The Latest from Iran (30 January): Threat

2355 GMT: Just checking in to say we have posted a video of a Tehran University academic defending Thursday's executions of Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour.

1910 GMT: We're taking an evening break. We may be back for a late-night wrap-up. If not, all the latest news will open our Sunday updates.

NEW Latest Iran Video: Defending the Executions (30 January)
NEW Iran Document: Mousavi-Karroubi Declaration on Rights and 22 Bahman (30 January)
NEW Iran Patriotism Special: Wiping the Green From The Flag
The Latest from Iran (29 January): Sideshows and Main Events

1900 GMT: Pressure on Ahmadinejad. The "conservative" campaign against the President's advisors has not ceased. The high-profile member of Parliament Ahmad Tavakoli has attacked the controversial Deputy Minister of Culture, Mo-Amin Ramin, and Ahmadinejad aide Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai.

1855 GMT: Rah-e-Sabz reports that Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, Hassan Rohani, and Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani have not attended meetings of the Combatant Clergy Association since the June election.

1845 GMT: On the Economic Front. Raja News reports that a 20-day ultimatum has been given to 100 people, most of them well-connected, who have not repaid $20 billion in funds from national banks. The article has a lengthy discussion of the reasons for this uncontrolled spending and problems in gettng the money back.

The website also quotes Arsalan Fathipour, chief of parliament's economic commission, that $15 billion of National Development Funds has been given to banks.

1840 GMT: Reza Mahabadian, children's rights activist & member of the Assembly of Iranian Writers, has reportedly been arrested.

1835 GMT: For the second week in a row, family members of the martyrs of 7-Tir, the terrorist attack in the early days of the Islamic Revolution that killed 72 people including Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, held a prayer ceremony at the grave of Ayatollah Beheshti to protest the detention of his son, Alireza Beheshti, a key advisor to Mir Hossein Mousavi.

1800 GMT: The Regime's Accusations. An Iranian activist has posted a summary of the allegations against one of the Ashura defendants in today's trial:

Participation in gatherings and collusion in acts against national security. Insulting the Leader by sending e-mail to the International [Criminal] Court in The Hague, propaganda against Islamic Republic. Soft war, membership in Facebook and [Iranian Web portal] Balatarin, mass distribution of news to foreign media outlets. Participation in illegal protests...and preparation and forwarding a complaint against the honorable Leader to the World Court in the Hague.

The defendant's testimony:

I did participate in illegal protests...and did chant slogans against the regime. After the speech of the honourable Leader, I participated in three more protests in my car only and honked the horn. I was present in front of Laleh Park in the afternoon of Ashura (27 December) only as an observer. I read the news on sites like Balatarin and did send information and news to foreign news outlets. The first three weeks after the election I did chant Allah-O-Akbar (God is Great) on my rooftop. I did sent about 100 SMS (text messages) informing people of gatherings on 4 November and 7 December.

I was a member on Mohsen Sazegara's news site. Thinking because he was an ex-member of the establishment and is a dissident now, I believed him saying there was cheating in the election.

Regarding the letter to the World Court in the Hague, the petition was published on Balatarin site. I did sign this petition and encouraged my friends to sign it.

1755 GMT: We have posted a full summary and quotes from today's meeting between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi about the rights of the people and the marches on 22 Bahman (11 February).

1745 GMT: Rah-e-Sabz reports that 40 people were arrested at a 40th Day memorial service for Grand Ayatollah Montazeri yesterday. Eight are still detained.

1725 GMT: Labour News. The Flying Carpet Institute reports that Reza Rakhshan, a leader of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers’ Syndicate was released on 19 January after 17 days of detention. Rakhshan was freed on $150,000 bail money—a hefty sum for a workers’ family.

1710 GMT: "Confessions". Back from a break to learn more about the regime's manoeuvres with the threats and trials. An Iranian activist reports that, on Wednesday night, Iranian television featured the "confessions" of four post-election detainees: Mahmod Dowlatabadi, Mehdi Saiedi, Abbas Balikhani, and Borzo Kamrani. The activist considers that the show may be setting up the "mohareb" (war against God) charges and executions.

More on the charges in the trial of Ashura detainees today (see 1415 and 0945 GMT): looks like subscribing to the newsletter of supporters of IRGC founder and current regime critic Mohsen Sazegara constitutes a threat to national security.

