The Latest from Iran (8 July): Criticisms

1633 GMT: We have posted the English translation of Mir Hossein Mousavi's statement on Wednesday about UN sanctions, foreign policy, and the weaknesses and abuses of the Ahmadinejad Government.

1630 GMT: A Message from Evin Prison. A Green website has posted what it claims is a message from student leader Majid Tavakoli for 18 Tir (9 July), the 11th anniversary of university demonstrations.

NEW Iran Document: Mousavi on UN Sanctions & Ahmadinejad Government (7 July)
NEW Iran Snap Analysis: The Wave of Economic Discontent?
NEW Iran Analysis: Crisis…What Crisis? (Verde)
NEW Iran’s New Haircut Law: First Culprit Identified!
The Latest from Iran (7 July): Mousavi's Intervention

1530 GMT: The Universities Crisis. Hamid Farokhnia at Tehran Bureau offers an extensive review of the political battle over Islamic Azad University from 2006 to the present.

1525 GMT: The Oil Squeeze. Oil traders said Iran is buying about half of its gasoline imports in July from Turkey and the rest from Chinese suppliers.

Traders estimate Iran will import around 90,000 barrels per day of gasoline in July, steady from June.

1520 GMT: Labour Front. More than 180 workers at Alborz China Manufacturing Company in Qazvin, staged a protest in front of the factory gates on Tuesday. The workers claim they are owed wages for more than six months.

1515 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran claims that Iranian authorities are victimizing political prisoners by subjecting them to dangerously unhealthy prison conditions and refusing them medical treatment when they become ill.

Spokesperson Hadi Ghaemi said, “Iran is targeting prisoners of conscience by subjecting them to overcrowding, disease, inadequate accommodations, insanitary conditions, malnutrition, and lack of access to medical care.”

1445 GMT: The Bazaar Strikes. Peyke Iran is claiming that the strike in the Tehran Bazaar has continued into a third day, despite the detention of one of the leaders (see 0755 GMT).

This is claimed footage of a strike today in the rug market in Tabriz:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5TdKg17rvU[/youtube]

And the bazaar in Mashaad:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0F3NSDnMk[/youtube]

1435 GMT: Condemning the Stoning. Foreign intervention in the case of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery....

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has called on Iran to put an immediate stay to the execution. On Tuesday, Norway's State Secretary Espen Barth Eide summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Seyed Hossein Rezvani, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to denounce Mohammadi-Ashtiani's sentence and that of Mohammad Reza Haddadi, condemned to death for an crime allegedly committed when he was a minor.

1430 GMT: Back from an extended break for work with the Journal of American Studies. Many thanks to readers for keeping news and analysis flowing....

0808 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Rah-e-Sabz features the letter of Hashem Khastar, union activist and retired teacher, to Iran's judiciary on the "human catastrophe" in the prisons.

0805 GMT: The Battle Within. Conservative MP Hossein Ghafouri-Fard has said that the atmosphere is still "too agitated" for establishing a new political party.

0800 GMT: Counter-attack. The President's judicial deputy, Fatemeh Bodaghi, has asserted that Government complaints against the office of Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf are still at a "preliminary stage".

0755 GMT: The Bazaar Strike. Rah-e-Sabz, in a lengthy overview of the strike in the Tehran Bazaar, claims that protests continued yesterday with shouts such as "Death to the Dictator!". The website also asserts that one leader of the strike was taken away by security and plainclothes forces to an unknown location.

0745 GMT: Protest Then, Protest Now. More than 30 Iranian students' organisations based overseas have issued a statement for the 11th anniversary of student demonstrations on 18 Tir (9 July) and holding up the university as "a pillar of civil society".

0725 GMT: Mousavi's Statement. Green Voice of Freedom has an extended English summary of the comments by Mir Hossein Mousavi on sanctions, the economy, and the mismanagement of the Government.

0700 GMT: We begin this morning with a snap analysis moving between the latest statement of Mir Hossein Mousavi and the strike in the Tehran Bazaar, "The Wave of Economic Discontent".

That, however, is only a snapshot of the latest tensions. Consider....

Parliament v. President

Alef summarises the latest criticisms by principlist member of Parliament, Ahmad Tavakoli, in a Tuesday speech in the Majlis. Tavakoli attacked the "inefficiency" and "weakness" of the Ahmadinejad Government and, getting specific about the post-election crisis, wondered when someone would be held accountable for the Kahrizak prison abuses.

