Category: Reports on Iran and Democracy
Iran: Student stuns Iran by criticizing supreme leader — Mahmoud Vahidnia
Iran: Student stuns Iran by criticizing supreme leader — Mahmoud Vahidnia
Iran: “Supreme Leader” Warns Opposition Leaders Against Questioning Presidential Vote
Iran: “Supreme Leader” Warns Opposition Leaders Against Questioning Presidential Vote
— RFE/RL: “Iran’ s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has described questioning the country’s disputed June 12 presidential vote as the ‘biggest crime.'”
UANI: “Iran Intolerance Index”
Iran: Cleric warns against rally in Iran
Iran: US Secretary of State Clinton urged to discuss religious rights with Iran
Iran: US Secretary of State Clinton urged to discuss religious rights with Iran
— AFP reports: “‘It is vitally important that Iran be called to account for its deplorable human rights record, including egregious violations of religious freedom,’ the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote in a letter to Clinton.”
Iranian Journalists Flee, Fearing Retribution for Covering Protests
Iranian Journalists Flee, Fearing Retribution for Covering Protests
— NYT reports:
— “Mr. Maleki, 29, is one of dozens of reporters, photographers and bloggers who have either fled Iran or are trying to flee in the aftermath of the disputed June presidential election. Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based organization that promotes press freedom and monitors the safety of journalists, said the number of journalists leaving Iran was the largest since the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.”
— “The wave of departures reflects the journalists’ anxiety over the retribution many of them have faced for reporting on the government’s violent suppression of the post-election protests. As bloody clashes unfolded in the streets of Tehran, the government went to great lengths to restrict the flow of information to the outside world. Foreign journalists were banned, and local reporters and photographers were warned to stay at home.”
Necessary Gesture Or Bad Decision? U.S. Cuts Funds To Iran Rights Group — Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Necessary Gesture Or Bad Decision? U.S. Cuts Funds To Iran Rights Group
— Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Iran launches legal case against former presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi
Iran launches legal case against former presidential candidate
— APA: “Iran launched a legal case against former presidential candidate and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karoubi over his allegations that his supporters were tortured and raped in jail, APA reports quoting IRNA”
— “Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said that Karoubi was a cleric and his remarks should be studied at the Shari’ah court.”
Iran: Judge Charges Christian Converts with “Apostasy and Propagation of Christian Faith”
ICC Report: “Iranian Judge Charges Converts with Apostasy and Propagation of Christian Faith”
— see also Elam report
— see also FREETHEMM report
— ICC reports: “Washington, D.C. (October 08, 2009) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on October 7 an Iranian judge charged Maryam and Marzieh with ‘crimes’ of apostasy and propagation of the Christian faith. They could face life imprisonment if convicted of apostasy.”
— “Elam ministries told ICC that Maryam and Marzieh were unexpectedly taken to appear before the court yesterday morning.”
— “In a positive development, their case has now been transferred from the revolutionary court to the regular courts after the judge dropped the earlier charge of anti-state activities. Maryam, Marzieh and their lawyer are pleased with this development.”
— “Maryam and Marzieh were detained on March 5, 2009. The Iranian officials accused them of ‘anti-state activities’ following their conversion from Islam to Christianity. During their appearance before the revolutionary court on August 9, they told the court that they would not recant their faith in Christ.”
For the ICCreport on their court appearance, see: http://www.persecution.org/suffering/pressdetail.php?presscode=325
— “Iranian officials sent Maryam and Marzieh to the infamous Evin prison where they have endured mistreatment, including solitary confinement and deprivation of medical attention. Both of them are in poor health. On October 4, Maryam suffered severe food poisoning and was given medical attention after much insistence.”
— “In an interview with the Voice of America Persian News Network, Maryam and Marzieh’s lawyer said, ‘My clients are not prepared to lie about their faith under any condition.'”
— “ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and the Middle East, Jonathan Racho, said, ‘We welcome the move by the Iranian court to drop the charges of anti-state activities against Maryam and Marzieh. We urge Iranian officials to drop charges of apostasy and propagation of Christianity, as well. As party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has an obligation to respect the right of Maryam and Marzieh to follow the religion of their choice.'”
