News Update - January 08, 2010

Petition to help Hamed Rouhinejad

News Links

Shots fired at reformist Iran cleric's car

Ashoura protesters at risk of execution in Iran

Iranian Singer Nazeri Detained Overnight, Released

Tehran Under Siege of Security Agents

I.R. Iran's Judiciary Takes a Military Colour

Urgent Appeal to Prevent Further Human Rights Abuses in Iran

Latest Iran Video: Mehdi Karroubi’s Son on Today’s Gunfire (8 January)

Post-Ashura Iran: Dissidents Outside Consider Organizing With Those Inside to Lead Opposition

IRAN: State TV airs controversial report on Neda Agha-Soltan's 'alleged' death

Empowering Iranians to Dislodge the Mullahs

Iran arrests banned Bahais over protests

Five Iranians facing trial belong to exile group: report

Illegal order for continued detention of Mohsen Mirdamadi (Farsi)

Iran opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi escapes mob bullets after mourning victims

Guarantee Safety of Opposition Leaders in Wake of Karroubi Assassination Attempt

Members of the Participation Front have visited Ali Mousavi's family (Farsi)

Gov arresting & pressuring witnesses of Ashura police car incident (Farsi)

Abbas Farajzadeh Tarani: Young Man Who Was Run Over By Iranian Police During Protests

Political Advise to Judges is Criminal

Iranian Conservative Lawmaker Resigns in Protest

Iran to unveil new satellite

The Latest from Iran (9 January): Watching Carefully

Saeed Haeri’s Phone Call after 18 days

Guarantee Safety of Opposition Leaders in Wake of Karroubi Assassination Attempt

From Tweets

- Reports mounting of killings & torture of undocumented Ashura detainees by IRGC & Basij at Eshrat Abad base. At least two reported killed.

- Post-Ashura Iran: Dissidents Outside Consider Organizing With Those Inside to Lead Opposition.

- The letter that has been circulating around from Mousavi to Ayatollah Nouri is not written by Mousavi & is fake.

- Mousavi usually publishes his official announcements on Kalameh site, anywhere else should be questioned.

- Participation Front Member Zoya Hassani has been arrested again. She spent 2 months in prison & was out on bail.

- Seems like regime has put their cyber army manpower on overtime. Lots of sites are filtered & hacked.

- Official site for the Combatant Clergy Association has been filtered.

- Warning:Regime is setting the stage to execute innocent people to create an atmosphere of fear to stop the Greens.

- Regime is using the current atmosphere of the country to put more pressure on Bahai faith followers.

- On Sunday the publishers of 4 newspapers will go on trial for publishing what regime doesn't like.

- 3 members of editorial staff at Mardomsalari newspapers have resigned in protest to censorship of media.

- Mohammad Nourizad has been on a hunger strike in prison for 3 days.

- Zahra Jafari who was arrested on 13 Aban has committed suicide in prison.

- Reza Albasha reporter for Dubai TV & a German citizen who were arrested on Ashura will be released soon.

- Jafari: The Bahais were not arrested merely for being Bahais, weapons & bullets were found in their homes.

- Jafari: The Bahais arrested were also the main source for sending pictures of Ashura events abroad.

- Jafari: A group of Bahais have been arrested in connection with organizing the riots on Ashura.

- Jafari: One of the punishments 4 Moharebeh is execution, it will be up to the judge to decide the punishment.

- Jafari: There are others arrested on Ashura that will be charged with Moharebeh, info will be given later.

- Prosecutor Gen Jafari-Dowlatabadi said the 5 people who's indictments have been sent to court are members of MKO.

- Jafari-Dowlatabadi said these 5 people are being charged with Moharebeh(Enemy of God, can have death sentence).

- Jafari: Investigations in cases of people arrested on Ashura continues, at completion, indictments will be issued.

- Jafari: Those arrested on Ashura & indicted will not be released before their trial.

- Jafari: At completion of investigations of people arrested on Ashura, if no indictment is issue, they'll be released.

Misc. Sources

- Plain clothes militia opened fire at Karoubi’s car and broke its windows: Following an invitation by Ghavami, former representative of the people of Qazvin (near Tehran) in the parliament, Mehdi Karoubi had traveled to Qazvin to attend a mourning ceremony last night. But unfortunately a group of thugs and plain clothes...... militia armed with cold weapons and even guns that were organised by Revolutionary Guards and Basij gathered in front of his residence and by throwing stones and bricks vandalised the building and created an atmosphere of fear in the neighbourhood. According to SahamNews while these hired thugs were chanting insulting slogans against Karoubi, they were also chanting slogans in support for the Supreme Leader. Since most of these thugs were armed with guns, police was not able to disperse them and the efforts of the governor of the province, who was also present at the scene, did not have any influence and they were all very worried about the situation. After nearly 4 hours and with the help of the Special Forces and anti-riot police, Karoubi decided to leave Qazvin for Tehran for the sake of his hosts’ and the neighbours’ safety. As the car carrying him was leaving the building shots were fired at it and although the windows were bullet proof but they were broken. Mehdi Karoubi said that there was not much that the team protecting him could do and they could not fire back in defence because if they would do so then they would have been charged and prosecuted unlike the plain clothes militia who open fire without any concerns or consequences. He also added that God knows why the guns that are supposed to be used only to defend the nation and the country are used against the people!

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