(Mowjcamp) Hamid Dabashi A rather peculiar reference to a prominent nineteenth century philosopher made Mir Hossein Mousavi’s letter to Ayatollah Montazeri of some urgent interest. More than three months into the post-electoral crisis of June 2009, the chief oppositional candidate, who had cried foul soon after the officially declared victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had written [...]
Iran Arrests Student Activists Ahead Of Student Day
(RFE/RL) November 20, 2009 By Golnaz Esfandiari Iran has increased its pressure on student activists ahead of the national Student Day on December 7. Throughout Iran a dozen students are reported to have been jailed this week, including eight student activists arrested in Tehran on November 19. Those arrested include a senior member of Iran’s [...]
Laugh, I nearly went to Tehran! Iranian capital starts laughing classes
(Guardian UK) It’s no joke! City council starts laughing clubs in colleges and jails to put smile back on citizens’ faces and boost health Amid simmering political tensions, a fierce post-election crackdown and a depressed economy, reasons to be cheerful are hardly in abundant supply in Iran. Now Tehran city council has found an antidote [...]
No going back
PBS just released a documentary on Neda’s murder: FRONTLINE: A Death in Tehran. This is a must see. Watching it, I couldn’t believe how raw the feelings and emotions evoked by it were for me. I felt as though the events were happening all over again. I was overcome by a panopoly of emotions: rage, [...]
Iran sentences 5 to death in postelection turmoil
By NASSER KARIMI (AP) TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has sentenced five defendants to death in a mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the unrest that followed the disputed June presidential election, state television reported Tuesday. The five apparently include three death sentences announced last month. None of the five have been identified by [...]
Iran to try brother-in-law of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi
The brother-in-law of Iran’s main opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, will be put on trial before the revolutionary court, months after his arrest in the country’s post-election crackdown, Tehran’s public prosecutor said today.
Iran closes down office of reformer Karoubi: report
Tue Sep 8, 2009 12:11pm ED By Fredrik Dahl and Reza Derakhshi TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iranian authorities closed the office on Tuesday of a leading reformer who came fourth in the disputed presidential election in June, seizing documents, discs and other material, an Iranian news agency reported. Judiciary officials entered the office in northern Tehran [...]
Unforgivable Crimes in Iran: The Under-Reporting of Deaths
As the world’s eyes and ears have turned elsewhere, the crimes of the Iranian government continues unabated. To this day, the true number of those killed, murdered and/or raped in the post-election crackdowns remains unknown.
While the government itself claims that no more than 30 people have died, the opposition puts the figure above 100. Both figures are likely gross underestimations of the true number.
Thirty-six army officers arrested in Iran over protest plan
The Iranian army has arrested 36 officers who planned to attend last week’s Friday prayer sermon by former president Hashemi Rafsanjani in their military uniforms as an act of political defiance, according to Farsi-language websites.
The officers intended the gesture to show solidarity with the demonstrations against last month’s presidential election result, which was won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but which has been clouded by allegations of mass fraud.
Tipping Point in Tehran: A Gathering Opposition Faces a Weakened Regime
The costs are steadily mounting for the regime. Just one day before the June 12 presidential election, the Islamic republic had never been so powerful. Tehran had not only survived three decades of diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions but had emerged a regional superpower, rivaled only by Israel. Its influence shaped conflicts and politics from Afghanistan to Lebanon.
But the day after the election, the Islamic republic had never appeared so vulnerable. The virtual militarization of the state has failed to contain the uprising, and its tactics have further alienated and polarized society. It has also shifted the focus from the election to Iran’s leadership.





