Daily and Weekly News from Iran in English: Week 13

News of the Prisoners

A-Transfers

Peyman Aref, student activist, transferred to Modarres hospital on day 4 of his hunger strike, handcuffed and shackled; refuses to stay in this condition and asks to be returned to Evin. He breaks hunger strike.
Political prisoner Mohammad Ali Velayati on day 8 of hunger strike was taken to Evin clinic.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

Aydin Khajei arrested in Tabriz to serve his 6 months sentence.
Political prisoner Hamzeh Karami is back in Evin after one week out on furlough.
Sharif University student Ali Akbar Mohammadzadeh back in Evin after Norooz furlough.
Arrest of Ghasem Nazeri activist from Fars province.
National/Religious activist Masoud Pedram is back in Evin after 6 days out on furlough for Norooz.
Ali Asghar Seijani, Director of documentary called 'The Reappearance is Nigh', arrested -again.

C-Liberations

D-Other News

To mark the 999 days of imprisonment of journalist Masoud Bastani, 83 journalists published a letter in his honor.
Intel agents attempted arrest of newly released Behrooz Javid Tehrani in a raid of his home Saturday failed. He wasn't at home.
Mousavi and wife still under house arrest were allowed to have a visit lasting three hours with their daughters in the presence of security forces.
Telephone is cut with Evin 350.

News of injustice in Iran

Appeals Court has sentenced Kurdish cultural activist Edris Aag to 1 year.
Hamid Ahmadi, arrested when he was 15 years old, sentenced to death.
Jafar Azarnoush has been sentenced to 8 months by court in Mahabad on charges of collaboration with a banned political group.
Appeals Court has sentenced Kurdish cultural activist Edris Borna to 1 year
Gholamreza Hosseini sentenced to nine years for having contact with foreign governments.
Court of Appeals in West Azarbaijan has reduced sentence of cultural activist Jalal Naseri from 5 to 4 years.
Appeals Court has sentenced Kurdish cultural activist Naser Naseri to 1 year.
Student activist Nima Pouryaghoub already sentenced to six years has been sentenced to 91 additional days for insulting Aytollah Sistani.
Court of Appeals in West Azarbaijan has reduced sentence of cultural activist Ghasem Rahimi from 8 to 4 years.

University - Culture

Cyber defence will be added to the curriculum of some of universities.
650 Websites blocked in the final days of the year.
Following hardliners' protests; Hozeh Honari's cinemas stop the screening of films "Guidance Patrol" and "Private".
Film "Chroniques d'un Iran interdit" of Manon Loizeau wins Grand prix du Festival international du grand reportage d'actualité et du documentaire de société (Figra) 2012 in Le Touquet and the Audience Award.
Bulldozers demolished some part of Yazd's historical context during norouz holidays.
Iran suspends accreditation for Reuters in Tehran.
Poet, blogger and HRANA member Reza Akvanian detained for 4 hourrs at the airport, passport confiscated and banned from leaving.

Protests

Economy in Iran

In Iran 18% of all workers have two jobs, the share of labour from GNP is 25%.
Exchange rate for 1 US Dollar : 1920 Toman ; 1 Euro : 2560 Toman.
Iran remains one of China’s top three sources of oil.
Japan’s oil imports from Iran fall 32.7% in February.
To promote tourism, Iran seeks to abolish Visa requirements with 60 countries.
Turkey will reduce the amount of oil it buys from Iran by around 10 percent, Energy Minister said.

Iran abroad

All Turkish banks but one have stopped processing payments for Iranian customers.
Ahmadinejad met with his Tajik counterpart in Dushanbe.
Iran and Iraq close their joint border crossing for security reasons ahead of the Arab League summit in Baghdad.
Three mass graves found in MKO Camp Ashraf with more then 50 bodies.
Iran supports agreement between Kofi Anan and Damas.
Brazil, Russia, India, and China leaders say dialogue is only solution for Syria and Iran.
Immigration offices are prohibited activities in Iran.
Contrary to earlier reports, Iranian engineers still held in Syria.

Politics in Iran

Government, anticipating second phase adds 28,000 tomans (~$22) to monthly subsidies overnight but to 10% fewer households. Majlis calls the addition to the subsidies illegal, apparent violation of laws.
Iran building a strategic stockpile of grain in anticipation of harsher sanctions or even military conflict.
Premier Erdogan was received at the airport by Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi (and not by Ahmadinejad).
Ahmadinejad met with Syrian President’s special envoy.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Akbar Gharehbaghi member of the Assembly of Experts, passed away at 75 years old.
Hasan Dana’ifar, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, will attend the Arab League summit meeting in Iraq.

Miscellaneous

Past National team goalkeeper is banned from exiting country and is given 54 lashes for old complaint.
Ship with Brazilian sugar for Iran Is hijacked.

Daily and Weekly News from Iran in English