Iran News Round Up

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

(E) = Article in English

Fresh ‘show trials’ underway in Tehran; Saniyeh News discloses ‘secret discussions’ of reformist leaders about political future of Khomeini’s grandson; Friday prayer leader calls on people to unite against foreign powers; Iran’s GDP said to double by 2013; Iran’s judiciary closes Journalists’ Association’s office; Afghan Foreign Ministry rejects Iran’s bid to close border with Afghanistan  

Politics

• Tehran show trials:
  • Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, says Intelligence Ministry co-founder Said Hajjarian and veteran politician Behzad Nabavi may be tried for involvement in assassination of former President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and former Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar in 1982. Saffar-Harandi claimed the two individuals may have been involved in "preparing the right security environment" for the assassination.
  • Former parliamentarian Naser Ghavami calls accusations against former President Mohammad Khatami and presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi "ridiculous!"
  • The Special Clerical Court reports two clerics arrested in the course of the post election unrest and that their cases are being processed.
• Mowj-e Ghanoun [The Wave of Law] website is established to register electronic complaints against Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
• Abbas Salimi-Namin claims the Iran’s post Iran/Iraq war government was the beginning point of spread of "aristocracy" in the Islamic Republic. [Link to Raja News upon request]
• Alef News Agency releases Mohammad-Hassan Ha'eri Shirazi's article entitled "Why should the reformist camp be kept alive? The necessity of preserving law-abiding reformists in the political arena." Shirazi argues:
  • "1. In the course of time and events...the critical camp will be called an alternative. By declaring its oppositional stances with good timing, this political group struggles to organize anyone who is unsatisfied with the ruling power under its umbrella and by the very nature of accepting political participation within the legal framework, it invites the unhappy camp to participate in politics through legal means... Therefore, the ruling elites must on the one hand see to it that it is possible to circulate power to the alternative. On the other hand, the critics of the ruling elites should abstain from any behavior which could take away their legitimacy from them and they should not behave as [a disloyal] opposition...."
  • "2. Whenever the choice of the people is limited by the ruling elites meaning that the people can't achieve their wish such as opposing the government or achieving majority in the Parliament... They will try to make their wishes come true by undemocratic means... In reality restricting the circle of legal activities equates with expansion of the illegal opposition. Also, the [counter] elites who are not allowed to participate in power through legal means become [heroic] myths in the eyes of part of the population because their capabilities as statesmen with government responsibility is not known. Therefore, they slowly develop into saviors [in the public mind.]..."
  • "3. Lack of a long history of elections in our country has led to evasion of responsibility after the elections and claiming other centers of power are responsible for the short comings [of government]. The electorate does in reality not believe that their decision [to vote] has been decisive...Therefore, the electorate has a tendency to vote not in favor of but against other candidates...[ The voter argues] I vote for this person so that another person is not elected. This is why some analysts say His Excellency Dr. Ahmadinejad - because of the negative view of the public towards the ruling aristocracy during Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani's era - made the electoral atmosphere bipolar so that the people - in order to avoid coming to power of people close to His Excellency Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and against the air and manners of his would vote for him [Ahmadinejad]…"
  • "4. Therefore, it is deplorable that there are some who are happy about exclusion of a section of the political forces from the arena of legal politics. They are ignorant of the fact that such marginalization...prepares the ground for illegal movements attempting to topple the ruling elites. Such illegal frameworks could bring the velvet revolution."
• Saniyeh News report on secret discussions of reformist leaders about the political future of Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini: "It was discussed that the degree of popularity, educational level, family life and the like of Seyyed Hassan Khomeini was discussed... It was concluded that until the next round of elections for the Assembly of Experts, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini should continue his education as fast as possible and get the degree of ijtihad... It was also discussed that during the next four years, he must seriously reconsider his personal life especially with regard to welfare and relationship with the people... It was recommended that his relationship with the media, especially the national broadcasting should be strengthened along with his meetings with sources of emulation, members of the Assembly of Experts and the like..." 
• (E) In his Friday prayers sermon, Ayatollah Kashani described the recent presidential election as an opportunity for Iran’s enemies to sabotage the country and its government.

Diplomacy

• (E) An Iranian official met with the Grand Sunni Mufti of Lebanon in Beirut.

