News from Iran - Week 21 - 2012

News of the Prisoners

A- Transfers

• Mousavi’s senior adviser Ali Reza Beheshti Shirazi transferred to hospital.
• National-Religious activist Masoud Pedram has been transferred back to Ward 350 from Ward 2-A solitary.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

• Rastin Aalemi, student in Mazandaran University arrested.
• Sholeh Afshari, Baha’i, arrested in Isfahan.
• Ali Aghazadeh, merchant in Tabriz bazar, arrested.
• Hossein Ahmadian arrested in Maragheh.
• Mostafa Avazpour, arrested in Tabriz for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Mohammad Eskandarzadeh arrested in Tabriz for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Bahram Ferdosian, Baha’i, arrested in Isfahan.
• Abolfazl Garamani, student in Mazandaran University arrested.
• Mehran Keshavarz, Sepah soldier, arrested in Urmiah for protesting against lake drying up.
• Pouria Khaleghi, student in Mazandaran University arrested.
• Rouhollah Khani arrested in Urmiah for protesting against lake drying up.
• Askar Khaniari arrested in Urmiah for protesting against lake drying up.
• Hasan Mirzakhani arrested in Tabriz for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Akbar Mohajeri arrested in Tabriz for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Hamid Noghoudi arrested in Urmiah for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Ghader Norouzi arrested in Tabriz for protesting against lake drying up.
• Esrafil Omidi, student in Shahid Beheshti University, arrested in Urmiah for protesting against lake drying up.
• Mana Pirali, Baha’i, arrested in Isfahan.
• Mehrdad Raha arrested in Urmiah for protesting against lake drying up.
• Mobin Rastemian student in Mazandaran University arrested
• Fariborz Reisdana, economist, member of Iran Writers Association, arrested to serve out a 1-year prison term.
• Azam Tabibi, Baha’i, arrested in Isfahan.
• Afsaneh Toghi arrested inside Tabriz University for protesting against Lake Urmiah drying up.
• Arrests at a private party (9 men + 6 women) where alcohol was served.
• Tens of people arrested in East and West Azarbaijan for protesting the drying up of Lake Urmiah.

C-Liberations

• Clergy/blogger Ahmad Reza Ahmadpour ended his hunger strike after being granted furlough.
• Journalist Rahman Bouzari was transferred to Evin prison on Saturday to start serving his 2 years sentence.
• Mahdieh Golroo, student activist, was released at the end of her sentence.
• Women’s rights activist Mahboobeh Karami was released on bail a little while ago. She’d been detained since May 15 last year.
• Teachers Trade unionist Ali Poursoleiman was released after completing his one year sentence.
• Author and literary translator Mohammad Soleimaninia has been released on bail.

D-Other News

• Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand has been on hunger strike since May 4th.
• Iran to retry Kurdish Moradi brothers sentenced to death.
• Mohammad Reza Motamednia has ended his hunger strike after 42 days.
• Political prisoner Mansour Radpour has died in custody in Rejaei Shahr prison.
• Imprisoned blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki has started a hunger strike.
• Prison officials recently admitted to using trained dogs to attack prisoners as a punishment.

