While the second day of the trial of protesters arrested in post-election turmoil in Iran might not have provided the same shock level as the day one of the trial, it still had its share of extremely interesting confessions. Though in today’s hearing no one accused high-level reformist leaders of conspiring against the Islamic Republic, […]
As Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is officially inaugurated as the President, the question on everyone’s mind is what does the future hold for Iran. The one thing that is confirmed is the election crisis is far from being over. Ahmadinejad’s reformist opponents, along with the two former presidents and notable members of the family of Ayatollah Khomeini, […]
President Ahmadinejad was sworn in for his second term by the country’s parliament today. Once again the ceremony had notable absentees. The New York Times reported that all but 13 of the 70 lawmakers forming a reformist bloc in Parliament were absent from the inauguration, and some of those who did attend walked out as […]
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei officially endorsed President Ahmadinejad on Monday for his second term in office. Ahmadinejad was declared the victor of the disputed elections that took place on June 12th in which he allegedly won almost two-thirds of the vote. In the ceremony marking the official start of his second term in office, Ahmadinejad […]
Here is an update on some of the stories I have previously blogged on: 1) Iran’s Role in the Latin America (July 30) The Iranian lawmakers have questioned the $280 million loan given to Bolivia. Their disapproval arises due to the Article 80 of the Iranian Constitution, which states that the Parliament must first approve […]
About 100 protesters arrested for their involvement in post-election violence were put on trial today. The defendants included supporters of reformist opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and aides of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami. The Tehran Times reported that according to the indictment, a number of protesters confessed that the post-election unrest […]
Defying the government ban, ten of thousands of Iranians gathered yesterday at Tehran’s main cemetery for the 40-day commemoration of those killed in the aftermath of the election. Police used tear gas and baton to break up the demonstration. The Press TV reported that 50 people were arrested in the protest. Renowned Iranian filmmaker Panahi […]
Today both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times carried stories on the prison abuse going on in Iran. The New York Times reported: Some prisoners say they watched fellow detainees being beaten to death by guards in overcrowded, stinking holding pens. Others say they had their fingernails ripped off or were forced […]
The images coming out of Iran -protests against the disputed presidential election and the brutal crackdown by the government forces- show the intensity and fervor with which Iranians are pursuing more freedom and democracy. These images also provide an important insight on the role Iranian women are playing. I thought this article published in the […]
Iranian clerical regime has one less controversy to deal with as Mr. Mashaii resigned from his post of first Vice President. As discussed in my previous post, Mr. Mashaii was President Ahmadinejad’s pick, but he was severely criticized by the clerical regime for stating in 2008 that Iranians are friends with Israelis. The resignation was […]
All across the world today, people are showing their solitary to the Iranian people in their struggle for democracy, freedom and human rights. In over 80 cities, from Austin, Texas to London to Tokyo, people are protesting against the disputed Iranian presidential election and the severe clampdown on opposition activities by the Iranian government. The […]
One reason why Iran has always fascinated me is due to the many contradictions and paradoxes found in the Iranian society. They overthrew the tyrannical Shah in a revolution, but ended up replacing him with a dogmatic theological regime. It is an Islamic Republic, but its most prominent holiday, Nowruz, is based on Zoroastrianism. It’s […]