The Noble Peace Price winner Shirin Ebadi's book " Irane Man " ( My Iran ) is published in 17 langugages but it is not allowed to be published in Iran !
Shirin Ebadi's book " Irane Man " was recently published in Swedish language , She was present among Iranian and swedish in an Estokholm College of Commerce.The book is published by
" Prisma" in sweden. A meeting which was organized by the College of Commerce and Prisma Ms. Ebadi said: The reason for not publishing my book in Iran is because of censorship and it is possible for me to publish it in " Farsi " here in abroad, but i dont want to do that, and i want to wait until i'll publish it in "Farsi" in Iran.This has special meaning to me and it shows that i can't publish my book in my own country.
In her book she wrote : " When the revolution become victorious , i was the judge of a court,I had a job which i loved so much and i worked hard for it, in the early months after the revolution they have told me that because you are woman you can't be a judge anymore , because judge gives verdict and in Islam giving verdict by women is prohebited, this was told to me by those who in a few months earlier were in agreement with me, as a result they have transfered me to the research section, a few months later the law for hiring judges was ratified and the women judges were reduced to office employees and i became the clerk of the same court that i was the judge one day , i couldn't tolerate the new situation and at the first opportunity requested for early retirement ".
Shirin Ebadi continues: " I remember when they were ratifing the punishment(penal) law , one morning as usual i had a newspaper in my hand and i red a news about this issue and i thought i have red it wrong , i red it again, i thought my mind was in somewhere else, i could not perceive, they have written that the evidence given by two women is equal to a man. They have written that ; woman's life worth half of man's life, I become so angry that i got migraine and unfortunately since then every time i become angry my migraine returned ".
She spoke about the court of " political chain murdering" , that one of the executioner of these murdering have told in the court : " We executed the order , and even for a work which was supposed to be done at 11:30pm , we have recieved overtime pay ! why do you accuse us for murder ? ".
Shirin Ebadi is the first Iranian who have recieved Noble Price in year 2003.

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/10377/

For more info on women situation in Iran:

http://we-change.org/spip.php?rubrique9

How many political prisoner were executed on September 1988 inside the prisons in Iran ?

This is the time when eight years Iran-Iraq war was ended.

Why they were executed?

The responses to these questions are not clear but for sure the execution of political prisoners was by thousands. It was a mass murder.

“Kayhan” a pro- ministry of information newspaper believes that the number does not exceed 600 people
Mojahedin Khalq believe the number goes to 15000
Ayatollah Montazeri believe the number is between 2800-3800
UN believe the number is around 1500

This is the available list at this time from A-Z .Link to this list in English:
http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k1.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k2.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k3.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k4.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k5.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k6.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k7.htm

http://asre-nou.net/1383/khordad/29/ko/list%20-%20k8.htm

A night with Mr. Maurice Copithorne the UN reportor for Iran in Toronto
Right to left: Mr. Hassan Zarezadeh Ardeshir , Me, Mr. Maurice Copithorne and Mr. Ensafali Hedayat

Link to the report by Mr. Maurice Copithorne:
http://www.onecountry.org/e123/0063698e_copithorne_report.htm

Filtering by the regime-The signe reads:

The site you have requested is unavailable due to the order by the judiciary officials.

Regime continues targeting students !- Title from IWC

Summary of a report written by Hassan Zarezade Ardeshir in Roozonline , translated by "IWC"

* As the new school year started in Iran the disciplinary forces in " Amir Kabir" Technical University has started to remove the student publications such as " Dochar " and " Vazheh" from the campus.

* Four member students of the Islamic Association of " Bu Ali Sina " University has been summoned to the " NAJA " ( A national security organization) .

* Eleven students are suspended for one or two semester by the disciplinary committee of the university .

* The expulsion of Payman Aref the student of Tehran University became certain .

* Last week 74 students file for not continuing their education was closed by " Herasat " office stationed in universities.

* At present Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah ( Lawyer ) has accepted the case file of 17 students who have been identified by one -two or three stars beside their name and are being banned for enrolement.

* Mr. Mehdi Amini is another student activist from "Mofid" University who is not allowed to continue his higher education.

* On Sunday Mr. Amin Nazari member of central council of the Association of Medical Science University of Hamadan in speaking with "ILNA " reported that; four members of this association have been summoned to " NAJA " and their names are as follows :Mr. Mostafa Pahlevani- president of the association, Mr. Samad Azizi member of the central council and head of the political committee, Mr. Farzad Shiri member of the council and Mr. Amin Azizi .

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/017823.shtml

Iranian Prisons Running Out of Space
Roozonline

Hassan Zarezade Ardeshir
26 Sep 2006

Political prisoners are facing new pressures and restrictions in the Islamic Republic’s overbooked detention centers. “I sleep at nights with handcuffs and chains to my feet, and have access to no amenities,” says Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini, head of Advare Tahkim (“Alumni Association of Iran”) and a former Member of Parliament.

Political prisoners are facing new pressures and restrictions in the Islamic Republic’s overbooked detention centers. “I sleep at nights with handcuffs and chains to my feet, and have access to no amenities,” says Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoeini, head of Advare Tahkim (“Alumni Association of Iran”) and a former Member of Parliament. In fact, there has been a recent escalation in the intimidation and torture of political prisoners, particularly with the purpose of extracting confessions under duress.
Mousavi Khoeini is being held at the infamous ward 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison, along with Ahmad Batebi, a student activist, and Reza Malek, a former deputy of the Ministry of Intelligence. Malek was arrested after he leaked sensitive information about the so-called Serial Murders, a string of government assassinations that claimed the lives of dozens of dissidents and political activists in the 1990s. Another dissident, Omid Abbasgholinejad has been transferred to a detention facility in the northern city of Amol. Nasser Zarafshan, who has been representing families of the Serial Murder victims, and Ismail Jamshidi, a member of the Iranian Writers’ Association, have also been returned to prison following a short leave. Officials representing the Ministry of Intelligence also arrested Hassan Ark, a journalist from Tabriz. Two more dissidents, Changiz Bakhtavar and Gholamreza Amani were also detained and interrogated, and workers who participated in protests in the northern city of Babolsar are still spending time in jail.
Tehran: Evin Prison Mousavi Khoeini, who has now spent over 100 days in detention, was escorted to his father’s funeral by security guards. He arrived an hour late, however, and was not permitted to speak to his wife. While standing in front of the mosque where his father’s funeral was being held, Khoeini expressed his protest by shouting: “Announce to everyone that I am under pressure and being interrogated five times a day.”
Khoeini, who had visible bruises on his neck and head, told the participants that he was under severe physical and psychological torture. He said that he was being pressured by his interrogators to write a fake confession letter to the country’s high officials and ask for their forgiveness. Following this incident, the security guards escorting Khoeini forced him into a car and departed the scene. According to Advar News, Khoeini was taken back to Evin at 7:30 p.m., without having an opportunity to meet or speak with his family.
Mr. Khoeini is not the only imprisoned member of the Advare Tahkim Organization. On Tuesday, September 19, plain-clothed security forces arrested Dr. Keyvan Ansari, a member of the organization’s central committee. Officials representing the Ministry of Intelligence also searched the organization’s offices twice and confiscated some of its property.
There are other well-known dissidents who are held at Evin’s 209 ward, including Ahmad Batebi and Reza Malek. Malek has been subjected to extreme forms of physical and psychological torture. In a tactic known as the “engineer’s torture,” Malek was stripped naked and placed in a room with a trained Russian dog so that he would confess out of fear. Malek has also been given mind-altering substances on several occasions.
Karaj: Gohardasth PrisonAlso known as the Rajaishahr Facility, the Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, north of Tehran, houses a number of political prisoners even though it has been officially designated as a criminal detention center. Thousands of political prisoners were murdered in this prison throughout the 1980s, giving it an ominous reputation second only to Tehran’s Evin Prison. Hojat Zamani, a member of the outlawed opposition group, Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), was executed on February 7 at this prison.
Last Wednesday, after months of negotiations, the human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani finally succeeded in meeting three of his clients: Jafar Eghdami, Behrouz Javid-Tehrani, and Alireza Karami Kheirabadi. A fourth prisoner, Valiollah Feiz-Mahdavi died on his ninth day of hunger strike after his repeated requests to meet with a lawyer were denied.
A number of other prisoners such as Amir Heshmatsaran and Mehrdad Lehrasbi are also being held at the Gohardasht Prison.
What is even more disturbing is that officials within the judiciary and the security apparatus have been working to open new detention centers as the current facilities are running out of space.

