News Update - October 13, 2009

Stop Child Executions

Newslinks

Iranian Seeks Asylum

Iranian Opposition Leader Mehdi Karroubi Facing Court Scrutiny

Obama faces tough decisions on Iran

Secret bulletin of IRG: Mirdamadi advises his interrogators (Farsi) | میردامادی بازجویانش را نصیحت می کند

Latest status of Mohsen Aminzadeh in Evin (Farsi) | بازجویی از دکتر محسن امین زاده ادامه دارد

Iran court seeks to try Mehdi Karroubi over alleging detainees were raped

Khamenei Said to be in Coma
(Cannot confirm if this is true or not, so I'd say take it lightly until more information comes.)

Iran in Dispute With British Museum Over Loan of Artifact

protests in Tehran Markaz univ turned violent, school is surrounded by security forces (Farsi) | تجمع اعتراضی دانشجویان دانشگاه ازاد تهران مرکز به خشونت کشیده شد

Probe opens into opposition leader Karroubi

Tear gas in Azad university's peaceful protests (Farsi) | پرتاب گاز اشک‌آور به تجمع مسالمت‌آمیز دانشجویان دانشگاه آزاد/ گزارش کامل تجمع امروز

U.N. rights boss urges Iran to review death sentences

Karoubi being framed for revealing the rapes (Farsi) | تشکیل پرونده علیه مهدی کروبی به دلیل افشای تجاوزها

From Misc. Sources

- According to a source, a City Council member has requested currency bills which have protest slogans written on them to be removed from circulation.

- Vice President of the Health Commission of Parliament in Tehran announced that the commission reviewed the anti-satellite noise waves and its effects on Tehran citizens’ health in today's meeting. News had recently spread about installation of new radio masts and towers for sending noises over satellite waves in Tehran, and its risks for the citizen's health. Nasrollah, a member of the minority party in the parliament said: If the Minister of communication doesn't have any responsibility in the increased satellite noises, we should question the higher authority, Mr. Ahmadinejad. Zohre Elahian, a member of the National Security Commission of the Parliament also told reporters, responding to a question about the effects of the noise waves to pregnant women and the increased abortions rate: "If official statistics about increased rate of abortions in recent months are available, this case can certainly be followed up.

- Sources close to the head of Iranian Chamber of Commerce say that he is having negotiations with the Attorney General of Iran to free Mohsen Safai Farahani from prison. In these negotiations, Mohseni Ejei has also given promises of following up on this case to the head of the Private Sector Parliament.

From Tweets
(Edited for spelling and grammar.)

- Basij have been expelled from some universities.

Videos














This is a video of the interview with Ehsan's mother - the boy killed by Behnoud in a fight. Here is a summary of the video by anonymous:

"Ehsan's mother says she has never forgiven or pardoned Behnood. She is very happy that Behnood was executed because she thinks that Behnood's family didn't treat the her family with respect; that is why she is happy that Behnood was executed.

She claims that she had the best son in the area she lives in (referring to the same person who was carrying a knife at the time of the fight). She claims that Behnood's family never tried to get in touch with the victim's family to seek pardon. Instead, she claims, they relied on the human rights activists to do the job for them, but they couldn't do anything for them. She says those things upset her; therefore she couldn't pardon Behnood.

AN INTERESTING NOTE ABOUT THE VIDEO: Ehsan's mother never mentions Behnood's name. She only refers to "him," and his family as "the killer" and the "killer's family." "

All I can say is, I feel sorry for her. I know she is in pain, wouldn't any mother be? Though I am not happy with the decision she made, I wish she hadn't gone on with the execution. However, this is clearly a person who has never taken a life before...And now she has to live with that decision and whatever consequences will follow for the rest of her life.