The Latest from Iran (30 May): Pressure, Counter-Pressure, & a Letter from Majid Tavakoli

1800 GMT: Academic Corner. HRANA reports that 15 students at Shahid Beheshti University have been suspended for criticism of the Supreme Leader.

1755 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The sentence of Zia Nabavi, a member of the Right to Education Council, has been reduced to 10 years from 15 years on appeal.

1750 GMT: Economy Watch. Reformist member of Parliament Darius Ghanbari has warned that if disinvestment, excessive imports and loss of domestic production continue, Iran will have 60 million (out of a population of 75+ million) below the poverty line. MP Nasrullah Torabi has called on the Government to be "accountable" to the 40 million he says are already below that line.

NEW Iran Report: The Fight on the Cultural Front (Erdbrink)
Iran Document: Mousavi “Greens Will Not be Stopped by Arrests, Prisons, or Killing”
Iran: A Poem for Executed Teacher Farzad Kamangar
The Latest from Iran (29 May): Statements for 22 Khordad/12 June

1745 GMT: A Clerical Slapdown. Ayatollah Amini, the leader of Friday Prayers in Qom, asked yesterday, "How is it possible to administer for the underprivileged with temporary relief?"

Amini leveled the allegation at the Government that Ayatollah Khomeini's ideas were not considered by persons in charge. Noting that other underdeveloped countries have managed to overcome their difficulties within 30 years. he said an adequate plan should have been established to create work, to develop the cities, and to support universities.


1735 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch --- Inside Version (cont.). Human Rights Activists News Agency carries a story on the alleged aftermath of two videos, released by the agency earlier this week, with accounts of torture and rape by detainees who were in Rajaiee Shahr Prison.

On Saturday, two agents from the Intelligence Ministry transferred twenty prisoners to the Security Office in Rajaiee Shahr prison where they were interrogated and threatened. They also moved Mohsen Beikvand, the victim in one of the videos, to solitary confinement. Unknown men reportedly contacted Bahram Tasviri, the other victim from the videos, and told him that his image and reputation have been shattered outside of prison with the publication of these videos.

(Note: we have not posted the video, which is available in the HRANA story, because we feel it is vital to confirm the authenticity of the story given the serious allegations. Feedback from those who view the video is welcomed.)

1730 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch --- Inside Version. We return from a break to find a purported account of conditions at Evin Prison from detained journalist and filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad. The account includes Nourizad's meeting last week with Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, who allegedly promised Nourizad's release if the political prisoner and his family gave no statements to the media.

Nourizad, in the letter to the Supreme Leader, calls Evin "the second Kahrizak", a reference to the notorious facility that was closed by Ayatollah Khamenei after revelations of abuses and killings of detainees.

0855 GMT: Earthquake Alarm! Khabar Online reports that women have been seen taking off their hijab, allegedly for sporting activities, in several parks and public spaces in Tehran.

0850 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Bahram Chagini, a university student and a member of the Mousavi presidential campaign, was reportedly arrested by intelligence agents in Arak in mid-May.

0840 GMT: Another Political Prisoner List. Rah-e-Sabz has published another set of names and details of 100 political prisoners in Block 350 of Evin Prison. About 70% are students.

There is one additional name of a journalist, Khashayar Jahanzad Farrokhi, to add to our running total. We estimate that 93 journalists remain in detention or are under threat of heavy bails.

0835 GMT: And Another Cleric is Summoned. Rah-e-Sabz reports that Ahmad Montazeri, the son of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, has been summoned to and interrogated in a special clerical court.

0830 GMT: Cleric Responds to "Lies". Ayatollah Sane'i has expressed his regret, "Five years ago I said lies were spreading, but I didn't know they were to become a culture."

0820 GMT: Reformist Responds to "Lies". We reported on Friday about  Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting's distortion of the words of reformist activist Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, turning her into a traitor declaring, "Do not accept Iran."

Haghighatjoo has now threatened to file a lawsuit against IRIB and the Supreme Leader, as the head of the broadcaster. She explained that the Green Movement, with its initial slogan "Where is My Vote?", did not want regime change; however, after killings and imprisonments, many doubted that reforms could occur within the system. Haghighatjoo concluded, "I believe that the Constitution must be replaced by a secular system."

0815 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter Faezeh Hasemi has responded to the attack on her office with an unsubtle swipe at the Government. This was not carried by common thieves; it was like a "Mongols attack" to incite terror.

0805 GMT: Parliamentary Moves. Following this week's election of leaders in Parliament, with one Deputy Speaker (Sadr) seen as pro-Ahmadinejad and another (Bahonar) criticised by "hardliners" --- Speaker Ali Larijani and his allies are pushing the line of "Parliamentary unity".