Link to this article in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/english/017830.shtml

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
______________________
ALERT - IRAN
25 September 2006
Government accuses journalists of being Western spies
SOURCE: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Brussels
(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:
Crackdown on media in Iran continues
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by news that journalists in Iran have been placed under more pressure by government statements that imply journalists who travel overseas are engaged in spying.
According to IFJ affiliate, the Association of Iranian Journalists (AIJ), the Minister of Information released a statement this week which said the government's intelligence service had found that the West was recruiting journalists, students and workers for spying, by sending them overseas under the guise of research or study.
The AIJ has said this will put more pressure on journalists as any foreign trips could make them targets for accusations of spying.
"This sort of underhanded pressure from the government of Iran is particularly worrying in light of the recent closures of newspapers and increased crackdown on media," IFJ President Christopher Warren said.
The Shargh daily newspaper was reportedly banned on September 11, adding to the ever-increasing list of banned publications in Iran and leaving many journalists jobless.
The AIJ held a meeting on September 19 protesting the recent closures of newspapers.
"These recent incidents demonstrate Tehran's distaste for freedom of speech, and its unacceptable methods for dealing with independent voices in the media," IFJ President Christopher Warren said.
"Media workers all over Iran continue to face strict censorship, intimidation and often imprisonment for nothing more than doing their job," he said.
"We call on the government of Iran to implement safeguards for journalists and press freedom and to immediately release all journalists jailed for their reporting," Warren said.
The IFJ, the organisation representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 115 countries, stands in solidarity with Iranian journalists in their struggle for press freedom and editorial independence.
The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists in over 115 countries.
For further information, contact the IFJ Asia-Pacific, tel: +61 2 9333 0919, or the IFJ, International Press Centre, Residence Palace, Block C, 155 Rue de la Loi, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium, tel: +322 235 2200 or +322 235 2207, fax: +322 235 2219, e-mail: rachel.cohen@ifj.org, Internet: http://www.ifj.org/
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of IFJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IFJ.
__________________________
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The miniature Earth- Video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C-u6kdHuXE

Security Forces Attack Student Organization

Roozonline
Navid Ahmadi
25 Sep 2006

Danesh-amookhtegan Tahkim Vahdat student organization [a.k.a. Advare Tahkim Vahdat] was searched by agents of the Attorney General’s office without prior notice and part of its property was removed and confiscated.

Danesh-amookhtegan Tahkim Vahdat student organization [a.k.a. Advare Tahkim Vahdat] was searched by agents of the Attorney General’s office without prior notice and part of its property was removed and confiscated.
According to news reports, this Monday, September 18, 2006, ten agents of the Attorney General’s office entered the offices of the student organization without any prior warning and after a four-hour search of the premises took away all the documents, organizational papers, archives and computers from the offices and transferred them to an undisclosed location. All the agents wore civilian clothes and carried a warrant. They said they were from the inspectorate office of the Advare Tahkim Vahdat student organization and carried a warrant that had been signed by judge Matin Rasekh from a bench of the Ministry of Justice.
Following the assault, the organization held an emergency meeting and its spokesperson Abdollah Momeni told Rooz that the assault on their office, which took place while Mr. Mousavi, the secretary general of the student organization had been in detention for 100 days and the illegal arrest of Mousavi Khoeini remained in uncertainty, destroyed the security of civil institutions, and pro-democracy and reformist groups. “This leaves no room for civil and peaceful activities,” he added. “While the secretary general of a legal organization is illegally detained and kept in solitary confinement, this latest attack on the offices of the organization is an act of intimidation,” Momeni said.
Advar News, the news outlet for the student organization quoted Momeni in saying that such acts were the consequence of the fact that the whole official political establishment of the country rested in the hands of the hardliners, who aimed at cracking down on civil activities and political groupings. He further said that such activities merely threatened the free and independent activities of groups. He also expressed his expectation that pro-democracy individuals, groups and reformist organizations would voice their protests against such official acts in defense of political rights and the rights of associations.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/english/017737.shtml

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________
PRESS RELEASE - INTERNATIONAL/IRAN
22 September 2006
First IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize goes to courageous Iranian publisher Shahla Lahiji
SOURCE: International Publishers' Association (IPA), Geneva
**For further information on harassment and death threats against Lahiji, see IFEX alerts of 27 February 2002, 16 January 2001, 29 June,16, 12 and 5 May 2000**
(IPA/IFEX) - The following is a 21 September 2006 API press release:
First IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize goes to Courageous Female Iranian Publisher
Geneva (Switzerland), Göteborg (Sweden), 21 September, 2006 - During the opening ceremony of the Göteborg Book Fair today, Iranian publisher Shahla Lahiji is receiving the first IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize in recognition of her exemplary defense and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom to publish in her country and internationally.
The board of the International Publishers' Association (IPA) selected Shahla Lahiji as Prize-winner from among many highly commendable candidates, nominated by IPA members, individual publishers and human rights' organisations.
Lars Grahn, Chair of IPA's Freedom to Publish Committee, says: "Shahla Lahiji's work as a publisher and her wholehearted support of women's rights have often brought her into conflict with Iranian authorities and endangered her personal safety. Despite repeated death threats, Ms. Lahiji has continued to courageously provide many authors with the means to tell their story to the public, fighting against any opposition to freedom of expression or freedom to publish."
Ana Maria Cabanellas, President of IPA, declares: "We award this Prize to Shahla Lahiji in deep respect for her courage as a publisher and as a salute to the passion, the integrity, and the steadfastness that she so marvellously demonstrates".
More about Shahla Lahiji:
Born in 1942, Shahla Lahiji became the first woman publisher in Iran, where she founded her publishing house, Roshangaran, in 1983. Since then, she has published over 200 titles, many of them works by women. Ms. Lahiji is also a writer and a translator. Her publishing activities were severely threatened and disrupted on many occasions: In 2000, Shahla Lahiji faced several months of imprisonment, accused of "acting against national security" following the delivery of a speech at a cultural conference in Berlin. In 2005, her publishing house was petrol-bombed by unknown assailants and many manuscripts were burnt. The day-to-day incidents aimed at obstructing her efforts to exercise freedom to publish are countless. However, even under these circumstances, Ms. Lahiji continues to enthusiastically defend her ideals.
More about the IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize and the Göteborg Book Fair:
Created last year, the IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize is awarded for exemplary courage in upholding freedom of expression and freedom to publish. It is intended to honour, normally each year, a person, organisation or institution that has made a notable contribution to the defence and/or promotion of freedom to publish anywhere in the world. The prize-winner receives the sum of 5,000 CHF (approximately 3,000 EUR).
The IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize is being presented today during the opening ceremony of the Göteborg Book Fair by IPA President Ana Maria Cabanellas and IPA Freedom to Publish Committee Chair Lars Grahn. For more on this event, which is focusing on freedom of expression this year with IPA as a main partner, please see: http://www.ipa-uie.org/freedom/freedom_pub/English_sempro.pdf , and http://www.goteborg-bookfair.com
More about IPA:
IPA, established in Paris in 1896, represents the publishing industry worldwide through 78 national, regional and specialised publishers associations in 66 countries. It is an accredited NGO enjoying consultative status to the United Nations and seeking to promote and defend the fundamental freedoms to publish, to read and to write, defending the rights of authors and publishers to create and distribute intellectual works in complete freedom.
For further information on the IPA Publishers' Freedom Prize, contact Alexis Krikorian, Director, FTP, at the IPA, 3, avenue de Miremont, Ch-1206, Geneva, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 346 30 18, + 41 79 214 55 30 (mobile), fax: +41 22 347 57 17, e-mail: krikorian@ipa-uie.org, secretariat@ipa-uie.org, Internet: http://www.ipa-uie.org
The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility of IPA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IPA.
_________________________________________________________________
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IRAN: Blogger Mojtaba Saminejad gets early release after nearly 18 months in prison
IRAN: Le blogueur Mojtaba Saminejad enfin libré
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________
UPDATE - IRAN
22 September 2006
Blogger Mojtaba Saminejad gets early release after nearly 18 months in prison
SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
**Updates IFEX alerts of 26 January 2006, 13 July, 8 June, 17 May and 15 February 2005 and 30 November 2004; for further information on the Sigarchi case, see alerts of 27 January 2006, 1 March, 24, 23 and 15 February and 20 January 2005 and 8 October 2004**
(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has welcomed the early release of blogger Mojtaba Saminejad, who was serving a combined sentence of two years and 10 months in prison. He was formally freed on 12 September 2006 but had in fact been on home leave since June. Arrested in February 2005, he spent nearly 18 months in prison for a few messages posted on his blog.
"The Iranian judicial system finally seems to have recognised that Saminejad did not deserve to be in prison, and we should welcome that," the press freedom organisation said. "But Iran continues to be one of the few countries in the world that systematically jails Internet users who are overly critical of the political or religious authorities. We must not forget that Arash Sigarchi, another blogger who was imprisoned for 'insulting the Supreme Guide,' is still in jail."
Saminejad was first arrested on 1 November 2004 for criticising the arrest of three fellow bloggers online. While held, his blog's address was diverted to the website of a group of hackers linked to the Iranian radical Islamist movement Hezbollah ( http://irongroup.blogspot.com/ ). On leaving prison on 27 January 2005, he resumed his blog using a new address ( http://8mdr8.blogspot.com ), which led to his re-arrest a few days later.
He was initially sentenced on 23 March 2005 to two years in prison for "insulting the Supreme Guide." At a second trial, he was given an additional 10-month sentence for "publishing false information with the aim of unsettling public opinion" and "immoral" behaviour. He was held in Gohar Dashat prison, in a suburb of Tehran, which is notorious for mistreating its inmates. He shared a cell with non-political detainees. He was allowed to sit mid-term exams at Tehran's Azad University at the end of January, although he was led in handcuffs into the examination room.
Sigarchi was first held for two months at the start of 2005. He was sent back to prison on 26 January 2006, four days after being given a three-year sentence for "insulting the Supreme Guide" and "propaganda against the regime." ( For more information: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16300 ). He says he has not been mistreated in prison.
For further information, contact Julien Pain, RSF Internet Desk, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 71, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: internet@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.internet.rsf.org
The information contained in this update is the sole responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
_________________________________________________________________
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IFEX - Nouvelles de la communauté internationale de défense de la liberté d'expression