1415 GMT: The Great Regime Change Conspiracy. Rah-e-Sabz has a lengthy account of today's trial of 16 Ashura detainees. Amidst the statements of the defendants, not only the BBC and CNN but also Balatarin, the Iranian portal for Web stories, and Facebook emerges as evil instigators of violence against the Iranian Government.

1405 GMT: Rafsanjani's Balancing Act. The Los Angeles Times, noting the statement from Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi (see 1105 GMT) calling on their supporters to join 22 Bahman rallies, also picks up the more cautious declaration from Hashemi Rafsanjani:

[Rafsanjani] called on Iranians "of all groups and camps" to turn out en masse for the holiday, but warned that any violence will serve the interests of Tehran's "enemies."

"I invite all people and political camps across the country to march on 22 Bahman and renew their allegiance to the Islamic Republic despite certain differences of opinion," he said in an address to the powerful Expediency Council.

1330 GMT: Blair and Iran. I had intended to refrain from comment until Monday on the former Prime Minister's testimony to the British enquiry into the 2003 Iraq War --- anger needs to subside in favour of reflection. (We have posted, however, a 2005 item from our archives which pointed to Blair's agreement --- in a March 2002 meeting with then-US Vice President Dick Cheney --- to join the US in a military invasion for "regime change".)

That said, The Guardian of London sizes up Blair's rather extraordinary attempt to avoid blame for Iraq 2003 by putting forth an Iran 2010:

Tony Blair has been accused of warmongering spin for claiming that western powers might be forced to invade Iran because it poses as serious a threat as Saddam Hussein.

Sir Richard Dalton, a former British ambassador to Iran, accused Blair of trying to make confrontation with Iran an electoral issue after the former prime minister repeatedly singled out its Islamic regime as a global threat in his evidence to the Iraq war inquiry yesterday.

Blair said many of the arguments that led him to confront the "profoundly wicked, almost psychopathic" Saddam Hussein seven years ago now applied to the regime in Tehran.

"We face the same problem about Iran today," he told the Chilcot inquiry....

"One result of Tony Blair's intervention on Iran – he mentioned Iran 58 times – is to put the question of confronting Iran into play in the election," [Dalton] told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"We need to be much clearer, as voters, with our politicians and with our candidates that we expect a different behaviour and a greater integrity in our democracy next time."

The silver lining in yesterday's travesty is that the illusions and delusions of Blair's approach to Iraq --- whether or not one agrees that military action was necessary for regime change --- are exposed by his easy analogies with today's situation and his equally-easy implication that war is a simple answer. And it is a 2nd silver lining that there is no one in the current British Government who shares that illusionary/delusionary approach to Iran 2010.

1215 GMT: Press TV has published its English-language report of today's trial, recycling the points made in Iranian state media and summarised below.

1105 GMT: Taking a Stand. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, after meeting this morning, have expressed sorrow over Thursday's executions, denounced other sentences and the "continuation of the current situation", and called on their supporters to participate in rallies on 22 Bahman (11 February).

With the statement, Mousavi and Karroubi have gone beyond their positions on Ashura (27 December). On that occasion, neither made a call for public demonstrations.

0945 GMT: The Trial. IRNA's website simply lists the charges against each of the 16 defendants. Everything from "support of terrorism" to "Communist tendencies" makes an appearance. Significantly,as previewed by Iranian officials this week, five of the 16 are charged with mohareb (war against God), a crime which carries the death penalty.

Fars' report focuses on the prosecution's opening statement, headlining the "terror training" abroad for the protesters. Here is an example of such training: the well-known terrorist centre The Brookings Institution in Washington apparently put out a report, a few months before Iran's Presidential election, setting out economic strategies.

0930 GMT: Threat. It is no pleasure to report how quickly both our headline and our morning analysis have been upheld by the regime this morning: "Iran Puts 16 Protesters on Trial". Both the Islamic Republic News Agency and Press TV feature the hearing for demonstrators arrested on Ashura (27 December), with the prosecution putting out the ritual rhetoric: "The defendants have confessed to spying, planning bomb attacks and damaging public and private properties....The defendants sent videos on the clashes between protesters and Iranian police to the ''foreign hostile networks."

0800 GMT: While catching up with this morning's news, we have posted a special analysis of the latest regime move (indeed, gamble), "We Will Kill You". We also have published the English translation of the questions put by the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front to Iran's head of judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, over the executions of Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour.

