Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar, Brianna Rosen, and Michael Rubin.  To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected].

(E) = Article in English

Mousavi hails 1979 seizure of U.S. Embassy in Tehran; more confessions to come in Tehran’s ‘show’ trials; senior Iranian cleric attacks government’s harsh treatment of election protestors, condemns actions against ‘people of revolution’; Iran’s hardliners label opposition leaders as foreign agents; Tehran mayor Qalibaf speaks against use of religion for political ends; Iran continues crackdown on opposition activists; Putin’s wife opens communication company in Iran; $3 billion reported missing from Iran’s foreign exchange reserve

Politics

• Mir-Hossein Mousavi, speaking to a group of young visitors, praises those who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took American diplomats hostage: "It is not honorable that we try a group composed of Vice Presidents, cabinet ministers, and individuals who seized the Den of Espionage and once we proudly aired their pictures in front of the cameras and would discuss them - people who were symbols of our resistance in the face of great powers - in such a way and in such a court."
  • Ali Mottahari, parliamentarian says Mousavi is free to privately consider Ahmadinejad an illegitimate President, but stresses that Ahmadinejad's presidency has been legitimized through election by the people, confirmation by the Supreme Leader and reconfirmed by the Parliament. Adds that should Mousavi engage in "acts" he will be outside the realm of the "revolution."
• Kayhan editorializes: "On Monday, the Supreme Leader speaking on the occasion of presentation of the decree of confirmation of the President addressed a group of people who are engaged in reconstruction of 'a second mosque of Zerar' [a mosque destroyed by the Prophet Muhammad because he considered it a center instigating discord among Muslims] and said: 'By [the means of] the mosque of Zerar and emulating the Imam [Khomeini] who himself was deeply engaged in the Quran, one can't fool the enlightened people since this nation's heart is illuminated with the light of belief.”
• Hassan Khomeini returns to Iran from Pakistan following inauguration of Ahmadineajd.
• Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi says questions about his law degree are politically motivated.
• Tehran show trials:
  • E'temad-e Melli editor Mohammad Qouchani and Hedayat Aghayi, leading Kargozaran technocratic faction member, to confess their guilt tomorrow.
  • ILNA reports that the second session of the Tehran show trials will be held on Saturday.
  • Jahan News claims to have had access to the text of the confession of Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, Spokesman of President Mohammad Khatami's government:
    • "I have always believed and I still believe that the maximum degree of election fraud in Iran would be between 500,000 votes to 1 million votes..."
    • "We had no idea about the degree of participation at the ballot. We needed to reconsider the situation but had no time to do so..."
    • "It is our own mistake that we did not take the vote in smaller towns and villages - which was in support of Ahmadinjad - seriously. We wanted to look for evidence which would proof our analysis and we fed our self with data for our own imagination..."
    • "Demanding an international presence to monitor the election was a great mistake of ours..."
      • Iran claims to have had access to Ramezanzadeh's confessions and claims that Ramezanzadeh repents having urged the people to demonstrate.
  • Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri condemns the show trials.
  • Hojjat al-Eslam Yahya Ja'fari, Kerman Friday Prayer Leader: "I enjoyed the courage of [former Vice President Mohammad-Ali] Abtahi and [former Hamshahri editor] Atrian-Far when they said we were delusional and committed mistakes... If Mousavi and Karrubi don't have a religion, they should at least see to it to have reason and they should have recognized the election result." Link upon request.
  • Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei:
    • "What happened right after the election? Suddenly, children of the revolution were imprisoned. The dear youth tasted sticks and tear gas and suddenly we were left with the wounded and with the martyrs. All of this because the legitimacy of the election was questioned. Did their criticism and protest deserve to be answered in such a way and unwillingly create a crisis and attribute all that criticism to foreign governments...and without any hesitation consider them as agents of the Western world…?
    • The affairs evolved to a degree were we witnessed the trials of individuals who have been struggling along the side with all the authorities ever since the revolution and have been present actively. A trial whose identity and dynamics was clear beforehand, a trial which even showed that not only the people, but also the elites, those who sacrificed their life and youth in the service of Islam, the revolution and the Islamic Republic [were punished] and through various psychological pressures and through long term solitary confinement and by disconnecting them with the world outside the cell and keeping them ignorant of all the affairs - and even more importantly their families who did not know about the whereabouts of their dear ones - [were forced to confess.]"
• Developing story about potential escape and defection of leading politicians to European countries:
  • Amir-Hossein Khadem, Secretary of the Association of Thought of the Guardian in Qom warns the Intelligence Ministry to stop Mohammad Khatami and Mehdi Karrubi from fleeing from Iran.
  • Expediency Council member Ayatollah Seyyed Ali-Akbar Qoreishi condemns Khatami and Mousavi:
    • "These individuals are the people who act on behalf of Israel, the United States and Britain attempted to unleash developments and equations in order to stop the progress of the Islamic revolution of Iran and in order to topple it..."
    • "According to accurate and real documents in the Mousavi residence, there was a room in which [Mousavi was engaged in] realizing the imperialist goals of Britain and Mousavi and his entourage were planning to reach such goals..."
    • Attacking Rafsanjani's latest Friday Prayer sermon Qoreishi says: "The sermon was held in concordance with the conspiratorial goals of imperialist countries who try to unleash unrest in society..."
    • They [Khatami and Mousavi] have made the Iranian nation suffer and this is a great injustice to the honorable and intelligent people of Iran...They must be condemned and one must not show mercy..."