Ms. Zhila Baniyaqub, journalist and women activist has been summoned and interrogated !

"Zhila" was summoned by the branch number 14 of Tehran's court of revolution and (yesterday) Wednesday September 20 / 2006 was interrogated in this branch.
She said that : "The main questions in the interrogation was about my participation in the women's gathering on June 12 /2006 and i was accused for " action against national security by participation in this gathering" .
She answered to the questions but pleaded not guilty of the charges.
Ms. Zhila Baniyaqub was covering the news about the June 12/2006 gathering of women protesting on the violation of their rights, she was arrested and was brought to Cell number 209 in Evin prison .She was then released a week later by surety .
Ms. Zhila Baniyaqub is currently the editor of online magazin " Kanoone Zanane Irani " ( Centre for Iranian Women " and she is also in charge of "women and social issues " of the " Sarmayeh "
( Capital ) newspaper.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2006/09/052942.php

Women protest for their rights and women police in action !

According to a news report in "Etemad Meli" newspaper by Ms. Sanaz Alahbedashti:

Regime indentifies student activists by puting stars beside their name !

If student has one star beside his name (*) , must give a written undertaking and those students with two stars beside their names (**) only after announcement of the officials openion will be allowed to register their name for the new semester in the university , but those students with three stars *** are not allowed to continue their education. This is the new policy of the government of Ahmadinejad toward student activists. So, the regime is watching the students . The regime by doing this; is trying to put pressure on students that are politically active in university campuses.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/10265/
-----------------------------------------------

Dr. Naser Zarafshan is the winner of Tucholsky award from Swedish Pen !

It was announced that Swedish Pen has decided to grant Tucholsky award of 2006 to Mr. Naser Zarafshan the Iranian imprisoned lawyer and writer. The award will be presented to him on November 16/2006 , the organizers hope that he can attend in the ceremony to recieve the award. Mr. Zarafshan the lawyer of the families of " chain murdering victims " is accused of disclosing classified information and was sentenced to five years imprisonment . He has already spent three years of his sentence.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/10254/

The Human Rights Council

Highlights

The second session of the Human Rights Council will meet in Geneva from 18 September to 6 October 2006

Please visit the site of HRC for more info:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/

News in brief-

Regime banned 50 students from continuing their education !

Iran Emroozonline reported that; in an astonishing move and by the order of "Waez " the head of the " Herasat " ( One of the many kinds of eyes and ears of the regime in Iran) in the " Amirkabir Technical University" and also by the order of Dr. Rahaie the president of the university more than 50 students were banned to enrole in the begining of the semester . The university officials have said that, these are students that have the ability to participate in the student protests. These students are those who have been previousely summoned to the deciplinary committee of the university.
By doing so, the regime is trying to prevent the student protests .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news2/10236/

"Mojtaba Saminejad" a blogger who was arrested in 2004 , was released after two years imprisonment. In 2005 Mojtaba recieved the award of best blogger in defense of "Freedom of Expression" from RSF ( Reporters San Frontier ) . Mojtaba was charged for the following reason: " Activity against national security ", " Insulting Khomeini and Khameneie" , " profanity" , " opening several blogs", " having unlawful affair " and........

After his release he spoke with Mr. Mohammad Reza Nasababdolahi a journalist who writes for Roozonline, in this interview he said : " I was charged in a court which the Judge , prosecutor and my lawyers diden't know anything not only about blog but also about computer, For example instead of saying "password and user name" i had to make copy from the pages of blog and show them to the judge and prosecutor ". While in prison the prison officials mixed me with drug addict , criminals and murderers ..... Now that i'm released i feel that i'm free but not as it should be , I dont feel that i'm completely free eventhough i'm not in prison".

In responding to another question like do you still wrte he said : " Yes i still write and i'll never let it go,I like writing in blog, weblog writing changed the way of my life, aside from the bad things that happened to me , it brought good thing for me too , weblog writing became part of my life ".

Mojtaba : "The fever of writing blog among girls are more than boys in Iran because they have less freedom in open space or in the society to speak with boys " .

End/

Link to this news in Farsi:

http://r0ozonline.com/08interview/017623.shtml

When Evin Prison Becomes a Dream!

