On December 26, 2003, the city of Bam in southern Iran was hit with a devastating quake. About 32,000 people lost their lives as the quake flattened 70% of Bam’s buildings and equally devastated the nearby town of Baravat and 260 area villages. Tens of thousands more lost their livelihoods. Ten years later, the […]
Author: admin
Nuclear negotiator reports progress in talks
Senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi announced that the latest round of talks with the 5+1 has been very “positive” and there has been “good progress.” IRNA reported on Tuesday December 31 that Araghchi said the technical experts have completed their part of the talks, and it is now up to the political officials to […]
Minister calls for looser rules around web access
Iran’s minister of culture and guidance called for the easing of restrictions on web access by the Committee for the Determination of Criminal Content. ISNA reports that Ali Jannati said on Tuesday December 31 that there needs to be a reconsideration of the restrictions on access to social networking sites. “They need to reconsider […]
MP lashes out against plans to prosecute him
Iranian MP Ali Motahari says there are no legal grounds for the Tehran Prosecutor to start a legal action against him. ISNA reports that Motahari has said that he has in no way “insulted or libeled” anyone in his statements and he has merely criticized the head of the judiciary. On Sunday, in a […]
Prominent Activist Cites Numerous Omissions in Citizen Rights Charter
In a interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Narges Mohammadi, human rights activist and spokesperson for the Defenders of Human Rights Center, acknowledged that the Citizen Rights Charter was a positive step, but noted that the draft document contained many serious shortcomings that needed to be addressed. Noting its benefits, […]
Illegal Demand for Cost of Water Rate from a Religious Place by Tehran Province Water and Sewage Company
The attorneys of Amir-Soleimani Hosseiniyeh (Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes’s endowments) by submitting a letter to the director of Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company mentioned the illegal items in water bill that has been issued for the Hosseiniyeh (the house of worship belongs to Dervishes).According to Majzooban Noor, Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Companyunlike the […]
Weekly report on Human Right Violation in Iran (30-12-2013)
Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran1. A number of political prisoners of Gohar Dasht in the city of Karaj wrote a statement about the family of Peyman Arefi, a political prisoner who passed away when returning after visiting Peyman Arefi. These political prisoners gave their condolences to Peyman Arefi and his family, […]
Iran increases role of clerics in public schools
Social activists are worried about a new policy that will station clergy in an expanding circle of public schools in Iran. The Council of Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the seminaries has reported an agreement according to which a group of public schools in Tehran province will be managed under the supervision […]
Iranian tycoon, Babak Zanjani, arrested
The Iranian judiciary has announced that Iranian tycoon Babak Zanjani has been arrested by order of the court. IRNA reports that Gholamhosssein Ejei, the Iran Prosecutor General, announced Zanjani’s arrest on Monday December 30. The arrest is reportedly in relation to financial crimes, and the Mehr New Agency quoted a number of MPs saying […]
MP faces criminal proceedings after calling for review
The Tehran prosecutor has announced that proceedings have begun against Ali Motahari, the Iranian MP who recently called for a review of prison sentences issued following the 2009 election protests. IRNA reports that according to an informed source, criminal proceedings against Motahari have been launched in the fourth branch of the culture and media […]