The Latest from Iran (26 June): It's (No Longer) A Thriller

The Latest from Iran (27 June): Situation Normal. Move Along.

NEW Iran’s Future: “In Time Things Will Change” (Tehran Bureau)
NEW Iran’s Future: Interpreting “The Lord of the Rings”
Latest Video: Resistance and Violence (24 June)

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1900 GMT: Mohammad Mostafaie, a defence lawyer who was prominent for representing Iranian juveniles facing the death penalty, was arrested this afternoon.

1845 GMT: Lara Setrakian of ABC News (US): "Allahu Akbars begin. Intensity hasn't diminished. I hear warning shots, but after the shot they changed to death to dictator."

Also reports of a candlelit vigil tonight on the rooftops.

1830 GMT: Mir Hossein Mousavi's website has posted his latest statement. We're working on getting an English translation.

1655 GMT: We reported earlier this week that the novelist Paulo Coelho had blogged that his "best friend" was the Iranian doctor who tried to save Neda Agha Soltan. Now that the doctor has left Iran, Coelho has identified him as the Iranian translator of his books, Arash Hejazi

1632 GMT: More from Obama: "A government that treats its own citizens with that kind of ruthlessness and violence has moved outside of universal norms."

1550 GMT: BNO, citing AFP, says that a special commission, including representatives of the defeated candidates, is to be set up to draft a report on the election.

If true, this would fit into our separate piece on the "national unity" call of Grand Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi and reports that Presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi is compromising and calling for protests to be challenged through "legal means".

1545 GMT: CNN's David Clinch say that Iran's National Security Council: has declared that Mir Hossein Moussavi's demands for the annulment of the elections are "illogical and unethical".

1530 GMT: Some are reporting a new demonstration in Tehran today, in which Mousavi supporters released green balloons.

1415 GMT: Iranbaan believes that Saeed Hajarian, whose short bio we provided here, "has been release from the clinic into ward 209 of Evin [prison] but his physical condition is not good."

1155 GMT: From a Lara Setrakian source: ""Tehran is very very quiet. There's anger & passion, but going out to show it doesn't seem very productive and is very dangerous"

1145 GMT: Twitter user iranbaan, a previously reliable source, has posted a number of updates: Detained protester Hajarian is alive but is still in "serious condition & needs to be moved to hospital outside prison." She also reports on the apparent treatment of killed protesters:

Doctors are forces to write "death in the operating room" as the cause of death for recent martyrs. / Families are charged 5-14 thousand dollars to receive the bodies of their loved ones. / They also need to sign a waver that they won't sure [sic: sue] the police or other attackers. / In a written undertaking, they need to say Mousavi is the reason & we have not complaints against police. / No mosque is allowed to hold a funeral for these martyrs.

Finally, she reports that, "Saeed Mortazavi, prosecutors general of Tehran, is put in charge of investigating recent detainees." As we reported on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch describes Mortazavi as "notoriously abusive."


1110 GMT: Lara Setrakian of ABC News (US) reports, "Confirmed firsthand account of another 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) protester killed on the rootfop, this one in Tehran."

1045 GMT: AP reports that Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami, speaking during Friday prayers at Tehran University, has called on the government to punish protesters "strongly and with cruelty." (Note: Ahmed Khatami is not related to Mohammad Khatami.)

0850 GMT: According to Reuters Press TV has quoted a spokesman for the Guardian Council saying that the elections were "among the healthiest ... ever held in the country". No "major" fraud has been uncovered.

0820 GMT: Unconfirmed rumour: the Supreme Leader is wearing one white glove when he leads prayers today.

0800 GMT: Stand By Your Man. Russia has again recognized President Ahmadinejad's election victory.

0710 GMT: Worlds Collide. One of the most prominent Iranian activists on Twitter writes, "Michael Jackson is died?"

0705 GMT: Reports that Iran state media have broadcast the funeral of a Basiji killed in the demonstrations. (source: jamaldajani via Twitter)

0700 GMT: The BBC, if it is not reflecting on Michael Jackson, is recycling the tangential news that Washington has condemned President Ahmadinejad's condemnation of US interference in Iranian affairs

0520 GMT: Somewhat bizarrely, this morning's first intervention in Iran comes from the west coast of the United States (and not from the broadcasts of television stations run by Iranian exiles). The international media are screen-to-screen with coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. Even Al Jazeera put away Iran and Iraq to lead with several minutes on the scraps of information about last night's events, Jackson's careers, and (especially) chats with fans.

CNN, which has been increasingly open in its sympathy for the protests, had been trying to highlight Thursday's statement by Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, but the effort has been limited, as its website admits: "CNN has not been able to verify the authenticity of the statement on the Kamaleh site, which has been known to carry Moussavi's official statements, because it appeared to be blocked." On the BBC website, Jackson pushes Iran and Mousavi down to a single, small-font line near the bottom of the page.

