News Update - January 21, 2010

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Selected Headlines from the Tehran Bureau - January 21, 2010

No Information About Detained Women’s Rights Activist

Iran to place new limits on cash withdrawals

A number of political & press prisoners moved to ward 240 (Farsi)

Shahab Tabatabaie moved back to ward 240

Clinton sees unity on Iran despite China

A Hardliner's Hardliner

Iran 'Facing Tomorrow' By Letting Opposition Participate In TV Debates

Statement in Support of National Iranian-American Council

Iran's Republic of Fear

Iran warns 15 pro-governmental and opposition newspapers

World will 'not back down' on Iran: Clinton

Khatami: They Lie from Pulpits

The Latest from Iran (21 January): Speaking in Codes

A letter from Farzad Kamangar: “It is a strange time, my flower”

From Tweets

- HR Violation: Sorna Hashemi & Alireza Firoozi arrested more than 2 weeks ago. Their whereabouts still unknown.

- Currently there are 43 journalists held as political prisoners in Iran prisons.

- HR Violation: Majid Tavakoli was tried & sentenced in a closed court without legal representation.

- 1/2 After reviewing the cases of 22 post election protesters, Court of Appeals has issued their verdict(cont.

- 2/2 ..13 sentences have been upheld, 6 people have been exonerated & 4 people received suspended sentences.

- Continued pressure on women's rights activist. Saba Vasefi who taught at Beheshti UNI has been terminated.

- Alameh UNI Philosophy instructor Dr. Morteza Mardiha has been terminated.

- The cultural hall at Gohardasht prisoner has turned into a place to interrogate & torture Ashura prisoners.

- Khatami's response to authoritarians & rumormongers: Mousavi is speaking for everyone.

- Naser Saiedi has been sentenced to 4 years charged with cooperation with a Kurdish opposition group.

- Court of Appeals upheld the 6 year sentence of Kurdish political prisoner Mohamad Azizi currently in Saghez prison.

- Ghazvin Police chief said in the current year 400 students have been arrested for violating Islamic laws.

- Per Ghazvin police chief the students violations: Drinking alcohol, attending night time & mixed birthday parties.

- Interrogations of prisoners in Gohardasht goes on for 24 hours a day, other prisoners can hear screams.

- Since 10 days ago, the recreational hall of Gohardasht has been used by Intel to interrogate prisoners.

- Large number of people arrested on Ashura have been moved to Gohardasht prison.

- Apparently Gohardasht prison in Karaj is becoming a torture house for the Ashura detainees.

- Guards take prisoners to the ward's exit door than tell them "you are barred from visitation" & take them back.

- 8 more names of people arrested on Ashura have been released by HRDA. 205 names released so far.

- 1- Printing MP Motaheri's response to Mashaie which included insults to Ahmadinejad.

- 2- Printing comments of ex-pres Khatami in which he called conditions of the country "chaotic".

- 3- Printing former official's comment "IR security atmosphere problematic & freedom of expression is denied in".

- 4- Printing "Ahmadi paved the path to unrest in his TV debate with Mousavi & should apologize to the Nation".

- 5- Printing unreal image of the country’s economic status & offering baseless statistics.

- Currently there are 7 members of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters in prison.

- Tehran prosecutor said the Committee of HR Reporters have MKO connections which the Committee explicitly.

- According to Tehran prosecutor Gen, cooperation with the Committee of the Human Rights Reporters is a crime.