Iran Document: Mousavi-Karroubi Declaration on Rights and 22 Bahman (30 January)

From the Facebook site supporting Mir Hossein Mousavi, via The Flying Carpet Institute:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wjxY2Ws9bs[/youtube]

Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, in a meeting that was held in Mehdi Karoubi’s home on Saturday morning, expressed sorrow over the execution of some of the citizens and demanded legal investigations about the situations of the political prisoners. Mousavi and Karoubi, pointing out the cases of the two political prisoners who were executed recently [Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour] stated:

It seems like the prisoners who were executed were arrested months before the election and their cases had nothing to do with the post-election events. According to their lawyers they could only have a short meeting with their clients and the legal procedures were not completed for them. It seems like such actions is only to scare people and discourage them from participating in the 11 February [22 Bahman, anniversary of the 1979 Revolution] rally.

The widespread arrests of the political figures, journalists and academia, charged with protesting to defend their rights, are illegal. The process of obtaining confessions from these prisoners is also in contradiction to Islamic principles and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Karroubi and Mousavi pointed out the sermons delivered by Ahmad Janati, Secretary General of the Guardian Council and the Imam of Tehran, in this week’s Friday Prayers. They expressed regret for the comments made by an Imam in a Friday Prayer:

Unfortunately, instead of using the Friday Prayer’s podium to invite people to good, the Friday Prayer Imam suggested to the head of the Judiciary [Sadegh Larijani] that if they had not shown weakness on the events of 9 July (18 Tir) and if the judiciary would have had executed some [protesters] then, the events of Ashura [27 December] would have not happened. This encourages the authorities to repress and kill people and also justifies the actions of the authorities in executing some citizens with vague and fabricated charges. This is a very sad situation that the platform of Friday Prayer has become a podium for encouraging violence and inviting authorities to execute the citizens.

Mousavi and Karroubi announced that the only way to resolve the current crisis and returning peace to the country is by releasing all political prisoners, opening up free media, letting parties become active again, and holding free elections. They stressed:

Now the majority of the people are present in the scene [streets?] without any fear to regain their rights. Their demand is to hold free elections but it seems like unfortunately the voice of the majority of the people is not being heard [by authorities].

Karroubi and Mousavi announced that the continuation of the current situation will result in harm to the foundations of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic, which have been the outcome of the efforts and sacrifices of many brave Iranians. They added:

It seems like there is an illusion of conspiracy to overthrow the system among some authorities, and this trend of thoughts will make the country fall and will endanger the foundations of the system.

Mousavi and Karroubi emphasised:

The majority of the people only want to regain their rights and are not seeking to overthrow the system, but it seems like the rulers are even feeling danger by this voice of the people seeking justice. The only way to end the crisis is to listen to the voice of the majority and respond to it [appropriately].

It is also important to note that Mousavi and Karoubi invited all the people to participate in the 11 February rally.

Turkey: "Ankara Ready to Mediate between Syria and Israel"

On Friday, speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara is ready to mediate talks between Israel and Syria:

"Is it possible to restart it again? Yes, why not? If the two countries agree to restart it, we can do it. As Turkey, we are ready."

, Davutoglu then put the ball in the court of Israel:

The Syrian side already declared they want to continue from where we left (off). The Israeli side, they have different views. Some coalition members are against, some are in favor. We will see.

If we see a strong political will, both in Israel and Syria, we will continue to support (peace efforts). We will support every attempt, step in the direction of peace.

Davutoglu's mediation offer was complemented by his handling of the aftermath of the Gaza War, which had strained the relationship between Ankara and West Jerusalem: the offensive in Gaza. While Turkey was "concerned with the policies of Israel because of Gaza, criticizing one policy of an Israeli government does not mean the end of Turkish-Israel relations."

Iran's Executions: The Reformist Participation Front Questions to Sadegh Larijani

On Friday, the leading reformist group, the Islamic Iran Participation Front, wrote to the head of Iran's judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, seeking answers over the executions of Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Ahmadipour.



From the Facebook page supporting Mir Hossein Mousavi, via The Flying Carpet Institute:

Dear Mr. Larijani, the honorable Head of the Judiciary,

The news of the execution of two prisoners accused of being Moharebs warriors against God) created a spark of surprise and astonishment amongst the nation of Iran. During a time when the political atmosphere is one of fervent hope to wipe out the dark clouds of hatred and vengeance, this faulty action by the judiciary system was only further proof that there is no willingness and desire to create calm in the country’s political atmosphere.