Larijani, quoted by his supporting website Khabar Online, declared that political divisions are not compatible with the Supreme Leader's ideas. Elyas Naderan, a leading critic of the Ahmadinejad Government, predicted that the "political alignment" of pro-goverment and anti-government factions will not persist.

Not all proceeded smoothly for Larijani's move, however: his press conference started 20 minutes late, suffered a blackout, and was suddenly cut off.

0800 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The scholars of the Middle East Studies Association have written to the Supreme Leader, calling for the release of Majid Tavakoli (see 0645 GMT) and other political prisoners.

0700 GMT: The Cultural Front. We have posted, in a separate entry, a report from  Thomas Erdbrink, the Washington Post correspondent in Tehran, on cultural resistance to the Iranian regime.

0645 GMT: A Letter from Tavakoli? There was a lot of chatter yesterday about a purported message from Majid Tavakoli, the detained student leader.

The letter has not been translated into English, but an EA reader wanted to get a sense of Tavakoli's analysis and objectives. So, over to EA correspondent Ms Zahra:

Tavakoli's statement reads like a mix of [prominent Iranian expatriate opposition figure] Mohsen Sazegara's daily lessons about non-violent struggle, parts of Mousavi's statements (esteqamat, perseverance), and expatriate demands for an end to the Islamic Republic.

As I never heard more than short statements by him, no idea if he is the author. If it is not by him, it could be a collective text, written by a reformist theoretician in prison --- I doubt this, however, because in my opinion reformists would never give up the Islamic Republic. It could also be the result of discussions in prison about future strategies for the Green Movement. In any case the phrasing is coherent, i.e., written by a single person.

An excellent text, insisting on the positiveness of the leaders, necessity of positive criticism, unity, fundamental demands like individual freedom and pluralism (to prevent a new dictatorship), clearly defined goals, and strategies of non-violence, along the lines of those set out by the scholar Gene Sharp.

It could also be an implicit reminder to Mousavi and Karroubi to be more definitive in their demands, but it is only advice and does not condemn them.

0630 GMT: We return from a Saturday night break to assess this morning's political situation, five days before the anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Khomeini and less than two weeks before the birthday of the 2009 election.

The regime made a big political move with the announcement that the Supreme Leader, introduced by President Ahmadinejad, will lead Tehran Friday Prayers from Khomeini's mausoleum. Can't be much clearer than this in a bid for legitimacy.

It's the first major regime rally since 22 Bahman (11 February), with Ayatollah Khamenei speaking at Friday Prayers for the first time since 19 June, when he reaffirmed Ahmadinejad's victory, warned the opposition not to challenge, and tried to keep Hashemi Rafsanjani in the fold.

So what were those various actors doing yesterday? Well, opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi had made another challenge with his statement to former political prisoners (again, can't get much more pointed in the symbolism than talking with those who had been unjustly detained under the Shah), and reformist groups and activists --- despite the Government's attempt to silence them --- continued to put out declarations of intent before 12 June.

Even more interesting,  however, were the manoeuvres around Rafsanjani. The former President's website issued its own response to the Government by re-issuing Rafsanjani's criticisms of President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian system, both in a letter to the Supreme Leader before the election and in Rafsanjani's 17 July Friday Prayer address (the last time he took the podium).

But the regime was putting out its own message for Rafsanjani this weekend: the office of his daughter Faezeh Hashemi was raided, soon after security forces moved upon the campus of Islamic Azad University --- established by the Rafsanjani Government and led until recently by Rafsanjani's son Mehdi Hashemi --- and seized computers and documents.

What does it all mean? Well, at this point I'll take the easy way out: too soon to tell....

The Latest from Iran (29 May): Statements for 22 Khordad/12 June

1655 GMT: Visiting Panahi. Mehdi Karroubi has met with Jafar Panahi, the prominent filmmaker who was detained for almost three months before being released this week.

1650 GMT: CyberPolice? Lots of chatter today that Google was filtered in Iran, at least for a short time.

1635 GMT: To Russia, With Criticism. All is still not well in Tehran over Moscow's position on the nuclear issue.

After President Ahmadinejad's public telling-off of Russia earlier in the week, senior Iranian lawmakers have taken up the criticism. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani went after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev by exalting his predecessor,

If the approach agreed on with the former Russian president (Vladimir Putin) had been pursued, it could have served the interests of both sides. Concerning nuclear issues, Russia has always sought to fit things within the frame of its own interests, and efforts must be made to return this approach to its precise path.

Kazem Jalali of Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said said Moscow was under the same "analytical misconception" as the US but offered a way back, "Russia can be effective in rejecting the [sanctions] resolution, and can save face internationally through a positive response to Iran's letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency."