Military and Security

• Following Khamenei's decree calling for closure of Kahrizak Detention Center, the Law Enforcement Forces Inspectorate releases its report about the center:
  • "1. Kahrizak Detention Center was established by the Law Enforcement Forces in order to serve as a temporary detention center for arrested hooligans as a part of the increased societal security scheme and was run with harsh methods.
  • 2. Some of the arrested individuals were sent to Evin Prison on June 12th, but because of limited facilities they were temporarily sent to Kahrizak Detention Center and the mentioned circumstances taken into consideration transfer of the arrested individuals to these detention centers was fundamentally wrong.
  • 3. Limited facilities to host and increase in number of arrested individuals on June 12 led to higher density of prisoners in the cell and led to unsuitable living and health conditions and were a source of irritation and pain to them.
  • 4. Based upon investigations, interview with the prisoners and informed individuals incorrect behavior and irregularities in behavior of the authorities, agents and workers of the Kahrizak Detention Center is proved. Therefore, in order to complete this case it will be sent to judiciary authorities..."
• (E) The commander of Iran’s Ground Forces boasted that "Iran's armed forces, including the Ground Forces, have managed to develop the necessary weapons to confront any threats” and that such “innovative weaponry… will inflict serious damage” on any target. 

Religion, Culture and Society

• Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami: "Those claiming contact with the Imam of the Era are charlatans."
• Hojjat al-Eslam Masoud Ansari, Director General of Awqaf of Qazvin says a Christian lady and her son have converted to Islam after the religious propagation efforts through organization of "rings of knowledge" at the local mosques. 
• Ahmadinejad's visit to Iraq is published as a book titled The Wounded Hero.
• Ayatollah Emami Kashani, temporary Tehran Friday Prayer Leader:
  • "It does not seem as if the resistance towards Imam of the Era comes from the West...Dajjal [The Shi'a equivalent of the Anti-Christ] begins his movement from East, and the fact taken into consideration that the imperialist powers will not enjoy support and backing from their populations at that time, their government would be weak..."
  • "During the major occultation, the decision is in the hands of the Guardian Jurist - according to the tales... But there is a difference between the era of occultation and the era of emergence and, according to the blessed Imam [Khomeini], during the era of occultation, our government is the shadow of the government of the Imam of the Era and His Holiness the Imam of the Era is the sun of our government..."
  • "It is deplorable that sometimes problems occur and the enemies exploit them...We must see to it that there is solidarity in our society and that we know the enemy so that the conspiracies of the enemies will not succeed and they will not..."
  • "When His Holiness the Mahdi [Imam of the Era] emerges His Holiness Jesus and Seth will be alongside with him and he will have the ring of Solomon and the stick of Moses in his hand..."
• (E) Shi’ites celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the 12^th Imam, Hazrat Mahdi, who will reappear from a state of occultation in order to free the world of all injustice. 

Economy

• Hossein Ghazavi, Central Bank deputy, says the Central Bank has taken certain measures in the face of potential sanctions from the United States Treasury. Ghazavi stresses that "the holdings of the Central Banks are completely separated from those of the government..." Therefore, Ghazavi also stressed that there is no reason why the holdings of the Central Bank should be threatened by sanctions.
• (E) Iran launched the Cooperatives Development Bank in order to help the "deprived and middle classes, who have nothing but willpower and motivation” finance new enterprises. 
• (E) According to its Governor, the Central Bank of Iran implemented precautionary measures to protect against possible American sanctions.
• (E) The Economist reports that Iran’s GDP will double by 2013.

Human Rights

• The Judiciary closes the Journalists' Association's office. 
• (E) According to Iran’s Prosecutor General Dorri-Najafabadi, recent confessions of involvement in post-election protests “were made in violation of legal and conventional proceedings,” adding that “the judicial system will base its ruling on the suspects' files and the evidence presented at courts.”

Nuclear Issue

• (E) US Representative Eric Cantor deflected attention from Israeli settlements to Iran’s nuclear program, stating: “We believe the focus should be on the existential threat to Israel from a nuclear-armed Iran.”

Media

• (E) Azerbaijani authorities have released the IRIB journalists detained earlier this week.

Iran-Afghanistan

• Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Iran’s plan to close its border with Afghanistan in 2010.
  • Abdul Wahab Aryan, the head of border affairs at the Afghan Foreign Ministry, said that the two countries had yet to reach an agreement over certain disputed areas along the border.
  • He named the disputed areas as Islam Qala, Namak Sar, Kalata Nazar Khan in western Herat province and Laghshak area in Nimroz province.
  • Aryan pointed out that Iran had already begun construction of walls along the borders in Khorasan Razavi and southern Khorasan.
  • Deputy Head of Iran's Anti-Narcotics Campaign Headquarters, Taha Taheri, had earlier announced a plan to completely close borders with Afghanistan by the end of the current Iranian year [March, 2010]. He described drugs trade and security issues as main reasons for the move.             
• [E] Several Iranians and Afghan policemen are convicted on drug charges in Afghanistan. [Current news stories on Pajhwok are only available to the site’s subscribers. They will however be accessible to all the next day. ]

Photo of the Day

• Khamenei's decree confirming Ahmadinejad as president.