Religion, Society and Culture

• Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf discusses abuse of religion for political ends:
  • "So many times have I seen people who commit mistakes and deficiencies in their work use religion as an excuse. In order to preserve themselves they use religion as a protective shield. God knows how many blows religion has been dealt and what deviations have been made in religion because of this... Let us take a look at our past effort. Have we elevated religion and religious beliefs in society? Or have we contributed to escape from religion and have destroyed religious beliefs?"
• Former parliamentarian Seyyed Nezam Molla-Hoveyzeh publishes a book titled: Collapse of the Velvet Revolution.
• Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad Shah-e-Cheraghi, Semnan Friday Prayer Leader, claims one can't be in love with the Imam of the Era "without loving [Supreme Leader] Khamenei." Link upon request.
• Hojjat al-Eslam Hossein Jamalizadeh, Jiroft Friday Prayer Leader: "Those who voted for Mousavi are today repenting... What has happened to you, Mousavi, that you are moving against the path of the blessed Imam [Khomeini], the law and the Guardian Jurist and what has happened since the Satan and the world imperialism are applauding you?"

Human Rights and Labor

• Zahra Eshraghi, granddaughter of Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic: "As a member of the family of the blessed Imam, I am ashamed of the political activists and all the friends of the blessed Imam and the followers of his path who today have been accused of toppling the regime...Luckily all the classes of the people know what is happening to the political activists and former combatants of the revolution...the majority of the political prisoners who are tried today were close and loyal comrades and backers of the Imam and their struggle led to the victory of the Islamic revolution. This is what makes me ashamed as his granddaughter..."
• News of various arrested individuals:
  • Mother of Hengameh Shahidi reports having had a ten minute phone conversation with her daughter after one month without any news of her.
  • Mohammad-Reza Jalayi-Pour met him for the first time in Evin Prison 48 days after his arrest.
  • Fakhr al-Sadat Mohtashami-Pour, wife of Mostafa Tajzadeh says all the prisoners stress that they have not been tortured, but torture is not necessarily physical.
  • Wife of Zeid-Abadi: "Three days ago I was in touch with him for the first time by phone...When I asked him where he was I heard the interrogator say 'Tell you are somewhere in Tehran, in Evin [Prison]' but the number on my phone showed a place in Eastern Tehran."
  • Wife of Tajer-Nia: "Arrested individuals have no access to information from the outside world and they don't know what has happened in the world outside the prison and they are even denied the right to meet with their lawyers despite the fact that having a lawyer is the legal right of them."
  • Hengameh Razavi, wife of Behzad Nabavi: "Five days ago someone called me from Evin Prison and said I could talk to my husband with the condition of not giving him any political news. I was forced to accept it. When I was talking to my husband I understood that he too was warned only to exchange politeness...My husband has struggled for this regime during all these years,...how do they claim he is connected with the foreigners?"
  • Wife of Abd al-Fattah Soltani: "My husband has always believed in the law and believes that if we don't abide by the law there would be total chaos."
  • Wife of Safayi Farahani: "The court which was held the other day convened without the presence of lawyers, a jury and the family members of the prisoners and has no legal status. The only thing discussed in this court - and what was insisted upon - was that the election was not fraudulent."
  • Mother of Nazar Ahari: "When my daughter phoned us at home we found out that she has spent 33 days in solitary confinement. The last time I was contacted by her was 14 days ago when she told me not to expect any phone contact any time soon. During my visits to the Revolutionary Tribunal and the Evin Prison in order to free my daughter I did not hear anything from the authorities...My daughter has not been active in any election campaign and she has only been active in human rights work..."
  • Wife of Said Leylaz: "My husband has been under arrest for the past 50 days and during this time I have not had any meeting with him. I can't be satisfied with my husband calling me and telling me he is alright. I must be able of seeing him for myself in order to believe he is alright."
  • Mother of Zhila Bani-Yaghoub: "My daughter and her husband have been under arrest for the past 40 days we have only been allowed one meeting with them."
