting between the US, Russia, and France with Iran "to set out what we meant [by] updating" the fuel-swap deal, according to a senior European diplomat involved in the talks.

"Whereas 15 months ago we saw the removal of 1,200 kilograms of [LEU] from Iran as a very considerable confidence building measure, its value had sharply fallen in the intermediate period because [now] they've got a whole lot more [LEU]," said the European diplomat, who spoke with several journalists after the talks on the condition of anonymity.

"Therefore on our side, we wanted [Iran to export] a greatly increased quantity. The number changes over time. The important number is ... not the number we remove, it's what's left behind," the diplomat said. "What we wanted to do is to leave behind in Iran roughly what would have been left behind in the original [October 2009] proposal - that is to say, it is a level which is some way short of what you need to make a weapon."

The new P5+1 proposal would also include removal of all the 19.75 percent enriched material. "That had to go as well. And any deal would have to involve agreement by Iran that they would cease enriching to that level, too," said the diplomat.

Iranian officials have stated in the past that they would not accept a deal that requires them to ship out even more nuclear material in exchange for fuel. But Western diplomats say they never got far enough with Iran to test that position.

Iran's Allies Gain Clout and Possible Softer Edges

Brian Murphy (AP) | Jan 26

From the Afghan badlands to the Mediterranean, evidence of Iran's reach is easy to spot: a mix of friend and foe for Kabul leaders, a power broker in Iraq, deep alliances with Syria and a big brother to Lebanon's Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.

Tehran's proxy portfolio suddenly has a bit more aura after Hezbollah's political gambit -- bringing down a pro-Western government in Lebanon and moving into position to pick its successor.

To those keeping score, it would appear that Iran is winning some important points around the Middle East at the expense of Washington and its allies.

But such gains have potential built-in costs, experts say. With Iran's extended family increasingly joining the ranks of power -- first in Gaza, then Iraq and now Lebanon -- there also comes pressure to moderate and make other compromises often required from those in charge.

Hezbollah's Double Standards: Tunisia, Iran, & Popular Protest

Christopher Anzalone (Informed Comment) | Jan 27

Hezbollah just issued a statement via its media relations office expressing strong support for "the people's uprising" (the Arabic term intifada is used) in Tunisia. This, only days after it and its allies withdrew their ministers from the Lebanese government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri leading to its collapse, The mass popular protests that led to the unexpected flight of Tunisia's longtime autocratic president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali are heralded by Lebanon's largest Shi'ite political party as "historic developments." Hezbollah's enthusiastic support and attempted cooption of the potentially groundbreaking events last week in the North African country stand in stark contrast to the party's reserved, at best, public response to mass popular protests that followed the controversial Iranian presidential elections in the summer of 2009. While this discrepancy is hardly surprising it is a clear illustration of the Hezbollah leadership's double standards as well as a fairly blatant example of their attempt to spin events in Tunisia to fit the party's ideological framing.

The party's statement says that it "cannot but express respect for the popular will [of the Tunisian people] that astonished the world its unity, solidarity, and quick reaction...Hezbollah believes it is the Tunisian people's right to choose their representatives and elect who they find appropriate to rule their country." The Tunisian protestor's "self-reliance," rather than "seeking foreign help," is also praised. Comparisons are made to the Muhammad Reza Pahlavi's and Ben Ali's quick and unexpected flights from their home countries in the midst of mass popular protests against their despotism.

In contrast to the party's excited endorsement of the popular protests in Tunisia, the public statements by Hezbollah's two most senior leaders, its secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and deputy secretary-general Naim Qassem, were muted following successive popular protests in Iran following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contested reelection as the country's president. In response to questions about the party's position on events inside Iran, Qassem said "Hezbollah has nothing to do with Iran's internal affairs. We don't side with anyone. This is an internal Iranian issue. What is happening has nothing to do with our situation." Nasrallah labeled the protests an "internal [Iranian] matter" that he would "not touch."

DOCUMENTS & DECLARATIONS

Iran: Deepening Crisis on Rights

News Release from Human Rights Watch (HRW) | Jan 26

Huge Spike in Executions; Lawyers Targeted for Championing Freedoms
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The Iranian government's high rate of executions and targeting of rights defenders, particularly lawyers, in 2010 and early 2011 highlights a deepening of the human rights crisis that gripped the country following the disputed June 2009 presidential election, Human Rights Watch said in issuing its World Report 2011 Iran chapter. According to Iranian media reports, authorities have executed at least 73 prisoners -- an average of almost three prisoners per day -- since January 1, 2011.

The 649-page report, the organization's 21st annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights issues in more than 90 countries worldwide. In Iran, since November 2009 authorities have executed at least 13 people on the vague charge of moharebeh, or "enmity against God," following flawed trials in revolutionary courts. The government also harassed, arrested, detained, and convicted several lawyers in 2010 for their work defending the rights of others. At the same time, scores of civil society activists have spoken out against the government crackdown despite facing harsh consequences.