NEW Iran Document: Mousavi “Greens Will Not be Stopped by Arrests, Prisons, or Killing”
NEW Iran: A Poem for Executed Teacher Farzad Kamangar
Friends or Obstacles?: Iran, Human Rights, & US “Concern”
Iran Analysis: When Allies Co-ordinate (Mousavi & Karroubi)
NEW Iran Analysis: When Allies Fight (Tehran and Moscow
The Latest from Iran (28 May): A Pause in Discussion?

1435 GMT: Political Prisoners Watch. Maziar Khosravi, editor of the Hammihan website, has been released from detention. Khosravi had been detained after his reports on last June's attacks on Tehran University's dormitories.


Activists are reporting that student activist Majid Tavakoli, who is on hunger strike, has been moved out of solitary confinement.

1410 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. As news emerges of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani reasserting his critical statements from last year (see 1350 GMT), we also get a report that assailants have raided the office of Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh Hashemi.

1405 GMT: The Students' Declaration. Student activists have released a statement calling for innovation in civil disobedience and asserting "perseverance on the way to democracy".

1350 GMT: And More Statements. I don't we think we quite expected, selecting the title for this morning's updates, how appropriate it would be.

We have posted in a separate entry the English translation of Mir Hossein Mousavi's latest lengthy critique of the Government and statement of the Green Movement's defiance.

And another prominent politician is making mischief: Agence France Presse reports that the website of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani has posted the 2009 letter he sent to the Supreme Leader, criticising the regime:

Even if I keep quiet, part of the people, groups and parties will undoubtedly not bear this situation any more and set off social upheavals, examples of which can be seen in street rallies and universities....

The website also posts extracts from Rafsanjani's Friday Prayer sermon of 17 July --- the last one he has given:

What should we do? Our key issue is to return the trust which the people had and now to some extent is broken....

It is not necessary that in this situation people be jailed. Let them join their families. We should not allow enemies to rebuke and ridicule us because of detentions. We should tolerate each other.

1245 GMT: Monitoring the Cleric. Back from a break to find the report that banners supporting Ayatollah Yusuf Sane'i for 4 June --- the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's death --- have been removed from Khomeini's mausoleum because of "deceitful phrases".

Posters for Sane'i, a critic of the current Government, were also removed from the recent Tehran Book Fair.

0810 GMT: Corruption vs. Corruption at Highest Levels. The political battle within the establishment over corruption allegations continues.

More details on the Fatemi Street insurance fraud, with which 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi is allegedly involved, have emerged.Two companies were established in 2005/2006, and Rahimi reportedly used his influence to arrange large loans (eventually more than $1 billion) for them, receiving 10-15%.

Ahmadinejad supporters have countered that Mohammad Javad Larijani, a senior official in Iran's judiciary, has seized 300,000 hectares of land. Emrooz claims that the President, in his speech this week in Kerman, implied that Larijani's brothers, Speaker of Parliament Ali and head of judiciary Sadegh, blocked the Government from taking back the property.

0805 GMT: Raising the Stakes (cont.). More on this week's Friday Prayer, on the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's death, from the Supreme Leader (see 0650 GMT)....

The warm-up act for Ayatollah Khamenei will be President Ahmadinejad.

And Ayatollah Khamenei's title, at least according to his office? “The Leader of All Muslims in World Affairs”.

0800 GMT: Another Statement. Visiting the family of political prisoner Mohsen Armin, a senior member of the Mojahedin of Islamic Speaker and former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mehdi Karroubi declared that the "imprisonment of the Revolution's children is a shame".

0755 GMT: Film Corner. Concern is growing over filmmaker Dariush Shokouf, an Iranian expatriate in Germany, who has disappeared. Shokouf, a vocal critic of Iran's regime, was last seen in Cologne, boarding a train for Paris.

0750 GMT: The Executions. We have posted a poem by Fatemeh Shams in memory of teacher Farzad Kamanager, executed on 9 May.

0650 GMT: Raising the Stakes. Golnaz Esfandiari of Radio Liberty reports that the Supreme Leader will lead Tehran Friday Prayers this week, presiding at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Friday will be the anniversary of Khomeini's death in 1989.

This will be the first time that Ayatollah Khamenei has led Friday Prayers since his appearance one week after last year's Presidential election.

0555 GMT: Two weeks before the anniversary of the 2009 election, and we awake to a flurry of opposition statements.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, in his latest meeting, asserts that Iran should be "run by freedom and justice not by imprisonment". He argues, "We do not want the Government to give up rule in the name of Islam, but the content [of its rule] is empty and it does not address our desires."

Mousavi adds that this Government "monologue", meeting the wishes of the people with repression rather than discussion, leads to "tyranny" and "dictatorship".