Roozonline-Shirin Ebadi
16 Sep 2006

Coming just a month and a half after the death of Akbar Mohammadi in Evin prison, the death of Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi in Evin, has once again brought attention to the abhorring conditions of Iranian prisoners.
There is no doubt that the responsibility of the lives of all prisoners in the country rests with prison officials. According to law, prison authorities are responsible to create such conditions that a prisoner goes through his sentenced prison term in good physical and psychological health, after which he returns to society in a normal fashion.
But by attributing the recent deaths in Iranian prisons to ‘hunger strikes’ or ‘suicides’, judiciary authorities in Iran have tried to shunned from their responsibilities. But their legal responsibilities can never be reduced by any standards or on any excuse. If during his prison term, a prisoner feels to be under such pressure that he has no choice other than to either gradually or immediately end his life in order to make his voice or protest heard, the responsibility for creating such conditions rests with judiciary officials who by ignoring their duties have creating such deplorable conditions in prisons and penitentiaries.
According to express provisions of the law, judiciary and prison officials are responsible to provide a just legal process, access to defense attorneys, acceptable living conditions in prison cells, medical and health services, etc, among other tasks. In addition, prison officials must group and separate prisoners on the basis of type of crime they have committed. All of these are the basics in this regard and their violations and negations lead to protests by prisoners themselves, many at the expense of their lives and health. The repeated and continuous reports of hunger strikes among Iranian prisoners are evidence to the unacceptable conditions in our prisons.
The tragedy of Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi’s death in Gohar-Dasht prison, is a shocking example that reminds the public of the deplorable conditions in Iranian prisons. Different accounts and reports have appeared regarding this recent death. But still only a few probably know what the demands of this prisoner were for which he had subjected himself to such a lengthy hunger strike. Mahdavi who had been sentenced to death and who believed he would be executed sooner or later, was calling on officials to be transferred to Evin prison from Gohar-Dasht. In other words, the horrible conditions in Gohar-Dasht prison – which is where prisoners who have committed such crimes as murder, rape, gang activities etc are kept – were so harsh and unbearable that his dream was to be transferred to transferred to Evin prison, which itself is notorious for being a harsh prison. His dream was so important to him that he had decided to go on a hunger strike for it.
The families of those who are subjected to such cruelty in Iranian prisons have the legal right, according to Iranian law, to sue prison officials and even Iranian laws leave no doubt about their punishment in such violations.
We know that the necessary conditions for the implementation of these legal provisions are nothing but the rule of law: even the law as written by Iranian officials. Unfortunately, the role of law among Iranian rulers is so insignificant that even after the death of a prisoner when the victim’s defense attorney files suit in a court of law, officials file suit against him!
And this is exactly what happened this week in Tehran to Khalil Bahramian, defense attorney for Akbar Mohammadi who died in prison a few weeks ago apparently because of his hunger strike.
Shirin Ebadi is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her work in human rights and women’s rights. She lives in Iran and is a regular contributor to Rooz Online.

Review of the Week

A Bluff and Crackdown!

Mehrdad Sheibanim.shibani@roozonline.com
16 Sep 2006

The policy of crackdown at home and bluffing abroad aimed to continue the life of Tehran’s Islamic regime continued last week. Ahmad Khatami, one of the extreme radical spokesmen for the ‘military party’ running Iran who recently declared that the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency completed the gradual cultural and political coup that had begun a decade ago, again accused others in the country for pursuing policies similar to Afghanistan’s Taliban in Iran, something it has been doing for the past 27 years. The gradual coup which derailed the 1979 revolution is now busy rebuilding dictatorial rule in Iran under the republican robe.
In its march, the coup which is led by a single leader shut two more newspapers in the country. And it carried out the task just before the elections of the Khobregan council that monitors and confirms the ‘supreme leader’ of Iran and the provincial councils. The measure is interpreted to be a warning to moderate and progressive clerics, and to veteran politician Hashemi Rafsanjani, that the road to these official institutions is closed to them. Rafsanjani gets a yellow card when the newspaper that is close to him is shut on charges of ‘propagating Marxism’ while Khatami, who is on a tour of the United States to prevent a military attack on Iran, is presented with articles written by the woman who discovered Ahmadinejad’s powers to do ‘miracles’.
Iranian Writers Association describes the domestic situation in these words: ‘Intensification of censorship, elimination and closure of publications, repeated summons of student and political activists, and dismissal of university teachers.’ On his personal website, Mohammad Ali Abtahi presents more details. ‘Because the price of paper has doubled over the last few months, publications that do not receive government support are now on the verge of closure. This is a more civil way of shutting down publications that are disliked by the regime rather than formally stopping them in large groups by court orders. If we add the recent resumption of forcefully removing people’s satellite dishes from rooftops and the filtering of websites disliked by the regime, and the letter of the president’s chief of staff to the attorney general which complaints about the media, the censorship of the media becomes almost complete, thus denying any independent coverage and news to the public.’
During the week that just ended, the sword that for years threatened Isa Saharkhiz came down with a 4 year prison sentence plus a 5-year ban on writing. Saharkhiz is a journalist and a former director for the press at the Islamic Culture and Guidance Ministry under the previous government of President Mohammad Khatami, who was arrested for criticizing one-man rule in Iran. This sentence was so harsh that even the French Socialist party protested against it. It said that “Saharkhiz was paying the price for his bold and courageous criticism of the ‘supreme leader’ of Iran ayatollah Khamenei. He had requested a review of his unjust sentencing by the Islamic court because he believes that ayatollah Khamenei personally is behind these court rulings and sentences.”
A director at the government’s Sherkat Fanavari Etelaat (Information Technology Company) announced last week that “Ten million websites had been filtered and denied access to in Iran.” A representative of an international immigration agency declared that about 180,000 educated Iranians leave the country every year. And economists in Iran predict that as the petrol (gasoline) rationing resumes in Iran in the coming days, the current rate of inflation will get even worse.
Last week, professionals and specialists of the law enforcement agencies hold a huge gathering at Amir Kabir University under the leadership of general Talai who is famed for violently cracking down on student demonstrations. At the one-day gathering ways to confront and combat student unrest in Iran are reviewed and discussed. This coincides with the first week of commencement of schools and educational institutions around the country. The ‘military party’ in Iran seems to be preparing to ensure that campuses and schools remain absolutely quiet this academic year, unlike the events of last year.
The policy of domestic crackdown intensified last week. Mehdi Karubi, a former Majlis leader and a presidential candidate, received a yellow card from Hossein Shariatmadari of Keyhan newspaper who is known to be a protégé of the current president. Karubi said, “It is meaningful that this limitation on the media comes at a time when two important elections are to take place this year”, adding that reformers had no access to any large and influential media in the country, while the hardliners enjoyed unhindered access to numerous sources. “The nuclear issue which dominates the news in all countries except Iran is certainly behind these press limiting decisions and measures”, Karubi further said.
The events and decisions of last week make it even clearer that the crackdown on the media that has resumed is for the purpose of completely imposing the Taliban-type regime in Iran, something that is challenged from the outside. And to counter these foreign threats, the policy of bluffing continues with full intensity. Iranian television networks orchestrate in unison the news about some advanced weapon that the armed forces of the Islamic regime have acquired. Later it is revealed that the footage is of a similar exercise in China that took place last year. The commander of the Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps tells the ‘leader’ of the Islamic regime about the “Islamic Middle East” that is taking form under the leadership of Iran. He also talks of Iran’s readiness to strike at the “strategic depths of the enemy” if Iran were attacked. So what is the purpose of these repeated bluffs?
The answer must be found in the explanations offered by Tajzadeh and Karubi on the nuclear issue. The nuclear issue entered a yet-another phase after the Islamic regime formally presented its response to the latest Western incentives package to Iran. Iran’s condition was that its proposal remains confidential so as to deprive not only the Iranian public of its contents, but also the world of the dealing of the Islamic regime. But since dictatorial practices have no room in democratic societies, the key provisions of Iran’s response appeared in Western media. The core of Iran’s response is that the West guarantee that it would not militarily threaten or attack the Islamic regime in Tehran. Interpretation: guarantee the survival of the crumbling Islamic order.
The United States on the other hand has a reciprocal condition for the Islamic regime: Talks after the suspension of uranium enrichment. Tony Blair, who is in step with US foreign policy, described the reasoning for this condition to be that it would be a historic mistake to ignore Iran’s plans to produce nuclear weapons. He compared such a mistake to the one that Europe made in compromising with Hitler. Even IAEA’s ElBaradei’s views are now close to those of the US and retain on this. He said last week that Iran had little time left to decide and would otherwise face international sanctions.
But if the reports in the Financial Times are correct, Europe seems to be reaching some sort of accord with Iran on the issue and seems ready to engage in talks even before the suspension of enrichment activities in Iran. Something that will be clear today after EU’s Solana holds his talks with Iran’s Larijani.
Hashemi Samareh, the link between ultra-fundamentalist ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is now in Paris to meet with French President Jacques Chirac before the UN Security Council votes on the sanctions.
Is this meeting not the cause for the recent round of attacks, closures and limitations on the Iranian media?
If Europe refrains from compromising and stays with the US and Britain, the pressure on the Islamic Republic will be increased and sanctions will be imposed on it, thus exposing all of Tehran’s bluffing policies. But if Europe does compromise, then the Islamic regime will have bought yet another two months based on what Khatami has been saying in the US, after which it must still stop its activities for what it has been publicizing as ‘Iran’s right to nuclear energy’, claiming that this is the wish of the whole Iranian nation.
But in either of these defeats and failures, hardline officials in Iran are going to announce a complete ‘victory’. And the Iranian nation which is now subjected to hearing only the words of the government’s officials on issues that concern their future and lives, will be deprived of the words and views of the popular Sharg newspaper, which pursued its life very cautiously and strived to stay in business by respecting the official publication red-lines. But only until last week, when it was finally shut by judiciary authorities of the Islamic state.