Iran's Press TV talks about Michael Jackson at the end of its headlines; before that, it is using the statement of three US Senators (McCain, Graham, Lieberman) calling for tougher sanctions on Tehran to bolster the Government's line of "Western intervention".

Iran's Future: "In Time Things Will Change" (Tehran Bureau)

Iran’s Future: Interpreting “The Lord of the Rings” (Time)
The Iran Crisis (Day 15): What to Watch For Today
The Latest from Iran (25 June): The Sounds of Silence
Latest Video: Resistance and Violence (24 June)

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Tehran Bureau has been exemplary during this crisis in providing both the best possible information and cutting-edge analysis. On Thursday, it went further, writing both a eulogy for the immediate protests and a call of hope for the political movement of the future.

A View from the Frontline

Last week, a group of friends and I organized a medical team to help the wounded and injured in the streets. As we sewed up gashes and patched up wounds on the beautiful battered faces of our dear Iranians, we kept asking ourselves, “What have they become? Have they no regard for the life for a fellow human being? For the life of a fellow countryman? For the life of a neighbor? For the life of a cousin? For the life of a brother? For the life of a sister?”

It wasn’t long before Basij militiamen took away our identity cards. After reporting us to the university, I was called in by a disciplinary committee and reprimanded. I was told I had put my future career and even my life in jeopardy. I was told to think about the consequences of my actions.

As I left the committee members, the events of the past two weeks fell into place:

The government had a plan. They thought their plan was perfect. They had devised a perfect fraud in which regardless of how people voted, only one name would emerge as the winner: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

It was to be the start of an era of unopposed rule.

By creating the appearance of a free and open atmosphere, by creating hope of change, people would turnout in high numbers. A high turnout at the ballot boxes would give them an aura of legitimacy in the eyes of the world. It would give Ahmadinejad a mandate.

But they made a fatal miscalculation; they underestimated the people.

When the results were announced, nobody in their right mind believed them. Even the most optimistic of Ahmadinejad supporters didn’t believe he could win by such a margin.

This prompted widespread unrest. For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic the ruling establishment had to contend with masses in the streets. These masses had not been dragged there by intimidation or by promise of a reward. For the first time the masses were not chanting pro-government slogans.

This was something entirely new; it was a nation rising up in defiance of all the tricks the government has been pulling over the years.

Despite their miscalculation, the supreme leader and the revolutionary guard elites were not ready to make any concessions; they knew too well. Even a single step back would have been a starting point from where things would cascade down to the eventual breakdown of their perfect autocracy.

So they took a firm stand against the very people who had brought them to power 30 years ago. History will be the judge but I believe that this was their second and most fatal miscalculation. You can never put out a fire by beating it, the flames may wane but underneath the ashes will go on burning. Wheels have been set in motion. A vast movement has started to take place. In time, the tide will turn.

In February 1979, during the time of the revolution, the army chiefs decided to prevent bloodshed and a civil war, so they refused to crack down on the demonstrators. They were thanked for this by swift executions that took place as soon as the revolutionaries came to power.

Sepah, or the Revolutionary Guard, is apparently determined not to go down the same path.

The decision of the current government to brutally crack down on the protesters and demonstrators led to the massacre of June 20, 2009, a day that will go down in history as the Black Saturday of the Islamic Republic. Thirty years ago, 17 Shahrivar 1357 [September 8, 1978], the Pahlavi Regime made the same fatal mistake. That Black Friday was the turning point from which the Pahlavi Regime never recovered.

We had hoped for a swift and decisive victory, first in the election and then through our defiance, but our high hopes were crushed with bullets, batons and tear gas. Now the mood is that of defeat, anguish and despair.

Fear has crept in and taken hold. Everybody now speaks in whispers. We are depressed and hopeless. Perhaps the main reason everyone feels so down is that before the election we had such high hopes. We flew too high and then fell down or rather were brought down by Basij and anti-riot police.

This struggle has had its toll on us all. I have never seen so many people grieving. This is a social malaise. At the personal level, each of us still feels robbed of our vote, our freedom, our friends, our brothers and our sisters.

We are disillusioned, battered and betrayed. Many are talking about leaving the country. Many young souls are looking for the first exit. Emigration perhaps. A mass exodus may be under way.

In the past few days, I have been feeling down and depressed. I had a sense that all was lost, and the frequent rains, which are extremely unusual for this time of year, added to the sense of melancholy overcoming me. My uncle, who experienced the revolution, told me however, “Evolution takes time. This was just a start; in time things will change.”

I hope so.

Politics and power are dirty things, much more so than depicted by Romain Gary in “L’Homme a la colombe.” Even so, the protagonist, also a young soul, emerges victorious. We are sacrificing ourselves to make a statement, which the corrupt politicians ignore and the mass media manipulates. But people, generation after generation, pass this on from heart to heart as a slogan for integrity, bravery and freedom.