The Assembly of Combatant Clergymen, like Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi earlier this week, use the "historical importance" of the month of Khordad (May/June) to invoke the legacy of Ayatollah Khomeini, remember the Presidency of Mohammad Khatami, and cite "the great participation" of the Iranian people in last year’s election.


The clergymen say this participation could have led to a better future for Iran; instead, it ws met by the brutal confrontation of the Government, which continues today with "heavy and unfair" prison sentences. They call for the release of all political prisoners and free elections.

The banned Islamic Iran Participation Front declares that the reform movement is an attempt to fix errant behaviour arising from narcissism, despotism, and fundamentalism that had shaped. The continuation of that effort of that effort led to a bitter showdown, with Government attacks on people’s freedom, security, and dignity in the name of religion.

The party calls for adherence to the Constitution and recognition of people’s demands for their rights, free assembly, political parties, a free press, and free elections.

Iran Analysis: Four Perspectives on the Uranium-Sanctions Dance

Amidst the ongoing reaction on the uranium front, Dissected News offers a provocative reading, working through and around four partial viewpoints to argue:

The Obama administration was given the opportunity to eliminate the myths and start a new chapter in U.S. foreign policy. Instead, [the President] scrambled to defend the old policy.

Lack of change domestically [can] be blamed on predecessors or legislatures, but Obama owns his own foreign policy legacy.

Roger Cohen of The New York Times is even sharper in his criticism of Washington, calling for a negotiation between the caricatures of US-Iranian relations but concluding:

Last year, at the United Nations, Obama called for a new era of shared responsibilities. “Together we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides,” he declared. Turkey and Brazil responded — and got snubbed. Obama has just made his own enlightened words look empty.

EA's Ms Zahra offers a far different perspective:

The only language the Iranian system understands is power (zaban-e zoor). Accepting the Iran-Brazil-Turkey declaration as a first step would create another delay of several months. Rejecting it may appear as unwillingness to negotiate, but only from a very superficial perspective. The regime made this diversion on purpose, and Clinton replied, "Who do you think you're fooling?"

Well, let's see, if Tehran finally realises that it has crossed all red lines. If Turkey was really tacitly supported by the US, then it certainly was not for this mockup of treaty. I have the impression that [the Turkish and Brazilian leaders] Erdogan and Lula weren't able to push the Supreme Leader further.

Farideh Farhi, in a wide-ranging interview on the Iranian internal situation and US-Iranian relations, adds this incisive point:

It is very interesting to watch and see the different reactions to this nuclear agreement in the past few days and compare that to the kind of reaction that occurred when the previous agreement was announced last October. This time there is the sense to me that a very large sector of the Iranian elite are being called upon to support this deal. The kind of disagreement that manifested itself last time I do not see. There have been important voices that have objected to this deal, but, for example, 200 of the 290 members of the parliament say they support the agreement. And last year, for example, the Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani strongly opposed the deal. This time he told the
people to be united. Even some important individuals considered to be more reform-oriented have written editorials talking about these being very critical times for Iranian history. You get a real sense that a high-level decision has been made to push for an agreement and to try to resolve the nuclear issue.

LATEST Iran Urgent: The Deal on Uranium Enrichment (and US Response)

UPDATE 18 MAY, 1445 GMT: Ahh, so here's the apparent response of the Obama Administration, or at least Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: reduce the Iran-Brazil-Turkey agreement to "a number of unanswered questions" and push forward with the high-profile sanctions drive in the United Nations. Clinton's statement, just made to a Senate committee:

“We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the cooperation of both Russia and China. We plan to circulate that draft resolution to the entire Security Council today. And let me say, Mr. Chairman, I think this announcement is as convincing an answer to the efforts undertaken in Tehran over the last few days as any we could provide.”

Iran Document: Text of Iran-Brazil-Turkey Agreement on Uranium Enrichment

UPDATE 1745 GMT: The US Government has now made its formal response to the Tehran agreement. It's little more than a "hold the line" statement, issued by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. It gives no clue as to whether Washington was supportive of the Brazilian-Turkish mediation; instead it sets the next challenge: let's see the proposal go to the International Atomic Energy Agency and, possibly, let's see Iran suspend its unilateral push for 20-percent uranium:

We acknowledge the efforts that have been made by Turkey and Brazil. The proposal announced in Tehran must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the IAEA before it can be considered by the international community. Given Iran’s repeated failure to live up to its own commitments, and the need to address fundamental issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and international community continue to have serious concerns. While it would be a positive step for Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium off of its soil as it agreed to do last October, Iran said today that it would continue its 20% enrichment, which is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions and which the Iranian government originally justified by pointing to the need for fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. Furthermore, the Joint Declaration issued in Tehran is vague about Iran’s willingness to meet with the P5+1 countries to address international concerns about its nuclear program, as it also agreed to do last October.

