Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society --- Sanctions, Human Rights, and Israel-Iran Love (Arseh Sevom)

Iranians respond to the "Israel Loves Iran" campaign

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Celebrating Norooz Amidst "Unbelievable Inflation"

Norooz, a celebration of the new year that is marked by people from every religion and belief, was met with relief and joy by Iranians all over the world. Millions in Iran traveled in cars, buses, trains, and planes to see family and friends and to do a bit of urban camping. Iran's press was filled with stories of tourist attractions and the numbers of travellers.

However, sanctions are taking a huge bite out of the budgets of most Iranian households. The inflation is "unbelievable", sources tell Arseh Sevom.

"Prices change three times a day and the government blames it all on the embargos," an Ahwazi householder says. A Tehrani resident says that her home has lost 50% of its value this year.

With sanctions on doing business with Iran's Central Bank kicking in, inflation is expected to continue to rise. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicted further pain for the majority of Iranian households as the rial continues to plummet.

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Iran Special: The 17 Leading Officials in New EU Sanctions for Human Rights Abuses

Head of Judiciary Sadegh LarijaniOn Friday, the Council of the European Union adopted new measures prohibiting the "[sale], supply, transfer or export, directly or indirectly, [of] equipment which might be used for internal repression...to any person, entity or body in Iran or for use in Iran". 

The Council also added 17 prominent regime officials to its list of persons --- now with 78 names --- sanctioned for their role in human rights abuses. The most prominent additions are the head of judiciary, Sadegh Larijani; Presidential advisor Saeed Mortazavi, infamous for his alleged role in the abuses and killings at Kahrizak detention centre in summer 2009; the Minister of Communications, Reza Taghipour; the Supreme Leader's representative to the armed forces, Ali Saeedi; and the head of State broadcaster IRIB, Ezzatollah Zarghami. It also includes officials involved in the death sentences for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, condemned for adultery, and Pastor Yousuf Nadarkhani, punished for "apostasy" because of his conversion to Christianity.

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1. ZARGHAMI Ezzatollah

As Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), he is responsible for all programming decisions. IRIB has broadcast forced confessions of detainees and a series of  "show trials" in August 2009 and December 2011. These constitute a clear violation of international provisions on fair trial and the right to due process.

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The Latest from Iran (23 March): The Sanctions All-is-Well Edition

1739 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moghaddam, a leading member of Parliament's Economy Committee, has claimed that "some want the next Majlis to be obedient to Ahmadinejad". He continued that "Ahmadinejad Discourse" is a kind of senseless myth, set against the Supreme Leader's "Imam and Revolution Discourse".

1734 GMT: Tehran Friday Prayer Update. Another snippet from Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's sermon, this one with significance as a message to President Ahmadinejead, Parliament, and the judiciary about the Supreme Leader's proclamation for Iranian New Year: "National production is a strategy not a slogan; the three powers must support it."

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The Latest from Iran (22 March): Noise for the New Year

2114 GMT: Human Rights Watch. The United Nations Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran, Ahmad Shaheed, on Thursday by a 22-5 vote with 20 abstentions.

Russia and China voted against the resolution that expressed "serious concerns" about Iran's human rights record.

2104 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Mohammad Nabi Habibi, the leader of the conservative Motalefeh Party, has echoed the warning of MP Alireza Marandi (see 1220 GMT), "I pray for Ahmadinejad that he ends his term as President on good terms."

MP Asadollah Badamchian adds that the President made the mistake, in his Parliamentary "interrogation" last week, of insulting legislators and callig them unworthy if they wld not give him high marks.

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Turkey Live Coverage (12 March): A Week for the Kurdish Issue?

2100 GMT: Hayrettin Ayoglu, a 75-year old Turkish citizen was killed by Syrian border soldiers' fire while himself and the driver were approaching to cross the border. The driver didn't stop and drove to Kilis province of Turkey. Ayoglu was not saved in Kilis Hospital. It is also reported that another car was targeted by Syrian soldiers in the evening but no one was hurt.

2030 GMT: George Sabra, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council, told a news conference in Istanbul said that they had already decided to arm the Free Syrian Army and added that some foreign governments were helping to send weapons.

However, despite of these, Sabra called on Arab and Western governments to intervene militarily and to protect civilians through imposing a no-fly zone across all of Syria and establishing secured humanitarian corridors. Sabra continued:

The Syrian National Council has taken concrete and practical decisions to arm Free Syrian Army that is established to protect the civilians. And we invite all colonels and other military officials in the Syrian army to take sides with the people of Syria.

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Turkey Live Coverage (5 March): A Bridging Role on Syria and Iran

2100 GMT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin over his election victory. In return, Putin reportedly underlined the importance of bilateral relations and promised to advance ties.

2020 GMT: After the French Constitutional Council's ruling out the genocie-denial bill (which was to punish people who denied the "Armenian genocide"in the Ottoman era) as it was "unconstitutional", deputy minister Bulent Arinc welcomed this development but said that Ankara would keep its political, economic and military sanctions on Paris since French President Nicolas Sarkozy had already asked his government to have a new draft of the original bill. 

2000 GMT: Turkish Foreign Ministry says the trilateral meeting between foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan will be held in Nakhcevan on 7 March. It is stated that the first meeting that took place in Urmia, Iran on 16 April 2011 were useful in developing the understanding of cooperation and consolidating regional stability and security. 

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Iran Audio Feature: Scott Lucas on Iran, Europe, and the Oil Sanctions

I spoke at length with London's Monocle Radio on Friday night about the European Union's forthcoming cut-off of oil imports from Iran, the timing and manner of its implementation, and the consequences for Tehran.

There are lots of take-away points from the interview but the headlines may be: 1) the EU decision is going to be announced at the end of January, but probably will not take effect until months later, as alternative supplies are assured; 2) yes, this will be a major blow to Iran, both in symbolism and in economic impact.

The discussion begins at the 6:08 mark.

Iran Feature: Stumbling and Stalemate over Sanctions (Mills)b

Nikahang Kowsar on the Supreme Leader, President Obama, and US-led Sanctions

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As the country that gave the world chess, it is only appropriate that Iran's current sanctions standoff with the United States resembles a game between two inept players. Tehran repeatedly makes bad moves; Washington plays better but has no path to checkmate.

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Iran Analysis: Will the European Union Ban Imports of Tehran's Oil? (Probably.)

Last week we noted that the European Union had not imposed a ban on imports on Iranian oil, primiarly because of the concern of southern European countries such as Greece over a cut-off of supplies; however, we noted that the EU was pursuing alternative suppliers and would likely revive the issue at its next meeting in January.

An EA source offers analysis:

It appears that an EU embargo is highly likely. EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger is being saying it appears consensus has been reached on the matter.

The UK Embassy takeover in Tehran seems to have been a critical turning point.

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Iran Analysis: The Embassy Attack --- "A Serious Mis-Calculation" by the Regime

Even though we still do not have the answer to who gave the green light to Tuesday's plan, this appears to be a confused regime, trying to sort out its next steps after the unexpected turn in developments. Indeed, the lack of an answer to our questions, "Who is responsible? Who is co-ordinating?", is telling. A fragmented political system, beset by in-fighting for months, appears to have embarked on a risky venture which has quickly run into trouble.

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