Maybe this will be our legacy. Maybe years from now, we will recount the stories of these days to the generation after us as the turning point that made all the difference, if not in our lives, perhaps at least in theirs.

Iran's Future: Interpreting "The Lord of the Rings"

Iran’s Future: “In Time Things Will Change” (Tehran Bureau)
The Iran Crisis (Day 15): What to Watch For Today
The Latest from Iran (25 June): The Sounds of Silence
Latest Video: Resistance and Violence (24 June)

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In the last two weeks, there have been a series of high-profile films on Iranian state television; some have interpreted the surge as a reward offered by the authorities to stay off the streets. Those screenings, however, may have had an unexpected side effect. The airing of The Lord of the Rings trilogy led one Tehran viewer to re-interpret the film, not only for Iran's present but for its future.

Watching The Lord of the Rings in Tehran

In normal times, Iranian television usually treats its viewers to one or two Hollywood or European movie nights a week. But these are not normal times, so it's been two or three such movies a day. It's part of the push to keep people at home and off the streets, to keep us busy, to get us out of the regime's hair. The message is "Don't worry, be happy." Channel Two is putting on a Lord of the Rings marathon as part of the government's efforts to restore peace.

Lots of people, adults and kids, are watching in the room with me. On the screen, Gandalf the Grey returns to the Fellowship as Gandalf the White. He casts a blinding white light, his face hidden behind a halo. Someone blurts out, "Imam zaman e?!" (Is it the Imam?!) It is a reference, of course, to the white-bearded Ayatullah Khomeini, who is respectfully called Imam Khomeini. But "Imam" is at the same time a title of the Mahdi, a messianic figure that Muslims believe will come to save true believers from powerful evildoers at the time of the apocalypse. Isn't that our predicament?

I wonder which official picked this film, starting to suspect, even hope, that there is a subversive soul manning the controls at seda va sima, central broadcasting. It is way too easy to find political meaning in the film, to draw comparisons to what is happening in real life. There are themes that seem to allude to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the candidate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims to have defeated: the unwanted quest and the risking of life in pursuit of an unanticipated destiny. Could he be Boromir, the imperfect warrior who is heroic at the end, dying to defend humanity? Didn't Mousavi talk about being ready for martyrdom?

And listen: there is the sly reference to Ahmadinejad. Iranian films are dubbed very expertly. So listen to the Farsi word they use for hobbit and dwarf: kootoole, little person. Kootoole, of course, was and is the term used in many of the chants out on the street against the diminutive President.

In the eye of the beholder in Tehran, the movie is transformed into an Iranian epic. When Gandalf's white steed strides into the frame, local viewers see Rakhsh, the mythical horse of the Rostam, the great champion of the Shahnameh, the thousand-year-old national epic. "Bah, bah ... Rakhsh! Rakhsham amad!" someone says in awe.

At the moment, the ancient Treebeard bears Pippin through the forest, and the hobbit asks, "And whose side are you on?" Those of us watching already know the answer: Mousavi! Treebeard is decked in green, after all.

That's as much as we can see of an opposition viewpoint on TV. The news has a droning sameness, the official message being "politics is a nasty business, but now it's over." At least nothing is really being hidden anymore. Except for that first night, Saturday June 20, the broadcasts have not shied away from the violence. But they've found a way to turn it inside out, make it about the protesters and not what has happened. When they want to make a point, they lay it on, 10 minutes, sometimes close to 15. As a friend says, "This is not news. It's interpretation."

TV reporters interview regular folk on the streets and in the parks for very much the same sound bites. Khastekonande, says one person, describing the protests as "getting old." Says another: "I'm a businessman. For my business to succeed, I need for there to be calm." "We just wanna make some bread, take care of our lives and our business." "The ones who are rioting aren't of the people. I don't think that they're part of the people." "It's been several days that I haven't been able to bring my son and daughter to the park because of the violence." And so on.

And so we're glued to the trilogy. We are riveted. A child in the room loudly predicts that Lord of the Rings will put an end to the nightly shouts, that people will not take to the rooftops and windows because this film will keep them occupied. Besides, there is a worrisome rumor going around that the Basij are marking the doorways of those households that continue to call out "Allah Akbar!" at night, a reverse Passover.

The child goes on to report that the kids on his school "service" (the long Toyota vans that act as school buses for Tehran's students) have been chanting, "Pas rai e ma koojast?! Pas rai e ma koojast?!" (Then where is our vote?! Then where is our vote?!) I ask what the driver is doing while all this goes on and the kid tells me that the driver honks along. Honk honk-honk-honk! Pas rai e ma koojast?! Honk honk-honk-honk!

But the child is wrong about the evening shouts. Suddenly they begin, as a low roll from the park. Then they quickly build upward. "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!" No way. We rush to the window. They have continued night after night, beginning at 10 and continuing for 30 minutes. Each time I've lost faith, I've been wrong. Iranians are proving to be a sturdier lot than I have given them credit for, much mightier even than the formidable kootoole who stand in their way.