Iran Analysis: The Regime’s Ultimate Challenge “We Will Kill You”

The judiciary, already accused of political maneuvering and ignoring justice and fairness because of its illegal and doubtful behavior towards reputable political forces arrested and jailed unfairly after the elections, will now be questioned even more after issuing suspicious death sentences for nine people and hastily executing two others.


A death sentence is regretful regardless of whom it is issued against, or whether or not that person deserves the punishment or is guilty of the crime. Even though we have no intellectual or actual kinship with these people, we are worried that the judiciary system is under the influence of forces that continue to move towards ordering further bloodshed and executions.

You are well aware that the death sentence is the only sentence that is irreversible. The legislators have therefore deliberately and knowingly created bureaucracy intended to lengthen the process between issuing and implementing a sentence in order to minimize any possible errors and unfair sentencing. The hasty executions of Mr. Rahmanipour and Mr. Alizamani have created much ambiguity and many open questions.

These two young men were naturally executed with your approval. In order to provide clarity to a highly inflamed public --- in particular the supporters of the Islamic Revolution, who view this type of behavior against Islamic principles --- to enlighten the public and eliminate any unnecessary advertising and propaganda against the system, and, more importantly, to protect the dignity of the judiciary and make sure that it is not compromised, it is important that you respond to the myriad of open questions which have been raised, some of which we will present in this letter.

If these sentences were fair and based on the law then calm will return to the political atmosphere. If God forbid, it is determined that unknowingly, these sentences were unfair and wrong, then you need to make it clear who will take responsibility for this heinous act, so that we eliminate the need to create committees such as those created to deal with the crimes at Kahrizak [Prison, where post-election detainees were abused and killed].

1) When were these individuals arrested? What was the reason for their arrests?

2) What was the logic for trying these individuals in the courts dealing with the aftermath of the elections, when they were clearly arrested a few weeks before the elections?

3) How were confessions obtained from them? In addition to their confessions, what other valid evidence was used to document their crimes?

4) Were fair judiciary procedures observed in their proceedings? Did they have access to legal representation? Were their lawyers allowed to visit them? Were their lawyers provided with sufficient time to review their case?

5) Is there any validity to the claims that the defendants were encouraged by interrogators to provide false confessions with the promise of lighter sentences? If true, does this not undermine the foundation of such a court?

6) Can the confessions given at the show trials, directed by those who committed the crimes at Kahrizak and who were also responsible for interrogating the accused, be the basis for issuing such heavy sentences?

7) Was the minimum Islamic compassion shown towards the accused, allowing them to meet with their families one last time before their execution?

Mr. Larijani, these questions and many more that have remained unanswered, have led the public to believe that the issuance and implementation of these sentences had no legal basis, was politically motivated and without logic and, God forbid, used to create political pressure and generate fear amongst the nation.

Mr. Larijani, we are aware that many of the penal codes based on constitutional principles were ignored in the the issuance and implementation of these sentences, in particular Rules 168, 165, 38, 35, 32. The lack of response to these ambiguities will cause irreparable damages to the country and the system.

"I will share the truth with you / You can either learn from my words or take offense"

The Islamic Iran Participation Front
29 Jan 2010

Palestine: No Negotiations Before Halt to Israeli Settlements

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Thursday that no proposal ignoring Jerusalem as the capital of Palestinians would be acceptable to Palestinians.

Abbas added that there would be no peace negotiations with Israel as long as the construction in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem continues:

If Israel says in the meeting that it will not accept the 1967 borders and that it is not prepared to discuss Jerusalem and the refugee situation, what is there to talk about?

If I enter negotiations with them and the building in East Jerusalem continues, Israel will be saying that Jerusalem is theirs. So why would I agree to negotiate while building in East Jerusalem continues?

Abbas concluded that he will accept Israel as a Jewish state only when West Jerusalem accepts the terms of Palestinians.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said, in a separate declaration, that there was no agreement yet to resume talks with Israel. Responding to the latest US proposal for talks at a level below full-scale negotiations between leaders, Fayyad told Reuters:

We heard about low-level, mid-level, high-level (talks). I don't think there is anything yet that has been crystallised in terms of going forward.

However, Fayyad not close the door on talks: "We Palestinians stand to lose the most from a stalled peace process, but we would still like to see the process resumed in a way that would give us confidence that it can actually deliver what it should be able to deliver."