News of injustice in Iran

• Mostafa Armin, Kurdish activist, sentenced to 15.5 years in prison + exile for Moharebeh.
• Nioosha Badi Sabet, Baha’i, sentenced to 1 year in prison + 1 year suspended.
• Saeed Derayat, Kurdish activist, sentenced to 4 years in prison.
• Ali Divsalar, Baha’i, sentenced to 2 years in prison + 2 years suspended.
• Anisa Fanaian, Baha’i sentenced to 4 years and 4 months..
• Abolfazl Ghadiani sentenced to one extra year in prison for writing to Khamenei.
• Court of Appeals upheld 3 1/2 years in prison+70 lashes for Mashhad Ferdowsi University student Mohammad Ghafarian.
• Solmaz Ghasemi, Baha’i, sentenced to 1 year in prison + 1 year suspended.
• Sarah Haj Ebrahimi Baha’i, sentenced to 2 years in prison + 2 years suspended.
• Mousa Hatefi, Kurdish activist, sentenced to 7 years in prison.
• Reza Jolodarzadeh Editor-in-Chief of banned weekly Sobhe Azadi has been sentenced to 1 year in prison.
• Sabah Khaiat sentenced to 6 years by Appeals.
• Ali Marhamati, Kurdish activist, sentenced to 4 years in prison.
• Shamis Nourani, Baha’i, sentenced to 1 year in prison + 1 year suspended.
• No one found guilty for the 4 death of Hoda Saber (political prisoner died after 9-days hunger strike) and Haleh Sahabi (died at father funeral) Prosecutor.
• Amir Seif sentenced to 5 years + 74 lashes on anti-national security acts by participating in protests and insulting officials.
• Two people executed in Esfahan on Saturday.
• Seven people executed in Lakan prison in Rasht on Sunday.
• 14 people hanged on Monday of which two men in Sanandaj, one man in Sari and one in Kermanshah.
• Man convicted of alcohol consumption was lashed in public in Mianeh.
• 3 people were hanged in Adelabad prison in Shiraz on Tuesday.
• A man received 74 lashes in public in Dashte Azadegan in Khozestan province
• One pubic hanging in Ilam on Thursday.

University – Culture

• Education Ministry is cooperating with theological seminaries to produce elementary school textbooks.
• Members of music group [rap band ] “vibrations” were arrested in Mahabad.
• Reuters Bureau Chief in Tehran, Parisa Hafezi ‏has been banned from leaving Iran.
• 9 internet cafes shut down due to using proxy filters.
• Asghar Farhadi received EU Media prize in Cannes – he will direct his next film in France.
• Iran’s Abbas Kiarostami relocates to Japan for Cannes entry ‘Like Someone in Love’.
• Iran to issue media licenses to foreign media from Latin America and “Islamic Awakening” countries.
• The Elamite rock bas-relief of Kurangun in the Baba Meydan region of Fars Province, faces destruction.
• Shiraz Payamnour University English language and literature student Yekta Fahandezh has been expelled for being of Baha’i faith.

Protests

• Protests in Urmiah on Monday against drying up of the Lake.
• Preschool teachers protest in front of Parliament.
• Clandestine Gay Rights Rally in Tehran.

Economy in Iran

• Water bills to rise 20%.
• $1 = 1700 tomans.
• South Korea’s largest oil refiner SK Energy will stop Iranian crude imports from July.
• 800 Metro workers have not been paid for five months in Ahvaz.
• Iranian oil exports to China down by 23% in April compared to last year.
• Iran plans a new oil terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz to protect its exports.
• Hundreds of brick making factories closed down; thousands of seasonal workers unemployed in Kermanshah.
• Fire erupts in petrochemical plant in Khuzestan province.
• Iran to export oil products to Ecuador.

Iran  abroad

• FM Ali Akbar Salehi left for Kuwait on Sunday.
• Iran calls back ambassador from Azerbaijan.
• Three Iranian truck drivers were abducted in Syria.
• Hojjat 0l-Eslam Mohammad Mohammadi, the Supreme Leader’s representative and head of the Islamic Charities Organization, met with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.
• Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili met with Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani.
• Ahmadinejad meets with Sudan’s presidential adviser.
• Ahmadinejad invites Syria’s Assad, to visit Tehran to take part in a meeting of Non-Aligned Movement.
• Iran and Afghanistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation on an anti-narcotics campaign.
• There are currently 5,700 Iranians registered as refugees or asylum seekers in Turkey.

Politics in Iran

• Iranian diplomat accused of child molestation in Brazil fired from Foreign Ministry.
• Former deputy head of the Central Bank accused in fraud case attends government meetings.
• Deal signed to split oil revenue between outlets of IRGC and Basij militia.

Miscellaneous

• Iranians buying oxygen tanks to escape Tehran’s polluted air: 5 minutes of oxygen, for $3.
• Landmine explosion kills two.
• Bodies of 98 Iranians and 13 Iraqis killed during 1980-1988 war returned to their native countries on Monday.

Posted via email from lissping