Week 02 - 2012

News of the Prisoners

A-Transfers

• Abolfazl Abedini transferred to Evin 350 after 10 days in 209.
• Hamideh Farajzadeh, a well-known Azeri feminist activist transferred to Tabriz prison.
• Mohammad Amin Hadavi transferred to Evin 350.
• Imprisoned Kurdish Human Rights activist Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudband was transfered to hospital on 1/9.
• Political prisoner, Sarkoot Khatami is moved from Marivan prison to an undisclosed location.
• Sharif Saeedpanah transferred from Sanandaj prison to Ministry of Intelligence detention centre.
• Mozafar Salehnia transferred from Sanandaj prison to Ministry of Intelligence detention centre.
• Shahin Zainali transferred to Evin 350 after 10 days in 209.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

• Amin Ahmadian, husband of Bahareh Hedayat, arrested.
• Mahmoud Dardkeshan arrested in Qom and freed one day later.
• Ehsan Houshmand journalist and national-religious activist arrested.
• Mehdi Khazali violently arrested.
• Fatemeh Kheradmand, journalist and wife of Masoud Lavasani, arrested, sent to Evin 290 and banned from visits.
• Nasrollah Laleh, dervish Gonabadi arrested in Tehran and sent to Evin 290.
• Saeed Madani, Religious-National activist arrested.
• Farahnaz Naeemi, Baha’i, wife of Bakhtiar Rasekhi, arrested in Kerman.
• Meisam Nejati Aref, student and workers’ rights activist arrested.
• Simin Nematollahi, Gonabadi dervish, arrested and sent to Evin 290.
• Kasri Noori, Gonabadi dervish, arrested in Shiraz.
• Bakhtiar and Farin Rasekhi (father and daughter), Baha’is, arrested in Kerman together with wife Farahnaz Naeemi.
• Sharif Saed Panah, member of Managing board of Free Union of Workers in Iran arrested at home.
• 250 PPL were arrested Sunday morning in Tehran in what police called arresting of thugs & hoodlums. 

. C-Libérations

• Feyzollah Arabasorkhi on medical leave for 2 days.
• Saman Aryaman released on bail from Ahvaz prison.
• Alieh Eghdamdoust freed from Evin.
• Behrouz Faridi political prisoner freed from Tabriz prison.
• Participation Front member Amir Hossein Hajebian has been released on bail after 28 days in prison.
• Baha'i Vahid Mahmoudi who was arrested in connection with Baha'i Online University and received suspended sanctions was released from Rejaei Shahr prison.
• Behrouz, Leila and Siavash Mohammadi, political prisoners freed from Tabriz prison.
• Azari student activist Younes Soleymani was arrested 2 weeks ago.

D-Other News 

• Jamal Ameli banned from visits and leaves.
• Imprisoned regime critic cleric Mohammad Sadegh Honarvar is on hunger strike.
• After Karroubi's statement re the election was published his wife is now banned from visiting him.
• Regime critic Dr. Mehdi Khazali on 5th day of hunger strike in solitary confinement.
• Mehdi Sadat Sharifi unable to attend his father’s funeral.
• Due to lack of proper medical care, Ghasem Sholeh-Saadi, on the verge of paralysis.
• Imprisoned student activist Majid Tavakoli was taken to court once again.

News of injustice in Iran

• Souresh and Vali Afshari, Kurdish activists both sentenced to 5 years in prison.
• Haydar Ali Alirezaei, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Mohsen Armin sentenced to 6 years in prison and 5 years ban on political activities.
• Cyber activist, Vahid Asghari, sentenced to death by judge Salavati.
• Jamshid Askarian teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Behzad Bagheri, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Mansour Darianoosh, kurdish activist, sentenced to 5 years in prison.
• Mousavi's campaign activist Asal Esmaeilzadeh has been sentenced to 4 months in prison+8 months suspended.
• Ali Hashempour, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Ahmad Reza Hashempour sentence to death confirmed by Supreme Court.
• Behrad Khodayari sentenced to 91 days in prison; he is a supporter of Tractor Tabriz football team.
• Sajedeh Kianoushrad is given 1 year jail sentence with 4 years suspended.
• Javad Lari sentenced to death anew.
• Saleh Kohandel cleared of new charges.
• Farzad Madadzadeh cleared of new charges.
• Reza Malek sentenced to one year in prison and 50 lashes.
• Mohammad Ali Mansouri cleared of new charges.
• Yousef Mehrpouya teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Amir  Mirzaei Hekmati sentenced to death for spying.
• Hasan Mehdi Mohtamadi Mehr’s sentence to 5 years in prison confirmed; he is a member of the Freedom Movement of Iran.
• Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour wife of imprisoned Reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh has been sentenced to 4 years suspended sentence.  
• Gholamreza Rahmani, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Alireza Rezaei, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Alireza Riyahi, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Hossein Sarpoghi, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Mojtaba Sharifi, teacher and labour activist, arrested last year and released on heavy bail after more than 1 month in solitary, sentenced in Isfahan to 4 years and 5 months in prison + fine.
• Court of Appeals has upheld the 2 years sentence of Mousavi campaign activist Mohamad Ali Velayati.
• 9 teachers in Yazd are given a total of 42 months in prison suspended for 5 years.
• 9 people hanged in Shiraz.
• One public execution in Gachsaran.
• 2 executions in Evin.