The United States will continue to work with our international partners, and through the United Nations Security Council, to make it clear to the Iranian government that it must demonstrate through deeds –-- and not simply words –-- its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions. Iran must take the steps necessary to assure the international community that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes, including by complying with U.N. Security Council resolutions and cooperating fully with the IAEA. We remain committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, as part of the P5+1 dual track approach, and will be consulting closely with our partners on these developments going forward.

The European Union and Britain have put out similar statements.

UPDATE 1245 GMT: A group of Iranian political activists have declared that today’s uranium agreement, from a “political and economic” stance, is in the interest of the Iranian nation.

Mohammad Bastehnegar, Ezzatollah Sahabi, Taghii Rahmani, Hosein Rafii, Reza Raistoosi, Hossein ShahHosseini, Azam Taleghani, Reza Alijani, and Nezameddin Ghahari asserted that the agreement could end economic sanctions against Iran and lead to “transparency” in Iran’s relationship with the world.

The statement calls for collaboration of both conservative and reformist political activists in supporting this government initiative.

UPDATE 1110 GMT: Trita Parsi gets to the heart of why this arrangement was struck when last October's very similar deal, which reached top-table discussions in Geneva between Iran, the US, and other powers, collapsed. He notes talks between Brazil's Lula and the Supreme Leader: "This is no longer Ahmadinejad's nuclear deal, this is Khamenei's nuclear deal."

UPDATE 1015 GMT: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has offered more details of the proposed uranium swap at a press conference. From Press TV:

Iran will ask the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] to station its personnel in Turkey to monitor the safe-keeping of the dispatched LEU [Tehran's 1200 kilogrammes low-enriched uranium]....The top diplomat underlined Iran will inform the IAEA of its decision "through official channels" within no more than seven days from the Monday meeting.
"Upon the positive response of the Vienna Group --- which includes Russia, France, the United States and the IAEA --- further details of the exchange will be elaborated through a written agreement and proper arrangement between Iran and the Vienna group that specifically committed themselves to deliver 120 cages of fuel needed for the Tehran research reactor (TRR)," noted Mottaki.

If the Vienna Group accepts Iran's terms and conditions, Mottaki said, both parties will "commit themselves to the implementation" of the deal, which requires Iran to deposit its LEU in Turkey within one month, and in return, the Vienna group will deliver 120 kg of fuel required for the Tehran reactor in no later than one year.

UPDATE 0755 GMT: How big is this story for Iranian state media? Islamic Republic News Agency, noting that "Ahmadinejad raised his hands in victory", devotes 6 of its top 9 stories to the agreement. (Fars, on the other hand, has not stepped into line: its top story is on British Foreign Secretary William Hague speaking about the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai.)

UPDATE 0645 GMT: The Iran-Brazil-Turkey agreement is for a swap of uranium outside Iran, and just as signficant, it involves the 1200 kilogrammes of Tehran's stock that the US and "Western" countries were seeking last autumn.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Monday that the Tehran government has agreed to a draft proposal whereby Iran will send some 1200 kg of its 3.5 percent enriched uranium over to Turkey in exchange for a total of 120 kg 20 percent....

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will officially receive a letter with regards to the swap deal "within a week".

According to a Press TV correspondent, the swap will take place nearly a month after receiving official approval from the Vienna Group, which consists of representatives from Iran, France, Russia and the US and the IAEA.

Now watch carefully for the reaction from Washington. If it is favourable, even cautiously favourable, we've got a major breakthrough.

---
The dominant story in both Iranian and non-Iranian media today is likely to be the announcement between Iran, Brazil, and Turkey of an agreed procedure for a deal on enrichment of Iran's uranium.

No details will be available until later today, so significant questions remain. It is not clear whether Tehran has given any way to the essential demand of the US and other members of the "5+1" (UK, France, Germany, Russia, China) for a swap of uranium outside Iran. Politically, Washington's position --- has it privately supported the Brazilian and Turkish discussions? --- is murky.

The seriousness of the talks, however, is indicated not only by their 17-hour duration on Sunday but also by the level of involvement. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's postponement on Friday of his trip to Iran did not, in the end, mean that Turkey had withdrawn altogether. Rather, this seems to have been a case of wait-and-see: Turkish "ministers" were involved throughout Sunday: once it was clear that an agreement was possible, Erdogan reversed his position and flew to Tehran, joining Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The core issue is how Iran's 3.5-percent uranium will be exchanged for 20-percent uranium, needed for the Tehran Research Reactor producing medical isotopes.