And so we see political meaning even in the notice that one part of the trilogy is ending, asking us to be ready for the next. In edame dare: This is to be continued. The phrase has become our hesitant slogan, our words of reassurance. As does this conversation, translated from Farsi, from the movie: "I wish the ring had never come to me ... I wish that none of this had happened." "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." In edame dare. This will be continued. People are not going to let up so easily.

Iran: A List of Those Killed and Detained (12-23 June)

The Latest from Iran (25 June): The Sounds of Silence

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On Tuesday, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran released a list of those confirmed dead and arrested in the post-election conflict. As the Campaign notes, this should be treated as a partial list, as it is difficult to get information from many parts of the country.

Killed by Government Forces:

The government has admitted to at least 27 fatalities in Tehran but the true numbers are most probably much higher. The Campaign has been able to identify only the names of four persons killed in Tehran during recent protests because of the extreme restrictions imposed by the government. There are also reports of fatalities in other cities but the Campaign has not been able to collect any reliable information.

1)  Neda Aghasoltan, student, was murdered at the demonstration in Tehran on 20 June 2009

2)  Naser Amirnejad, Aerospace PhD student, was murdered during the attack on the Tehran University dormitories on the night of Wednesday, 14 June 2009. His body was buried in his home town, one of the villages in the city of Yasouj on 19 June 2009.

3)  Mostafa Ghanian, graduate student at Tehran University, was murdered during the attack on the  Tehran University Dormitories on the night of Monday , 14 June 2009. His body was buried in his home town in Mashad on 21 June 2009.

4)  Mehdi Karami, killed in Jonat Abad Street, Tehran, 15 June  2009

5)  Eight people were killed during the attack to the peaceful demonstration in Tehran on 15 June 2009, according to the government report

6)  At least nineteen people were killed during the attack on the peaceful  demonstration in Tehran on 20 June 2009, according to the government report

There are also several hundred injuries about which there is no available information. Some of the injuries could be life threatening. The Campaign has been informed that Ashkan Zahabian, a member of the Modern Faction of the Islamic Students Association of Ferdowsi University has been severely injured after attacks by members of Basiji Militia and is currently in a coma.

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Arrested and in Detention as of 23 June 2009:

 

Government officials have announced a total of 645 arrests in Tehran since 13 June 2009. The Campaign has received information that about 70 people detained in Shiraz have been released as of 21 June. The Campaign believes several hundred more people could be in detention throughout the country. The following is a list of prominent political personalities, journalists, and students that the Campaign has received.

I. Political personalities  and members of the reformist presidential candidates’ campaigns:

 

1)  Mostafa Tajzadeh,  a member of the  Mojahedin  of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and  deputy of the Interior Ministry during Khatami’s presidency,  was arrested on 13 June

2)  Behzad Nabavi, a founding member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization and former minister and parliamentarian, was arrested on 13 June and released the day after.  He was arrested on 16 June for the second time

3)  Mohsen Mirdamadi, General Secretary of  the Iranian Participation Front and former parliamentarian, was first arrested on 13 June and released the day after, but was  disappeared on 17 June

4)  Saeed Hajarian,  a senior adviser to reformists,  a journalist, member of the Central Council of the Iran Front Participation, member of the first City Council in Tehran,   the victim of an assassination attempt in 2000, was arrested on 15 June, is paralyzed and suffers serious brain and spinal cord injuries

5)  Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Vice president of the Iran Front Participation, coordinator of  the reformist campaign in Kurdistan and former government spokes person during Khatami’s presidency, was arrested on 16 June

6)  Ali Abtahi, a senior adviser to Karroubi’s Campaign, former Deputy of  Parliament Office of President Khatami, and a vice president under Khatami, was arrested on 16 June

7)  Abdolfatah Soltani, a human rights lawyer and one of the founding members of the Human Rights Defenders Center as well as a member of Executive Board of the Bar Association, was arrested on 16 June

8)  Javad Emam, a member of Tehran branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization

9)  Hojat Esmaieli, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization

10) Mohsen Safaiee Farahani, member of the Iran Front Participation and the head  of its Implementation Board,  and former president of the Football Federation,

11) Ali Tajernia, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front and former parliamentarian

12) Baghier Oskouiee, leading official in Karroubi’s campaign, was arrested on 16 June

13) Saeed Laylaz, prominent economist and Journalist, was arrested on June 17

14) Kuroush Zaieem, a member of the Central Council of the Iran National Front, was arrested on 21 June

15) Davoud Solaymani, a member of the Central Committee of the Iran Participation Front  and former parliamentarian

16) Mohammad Tavasoli,  director of the political office of the Freedom Movement in Iran and first  Mayor of Tehran after the  1979 Revolution, was arrested on 16 June

