Iran Feature: Facebook and A Resurgent Opposition? (Habibinia)

Last Thursday evening, while many Iranians were following the news of the revolutionary reforms in Egypt and the dethroning of another dictator in the Middle East, security forces in Iran were breaking into the residence of students, political activists, and even family members of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, to arrest them and blunt the call for demonstrations against the regime on Valentine's Day.

The revolutionary incidents in Tunisia and Egypt have astounded and stimulated the Iranians, who returned to their homes after a nine-month challenge against the regime just before the last Valentine's Day. Many asked themselves and others during the past weeks: "Why have Tunisians and Egyptians made it, but we did not?"

So many Iranians, imitating the Egyptian and Tunisians, have opened a Facebook page in order to spark a new street demonstration.

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The Latest from Iran (15 February): Watching a Revival

2110 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Activist Ali Nabavi, whose wife Atefeh is already imprisoned, has been arrested.

2105 GMT: Deaths on 25 Bahman. Iranian officials are naming a second fatality in Monday's protests, 22-year-old Mohamad Mokhtari, 22, claiming he was shot by the banned Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MKO)

This morning, the Government also said Sanee Zhaleh, 26, had been killed by the MKO. That claim has also come under pressure with a photograph linking Zhaleh to the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, an opponent of the regime (see 1650 GMT).

2034 GMT: Prediction Come True. We said in our analysis this morning (see separate entry) that the regime would respond to Monday's marches by ramping up the intimidation and arrests.

And so it is already coming to pass. Tahavole Sabz reports a group of pro-Government men gathered in front of Mehdi Karroubi's residence this afternoon, chanting slogans against him.

The crowd assembled after a call by a website linked to the Government for a rally against Mir at Ark Square in front of the Tehran Prosecutor's office against Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, whose effigy was hung. After a few hours, the group moved towards Karroubi's residence.

Karroubi is under effective house arrest, prevented by security forces from leaving his home.

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The Latest from Iran (14 February): It is 25 Bahman

2140 GMT: Something's Missing. Peyke Iran prints the front pages of Iran's newspapers for Tuesday --- surprisingly, the marches of 25 Bahman have disappeared.

2130 GMT: Clerical Intervention. Grand Ayatollah Sane'i, meeting families of political prisoners, has said that today's tyranny is unprecedented in Iranian history.

The families also met Grand Ayatollahs Vahid Khorasani and Mousavi Ardebili.

2125 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Mohsen Barzegar and Hossein Zamen Zarrabi,members of the Islamic Association of Nooshiravani University of Babol, have been arrested.

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The Latest from Iran (12 February): The Regime's Day Came and It Went

2240 GMT: Claimed video of "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) from the rooftops tonight:

2225 GMT: 25 Bahman. An indication in Fars that the Minister of Interior will reject the request by Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for a permit for Monday's rally --- Mehdi Alikhani-Sadr, deputy director of the Interior Ministry's political bureau, said, "These people are fully aware of the illegality of their demand and they know they will not receive a permit for staging a riot."

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Iran Exclusive: An Interview with Mehdi Karroubi "The Movement is Alive"

An EA exclusive: English translation by Potkin Azarmehr of Masih Alinejad's interview with Mehdi Karroubi.

The interview took place amidst the request by Mir Hossein Moussavi and Karroubi for a permit for a rally on 14 February in solidarity with the movements in Egypt and Tunisia, the arrest of Karroubi's advisor Taghi Rahmani, and intimidation of Karroubi's associates.

Security agents appeared in front of Karroubi's house on Thursday to enforce a house arrest, allowing only Karroubi's wife to enter the residence. Alinejad's interview was cut short by the restrictions.

Originally published in Persian in Rah-e-Sabz:

Why are they scared of our presence amongst the people?

Karroubi replied, "The movement which became known as the Green Movement subsided after its initial excitement. Some of the Green Movement supporters became despondent. The government which keeps referring to this as the “end of the sedition”, seems to be worried after the permit for a rally on 14th February was requested, in case once again people will turn up on the streets. Recently Mr. Ejei [Iran Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei] reacted to the request by calling it a 'political act'."

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The Latest from Iran (11 February): The Regime's Big Show?

2205 GMT: Claim of the Night. An opposition website asserts, "The word 'Bahman' has been filtered in Iran Farsi Google search."

2145 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Mohammad Housein Mehyimni, the son of the former Governor of Golestan Province, has been arrested.

2130 GMT: A New Role. What better way to end 22 Bahman than with a feel-good story?

The Basij militia are providing the dowries of needy brides.

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The Latest from Iran (10 February): One Day Closer

1900 GMT: Another Khamenei Journey to Qom. The Supreme Leader has made another trip --- his fifth since October --- to Qom, visiting several Ayatollahs. He prayed for Ayatolalh Ansari Shirazi, who is ill, and spent an hour with Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.

Most important seems to be Khamenei's discussion with Ayatollah Ostadi about the religious seminaries (Howzeh). Senior clerics have expressed concern that the regime might move against the "independence" of the seminaries.

1845 GMT: Iranian authorities have arrested Fariba Ebtehaj, the office manager of Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President in the Khatami Administration.

1700 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Saleh Noghrekar, the head of Mir Hossein Mousavi's Justice Committee, has been arrested in a raid on his home. Journalists Maysam Mohamadi and Omid Mohades were also arrested last night.

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The Latest from Iran (9 February): The 25 Bahman Beat Goes On

2120 GMT: Not Worried at All (cont. --- 0925 GMT). Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Hamedani has commented on the proposed march for 25 Bahman (11 February), "The seditionists (opposition leaders) are nothing but a dead corpse and we will strongly confront any of their movements. We definitely consider them as anti-revolutionary and spies, and we will strongly confront them."

The Facebook page supporting Monday's rally now has more than 25,000 supporters.

2050 GMT: Partners. China has signed a $13 billion contract to develop Iran's railway system.

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Iran Document: Mousavi and Karroubi on the Revolution "Living is Not Only Staying Alive"

A new discourse is born today: A discourse that those who were martyred for its values are its leaders and those who were imprisoned for its values are its flag bearers; a discourse that condemns violence and pursues change through peaceful means; a discourse that responds to lies, false accusations, and insults with truth, honesty and good manners; a discourse that does not have hopes in [the outcome of] the secret games of the international powers and considers the clear national solution as the only path toward reforms; a discourse that does not follow the ideology of "Us vs Them" but rather tries to turn "Them" into "Us"; a discourse that recognises all voices and does not see the national unity in absolute silence but rather sees it in relying on the collective rationality; a discourse that does not consider the people as outsiders when it comes to what is happening in the country but rather tries to spread awareness among all layers of the society and to every corner of this land

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The Latest from Iran (8 February): Dominoes Falling?

2125 GMT: Closing Down a House of Worship. A Sunni prayer-house in Tehran has been sealed and prayer leader Moulavi Obeidollah Mousazadeh arrested.

2100 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. A judge has revoked bail for detained journalist Nazanin Khosravani, saying she was likely to flee Iran.

Khosravani's bail was suddenly increased last week, preventing her from leaving prison.

2055 GMT: Interrogating the Mothers. The website of the Mothers of Mourning says that more than 15 members have been summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence.

2020 GMT: Khamenei Quitting? Press TV appears to know something we don't --- its headline today, "Leader: Despotism Coming to End".

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