Week 52 - 2012

Prisoners’ News

A- Transfers

• Younes Aghayan death row political prisoner, moved from Mahabad to solitary in Urmia prison.
• Farhad and Foad Fahandezh, Baha’is, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Kamal Kashani, Baha’i, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Payam Markazi, Baha’i, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr
• Student activist Mostafa Nili transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Death row Kurdish political prisoner Houshang Rezaei moved to Rejaei Shahr prison after 6 months in Evin 209 solitary.
• Siamak Sadri, Baha’i, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Fahrmand Sana'i, Baha’i, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Human Rights’ lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.
• Reza Sharifi Bokani who is serving a 3-year sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison was moved to an unknown location.
• Kourosh Ziari, Baha’i, transferred from Evin to Rejaei Shahr.

B- Arrests/Incarcerations

• Ali Akbar Javanfekr is back to Evin after medical leave.
• Baha'i Mona Majidi arrested along with her 9 month old baby and transferred to Semnan prison to start serving 6 months sentence.
• Pastor Yousef Naderkhani sent to Lakan prison in Rasht to serve the 45 days remaining of his 3 years sentence.
• Pouya Tabianian, Baha’i begins serving his 6 years sentence in Semnan. 

C-Liberations

• President of Kurdistan Human Rights Organisation, Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand released on 700 Million Tomans bail after 5 1/2 years in prison on 4 day furlough.
• Political prisoner Mohammadreza Moghayeseh  released on a 4 day medical furlough.
• Anvar Moslemi, Baha’i from Mashhad, released on 50 million toman bail.
• Iran prominent activist Heshmat Tabarzadi granted furlough.
• Behzad Zabihei, Baha’i from Mashhad, released on 50 million toman bail.
• Ashkan Zamani, Baha’i from Mashhad, released on bail

D-Other News

• Dr. Mehdi Khazali was moved from 209 solitary to Ward 350. He ended his hunger strike on Dec 20.
• 26-year-old Abbas Mahdi Kori, young prisoner who suffered extreme pain dies in central prison in Bandar-Abbas as his pleas ignored by guards.
• Nasrin Sotoudeh accompanied by security forces was allowed to attend the burial services of her mother but the service was cancelled.

News of injustice in Iran

• Keyvan Ahmadi, Kurdish citizen, sentenced to 4 years.
• Aria Aramnezhad, singer, sentenced by Appeals to 3 months.
• Delavar Bodekan, Kurdish citizen, sentenced to 6 months.
• Faramarz Firouzian, Baha’i from Semnan, previously sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, sentenced by Appeals to 1 year.
• Amin Roghani, student activist from Semnan, sentenced by Appeals to 9 months in prison.
• Tahereh Rostampour sentenced to 5 years in prison.
• Azizeh Shafieian, 68 years old, sentenced to 1 year imprisonment + 5 years suspended prison term + 5 years ban from foreign travel.
• Ali Shariati, blogger, sentenced by Appeals to 9 months in prison.
• Naser Sodagari sentenced to 5 years in prison + 5 years in exile in Zahedan.
• Pouyan Sodagari sentenced to 6 years in prison + 6 years in exile in Kerman.
• Political prisoner Hani Yazerloo sentence of 1 year in prison and 15 year exile in Mashhad confirmed.
• One man hanged in Sari on Christmas day.
• 5 public executions in Yassoj on Thursday.
• One Afghan national executed in Damghan on Thursday.
• One execution in Semnan on Thursday.

University – Culture

• Top Iranian university [ Sanati Sharif Uni. in Tehran] among new sanction targets.
• Shargh newspaper acquitted of insulting veterans of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.

Protests

• 300 workers of Fajr Petrochem of Mahshahr are on strike again.
• Retired metal workers meet for a protest in Tehran.

Iran Economics

• Largest private factory of Esfahan is in crisis: layoff of 1000 workers and overdue wages of 4000 workers.
• Closure of Yasouj Flour factory displaced its 86 workers who were due to retire soon.
• $1 = 3500 tomans.
• 50% of employees at Parand Industrial Complex have been laid off.
• Overnight looting in Tehran's grand bazaar.
• Exports to Iran from UAE dropped by nearly a third in the first half of 2012.
• Iran regime exporting 20 tons of gold to Syria to save its currency while Iran's currency is failing!

Politics in Iran

• Iran ends fuel subsidies for passenger cars with 1,800cc engines.
• Khamenei directly responsible for house arrest of opposition leaders, says Police Chief.
• Dispute escalates between MP and head of the Expediency Council Rafsanjani.
• Ahmadinejad ousted Health Minister Dastjerdi and replaced her with Mohammad Hassan Tarighat Monfared.
• Family of Iran ex-president, Rafsanjani, sues lawmaker ally of Ahmadinejad over corruption allegations.

Iran  abroad

• At 175 and just below China, Iran occupies 4th place from the bottom on Press Freedom Index 2011-2012.
• Iran to finance $300m power supply project in Pakistan.
• Dr. Peyman, ophthalmologist, wins medical prize in US.
• Spanish satellite company Hispasat stopped airing Press TV and Hispan TV.

Miscellaneous

• Iran claims to have staved off another Stuxnet-type attack on Bandar Abbas power plant.