This cartoon was among many other accusation that brought "Sharq" the last reformist newspaper to closure.As a result of "Sharq " closure hundreds of journalists and employees lost their job.

News in brief-


America denied visa to Iran's minister of interior !
Iran Emroozonline reported that Mr. Mostafa Poormohammadi the Interior Minister of Iran who was trying to participate for a conference about" International Immigration and Developement" in New York, was unable to recieve visa and therefore could not attend in the conference.The conference took place from last Thursday in UN headquaretr in New York.

IRAN WATCH CANADA :
Mostafa Poormohammadi was the deputy minister of information during the reign of terror by the ministry and minister Ali Fallahian is the number one accused who is accused of killing many Iranian dissidents inside and outside of Iran , as well he is accused number one in Mykonos restaurant killing of dissidents in Berlin.Mr. Poormohammadi was one of the three members delegate which was appointed by Khomeini to " clean out the prisons from political oppositions" and as a result 4000 political prisoners were executed by hanging , fire squad or under the torture for just a few weeks and was buried in a mass grave in "Khavaran " in Tehran .
Mostafa Poormohammadi,Mohseni Ezheie , Ruhollah Hoseinian , Ali Fallahian , Judge Said Mortazavi ,Hossain Shariatmadari ( running Kayhan newspaper ) .... are the number one accused in making Iran and abroad unsafe for Iranian intellectuals , journalists , human rights activists , political oppositions and ..........
End/

Iranian female journalist Farnoush Amirshahi, foreground, of prominent reformist daily Shargh, or East, sits with her colleagues at their newspaper's office, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. Iran on Monday closed down a prominent reformist daily because of what journalists said was a cartoon dealing with the country's controversial nuclear program. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian

Link to this site:

http://www.hasanpix.com/weblog/

News in brief-

Wave of attack on independent, semi-independent newspapers , publications, magazins, books and ......................brought wave of reaction from within media professionals , intellectuals, civil rights movements and ..........

"Mr. Shamsolvaezin" spokesperson for the "Association defending freedom of press" :
" The halo of the light" ( Ahmadinejad believs that there is a halo of light above his head) laid off hundreds of journalists !
" with the closure of "Sharq" newspaper , the last chain of reformist media and the public body has been occupied by the conservative government of Ahmadinejad" .He then spoke about the closure of " Nameh " publication and said: "I hope the government of Ahmadinejad will take lesson from the past and won't play this way with mass media the fourth column of democracy" .

Mr. Saharkheiz ( journalist ) :
Fear and censorship will rule over the independent media in Iran!

Mr. Isa Saharkheiz the former member of the "watch dog on media" during the time of reformist government in speaking with "Roozonline" about the closure of "Sharq" newspaper have said: "I think the internal and external situation is somehow bringing the regime into the corner and therefore they are forced to close the internal breathing spaces and to make the internal criticism blind". Mr. Saharkheiz believs that: " The pressure and suppression of independent media in the country will intesify and the acts of fear , censorship and self censoring will increase in the country".

Link to these news in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/017583.shtml
http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/017581.shtml

Ramin Jahanbagloo free from prison but really not free yet .

Here on the footstep of ISNA news agency where he first attended right after the release from prison. Why he did not go direct to his home ? Isen't that what a prisoner do when released? There are speculation that the official in ministry of information have told him to be a good boy and do the interview with " ISNA" and he did what he has been told.

Cartoon by : Nik ahang Kowsar

Donkey( media watch dog) is eating " Sharq" newspaper

Again there are very disturbing news coming from Iran !

Since the last presidential election and the presidency of Ahmadinejad his attack on cultural progression has been intensified, the first thing he did when he become president was to remove all officials that were appointed by or during reformist government of president Khatami , then he moved on and changed all the governors and appointed military personnel for those position,his next step was to remove all university professors who were liberal minded or had independent views in politics despite of protest by the students, he then started to forcefully nominating students to run students organization in the university campuses, Non -Governmental organizations , journalists , writers were also the target of this president and now he started to follow the footstep of Said Mortazavi the then judge of press court 1410 , known as the butcher of media , just since yesterday three magazin and newspapers were banned , among them " Sharq newspaper ", " Hafez" which was a nationalist magazin and the monthly " Nameh" . In a statement issued by the "media watch dogs " it has come that : Sharq newspaper has repeatedly violated the guideline prepared by the board and particularly they have published an insulting cartoon in its recent issue insulting the " Azari " people, Hafez magazin was closed because it was provoking nationalist sentiments and monthly " Nameh " was banned because it has published a poem of madame Simin Behbehani the " poet lady of Iran ".

This president like George Bush, both religious conservative, was mysteriously elected and has introduced agendas that are totally confusing and not for solving world problems but instead causing problems is what comes out of their policies, both of them taking advantage from the situation which would become a daily topic for their speeches during the term of their presidencies , one using 9/11and Al-qaeda and the other speaking of NUK , but in fact what they are doing is also common , Ahmadinejad is making noise on NUk and at the same time suppressing the young civil rights movement in Iran and what George Bush is doing is underminig human rights in US . They are confusing you, read between the lines , wash your eyes & see with gods eye . See what they have done for their country !? need a private place to think?

Ms. Kobra Rahmanpoor on the threshold of execution !

I hate gallows rope and crane !

"Please help me! I'm scared of death and gallows rope....", Kobra Rahmanpoor's case again came to surface and her execution once more been finalized , great number of social activists inside and outside Iran become active to save her life !
Ms. Kobra Rahmanpoor is 22 years old and been married to a 53 years old man by arrange marriage ( by her father who is younger than her husband) , One day the husband brought her out and left her alone and told her not to come back home , but she had no place to go and decided to come back home and had argue with her husbands mom who was 75 years old , and when her mother inlaw started to beat her in defending herself she killed her.
Join the campaign and save her life by writing to Iranian judiciary.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/017555.shtml

4o days have passed since the death of Akbar Mohammadi in Evin prison and to commemorate this day in his birth place there were events which Mr. Kianush Sanjari documented in his weblog . IRAN WATCH CANADA translated this event from Gooya Newsonline.
------------------------------
We travelled for 3 hours from Tehran, It was 2:00pm when we arrived in the city of "Amol", stopped beside "Ghaem" circle and waited for Miss " M" to join us, When she arrived the "police event" of the 40th day has started:

While eating lunch with Mr. "A" and Ms. "M" we noticed the "security agents" are watching us ( everywhere they are with us and beside us ) , they were riding on a black color " Pride " car on the opposite side of the circle. We got in the car and moved toward "Amol's" old road to "Babol" to go to the village of "Changmian" , we could see them following us through the mirror , but when we noticed that we have lost the main road and gone to a secondary road the "police event" became more like comedy , because now the " security agents" were following people who have lost their way, we were stoping , were asking question, were driving in a road up and down two to three times and the " security agents " were doing the same .In short yesterday was a story , after an hour turning around ourselves , finally we found the main road and arrived in " Changmian " village.
Police and " security agents " had closed the road ending to the cemetery , many people who have come from Tehran or other places to " Chngemian" village , on their way , were stopped and were not able to go ahead, police were asking and then confiscating their ID and car registration , " Frahi Shandiz " as usual have been arrested by the plain cloth agents , while the agents were not watching i pulled his hand and got him in the car but the agent with " tiger style uniform " came and pulled him out again , we tried to take him with us but they didn't let , Mr. Khalil Bahramian ( the lawyer ) also arrived , we have also saw "Ms. Samieh" the wife of "Mr. Ahmad Batebi" ( a political prisoner) together with several other Ahmad's friends were stopped by police , Mr. Bahramian( lawyer ) by showing his professional ID cart were able to pass from the police check point and went toward the cemetery and finally after a while waiting , we drove behind the car of Akbar Mohammadi's relative and through a secondary farm road we arrived at the cemetery.
It was past three, people were gathered,we went straight to the grave of AKbar , who was now laying silent beside the farm , beside flower and meadow, streams and calmness,on a black grave stone his oppressed face was carved , Akbar's mom who still had her red dress was seating among the black dressed mourners and had her son's picture on her chest and under the sad sound of local-Mazen( a province in the north of Iran) wailing were crying ,The women were seated together and crying, I could not understand their language but like them, i too ,was crying . " Shaqayeq" the niece of Akbar went among people and red a letter for her uncle, she told to her uncle that : Uncle , It is now 40 days that you have flew and at night i look at sky and see the stars , which one are you? She said i'm your silenced throat and cry , I love you uncle.
Then it was Akbar's father turn, he red poems, spoke and cried for his son who was now buried under the soil , and complained from the " securities" who have treathened him and have told him not to let his son's 40th day commemoration to have political and anti government color or smell. He complained that they dont leave them alone , perhaps because of him complaining, the security official of the province attacked the cameraman who was filming the event and took his camera away , when Akbar's father protested, he said: you should'nt have complained , and i thought may be the securities expected Akbar's father should have thanked the official for the death of his son in the Islamic Republic's prison, when the security official attacked on the cameraman who was a relative of Akbar , the father and mother of akbar appoached him and started to talk to him , the agent who had the camera left the cemetery and a few Akbar's relative followed him, but at the end i did not know what had happened to the camera and film?It was 6:00pm and the ceremony has come to an end , we returned to Akbar Mohammadi's home, Manuchehr ( Akbar's brother who was also in Evin prison but now there are news the he has left the country) called and became aware of the ceremony , he was sad, he spoke with his mom and dad, he was relieved , we were seated and " Siamak " an old friend of Akbar red poem, and dedicated his painting to Mohammadi's family , in the painting the buirds were flying although with broken and bleeding wings.

KS61.blogspot.com

End/
Link to this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/052662.php

Issue 1: 30 August 2006
IFEX Advocacy Action News
A monthly bulletin for IFEX members to promote campaigns and share advocacy information
IN THIS ISSUE…
IFEX CAMPAIGNS AND ADVOCACY SUPPORT PROGRAMME page 1-2
- Message from the Editor; About the Programme
- Programme highlights: Tunisia Monitoring Group, Mission to Nepal,
Ethiopia/Eritrea campaign and more!
INTRODUCING 'ROAR' page 2
- Rapid and Organised Action Responses to Free Expression Violations
- Sign on to Joint Actions!
MEMBER ADVOCACY FOCUS page 3
-Interview with PEN Canada and Iran Watch Canada on campaign for
Ramin Jahanbegloo Breaking News!
MEMBER ADVOCACY FOCUS
BREAKING NEWS! PEN Canada has notified the IFEX Clearing House as we prepare this bulletin that Ramin Jahanbegloo has been released from jail as of today 30 August 2006. Please stay tuned to PEN Canada’s updates for more information on this case.
Campaigning for the release of imprisoned Canadian-Iranian writer and scholar Ramin Jahanbegloo
IFEX Advocacy News! interviews David Cozac, PEN Canada’s Programmes Coordinator and Morteza Abdolalian of Iran Watch Canada
PEN Canada is leading a campaign to free Ramin Jahanbegloo of Iran, a Canadian-Iranian academic currently imprisoned in Iran. Kristina Stockwood, IFEX Outreach Coordinator, spoke to David Cozac, PEN Canada’s Programmes Coordinator, and Morteza Abdolalian, Editor and Publisher of IRAN WATCH CANADA (www.moriab.blogspot.com).
Q: What is the current status of the Jahanbegloo campaign? Can you give an idea of whom and what is involved?
David Cozac: We are asking IFEX members to sign on to the PEN Canada joint action letter by 15 September, calling for Jahanbegloo’s release. They can also send their own letters of appeal to Iranian authorities or launch their own campaigns. They can engage natural allies in their countries, such as academic associations. We are also calling on as many Centres of International PEN to sign on. PEN Canada is liaising closely with the Canadian government to strategise on effective ways to secure his release. Jahanbegloo is an Honorary Member of PEN Canada, which results in him becoming a focus of our advocacy for imprisoned writers.
PEN Canada is working with the University of Toronto – where Jahanbegloo worked for five years – which itself has launched a spirited campaign to get their former colleague freed. We are planning to approach the Special Rapporteurs of the OSCE and the UN to ask them to issue a joint statement on the detention of Ramin Jahanbegloo.
Q: Why did you choose to do a joint action on this particular case in Iran? What impact are you expecting it to have?
We believe that the Jahanbegloo case is the most pressing free expression issue currently in Iran. For PEN Canada, it also has some eerie similarities to that of Zahra Kazemi[1]. Indeed, Jahanbegloo – also a dual citizen – is detained in Evin Prison, where Kazemi was brutally murdered in 2003. To date, those responsible have yet to be brought to justice. We do not want the same fate to befall Jahanbegloo. In terms of the joint action, PEN Canada believes that it is important for other IFEX members who would not otherwise know about the case to learn about him and about the free expression situation in Iran. We also believe that having the support of an international grouping of free expression organisations would deliver a strong message to the Islamic Republic that the world is watching the Jahanbegloo case very closely.
Q: What are the major pitfalls and barriers to this campaign?
Dealing with the Iranian government is always a delicate matter. If one pushes them too hard on an issue, they will either push back harder or go silent. However, we believe that it is essential to keep the pressure on, primarily because we still have Zahra Kazemi fresh in our mind. We must target our advocacy very carefully to see where we might have the most impact (such as our recent request to meet with Iranian embassy officials in Ottawa.)
A further barrier is the struggle to keep the Jahanbegloo case in the spotlight. He has now spent over three months in detention. It is easy for other events in Iran or elsewhere in the world to receive media coverage, so we must be vigilant to ensure that the spotlight on Jahanbegloo not be turned off.
Q: What are the factors that can ensure that this is successful campaign, through securing Jahanbegloo's release?
Consistent international pressure – from the NGO community, the UN and, especially, foreign governments – is key. Jahanbegloo must not be forgotten. It’s important to keep the human element – Jahanbegloo’s human face – prominent. He is, after all, an esteemed academic and philosopher who has never been a radical.
Q: From your perspective as an Iranian living in Canada, why is this case significant?
Morteza Abdolalian: This case is significant because Ramin Jahanbegloo is a Canadian citizen, a thinker and professor of philosophy at a university in Canada. He is the author of more than twenty books and internationally renowned. He is the second Canadian to be arrested by Iran. Jahanbegloo is now sitting in solitary confinement in Evin prison and no one knows what would be his fate - is he going to be murdered like Zahra Kazemi? This must be stopped and the Canadian government must use every means and the international forum to raise its voice louder for his immediate release.
Professor Jahanbegloo was arrested on 27 April 2006. He has been charged with "espionage ", "contact with foreign individuals" and preparation for the "orange revolution" in Iran. These are serious charges. The Ministry of Information, the public prosecutor’s office and "Kayhan" newspaper have produced a "confession video film" from Jahanbegloo in Evin prison showing that he confessed to the charges and that he made a mistake and is sorry for what he did. I hope soon he will be released. It takes many years to produce a person like Professor Jahanbegloo and my country and the Middle East needs this type of people badly!
Stay tuned for an update on this situation from PEN Canada: http://www.pencanada.ca/Messages can be sent to: dcozac@pencanada.ca

