Iran News Round Up

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

 (E) = Article in English 

Khatami embarks on campaign travels for Mousavi; Iran Freedom Movement denies backing Karrubi in elections; Mousavi’s team welcomes Basij intervention in politics; Iran expresses readiness to help Pakistan meet energy needs; Baha’i leaders in Iranian jails fear death penalty; Guardian Council disqualifies 25% of presidential candidates for criminal records; Ahmadinejad to host trilateral meeting with Karzai, Zardari

Presidential Elections: Mehdi Karrubi

·  Iran Freedom Movement refutes rumors that the movement supports Karrubi's candidacy.

·  During Mehdi Karrubi's visit to Isfahan University the students - in a reference to the Ahmadinejad campaign's distribution of potatoes to villagers - shout "We don't want potatoes!"

·   Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante organization slams Karrubi's criticism of Basij intervention in elections.

 Presidential Election: Mohsen Rezai

·   Hossein Safaei is appointed Rezai's campaign headquarter chief in Khorasan Razavai. 

·   Sadegh Tabatabaei and Mohammad-Mehdi Naseri are appointed advisors to the Rezai campaign.

Presidential Elections: Mir-Hossein Mousavi

·   Former President Mohammad Khatami travels to Mashhad to support the Mousavi campaign.

·   Khatami takes a trip to Karaj to support of the Mousavi campaign.

·   Mousavi's campaign welcomes Basij intervention in politics.

           o   A certain Commander Rashid says his movement established Basij Supporters of Mousavi. 

Presidential Elections: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

·   Raja News releases the full text of Farzand-e Mellat [Son of the Nation] (link available upon request—State Department filters prohibit Raja News links]

Politics

·   Mir-Vali Safazadeh, representative of the nomadic peoples of Iran, praises government initiatives with regard to the nomads in Iran. 

Diplomacy

·   President of Uganda visits Tehran.

Trade

·   (E) Iran ready to help Pakistan meet its energy needs.

·   (E) Iran, Czech Republic to bolster trade

Economy

·   (E) Veterinary diseases eliminated from Iran.

Military and Security

·   Mashhad Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda defends Basij intervention in elections.

·   Representative of the Supreme Leader in the Revolutionary Guards Navy Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Shirazi speaking to an assembly of the Imam Sadegh Revolutionary Guards Unit of Bushehr: "Today the monarchists, [members of] and the Iran Freedom Movement are active in the country and are trying to change the Islamic Republic regime and its replacement monarchy... Should the Basij abstain from intervening in elections, 20 million people are excluded from the election."

Human Rights and Labor

·   Seven Baha'i leaders who have spent the last year in jail have told their families they may soon face new charges of "spreading corruption on Earth" that could lead to the death penalty.

·   A member of the National Peace Council and a colleague had their passports confiscated at the airport as they were about to travel to a conference in Guatemala on the role of women in a democratic society, and were asked to appear before the Revolutionary Court within 72 hours.

·   A labor activist said that demonstrators arrested on May Day are being held without charge in the infamous Section 209 of Tehran's Evin Prison and denied visitation with their families and lawyers.

·   The mother of labor leader Mansour Osanlou said his health has deteriorated (audio) since he was jailed in 2006 and that she has written a letter to the head of Iran's Judiciary calling for his release. She said, "when I took [the letter] to his office, the authorities refused to receive it and totally ignored me... To whom should I appeal now?"

Picture of the Day

·   Ahmadinejad speaks at the Convention of the Guilds in Iran.