Week 11 - 2012

News of the Prisoners

A-Transfers

• Arsalan Bourna political prisoner in Sanandaj has been taken to an unknown destination.
• Hamid Moghadasi transferred to hospital after heart strike.
• Abdolfattah Soltani transferred to Evin 350.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

• Student activist Peyman Aref was arrested in a raid of his home Tuesday. This is his 3rd arrest.
• Hossein Kamangar, human rights activist of Kamyaran, was arrested 40 days ago; no news so far.
• Pedram Nasrollahi, Workers’ Rights activist, arrested in Sanandaj.
• Gonabadi Dervishes member Kasra Nouri was re-arrested Wednesday in a raid of his home in Shiraz.
• Christian convert Fariborz Parsinejad was been arrested in Esfahan.
• Behnoud Ramezani's parents and aunt were arrested on Tuesday, his memorial services cancelled by Intelligence Minister in Ghaemshahr .
• Farid Taheri, member of Iran Freedom Movement, back to Evin after 2 days furlough.
• Mohammad Tavasoli, member of Iran Freedom Movement, back to Evin after 2 days furlough. 
• Teacher Amin Yaghinlou was arrested Feb 20 in Shahriyar. Reason for arrest is unknown.
• 48 men and women arrested in a night party in Hamedan.

C-Liberations 

• Sumitra Momtazian, Baha’i from Shiraz, released on 100 million toman bail.

D-Other News 

• Ahmadreza Ahmadpour on hunger strike.
• Dr. Asadollah Asadi attempted suicide due to depression caused by mental & physical torture.
• Davood Bahmanabadi ended his hunger strike.
• Attempted assassination of Ayatollah Boroujerdi in Prison.
• Amnesty International launches urgent action for journalist Rahman Ghahremanpour Bonab.
• Daughter of Iran opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi after her car accident caused by intelligence agent car who pursued her is fine.
• Taghi Rahmani, Nargess Mohammadi's spouse has left Iran.
• Mohammad Ali Velayati on hunger strike.

News of injustice in Iran

• Ayeh Anvari Baha’i, has been sentenced to 1 1/2 year.
• Azari political activist Mehdi Dayhimi has been sentenced to 5 months in prison.
• Anisa and Keyvan Dehghani, Baha’i, have been sentenced to 1 1/2 year each.
• Poet and Women's rights activist Faranak Farid has been sentenced to 91 days in prison + fines by Court in Tabriz.
• Human Rights Activisist Kouhyar Goudarzi sentenced to 5 years in prison in exile in Zabol.
• Ali Khodabakhsh, owner of Shargh newspaper sentenced to 1 year in prison.
• Member of Nematolahi Dervishes Parviz Malekshahi has been sentenced to 6 months by the Appeals Court.
• Journalist Keyvan Mehregan gets one-year jail term.
• Sanaz Tafzali Baha’i  has been sentenced to 1 1/2 year.
• 8 prisoners executed in Zahedan, 2 were women.
• Three prisoners were executed in Shahr-e-Kord early morning on Saturday.
• 2 men publicly hanged in Mashhad on Tuesday morning.
• Three executions in Ghazvine prison on Tuesday morning.

University  - Culture

• Film director Jafar Panahi awarded ARTS FOR LIBERTY PRIZE.
• Meshkat Shadepour, student of computer studies at the Imam `Ali University in Yazd, has been expelled because of his religious beliefs, he is Baha’i.
• Afrouz Zabihi, Baha’i, expelled from secondary school because of her beliefs.
• 'Principalist' website is filtered after revealing details of a deal by Iran with significant advantage 4 China.
• Ceremony in honor of Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi canceled after failing 2 receive official permission.
• Al Jazeera to launch Farsi-language channel.
• Judiciary orders that printing of special supplement of Iran newspaper with special analysis of Presidential hearing be stopped 
• Newspaper Fekrat banned from publication.
• Khashayar Zara`i, member of judo national team, expelled from the university because he is a Baha’i.

Economy in Iran

• Approximately $1.4 billion theft of government from private banks.
• License of electronic bank Aryan has been revoked.
• Last year Iran had a budget surplus of 8% of GDP while it borrowed from domestic sources 11.6% of GDP.
• Iran cut off from global financial system.
• $1 = 2200 tomans.
• Iran buys U.S. wheat again.

Protests

• More than 100 workers of Espidar china factory in Saveh had a gathering in protest of not being paid for five months in front of the factory on Feb 27th.
• 2,000 workers on strike in Shushtar.
• Sugar factory workers protest the withholding of wages in Ahvaz.

Iran  abroad

• Iranian alleged arms-dealer released from U.S. prison after 5 years.
• Japan follows allies, adds Iranian bank (bank Tejarat) to sanctions list.
• Bank Melli, state-run lender that is subject to 2EU sanctions, lost an EU court bid to unfreeze its funds.
• U.N. questions Iranian elections.
• Ahmadinejad, Defense Minister meet with Azerbaijani Defense Minister.
• Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs: Iran will continue to give full support to the Syrian government and people. 
• Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad’s Press Adviser and head of IRNA news agency visits Lebanon.
• Iranian man held in Malaysia et accused of involvement in alleged terror plot in Bangkok appeared in court.
• Mahmoud Zahar, top Hamas official visits Tehran.
• Warrant against 3 Iranians in Delhi blast case.
• UK launches "UK for Iraninans" site after shut down of its Embassy in Iran.
• Messages show Bashar al-Assad took advice from Iran.
• Azerbaijan arrests 22 Iranian spies.
• India and Iran agree to boost trade between the countries to USD 25 billion.
• Ambassador to Sofia ready to invest in construction of oil refinery in Bulgaria.
• First Vice President: Iran is ready to hold training courses for the Iraqi workforce in various fields.
• Majlis member Assadallah Abbasi 4,000 of the Oil Ministry’s experts have sought asylum in foreign countries.

Politics in Iran

• Green Coordination Council says election boycott a ‘triumph’ for opposition.
• Mothers of Laleh Park denounce persecution of activists.
• Iranian Majlis approves allocation of $18-billion to administration.
• Ahmadinejad appoints members of supervisory constitutional board – First Vice President Mohammadreza Rahimi, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Supervision Ibrahim Azizi, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammadreza Mirtajedini, and Justice Minister Morteza Bakhtiari.
• IRI stations its security forces in streets of Mashhad to prevent celebrations of Chahrshanbeh Souri.
•  Ahmadinejad mocks Majlis members during his hearing. 
• Rafsanjani, dubbed “the shark,” has been appointed by the Supreme Leader as the new Chairman of the Expediency Council.

Miscellaneous 

• Sedigheh Zare’ie first Iranian woman to graduate in naval navigation.
• According to UN, 89% of opium and 32% of heroin drugs trafficking in the world are being dealt by Iran.
• Bushehr nuclear power plant taken off Iran's electric grid.
• Dust pollution in Khouzestan province at alarming level.