UPDATED Iran Document: The Prosecutor on the Executions, "Leaders of Sedition" (15 May)

UPDATE 1045 GMT: OK, I won't say that the Iranian authorities are feeling the pressure of the fallout from the 9 May executions, but Dowlatabadi's public-relations campaign is becoming more intense. He has now given an interview to Press TV, which has provided a "rush transcript". The discussion covers both the case of Clotilde Reiss, the French graduate student released by Iran this weekend, and the five Iranians who were hung; however, Press TV's headline focuses only on the latter, "Tehran prosecutor talks crimes of executed five".

There is little in Dowlatabadi's beyond the interview with Fars News, translated and posted blow. Instead, the significance is the outlet. Given Press TV is Iran's international outlet, looks like Tehran feels a need to sway foreign as well domestic opinion.

The US Open Source Center provides a translation of Saturday's statement of Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, carried by Fars News (hat tip to an EA reader):


Ja'fari-Dowlatabadi has provided some details about the times, the methods and the reasons for the arrest of five counter-revolutionary terrorists who have been executed recently. He also warned one of the defeated candidates in the election, pointing out that his support for those individuals was a new offense, and the day when the trial of the leaders of sedition starts attention will be paid to all these issues as well.

According to the report of the legal correspondent of Fars News Agency, in a comprehensive interview the Public Prosecutor of Tehran Abbas Ja'fari-Dowlatabadi has referred to the way that five counter-revolutionary individuals were arrested. He said: "As it has been pointed out in the statement issued by the prosecutor's office, law-enforcement officials became suspicions of a vehicle on 28/5/1385 (18 August 2006), and while inspecting it they discovered five kilograms of explosives in it. Three individuals known as Farzad Kamangar, Farhad Vakili and Ali Heydarian who were trying to flee were arrested. Of course, one of those individuals managed to escape, but he was arrested later on in Sanandaj."

He added: "The activities of those three individuals included preparing a team (safe) house in Tehran in order to carry out terrorist operations, as well as making use of forged documents. In subsequent searches, 17 kilograms of explosives and a large quantity of weapons, including 57 RPG shells and 600 rounds of ammunition were seized."

According to the remarks of Tehran prosecutor, subsequent searches showed that the accused had been busy carrying out acts of sabotage since 1377 (the year that stated on 20 March 1998). However, they had started their operations after the armed Pezhak (Kurdish separatist group PEJAK) mini-group was formed. They had managed to explode bombs in the buildings of Kermanshah's governor's office and the Department of Commerce. Fortunately, they were arrested before they were able to carry out explosions in Tehran, which they had planned.

Referring to the fact that the families of the executed individuals have given rise to certain suspicions in Western media that the accused had been convicted in a trial lasting six minutes, he told Panjareh (Windows) Weekly: "The destroyed (executed) individuals were arrested on 28/5/1385. On 1/4/1386 (21 June 2007), namely a year later, a bill of indictment was issued for them. Their trial was held on 10/11/1386 (29 January 2008) after the bill of indictment had been sent to the court. The court sentence was communicated to the accused on 6/12/1386 (24 February 2008). As the result of their protest (appeal) their case was sent to the country's Supreme Court, and the sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court on 10/12/1387 (28 February 2009), or about a year later."

He stressed: "The process of the trial started on 25/8/1385 (18 August 2006), and it ended on 10/12/1387, and the sentences were carried out in the year 1389 (the year starting on 20 March 2010). In other words, the process of the trial of the accused had taken four years."

All the four accused were directly involved in terrorist missions planned by Pezhak (PEJAK). Responding to a question as to whether all the five (as published) individuals who had been arrested had been members of Pezhak mini-group, Tehran's prosecutor said: "Farzad Kamangar, Farhad Vakili, Ali Heydarian, and Shirin Alam-Huli were members of Pezhak mini-group. Alam-Huli had been arrested in Tehran on 6/3/1387 (26 May 2008) following some explosive operations at the premises of the Guards Corps. Her latest defense (presumably interrogation) had been made on 7/6/1387 (28 August 2008) and then her file was sent to the court. She was tried on 7/10/1387 (27 December 2008), and her sentence had been confirmed (presumably by Supreme Court) on 25/11/1388 (13 February 2009)."

He pointed out: "All the four condemned had been directly involved in Pezhak (PEJAK) mini-group terrorist missions, and explosives had been seized from all of them. The activities of those individuals fell under article 186 of the Islamic penal code. On the basis of that article, anyone who is a member or supporter of the warring (muharib) armed groups that are opposed to the system of the Islamic Republic and who had taken active and effective steps against the system will be regarded as a muharib. This is the text of the law, and it is not the case that the judiciary will condemn anyone to death for no reason."

Ja'fari Dowlatabadi added: "Those four individuals had been actively cooperating with the hostile mini-groups that had been fighting against the system of the Islamic Republic. Explosives had been discovered on them, they had taken part in explosive operations, and there is no doubt or hesitancy about the fact that they have been guilty and muharib, and the court sentences had been issued correctly."