An EA correspondent adds that, in an online poll by Khabar Online asking about Tavakoli's attack on the "lawlessness" of Ahmadinejad, "only" 89% agreed with the member of Parliament. (The somewhat tongue-in-cheek assessment of our correspondent should also be accompanied by the reminder that Khabar Online is linked to Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, the cousin of Tavakoli.)

Calling the Government to Account

Member of Parliament Assadollah Badamchian has insisted that the Article 90 Commission of the Majlis has the right to question the President about his management and handling of laws.

Hojatoleslam Hossein Sobhani-nia has asserted that the Minister of Interior minister could be summoned to the Majlis over the recent Basiji/student protests against Parliament's legislation on Islamic Azad University.

In contrast, MP Bijan Nobaveh has declared that accusing the Government of "rowdyism" is "treacherous" behaviour.

Comments

[Catherine]

Today's Straight Face Challenge

'Era of dictators over, Ahmadinejad says' (PressTV headline)

[Catherine]

Iran is making Human Rights Watch do overtime
http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/iran" rel="nofollow">http://www.hrw.org/en/middle-eastn-africa/iran

[Catherine]

Iraq Enquiry update

Giving evidence to the Iraq Inquiry, Sir Richard Dalton - Britain's ambassador in Tehran from 2003-06 - said Tony Blair "very much exaggerated" Iran's role in supporting al Qaida insurgents in their attacks on British and American forces in Iraq and made "a series of very bad decisions" about the legality of the 2003 invasion.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jOSTnqSyHiPqgyn9APZdnsK-YYzw" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/articl...

[Catherine]

Increasingly Isolated, Iran Looks Toward Africa
By Reza Taghizadeh
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's current visit to Nigeria and Mali is yet another attempt to forge new alliances with African states in the hope that this can offset his country's growing isolation.
http://www.rferl.org/content/Increasingly_Isolated_Iran_Looks_Toward_Africa/2093755.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.rferl.org/content/Increasingly_Isola...

[Catherine]

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Petition
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/sakineh-mohammadi-ashtian_n_638950.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/sakine...

[Catherine]

Iran Will See the Light of Democracy
Carl Gershman has been President of the National Endowment for Democracy since 1984. Mr. Gershman oversees NED’s grant programs in various countries ranging from Africa to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. At a recent event NED offered the Green Movement in Iran an award. Rooz Online interviewed him in Washington, DC.
http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/july/08//iran-will-see-the-light-of-democracy.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem...

[Catherine]

Iran girls' soccer team may miss Singapore event
Iran may not send its girls' soccer team to the Youth Olympics in Singapore next month because of a dispute over the players' ...........................................................................................................................................
YES, you guessed it ........... the players' Islamic attire, Iranian media reported on Thursday.

The deputy head of Iran's physical education department, Marzieh Akbarabadi, was quoted by newspapers, including Khabar Varzeshi, or Sport News, as saying the newly designed dress was "inappropriate." Akbarabadi's comments seemed to indicate more an internal dispute within Iran's sports establishment than a controversy with FIFA.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100708/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_hijab_ban" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100708/ap_on_re_mi...

[Gunniy]

Hi Catherine
FIFA is strictly against Hijab. At the end of April there was a compromise in sight: Iranian Officals and FIFA were talking about a sports - cap for women.

But today at all levels there is just only repression - and as we all know the Hijab today is just only a tool to keep women under pressure.
Surely this differences with FIFA is one reason for the denial.

http://www.faz.net/s/Rub906784803A9943C4A3399622FC846D0D/Doc%7EE214FDEC678B94AFCA107E85D793AD1C6%7EATpl%7EEcommon%7ESspezial.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.faz.net/s/Rub906784803A9943C4A339962...
Regards Gunni

[WitteKr]

And where is Mahmoud? In Nigeria, another country rich with oil, but poor with energy... for the Developing Eight conference.
The aim of the Developing Eight (D8) summit was to improve trade among members, but issues including new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme could also be addressed. Turkey's damaged relations with Israel after a deadly raid on an aid ship bound for Gaza may also be discussed, with Turkish President Abdullah Gul among those attending.
D8 = Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100708/wl_africa_afp/d8summitnigeria_20100708135919" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100708/wl_africa_...