Week 40 - 2012

Prisoners’ News

A- Transfers

• Political prisoner Fayzollah Arabsorkhi launched a hunger strike protesting denied medical care; he stops it when transferred to hospital.
• Imprisoned Journalist Mohammad Reza Pourshajari (Siamak Mehr) taken to hospital after heart attack.
• Keyvan Rahimian transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr prison.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

• Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, prominent Human Rights lawyer, is in Evin to serve a 9 year prison sentence.
• Children's books translator Nazanin Daihimi reported to Evin to start serving her 8 months sentence.
• Nava and Nika Kholousi, Baha’i, arrested during a raid against their home in Mashhad.
• Mahsa Mahdavi, Baha’i, arrested during a raid against her home in Mashhad.
• Mehdi Emami-Naseri, editor in chief of Maghreb newspaper arrested.
• Two people arrested for publishing music on Internet.
• On the pretext of ridding the Salmas in West Azerbaijan of thugs, security arrested 15 people - no charges known.

C-Liberations

• Behrooz Alavi activist arrested at the earthquake site was released.
• Mohammad Azadi released from Evin.
• Hamid-Reza Moseibian activist arrested at the earthquake site was released.
• Mehdi Rahmanian, editor in chief of Shargh newspaper, was released on 50 million toman bail.
• Baha'i citizen Shahnaz Ranjbar summoned twice by Intelligence Bureau, arrested.
• Esmail Salmanpour activist arrested at the earthquake site was released.
• Hooman Taheri activist arrested at the earthquake site was released.

D-Other News

• Saeed Malekpour, jailed web programmer who is sentenced to death, 'expressed remorse and repented'.
• Political prisoner Fardin Moradpour started a dry hunger strike to protest being severely beaten.

News of injustice in Iran

• Shahab Abbasi, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to execution.
• Hadi Albokhanfarnezhad, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to 3 years in exile in Ardebil.
• Taher Eskandarian sentenced by Appeals to 3 years in prison.
• Student activist Mohammad Haji Babaei sentenced to 5 months in prison.
• Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of Ebrahim Isapour on Moharebeh charges.
• Sami Jadmavinezhad, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to 3 years in exile in Ardebil.
• Abdolreza-Amir Khanafereh, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to execution.
• Jasem Moghadam, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to 3 years in exile in Ardebil.
• Abdolamir Mojdami, Arab activist, arrested in 2008 was sentenced to execution.
• Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of Sirvan Nezhavi on Moharebeh charges.
• Civil rights activist Hamid Reza Ranjbar sentenced to 3 years in prison and 74 lashes.
• Afrasiab Sobhani sentenced by Appeals to 1 year in prison.
• Pouya Tabianian sentenced by Appeals to 6.5 years.
• Hand amputation for the person convicted of theft to be carried out in public.
• Three Afghan nationals hanged in Tabas on Monday.
• Two hangings in Naghadeh on Tuesday.
• One Afghan national hanged in Evin on Tuesday.
• Two men charged with theft lashed publicly in Masjed Soleiman; one received 50 lashes the other 70 ones.

University – Culture

• San Sebastian Film Festival lauds works of Touraj Aslani, Majid Barzegar.
• Iran lifts block on Gmail.
• More than 50 female students of Shahrekord Uni expelled from dormitory for dress code violations
• 9 Internet cafes have been closed in North Khorasan since the start of year.
• Iranian websites that give current currency rates filtered.
• Banned from filmmaking, Jafar Panahi has made another movie, says Abbas Kiarostami.
• Iran student magazine "Arman" at Tehran Azad University banned; equipment confiscated.

Protests

• Tehran bazar closed; bazari hold gathering to protest rising prices/dollar; anti-riot police arrest around 150 people, and 2 Europeans.
• Iran Security forces clashed with people gathered at Ferdowsi Bazar in Mashhad.
• The second petition by workers with 20,000 names protest government's indifference to first petition.

Iran Economics

• 200 workers laid off at Electric Khodro Shargh Company (EKS) as a result of crippling sanctions.
• $1 = 2770 tomans on Saturday, 3050 on Sunday, 3500 on Monday, 4000 on Tuesday.
• Tehran Metro partly lying because of subsidy cuts.
• The Pouya auto parts factory that laid off 1,300 workers in February is now completely shut down.
• Tehran Bazaar partly closed on Monday because of currency crisis.
• 'Buy and sell gold coins and US dollar in Tehran Bazaar stopped' on Tuesday.
• Damash mineral water plant shut down.
• Isfahan's goldsmiths Bazaar half closed because of currency crisis.
• Tehran's bazaar continues to remain closed on Thursday.

Iran  abroad

• Ahmadinejad's cameraman defects in New York!
• Tehran transfers $10 billion to aid Assad war effort.
• German investigators uncover illegal exports.
• Ahmadinejad awards Iran's highest national medal to Assad.
• First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Rahimi visits Turkey to discuss economic cooperation.
• Three kidnapped Iranian nationals freed in Syria after four months.
• Six Iranian pilgrims killed in Karbala.

Politics in Iran

• French embassy in Tehran ‘under attack’.
• Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani cancels press conference.

Miscellaneous

• More than 8,000 stray dogs have been killed in Mashhad this year.