17) Hossein Zaman, a  well-known pop singer whose works have been banned from State controlled Radio and Television because of his support for the reformist movement

18) Mohsen Aminzadeh, a founding member of the Iran Participation Front and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Khatami’s  cabinet, on June 16

19) Saeed Shirkvand, member of Central Council of Iran Participation Front and former Deputy of Treasury in Khatami’s cabinet

20) Ahmad Zaydabadi, general secretary of the Advar organization and journalist, was arrested on June 13

21) Abdolah Momeni, member of the central council of the Advar organization and  its spokesperson, was arrested on 21 June

22) Hamed Iranshahi, member of the Central Council of Advar organization, was arrested on June 16

23) Musa Saket,  a member of the Advar Tahkim Vahdat and in charge of the campaign seeking  supporters of Karroubi, was arrested on 18 June

24) Mohammad Atrianfar, a leading member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and journalist, was arrested on 16 June

25) Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi Party and former spokesperson for the Internal  Affairs Ministry in Khatami’s presidency

26) Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, a political activist in Lahijan and member of National Religious Activits, was arrested on 21 June

27) Khoshchehreh, Son of Ebrahim Khoshchehreh, was arrested in Lahijan on 21 June

28) Mohsen Bastani,  member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan

29) Mehrdad Balafkan,  member of the Islamic Revolutionary Political Organization in Isfahan

30) Ahmad Afjeiee,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

31) Emad Bahavand,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

32) Mojtaba Khandan,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

33) Saeed Zeraatkar,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

34) Rouholah Sahraee,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

35) Ali Mehrdad,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

36) Mohammad Reza Ahmadinia,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran

37) Reza Arjaini,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

38) Jalal Bahrami,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

39) Sadegh Rasouli,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

40) Ahad Rezaiee,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

41) Bagher Fathali Baygi,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

42) Mansour Vafa,  member of the Freedom Movement of Iran in Zanjan

43) Ali Pourkhayri,  member of the Iran Participation Front

44) Shahin Nourbakhsh, member of the Iran Participation Front

45) Ali Taghipour, member of the Iran Participation Front

46) Mohammad Shokuhi, member of the Iran Participation Front

47) Ashkan Mojaleli, member of the Iran Participation Front

48) Maysam Varahchehre, member of the Iran  Participation Front

49) Mahdian Minavi, member of the  Iran Participation Front

50) Farhad Nasrollahpour, member of the  Iran Participation Front

51) Amir Ariazand, member of the Iran Participation Front

52) Ali Taghipour, member of the Iran Participation Front

53) Adel Dehdashti, member of the Iran Participation Front

54) Mehrdad Balafkan, member of the Iran Participation Front

55) Mahmoud Ebrahimi, member of the Iran Participation Front

56) Bahram Kardan, member of the Iran Participation Front

57) Shahabobdin Tabatabaiee, the head of the Youth Supporters of  the Moussavi  Campaign

58) Mohammadreza  Jalaieepour, a student in Oxford and in charge of the website of the youth branch of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on June 17 in Tehran Airport

59) Saeed Nourmohammadi,  member of the Iran Participation Front

60) Ali Mohaghar, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party

61) Hedayatollah Aghaiee, a member of the Kargozaran Sazandegi party

62) Ali Waghfi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

63) Hamzeh Ghalebi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

64) Saeed (Hassan) Nikkhah, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

65) Hesam Nasiri, member of the Moussavi’s Campaign in Tehran

66) Ehsan Bagheri, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

67) Homaiee, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

68) Fatahi, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

69) Zakeri, member of the Moussavi Campaign in Tehran

70) Rouholah Shahsavar, member of Moussavi  Campaign in Khorasan

71) Mohsen Rouzbehan, member of Moussavi Campaign  in Khorasan

72) Kaveh Servati, member of Moussavi Campaign, was arrested on 20 June

73) Maryam Ameri, member of Karroubi’s Campaign

74) Naseh Faridi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign

75) Morteza Khani, member of Karroubi’s Campaign

76) Bagher Oskouiee, member of Karroubi’s Campaign

77) Siamand Ghiyasi, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah

78) Mohammad Jafari, member of Karroubi’s Campaign in Kermanshah

79) Dr. Jalil Sharabianlu, a prominent MD and surgeon in Tabriz

80) Dr Ghafar Farzadi, in Tabriz

81) Majid Jabari, in Tabriz

82) Rahim Yawari, In Tabriz

83) Abbas Pourazhari, in Tabriz

84) Dr. Laya Farzadi, in Tabriz

85) Shabeti, in Tabriz

86) Shamlu, in Tabriz

87) Dr. Ghafarzadeh, in Tabriz

88) Dr. Soltaniazad, in Tabriz

89) Dr. Panahi, in Tabriz

90) Dr. Seyflou, in Tabriz

91) Dr. Dadizadeh, in Tabriz

92) Mehdi Yarbahrami, in Tabriz

93) Mansour Ghafari, in Tabriz

94) Hojatollah Amiri, in Tabriz

95) Amir Hossein Jahani, in Tabriz

96) Rhdah Rahimipour, in Tabriz

97) Mehdi Khodadadi, in Tabriz

98) Payam Haydar Ghazvini, student in Gazvin

99) Nasim Riahi, student in Gazvin

100)  Mojtaba Rajabi, student in Gazvin

101)   Atar Rashidi, student in Gazvin

102)  Hanieh Yousefian

——————–

II) Journalists:

