The Latest from Iran (4 July): Who's in Charge?

1500 GMT: Economy Watch. According to the Central Bank of Iran, the country's  annual inflation rate was 9.4% in the year 22 June, a fall from 9.9% in May.

1350 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. RAHANA writes that women's rights and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi has been hospitalised after her recent release from detention.

1345 GMT: The Universities Crisis. One to Watch: Rah-e-Sabz is claiming that the dispute over control of Islamic Azad University has been resolved after a meeting between former President Hashemi Rafsanjani --- whose family are in key leadership positions at the university --- and the Supreme Leader.

The alleged deal is that Khamenei told the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution to stop the fight between Parliament and Government over the university. In return,  Rafsanjani will offer public praise of the Supreme Leader.

NEW Iran Special: The Green Movement, the Regime, and “the West” (Nabavi)
NEW Iran Thought: Maybe The Robot Can Be President
Iran Special: The Escalating Crisis Within (Verde)
The Latest from Iran (3 July): Fussing and Feuding

1245 GMT: Fashion Watch. Rah-e-Sabz claims that more than 60 female students of Azad University in Qom have been summoned for "bad hijab".

1240 GMT: Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard have visited Emaduddin Baghi, the journalist and human rights activists recently released after six months' detention.

0920 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Artin Ghazanfari, detained on Ashura (27 December), has been sentenced to one year in prison.

0905 GMT: Remembering. Fereshteh Ghazi interviews the father of Meysam Abedi, one of the first protesters killed after the election.

Abedi's father claims that his son tried to save a girl beaten by Basiji militia but was killed by a bullet in his stomach. He claims that the culprit was seized but then released.

0845 GMT: More on Parliament and Nukes (see 0730 GMT). The head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has put forth the defiant line over Iran's enrichment programme: "If the five permanent members of the UN Security Council --- Russia, China, France, Britain and the US --- plus Germany tighten the UN Security Council Sanctions Resolution 1929, they should not expect Iran to continue talks."

However, there may have been an opening for a resolution in Boroujerdi's remarks,"If the fuel for the Tehran research reactor is given, Iran will not insist on continuing the production of the fuel domestically."

0835 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Rooz Online claims that, in Evin Prison's Ward 350 for political prisoners, a 35 square-metre cell holds 40 detainees.

Kurdish detainee Khalil Mostafa Rajab is reportedly in serious condition from a lung infection.

0730 GMT: We begin today with a special analysis from Ebrahim Nabavi assessing "The Green Movement, the Regime, and the West". And Scott Lucas offers a quick thought, in light of yesterday's developments, "Maybe the Robot Can Be President".

Meanwhile....

Parliament v. President

The current dispute between the Majlis and President Ahmadinejad simmers, with reports that a plan to "supervise" the Parliament is being re-appraised.

On one issue, however, the Majlis is in step with Ahmadinejad. The Speaker, Ali Larijani, continues to hammer away at the manipulations and deceits of the West over sanctions, a position echoed by another leading MP, Esmail Kowsari, in Iranian state media.

Just a bit of speculation, however. Is the apparent side-by-side approach by the Parliament on the nuclear issue also be an attempt by some to re-assert the power of the Majlis, showing that it can be even more vigilant than Ahmadinejad in standing up to Iran's foreign oppressors?

Khomeini's Defence

Hossein Anvari, of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, has tried to draw a line against regime pressure on the Khomeini family by declaring, "Our people were not present in uprisings."

Comments

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[...] The Latest bfrom/b Iran (4 July): Who#39;s in Charge? | Enduring America [...]

[Catherine]

The prosecutor in the southern city of Zahedan announced last week that death sentences had been issued for two more suspects in last year’s explosions in Baluchistan and the same is being considered for six other suspects. In an exclusive interview with Rooz, Baluchi activist Abdulsattar Doshoki explains that “particularly in the last five years and since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power, the Islamic republic’s policy has been to create divisions among Shiites and Sunnis, and Baluchis vs non-Baluchis.” He also believes that “The green movement is the most formidable popular challenge facing the Islamic republic. The Islamic regime is forced to resort to violence to confront this huge challenge.”
http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/july/03//islamic-republic-policies-are-the-source-of-all-violence.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem...

[Catherine]

Mother of Two Faces Stoning for Alleged Adultery

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran appealed to the Iranian Judiciary to halt the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year old mother of two children convicted of adultery, who faces death by stoning, and for her case be reviewed or her request for a pardon be granted.

The Campaign also called on the Iranian parliament to immediately abolish the punishment of death by stoning.
http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/07/mother-of-two-faces-stoning-for-alleged-adultery/" rel="nofollow">http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/07/mother-o...

[Catherine]

Today's Straight Face Challenge

'Iran will protect its citizens'
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Tehran will use all its capabilities to protect its citizens, especially academic Sharam Amiri, who was abducted last year by the US.

Taking individuals hostage in order to achieve political objectives is unacceptable, Mehmanparast said, adding that Amiri's family and public opinion in Iran demand the return of their citizen.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=133280§ionid=351020101" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=133280&sec...

I wonder what the mothers of the US hikers think of this?

[Catherine]

Dissident Cleric Ayatollah Boroujerdi May Face Exile

Officials of Special Clerics Court have threatened to exile dissident cleric Ayatollah Boroujerdi to a remote and abandoned location lacking any type of communication means. This threat came after two recent letters Boroujerdi had written in Evin were published outside this prison. In these letters, he had criticized country’s current situation and called for “separation of religion and state”.
http://www.rhairan.in/en/?p=5085" rel="nofollow">http://www.rhairan.in/en/?p=5085

[Catherine]

Iran claims sanctions against jet fuel illegal

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iranian parliament’s Foreign Policy and National Security Council announced that boycotting sale of petrol to Iran is illegal and added that according to International laws, companies are responsible for the lives of air passengers and air security.

He maintained: “According to international laws such as YATA and regulations regarding air transport, companies have to provide the necessary fuel for airplanes.”
http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/07/iran-claims-sanctions-aga.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/07/iran-clai...

[Arshama]

@ 1500 GMT: Economy Watch

Khabar daily warns that Iran might loose all oil markets in the near future, and Mehr News Agency reports that 40 petrochemical projects remaining from the 4th Development Plan have been developed at a rate of 0 to 20 percent: 18 projects with 0%, 7 projects with less than 4%, 8 projects with less than 10%, and only 7 projects have been developed to 20% during the past two years:
http://www1.voanews.com/persian/news/iran/IranSanctionsWorking-97769079.html" rel="nofollow">http://www1.voanews.com/persian/news/iran/IranS...

Who said, he would boost oil exports to a level of $60 billions within the next five years?

[Key Eaton]

Hey look at this:
It appears this year Iranians in Rasht do not particularly like the morality police
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sel-WbM_8zU&feature=player_embedded" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sel-WbM_8zU&feat...