"The noose has tightened, in some cases literally, around the necks of activists in Iran," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The government's crackdown has gone beyond silencing post-election demonstrators and is now a broad-based campaign to neutralize Iran's vibrant civil society and consolidate power."

The executions and mounting pressures against lawyers took place amid a broad crackdown following the election, and resulted in the killing of dozens of demonstrators by security forces and the detention of thousands of political opposition members and civil society activists. In early 2010 security forces announced that they had arrested more than 6,000 people in the months following the June 12, 2009 election. Those arrested included demonstrators, lawyers, rights defenders, journalists, students, and opposition leaders, some of whom remain in prison without charge. Iran's revolutionary courts have issued harsh sentences, in some cases based on forced confessions, against dozens convicted of various national security-related crimes.

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Human Rights Lawyer Becomes Spokesperson for 'Human Rights House of Iran'

News Release from RAHANA (Persian2English) | Jan 26

The Human Rights House of Iran (also known as RAHANA) has announced that prominent attorney and human rights activist Mohammad Mostafaei will be the group's spokesperson to further the group's goals of informing the public of human rights violations occurring in Iran and defending prisoners and victims.

Mostafaei was born in 1974 and graduated from the University of Tehran School of Law and Political Science. He practiced law for nine years in Iran and mainly defended women's and children's rights.

He was also the lawyer for many prisoners of conscience in Iran. As a student, he was a member of the Islamic Student Association of the School of Law and Political Science. He begam practicing law in 2001. In 2007, he became the secretary of the Human Rights Council of the Iranian Bar Association.

In August 2010, his wife was taken hostage by Iranian government officials in order to force Mostafaei to surrender himself to the authorities after speaking out about human rights abuses against his client Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman sentenced to death by stoning. The authorities wanted to arrest Mostafaei for defending the rights of his client, so he was forced to flee the country. He currently resides in Norway.

Report: Stop the Execution Machine

Special Report by Rahman Javanmardi (Persian2English) | Jan 26

All prisoners sentenced to death in Iran are in serious danger of secretly being executed. Concerns are specifically raised after the secret executions of Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaie. Most authorities and human rights defenders in Iran like Shirin Ebadi who have condemned such large numbers of reckless executions have made comparisons to the extensive executions of the 1980′s [in Iran]. At the same time, distinguished lawyers are being chased away and are severely suppressed for accepting political and stoning case files and defending the rights of prisoners. The execution machine in Iran is determined to completely silence the families of prisoners and their supporters. The Iranian authorities even avoid properly announcing the executions.

Roudabeh Akbari, Jafar Kazemi's wife, in a phone call with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said that when she went to Evin prison on January 24th to visit her husband, she was told that he had already been hanged that morning. "They hanged my husband without notifying me or his lawyer. Yesterday morning in Evin, I was filling out the visitation form when they suddenly said, 'He has been hanged already. Go home. We will call you if we decide to hand the body over to you. Go home and relax. It's all over now.' But it is unlikely that they will call us to pick up the body because in Mr. [Ali] Saremi's case, they buried the body themselves. They will probably do the same to my husband's body."

Ten days after the execution of a prisoner in Orumiyeh, the judicial security authorities still refuse to mention his name. Everyone spoke in a cloud of doubt about Hossein Khezri's execution. Hossein's lawyer, Ehsan Mojtavi, in an interview with Kurdish Perspective, stated that he could not say for certain that the person whose execution the Islamic Republic media announced on January 15th was his client Hossein Khezri. In the same interview, he added, "According to the rules and regulations and the situation of this specific case file, Hossein should still be living." However, he also added that the existing evidence and the charges on his client show that Hossein Khezri has probably been executed. Ehsan Mojtavi pointed out that the lawyer should always be informed of his client's exact date, time, and location of execution. "This is the first time in the last decade that a death sentence has been executed in such a manner," he said.

The families of political prisoners sentenced to death are extremely worried and anxiously waiting in the horrible condition of fearing the secret execution of their loved ones while being unable to do anything about it.

According to the statistics announced by the judicial and governmental organizations, in a period of 36 days, from December 20, 2010 to January 24, 2011, 103 prisoners were hanged in various parts of Iran. Moreover, there are reports of extensive executions in the prison in Birjand which have not been included in the above mentioned statistics because they have not yet been confirmed by official or reliable sources. In fact, there are most likely more unconfirmed executions around Iran, especially in the prisons Karoun and Sepidar in Ahvaz.

[The report includes a complete list of prisoners executed between December 20, 2010, and January 24, 2011, with links to related reports on government websites -- Ed.]

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