Some of the journalists who were also political personalities are listed above under the political personalities. The list of detained journalists has also been independently verified by Reporters without Borders.

 

1)  Mohammad Ghouchani, journalist and editor in charge of daily Etemad e Meli, was arrested on 18 June

2)  Rajabali Mazrouiee, head of the Journalists Association, was arrested on 20 June

3)  Karim Arghandehpour,  a blogger (http://www.futurama.ir/) and reporter for
pro-reform newspapers Salam, Vaghieh and Afaghieh, was arrested on 14 June

4)  Maziyar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian dual national, journalist and the representative of Newsweek in Iran, was arrested on 22 June

5)  Kayvan Samimi Behbahani, editor in chief of the closed monthly Nameh and human rights activist, was arrested on 14 June

6)  Zhila Baniyaghoub,  journalist and editor in charge of the Iranian Women’s Center website, was arrested on 20 June

7)  Bahman Ahmadi Amoui,   journalist, was arrested on 21 June

8)  Mojtaba Pourmohsen, journalist and  Radio Zamaneh’s representative in Rasht, was arrested on 15 June

9)  Mahsa Amraiee, Journalist , was arrested on 14 June

10) Behzad Bashou,  Cartoonist,  was arrested on 14 June

11) Sayed Khalil Mirashrafi, TV producer was arrested on 14 June

12) Abdolreza Tajik,  journalist was arrested on 14 June

13) Rohollah Shahsavar,  journalist was arrested in Mashhad, was arrested on 17 June

14) Mashallah Haydarzadeh,   journalist in Boushehr,  was arrested on 14 June

15) Hamideh  Mahouri,  journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June

16) Amanolah Shojaiee,  journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June

17) Hossein Shokouhi,a journalist in Bushehr, was arrested on 14 June

18) Somayeh Touhidlou,  sociologist and blogger  in the Road of Health

19) Shiva Nazarahari, a member of the Reporters of Human Rights Committee and a journalist was arrested on 13 June

20) Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, editor in charge of banned daily Kalameh and the website Kalameh Sabz, former director of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 23 June during the attack to the newspaper property. Beheshti’s son, Sadra, was arrested while he was visiting his father.

21) Hassan Maadikhah, director of the Zareh Publication and son of Abdolmajid Maadikhah the former Cultural and Guardiance Minister,

22) Mostafa Ghavanloo Ghajar, was arrested on 22 June

23) Fariborz Soroush, arrested in Karaj

——————–

III) University Students and professors: [The names of students who were arrested during the attack on  the Tehran University Dormitories are based on  information released by the Reports of Human Rights Committee]

1)  Marjan Fayazi, student at  Mazandaran University, was arrested on June 22  

2)  Sogan Alikhah, student at Mazandaran university, was arrested on June 22

3)  Alireza Kiani, student at Mazandaran university

4)  Milad Hosseini Koshtan, student at Mazandaran university

5)  Ali Nazari, student at Mazandaran university

6)  Siavoush Safavi, student at Mazandaran university

7)  Ashkan Zahabian, student at Mazandaran university

8)  Ali Dinavari, student at Mazandaran university

9)  Rahman Yaghoubi, student at Mazandaran university

10)  Maziar Yazdani, student at Mazandaran university

11)  Ali Abbasi, student at Mazandaran university

12)  Shouaneh Merikhi, student at Mazandaran university

13)  Majid Dari, an expelled student at Alameh Tabatabaiee University in Tehran, was violently arrested on 21 June in his home

14)  Esmaiel Jalilvand, a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June 

15)  Hamdollah Namjou, a student activist in Shiraz University, was arrested on 21 June 

16)  Hossein Reisian, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin, was arrested on June 21 

17)  Fazli, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin 

18)  Imani, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin 

19)  Alborzi, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin 

20)  Darvish, university professor at International Emamkhomaini University in Ghazvin 

21)  Mohsen Barzegar, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18 

22)  Iman Sedighi, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18

23)  Hesam oldin Bagheri, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 18

24)  Siavash Saliminejad, student at Babol Engineering Univeristy, was arrested on June 20

25)  Alireza Khoshbakht, an expelled graduate student, was arrested on June 17

26)  Zahra Tohidi, an expelled graduate student, was arrested on June 17

27)  Ziaoldin Nabavi, secretary of the Education Rights Council, was arrested on 16 June