The death of another political prisoner is confirmed !
According to the news report from Mr. Ahad Tajadod the Roozonline writer , just after one and a half months after the death of Mr. Akbar Mohammadi in Evin prison in Tehran , yedterday the judiciary officials have confirmed the death of Mr. Valiullah Feizmahdavi another political prisoner in " Shariati hospital" in Tehran .
"ILNA " news agency by quoting from prison officials reported that Mr. Feizmahdavi on Sunday has tried to hang himself in the bath room of the cell in " Rejaei Shahr " prison in the city of Karaj but failed to suceed in doing suicide and the prison agent after noticing the situation have transfered him to " Shariati Hospital " in Tehran but he has passed away before noon time today .
Mr. Mohammad Sharif the lawyer of Mr. Feizmahdavi in speaking with ILNA have said : On Sunday I attended to the sentencing division number six of Tehran Court of Revolution and they have told me that the death sentence of my client haven't changed to imprisonment . He said that my client was charged because of his relation with Mojahedin Khalq Organization and according to the priliminary court hearing and what the judge has said was that my clients while coming back from Iraq to Iran had explosives in his possestion and was arrested because of this.
Three days ago , Mr. Bina Darabzand one of the political activist in Iran who have spent alot of time in " Rejaei Shahr " prison and was cell mate with Feizmahdavi and was closely following his hunger strike have told to Rooz reporter that : "On Wednesday Valiullah called me and told me that the prison officials are not paying attention to my demands and for the last time i'm going to write a letter and in it I will officially announce my demands and if they ignor this time i will go on hunger strike ".
Mr. Bina Darabzand has rejected what Mr. Sohrab Soleymani the general manager of the prisons in Tehran province have said abot the suicide by Mr. Feizmahdavi . Mr. Darabzand said Feizmahdavi did not comit suicide but because of 9 days of hunger strike he fell to this situation.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://r0ozonline.com/01newsstory/017525.shtml

End/
Please see the previous news about this in IRAN WATCH CANADA.

New Restrictions on the Media

Roozonline :
07 Sep 2006

The press in Iran has been threatened and curtailed several times since the new administration of president Ahmadinejad took office last June. In yet another similar measure, the Ministry of Islamic Guidance, which controls the media in this country, issued a directive to press publications which in practice bans them from quoting all available news sources in their reporting.

The press in Iran has been threatened and curtailed several times since the new administration of president Ahmadinejad took office last June. In yet another similar measure, the Ministry of Islamic Guidance, which controls the media in this country, issued a directive to press publications which in practice bans them from quoting all available news sources in their reporting.
According to the letter, this decision was reached after long discussions at the National Security Council. The letter lists 24 ‘reliable and valid’ news sources which may be used by the media to publish their news. These news sources are said to have official permits from Iranian authorities to operate in the country. The news agencies include IRNA, ISNA student news agency, Fars news agency, IPNA sports news agency, Miras (CHN cultural heritage news agency), Shana, IQNA Quran news agency, Shabestan religious news agency, YJC (Young Journalists Club, Bashgahe Khabarnegarane Javan), IANA, IUNA, Palestine Information Center (Markaze Etelaatresani Felestin), IRIBNEWS (Vahed Markazi Khabar), ILNA labor news agency, Mehr news agency, PANA (aka Pars News Agency), Shabakeh Khabar Daneshjoo (student news agency), Moj, ANA (which publishes Asre Emrouz), ITNA information technology news, Gods, Sina, Iska News, and ISJA (government agency affiliated to rightwing political factions).
According to the directive, news agencies are not permitted to quote or translate news items from ‘suspicious’ news sources. The directive defines suspicious news sources to be those that ‘negate the achievements of the Islamic revolution, and the popular (democratic), anti-corruption and anti-imperialist spirit of the ninth government (i.e. that of president Ahmadinejad), and particularly the scientific achievements of the past year in Iran.”
The directive warns newspapers that their publications or news service would be jeopardized if they publish news or reports from sources other than those on its list.
Because of this directive, many newspapers and news agencies in Iran did not quote or publish any news reports from sites that are not listed on the ministry’s instructions. Even those Iranian operated news websites that are close to the Iranian regime but occasionally raise criticism over some official policies or views, such as Aref, Farda, Baztab, Alef, and Aftab are now included in this ban and must follow the new guidelines. This new method of censorship and control comes after the Iranian regime has tried other methods to control the printed media. When it first assumed power, the ninth government of the Islamic regime summoned many journalists, reporters and writers to its security agencies and warned them about publishing and writing on the sensitive nuclear and economic policies of the government. Then came the filters that were imposed on many news websites such as Emrouz, Rooz Online, and BBC Persian Service. Then many publications were the target of judicial suites, resulting in the trial and sentencing of many journalists.
It appears that as the nuclear crises approaches its final hours of decision, the government will impose even controls and restrictions on the media in an effort to control public opinion over the issue.

Link to this news :
http://r0ozonline.com/english/017523.shtml

News in brief -
Gooya Newsonline have reported that Mr. Valiullah Feizmahdavi a political prisoner of "Rejaei Shahr" prison in the city of "Karaj" fell unconscious to brain hemorrhage.

After 9 days of hunger strike Mr. Valiullah Feizmahdavi fell to brain hemorrhage and was transfered to a hospital outside the prison .

According to Gooya Newsonline reporting from "Student Committee defending political prisoners" , the cell mates of Mr. Feizmahdavi were trying to get information about him but the prison authorities were ignoring them but later in the evening the "Herasat " of prison ( security) informed them that Mr. Feizmahdavi had a "brain death" .
It is needed to say that , last night while unconscious Mr. Feizmahdavi was transfered to the prison clinic in " Rejaei Shahr " and the doctors noticed that he had a heart attack but were able to revive his heart but later again he lost conscious and this time he fell to "brain death ".

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Link to this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/052584.php

Another Political Prisoner in Danger
Shirin Karimi
Roozonline:
06 Sep 2006

Alarming reports continue about the condition of political prisoners in Iran. While Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi is reported to be in serious condition, the wife of Ahmad Batebi, another student political prisoner, has petitioned the UN Secretary General to investigate her husband’s situation.

Alarming reports continue about the condition of political prisoners in Iran. While Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi is reported to be in serious condition, the wife of Ahmad Batebi, another student political prisoner, has petitioned the UN Secretary General to investigate her husband’s situation. According to the student committed of the Gozareshgarane Hogoogh Bashar organization (Human Rights Reporters) and in the words of a security official of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, “Valiollah Feyz Mahdavi has suffered a heart and brain disorders after 9 days of his hunger strike.” According to the same report, from early Sunday hours, prison officials have refrained from responding to questions about Mahdavi’s health, who is said to have been transferred to a hospital.
Under these tense conditions, the words of Bahramian the defense attorney for Akbar Mohammadi who died in prison a month ago, ring a bell: “They intend to physically get rid of these students.”
Taking advantage of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s presence in Tehran, Ahmad Batebi’s wife wrote him a letter in which she describes her husband’s plight and says he is being kept in an undisclosed location. “He has spent 6 years of the best part of his life in prison. Prison tortures and psychological pressures on him have been so brutal that Batebi now has chronic physical disorders. His condition was so bad that after 6 years he was allowed to take leave from prison last year for medical treatment. Then unexpectedly armed agents showed up at our house and after searching it, arrested my husband and took him to prison again, while also confiscating much of our personal property. After this, my husband went on a hunger strike in protest of his unwarranted re-arrest. His condition now threatens his life. My husband’s physician Dr. Hesam Firuzi has reported that unless his hunger strike is ended and he received medical treatment outside prison, his life will remain under threat. Over a month passes since my husband’s re-arrest and my letters and pleas from prison, judiciary and other officials of the Islamic Republic have produced no results, and my husband continues to be in solitary confinement. I have succeeded in visiting him only two times, and on both occasions his physical and psychological condition was troubling. My husband lacks the most fundamental civil rights, is not allowed to contact his lawyer, while judiciary officials have not announced the cause of his re-arrest. He has also been denied access to medical specialists.”
In her letter, Batebi’s wife mentions the fate of Akbar Mohammadi, another student activist prisoner who died a month ago in prison through his hunger strike and expresses her concern that her husband’s fate may be similar to his.