University  - Culture

• Struggle at management level of Azad University.
• Gorgan university student Dorsa Allahverdi has been expelled for being of Baha'i faith.
• Bojnourd University student Shervin Falah has been expelled for being of Baha'i faith.
• Shokoofeh Mavadi,  Baha’i student expelled from Zahedan University.   
• Islamic Awakening Congregation in Qom cancelled after only 10 people showed up!
• Babol University bans facebook accounts for its students.
• Research Center of Parliament protest against 'National Internet'; Setback for the government project.
• Guidance ministry is preparing model for proper Hijab in child-care centers.
• Since summer mixing of pre-elementary schools' boys and girls has been banned.
• Bahman Farman Ara has returned the prizes he received from previous Fajr Film Festivals . 
• Concerns about effects of acid rain on Pasargad, archaeological site.
• In fifth development plan, Iran to reduce by 10%, the number of humanities students.
• National Internet seems to be run by Russia.
• 2 to 6 years in prison is passed Majlis for having a satellite dish.
• Ahmadinejad ally Farhad Daneshjoo to head Azad University.
• Iranian movie A Separation won the 2012 American Critics' Choice award best foreign language film.

Economy in Iran

• Oil refiners sever links with Iran. 
• Gold price & 20% inflation may force central bank deposit interest rate increase from 12.5%.
• Dollar reaches 1800 tomans : barter is back and counterfeit dollars appear.
• Inflation during the past month was 40%.
• Starting next week, Iran will raise interest rates on bank deposits to over 20%.
• Iran to crack down on illegal currency dealers starting Sunday.
• The price of bread has gone up significantly in some areas of Tehran. 

Protests

• Malayer Steel Workers held 24-hour strike over 6 months' unpaid wages.
• Textile workers in Mazandaran held a protest in front of the provincial administration office; they have received no salary since 16 months.
• Fars Railroad company staff protests in front of Majlis.

Iran  abroad

• Ahmadinejad visits Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba.
• India to buy Iran oil despite U.S. sanctions.
• Europe will have a six month waiting period to implement sanctions on Iran.
• U.S. boycotts three companies for dealings with Iran.
• French ambassador returns to Iran.
• Saudi officials: Persian Gulf oil producers are ready to step in and offset any loss of Iranian oil in the market.
• Goal of Iran sanctions is regime collapse, US official says 
• Paris-based Iran ex-pat group to create Council ahead of March IRI elections. 
• Four Iranian trucks carrying military equipment for Syria stopped at Turkey/Syria border.
• Mosad agents pretend to work for CIA to recruit members of Jundollah to fight against Iran.
• Commander of Iran Qods Force, Ghasem Soleimani, was in Syria a few days ago and was received warmly by Bashar Assad.
• Hamas Leaders Khaled Mashaal and Ismail Haniyeh to visit Iran in January.
• Iran supplying weapons to Syria crackdown.

Politics in Iran

• Ahmadinejad: Mojtaba Khamenei (Khamenei's son) has embezzled 1.6 billion euros from Iran national reserves.
• Minister of Interior disqualifies all of Parvin Ahmadinejad competitors (for Majlis elections) in her district.
• 4 are arrested for "plans for inciting disruption of parliamentary elections.
• Massive Raid by Intelligence Agents on Homes of Baha’i in Sanandaj .
• Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, arrested.
• Many MPs banned from running for re-election among them : Ali Motahari, Hamidreza Katouzian, Alireza Mahjoub, Ali Abbaspour Tehrani, Fatemeh Ajorloo, Abbasali Noura, Peyman Forouzesh, Ghodratollah Alikhani and Daryoosh Ghanbari .
• 30% of candidates for 9th parliament in Tehran State are rejected.
• Mehdi Rabbani becomes deputy of Operations of IRGC, previously Tehran IRGC Sarallah Base deputy.
• Travellers who are flying to Turkey and Malaysia can get $1000 amount only at airport after passport check.
• Currently released political prisoners were called to support next Parliament election by Ministry of Information.
• Ahmadinejad accuses Mojtaba Khamenei of 1.6 billion euros  embezzlement.

Miscellaneous 

• 5 female inmates mysteriously killed in Gharchak prison in Varamin over the past two days.
• Last week, a doctor at Alzahra hospital of Isfahan announced that a number of patients with sudden, painful blisters were admitted to the hospital and treated. According to the Iran Khabar news agency, this doctor announced that these injuries are a result of radioactive contact and as all patients are from a small area, it is probably a result of a radioactive leak from a military or lab nuclear test.
• Senior Natanz executive slain in Tehran 48 hours after Iran began uranium enrichment at Fordo.
• Assassinated nuclear procurement guy, Ahmadi-Roshan, had disagreements with regime on its nuclear policies.
• High level of air pollution in Assalouyeh . Tests detect toxins in residents' blood.
• About 200 thousand people in Iran are infected with hepatitis C.
• Pirates seize Iranian ship in Gulf of Aden.
• U.S. forces rescue another six Iranian mariners.