28)  Sohrab Ahadian, student at Tehran University, was arrested on June 17 when the Tehran University Dormitories were violently attacked

29)  Reza Arkouzi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

30)  Karim Emami, student, was arrested during the attack on the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14

31)  Mohammad Hossein Emami, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

32)  Elaheh Imanian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

33)  Rouholah Bagheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

34)  Farhad Binazadeh, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

35)  Iman Pourtahmasb, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

36)  Ezat Torbati, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14

37)  Somayeh tohidlou, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

38)  Milad Chegini, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

39)  Mohammadreza Hohabadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

40)  Seyed Javad hosseini, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

41)  Farshid Heydari Zamin, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

42)  Behnam Khodabandeh lou, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

43)  Mohammad Khansari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

44)  Mohammad Davoudian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

45)  Mahmoud Delbari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

46)  Ali Raiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

47)  Omid Rezaiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

48)  Ali Refahi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

49)  Seifolah Rmezani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

50)  Ebrahim Raidian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

51)  Naser Zamani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

52)  Majid Selahvand, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

53)  Hanif Salimi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

54)  Mohammad Bagher Shabanpour, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

55)  Hamed Shaykh alishahi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

56)  Iman Shaydaieezaban, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

57)  Farhad Shirahmad, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

58)  Saman Sahebjalali, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

59)  Farhan Sadeghpour, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

60)  Farshad Taheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

61)  Ghamdideh Olum, student, was arrested during the attack to the TehranUuniversity Dormitories at midnight on June 14

62)  Esmaieel Ghorbani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

63)  Mohammad Karimi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

64)  Erfan Mohammadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14

65)  Naseh Faridi, student at Teacher Training Universtiy, was arrested on June 17

66)  Izadi, Professor of Bualisina University in hamedan, was arrested on June 16

67)  Majzoubi, University Professor at Bualisina University in Hamedan, was arrested June 13

68)  Amin Nazari, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

69)  Siavash Hatam, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

70)  Pouria Sharifian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

71)  Mehdi Mosafer, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

72)  Reza Jafarian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

73)  Hojat Bakhtiari, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

74)  Mostafa Mehdizadeh, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

75)  Omid Sohravi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

76)  Vahid Amirian, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

77)  Fazolah Joukar, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

78)  Mehdi Torkaman, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

79)  Nastaran Khodarahimi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

80)  Ali Ahmadi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

81)  Mosaab Ebrahimi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

82)  Saeed Parvizi, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

83)  Bahareh Hosseini, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

84)  Hadis Zamani, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

85)  Nahid Siahvand, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

86)  Imani, student at Bualisina University in Hamedan

——————–

Arrested and Released:



1)  Mohammad Reza  Khatami, member of the Central Committee of Iran Participation Front, brother of former president Khatami, was arrested on 13 June and released on  14 June

2)  Zahra Mojaradi, a member of the Iran Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June

3)  Saeed Shariati,  a member of the Iranian Participation Front, was arrested on 13 June and released on 14 June

4)  Taghi Rahmani,  political figure and journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after

5)  Reza Alijani,  political figure, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after

6)  Hoda Saberi,  journalist, was arrested on 14 June and released the day after

7)  Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, and her daughter and two other members of Rafsanjani’s Family  were arrested on 20 June and released after 30 hours

8)  Ebrahim Yazdi, General Secretary of the Iran Liberation Movement, was arrested on June 14 from the Pars Hospital in Tehran and was taken back to the hospital on June 15 for further surgery

9)  Ahmad Ahmadian, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

10)  Eskandari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

11)  Amin Afzali, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories midnight on June 14 and released later

12)  Vahid Anari, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

13)  Mohammad Bolourdi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

14)  Hossein Hamedi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

15)  Mohsen Habibi, Mazaheri, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

16)  Navid Haghdadi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

17)  Mohammad reza Hokmi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

18)  Kazem Rahimi Olume, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

19)  Morteza Rezakhani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at  midnight on June 14 and released later

20)  Maysam Zareiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

21)  Amin Samiee, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

22)  Bahram Shaabani, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories at midnight on June 14 and released later

23)  Alireza Shaykhi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

24)  Ebrahim Azizi, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

25)  Siavash Fiaz, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

26)  Sayed Hossein Mirzadeh, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran University Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

27)  Hossein Noubakht, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

28)  Javad Yazdanfar, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

29)  Habib Khadangi, student, student, was arrested during the attack to the Tehran university Dormitories mid night on June 14 and released later

[This was added in comments on the list: "Dr. Ali Reza Aaghaei Raad, a journalist, poet, and university professor was arrested at his home on June 20, at 2AM (Iran time zone) by plain cloth security personnel without warrant. His family does not know where is he been taken. He is pro reform and pro Mr. Mosavi."]