Mehdi Eslamian was a member of the counter-revolutionary Tondar mini-group (a monarchist organisation). Regarding the fifth person, namely Mehdi Eslamian, Tehran prosecutor said: "He was a member of the counter-revolutionary Tondar mini-group, and he had been involved in the explosion in the Rahpuyan-e Vesal Hoseyniyyeh (a special mosque for holding Imam Husayn mourning ceremonies) in Shiraz, which had resulted in the martyrdom of about 14 people among the pious inhabitants of that city. Eslamian's brother, called Mohsen, was executed in Ordibehesht last year (the month starting on 20 April 2009) of last year in Shiraz."

Tehran prosecutor pointed out that Eslamian had prior knowledge regarding that explosion and when the perpetrators of that explosion had fled he had played an important role in providing financial and other forms of support for his brother. Ja'fari Dowlatabadi said: "His brother had come to Tehran in order to carry out explosive operations and Mehdi Eslamian had been cooperating with his brother during all the stages while being fully informed about his intention."

Creating such a negative climate is aimed at weakening the judiciary's ability to issue similar sentences in the future

This responsible official in the Judiciary responded to the point that the families of the condemned had called for the implementation of article 18 (of Islamic penal codes). He said: "It would only be possible to suspend the implementation of confirmed sentences only if an amnesty is issued by the esteemed leader of the revolution (Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i). The other alternative is to move in a different direction, such as the implementation of the amendment concerning article 18 of the law regarding public and revolutionary courts. We are not the body that can investigate the request about the implementation of the amended article 18."

He pointed out: "If their lawyer had wished to make a request in connection with that article, he should have followed up the matter through official channels. Furthermore, the implementation of that article is a part of the prerogative of the esteemed head of the Judiciary (Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani), and the reports regarding the files had been brought to his notice before the sentences had been carried out. The reason that they made that claim was merely in order to cast doubt and suspicion on the implementation of the sentences."

Speaking about the hostile propaganda of foreign media regarding the execution of the above-mentioned individuals, Tehran prosecutor said: "There is no doubt about the hostility of arrogant and Western media towards the Islamic Republic of Iran. They make use of every opportunity to deliver blows at the Islamic system. Furthermore, by engaging in a great deal of hue and cry Western media are trying to prevent Iran's progress. They know that the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran is faithful to its religious and ideological values. Consequently, they engage in hostile propaganda in order to force the judiciary to give in to their demands as the result of their hostile propaganda. They try to frighten the judges so that if other such sentences were to be passed they could not be implemented. However, such tools are ineffective."

Tehran prosecutor stressed: "One should kiss the hands of these honest judges who are bravely withstanding such pressures." He added: "I believe that such hostile propaganda is mainly in order to create a climate as the result of which they can pursue their goals. They know that under no system, including their own liberal systems, will the government allow armed groups to try to topple the government. The only exception is the work carried out by liberation movements in the occupied (Palestinian) territories, such as the work that is being carried out against the Zionist regime. All governments condemn the use of terrorism, weapons and explosives. How can Western media support the armed terrorist groups that have been involved in explosive operations and who have confessed to the membership in counter-revolutionary mini-groups (whose headquarters are still in existence)?"

Ja'fari Dowlatabadi added: "Such hostile propaganda is only aimed at weakening the Judiciary trying to prevent it from issuing similar sentences. Nevertheless, as in the past, the Judiciary will remain firm and strong against the criminals and those who have committed some offenses and who are active against the Islamic system, and it will act within the framework of the law. Under no circumstances would the non-implementation of final sentences be acceptable."

The execution of those five individuals had nothing to do with recent disturbances.
Tehran prosecutor was told that foreign media engage in a great deal of propaganda alleging that the individuals who had been executed had been among those who had been accused of involvement in post-election events. He said: "The two people who were executed last year [Mohammad Reza Zamani and Arash Ramanipour, hung in January] and these five individuals who have been executed have two different experiences (as published). Regarding the first two, called Mohammad Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanpur, we carried out the sentences without providing any information (presumably to the media). We only took part in one press conference, and we did not connect their issue to the events on the day of Ashura (the tenth day of Muharram, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, when there were some clashes in Tehran)."

He added: "Of course, the time when the executions were carried out was close to those events and was prior to the 30th of Bahman (18 February 2010). The Westerners have made those claims in order to engage in hostile propaganda. Following those hostile propaganda, in a statement we also revealed some facts about those two individuals as well."

In response to a question by Panjareh (Weekly), this judicial official stressed: "Regarding these five individuals, we issued a statement at the same time when the sentences were implemented, in order not to repeat the former experience. Nevertheless, we see that they (presumably Western media) are still pursuing their goals. The offenses of these seven people have been entirely connected with the events prior to the election and the subsequent disturbances."