  • Father of Hamzeh Ghalebi: "The only thing my son has done is that he has been active in one official election campaign headquarter and has generated votes for this regime. The work of my son has not been illegal and I don't know on what charges he was arrested...He called me only once, a month after his arrest and told me he was alright."
  • Wife of Abdollah Mo'meni: "My husband has called us home on three occasions and during the calls he has spoken of the miserable conditions in prison."
  • Brother of Abdollah Ramezanzadeh: "My brother has been arrested during the past 50 days and the main reason behind his arrest is that his positions have always been clear and he has been outspoken, something which was intolerable for the people who arrested him."
  • Wife of Mohammad Ghouchani: "My husband has been under arrest for the past 46 days and the only thing he has done is engagement in journalism, his profession, during the election...the arrested individuals have been subjected to psychological torture and we don't know why they don't free them now that the interrogations are over. Why don't they even allow them to meet with their lawyers?"
  • Mother of Mahsa Amr-Abadi: "My daughter has been under arrest for 50 days and we have had one meeting with her and she has called us home on three occasions."
• Mir-Hamid Hassanzadeh, Editor of Qalam News - Mousavi's mouthpiece - is arrested. Link upon request.
• Houshang Babayi, lawyer of imprisoned political activists Tajzadeh, Mir-Damadi and Nabavi says he will not participate in the court tomorrow because the legal standards of the Islamic Republic have not been met to properly defend the accused.
• Fakhr al-Sadat Mohtashami-Pour, wife of imprisoned political activist Mostafa Tajzadeh: "Many of the imprisoned individuals did nothing but well wishing criticism of the regime and attempt to increase political participation and legitimizing a regime in which they believe and a regime for the sake of which blood has been shed...Many of the personalities of the regime who are imprisoned were even in prison before the revolution and played an important role in the victory of the Islamic revolution..."
  • "First we reached out to the religious scholars and did information campaigns about the recent affairs and demanded that the religious scholars should make their position known...We did not expect that justice should be murdered in our Islamic Republic and that the blood of the innocent should be shed. The deal was that anyone should be able of speaking and defending their viewpoint. But they were dealt with violently and now it is the duty of the religious scholars to make their position known with regard to the recent events..."
  • "Our next move was to start a correspondence with the Judiciary Chief and the Speaker of the Parliament and we also tried to meet them in person..."
  • "During the revolution the people used to listen to the BBC radio because the national media would reflects the events in a false way and now we see the same thing..."
  • "If they really have documents against leading individuals of the regime, why do they force them into solitary confinement for 45 days? Why do they attack their private homes in order to find documents against them if they already have documents against them? What is this game for?"
• Amir Kabir University's news service discloses the names of some imprisoned university students arrested since the presidential election:
  • Majid Dorri, Zia Nabavi, Ali-Reza Khoshbakht, Zahra Towhidi, Shiva Nazar Ahari, Hesam Salamat, and Peyman Aref are believed to be held prisoners in Evin Prison.
  • Also Ezzat Torbati - who was arrested during the Riot Police's raid against the Tehran University Campus - is in Evin.
  • Sommayeh Towhid-Lou, Mohammad-Reza Jalayi-Pour and Ali-Reza Ashouri imprisoned in an unknown location because of activity in Mousavi's campaign headquarters.
  • Adrian Jalali arrested at home, held prisoner in an unknown location.
  • Mohammad Pour-Abdollah, Shabnam Madad-Zadeh, Amir-Hossein Estiri, Ehsan Najafi, Aydin Khajeh-i, Faraz Zahtab from Tabriz University are arrested.  
  • Ten university students in Ahwaz including Sajjad Taher-Zad, Sahand Bakhtiar-Pour, Mostafa Monfared, Mehdi Karimi, Hossein Rahimi, Amin Nik-Zadeh, Said Shoja-i-Zadeh, Khosrwo Mousa-Vand and Mostafa Ahou-Khosh imprisoned as demanded by the Revolutinary Guards.
  • Mohammad Sayadi from Hamadan University also imprisoned.
  • So is Naseh Faridi from Karaj.

Military and Security

• A certain Iraj Hassanzadeh, an alleged security official in Kordestan Province, says three American citizens who were arrested during illegally crossing the Iraq/Iran border are being interrogated."

Nuclear Issue

• Ambassador Bolton's Fox News appearance makes it to the top of Alef News Agency's news. Persian translation and video.

Trade

• Megaphone, a Russian communications company owned by wife of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, begins activities in the Iranian market.

Economy

• $3 billion missing in the Central Bank's calculations of the foreign exchange reserve.

Photo of the Day

• Zanjan bazaar