Iran: An Iranian Blogger on "The Beginning of the End"

The Latest from Iran (25 June): The Sounds of Silence

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This morning I learned of the latest blog of Keyvan Nayyeri, "Yet There is an Iran". Nayyeri posted this on Monday before the latest political developments and yesterday's confrontation at Baharestan Square, but I think his projection is important: the events of the last few weeks are only the "beginning of the end", the start of a long-term process for political and social change in Iran. Equally significant, I think, is the sentiment in this post: whatever happens, the connections made between Iran and the "outside" via media have replaced ignorance with knowledge and stereotype with dialogue:

Yet There is an Iran

I’m going to celebrate the fourth birthday anniversary of my blog shortly but for the first time in this long while I really don’t know what to write. Sometimes you have many things to say and don’t know which one to write first, but you suddenly realize that no one has the time to read everything that you write!

I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t know about the events happened in Iran during the past couple of weeks that put us on top news on almost all news websites and media. From the unique campaigning of presidential candidates to the huge contribution of people to vote, the long story of frauds in the election, and the protests that happened in response to them. Less or more, you know many things and of course, most of you don’t have a 100% correct perspective on the situation here as the overall media coverage had some serious weaknesses.

I’m not going to go over the description of events or my personal analysis of these phenomena because I’m deeply sad and don’t want to review whatever happened. Honestly, life has become very difficult here for many people including myself and it has led to a national depression in our society.

This green wave that relied heavily on technology and internet during the campaigning, voting, counting, and protesting is now known to many of you around this small world. You saw that how we, with the help of other people in the outside world, spread the word on Twitter, Facebook and other internet websites to directly talk to the world after almost 30 years of silence. For these 30 years our leaders and your leaders, our media and your media, didn’t allow us to have direct talks and let you know about our country and community. One of the best friends of the United States, UK, European countries, and many other countries turned out to be one of the few states that supports terrorism and those Iranians who were welcomed to any country became the biggest enemies and threats of the world in a few years. I’m still surprised by the power of media, and how they could turn a nation of millions of supposedly good people to the nation of supposedly bad people in a few years!

With this green wave we tried hard to talk to you and say that we’re not what you think, we’re not those who support terrorism, and we’re not those who hate you and your countries. We tried to tell you that there is a huge difference between our government and our people. We sacrificed blood to say that we don’t support our government for what they express. We tried to make a change for a better world, but unfortunately they didn’t let us to end that in peace.

In the best and worst days of these events I always was thinking about a way to thank all free people of the world for their support and keeping our back. Despite the bad coverage of western media (for several reasons that are beyond the scope of this post), most of the free people in the world kept our back and encouraged us to try for our freedom. After all, I don’t know any way to thank millions of people in the world with an action or at least I don’t have that power, but I’m sure that the future actions of Iranians all over the world can express our thanksgiving appropriately.

I should apologize if I’m not listing the name of my friends and followers even those who didn’t know me but found me on the web and made any kind of contribution to this green wave of Iranians. Fortunately or unfortunately the number of contact names is bigger than something that I can include here and name them one by one because most likely I’ll miss many names. But I must thank you all no matter where you live, what you do, and what you contributed to our green wave, for your support and the courage that you gave to our people. Seeing many famous leaders on the .NET community supporting our people was something that I never forget in my life.

There may be a question mark in your mind about the next steps in Iran, but I’m sure that no one can answer this question for you. Many protesters and reformists are boycotted, so things have calmed down in the past couple of days, but there is no doubt that this won’t be the end. Obviously, it takes longer time and more effort, even more blood, to make the real change in Iran, but soon or late it happens, and the good news is that these events brought us an important accomplishment and that was dropping the fear from people’s face.

Doubtlessly, these events had another big victory for our people and that was the possibility to talk to the world and exhibit their real face, demands, and goals. Surprisingly, technology had a great influence and usage in this process and you saw the wide use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and other social networking services in getting our voice out to you. Many of the foreigners were surprised by seeing the wide use of English signs and slogans by marchers, but they were there to assure that no translator by our local TV and/or western media is required to change our words for you.

Having these said and despite the sad days we have, I’m glad to see that my attempts in the past few years have had a good result to have a very small contribution to a progress that I call it internationalization which happened quickly in the past few years in Iran. There were some people like me who took serious steps toward the use of world-wide English language in communication and applying modern technology to express their opinions, skills, and daily experiences and share them with the world. As one of those vanguards, I’ve been witnessing this good progress to this point which had a huge impact on the success of green wave to make these events public. I hope that our youth keep this line and follow our footsteps even better than us to help themselves and their homeland stay out of the darkness that media is imposing on them.

In the end I wish a world in peace, liberty, and justice for all the nations in the world including Iranians. We begin our works by saying “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”, but I use it in the end because I’m sure that this is just the beginning of the end!