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Six Weeks after His Anti-Regime Speech:

Heavy Verdict against Saharkhiz
Sepideh Abdi

Roozonline:
04 Sep 2006

Seyyed Hossein Hosseinian, the head of Tehran’s General District Court number
1083, announced that the special court for the Press has sentenced Issa Saharkhiz, editor of the monthly magazine Aftab (Sun) to four years imprisonment and five years denial of press rights. Additionally, the press credentials of both Akhbar-e Eghtesadi (Economic News) have been revoked. .
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Seyyed Hossein Hosseinian, the head of Tehran’s General District Court number 1083, announced that the special court for the Press has sentenced Issa Saharkhiz, editor of the monthly magazine Aftab (Sun) to four years imprisonment and five years denial of press rights. Additionally, the press credentials of both Akhbar-e Eghtesadi (Economic News) have been revoked. .
After handing down this sentence, Isa Saharkhiz, while criticizing the way this case was handled by the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic, said in an interview with BBC Persian news : “I believe that the leader of the Islamic Republic has acted unjustifiably in this regard; in a system where he is the highest official of the land and the judiciary is under his command, we cannot expect justice to be served.”
In the same interview with BBC regarding the closing down of both Aftab and Akhbar Eghtesadi, he said: “Even though I have the right to appeal, I am certain that Mr. Khamenei has a direct role in my sentence. Therefore I will not pursue this matter; I will await my sentencing and I am ready for it.”
The former head of managers of the press in the Ministry of Guidance stated that the closing down of the press comes as a direct order by Khamenei, and he said: “He has no tolerance for any sort of criticism and if anyone directly says anything about him, he becomes vengeful and this will eventually manifest itself in the verdict against that person.”
The verdict against Saharkhiz took place six weeks after his speech in Shiraz in which he commemorated the18 Tir (July 8, 1999) student uprising at Tehran’s dormitories. “We commemorate this day because this event was nothing more than a show of force by violent elements and gangs who were anti- reform, military and intelligence thugs and bands who were hiding behind a party which is under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, who controls every function of the government and the country. While we have constantly warned of such actions and behavior, we must emphasize that what is happening today in our country is nothing less than the total domination of one person and that even the cosmetic government, the Majlis and the judiciary are pawns of one man; they are nothing more than puppets whose hands and feet function invisibly and who play their respective roles behind the scene.”
Shortly after this speech, both newspapers were shut down. “Akhbar Eghtesadi” had already been banned from publication for six years. This paper was among the 18 papers and journals which had been temporarily banned in the spring of 2000. After three and a half years of publication and 35 issues, the monthly paper “Aftab” was added to nearly 110 publications against which a “temporary ban” had been issued.
Mr. Saharkhiz, after pointing out his contribution to the victory of the Islamic Revolution, his presence during the war and participation at the front, said: “more than six years have passed since it was announced on Television that the paper “Akhbar Eghtesadi”is a platform for the enemy and that Issa Saharkhiz as its editor is one of its key figures. It was claimed that we are friends and accomplices of the US and are paid by the Americans with huge sums of dollars. We are the sworn enemies of Islam! I have asked for proof or documents corroborating such allegations. While the newspaper is shut down, or if they have found any sort of proof at our offices, they should tell the public how they have come up with such allegations.”
He then added: if they do not do what I ask, if I am not rehabilitated and if they do not compensate us for the enormous costs, I would then naturally take my case to domestic and international courts to complain against all those who are instigators of these actions. Or maybe I will have to wait in the next world to shout and ask for justice and my rights.”

commemoration of Summer of 1988 mass murdering of political prisoners in Iran . Regime hastely executed more than 4000 political prisoners by a summary hearing and execution within few weeks right after the end of IRan-Iraq war. This executions is documented by the officials within the Islamic Republic. Here shows pictures of the victims family gathered this week in "Khavaran" a location on the outskirt of Tehran . The prisoners body were transfered in mass by trucks and ambulances to this location at nights and buried hastely.

Commemoration of the 18th anniversary of mass murdering of political prisoners in " Khavaran " - Tehran , in this mass execution more than 4000 political prisoners were executed at night for a few weeks only by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini.

News in brief-

Regime continues its pressure on students !

Gooya Newsonline reported from "Amir Kabir Newsletter" that due to the continues and extensive protest in last May -June by the "Amir Kabir University" students ( formerly Tehran Polytechnic ) , in other word from the begining of summer season and the start of universities holiday a strong wave of pressure and clashes with student activists has started in this university which the last instance was the summoning of many students to the diciplinary committee of the university.Because of the holiday there are no exact number of students who have been summoned to the committee, but the report indicate that in an unprecedented action at least 25 student activists simultanuesly were summoned to the diciplinary committee.
Several of these students recieved sentences in their absence without being able to defend themselves, the sentences were such as : suspension from continuing their education for two semester with calculation of the year. The name of students who have recieved the summons are :

Mr. Ali Azizi
Mr. Armin Salmasi
Mr. Babak Zamanian
Mr. Bijan Pouryousefi
Ms. Sedigheh Bigdeli
Mr. Farhad Nuri
Mr. Navid Delbari
Mr. Ehsan Mansuri
Mr. Abbas Hakimzadeh
Mr. Ali Kargar
Mr. Ali Saberi
Mr. Ali Kamijani
Mr. Soheil Ziaei
Ms. Nasibeh Hajilari
Mr. Mohsen Sohrabi
Mr. Nariman Mostafavi
Mr. Alireza Gharehgozlu
Mr. Mehdi Mashyekhi
Ms. Matin Meshkin
Mr. Mostafa Ghafuri
Mr. Tohid Ali Ashrafi
Ms. Samieh Mirasheh
Mr. Hamed Ebrahimi

The committee as well banned 11 student publications which were critical .

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/052490.php

Friday September 1,2006
News in brief - Iran Emroozonline :

According to Iran Emroozonline this morning hundreds of members of the victims families of mass murdering political prisoners in 1988 by the Islamic Republic of Iran have come together to the burial ground to commemorate their anniversary.
In summer of 1988 many political prisoners who were serving their prison sentences were executed after a short interrogation by a three person delegate (judge) appointed by Khomeini. The execution were carried out during night time for a few weeks and the bodies of the victimes were buried in a mass graves in a place called " Khavaran" . Upto now the names of 4000 victimes to those nights killing are being documented.
Since 1988 the regime prevented the victimes families to hold commemoration or to make a grave for their family members and there has been always clashes between the family members and the regime agents as well as arrest and detention.
In todays gathering which had started from 9:00 am more than 500 family members and political activists were attended , they have covered the ground with flowers and pictures of their dear one , the participants to this year commemoration then sing several songs .
Dr. Naser Zarafshan was also present in this gathering , the other personalities who have participated were member of the Association of Iran's Writers Mr. Ali Ashraf darvishian and prominent political activist Mr. Mohammad Ali Amoei. the participants chanted " viva Zarafshan " and " political prisoners must be released" .
At the end the regim's agents conducted searching the participants bodies and took away their cameras. In another news there has been said that some plain cloths agents have beaten and arrested few participants.

Link to this news in Farsi:
http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/news1/more/9994/