He stressed: "Those executions had nothing to do with recent disturbances. Some people try to insinuate that through these executions the judiciary has tried to create a climate of fear and intimidation on the eve of the month of Khordad (June) and the anniversary of the election. However, we strongly deny those claims."

Ja'fari Dowlatabadi added: "These sentences had to be carried out, and the time for the implementation of those sentences is up to the prosecutor. Naturally, we must choose the times in such a way that it would give rise to the least amount of suspicion. We thought that this was a good time for carrying out those sentences. We do not have any analysis regarding a connection (presumably there was no connection) between those executions and the anniversary of the election or the period leading up to it."

He pointed out that some sentences might be passed now, but they may be executed many years later. How could one engage in an analysis (say) that these sentences have been passed for the sake of those days? In the year 1385 nobody could have imagined what would happen in the year 1388, so that we could have prepared those sentences for today."

The death sentences of three people were commuted to jail sentences by the court of appeal

In response to a question as to whether any of those who had been arrested in connection with the post-election events had been executed or not, Dowlatabadi said: "We have issued bills of indictment for ten people who had been arrested during the post-election events, especially on Ashura, on charges of muharib (fighting against God). Three of the sentences of execution passed by the primary court were confirmed by the court of appeal."

He provided the following details about these cases: "Ahmad Daneshpur-Moqaddam, Mohsen Daneshpur-Moqaddam, and Abdolreza Qanbari have been among the supporters and partisans of the Hypocrites (Monafeqin, a pejorative way of referring to the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation) mini-group. On the day of Ashura, Abdolreza Qanbari was directly sending reports to the Hypocrites. The death sentences of those three individuals have been confirmed. However, they have asked for an amnesty. Three other people called Motahhari Bahrami-Haqiqi, Reyhaneh Haj Ebrahim-Dabbagh, and Hadi Qa'emi were sentenced to death in the preliminary court, but the appeal court has commuted their sentences to imprisonment."

Arsalan Abadi and Mohammad Valian have been found not guilty of acting as muharib (warriors against God). Ja'fari Dowlatabadi added: "At the moment, we have three death sentences that have been confirmed, which refer to Mohammad Ali Saremi, Ja'far Kazemi, and someone known as Mohammad Ali Hajaqa'i. All three are among the supporters of the Hypocrites and their links with the Hypocrites are clear and definite. These three who have organizational affiliation (to the Mojahedin) were arrested in Shahrivar 1388 (September 2009)."

Tehran's prosecutor said: "Consequently, the bills of indictment issued in connection with the events of Ashura on charges of muhariba (fighting against God) include ten cases. Out of those, Arsalan Abadi and Mohammad Valian have been acquitted of charges of muhariba. The sentences of three of them have been confirmed and the sentences of three others have been commuted. The charges against two other individuals have not been investigated yet and they are awaiting trial."

He stressed that so far none of those sentences has been carried out and that all the hue and cry that is being made regarding the issue is baseless. He continued: "However, it is important to point out that the sentences of 217 of those who have been found guilty in connection with post-election incidents have been confirmed. Their protests (appeals) have been investigated and the sentences have been confirmed."

It would have been better for the former prime minister (Mir Hossein Musavi) if he had not added these charges to his file

Regarding the statement issued by one of the election candidates, in which he has condemned these executions, this judiciary official said: "In this connection, I remind you to two Islamic teachings. The first teaching is that you should not speak about an issue about which you have no knowledge. The second teaching is that one should not cover up the facts. The Jewish people were accused (in the Koran) of having covered up some facts despite having been aware of them. Covering up the facts is one of the worst charges that the Holy Koran has laid against the Prophet's opponents."

He added: "I would like to ask that individual (Mousavi) how many pages of these files he has read that he allows himself to pass such judgement on them. It would have been better for him if he had not added these charges to his file."

Tehran's prosecutor pointed out: "What is the meaning of defending those who have committed terrorist acts, who have martyred a number of people, from who a number of weapons have been seized and who have risen up against the Islamic system! How can those who claim to be following the line of the Imam (Khomeini) (may he rest in peace) forget his teachings regarding the need to fight against the warring mini-groups!"

Ja'fari Dowlatabadi added: "He (Mousavi) was the prime minister during the years when a number of executions were carried out against the Hypocrites on the orders of the Imam. If he is making such claims now, how could he have served during those years? He has no right to question the sentences of the courts that have been confirmed and to express a view about them that would please the enemies of the Islamic system."

The prosecutor general would definitely act about the support of a candidate for the individuals who have been executed

The public and revolutionary prosecutor of Tehran was asked about the investigation of the file of that individual (Mousavi). He said: "By expressing those views, he has in fact supported the guilty individuals and the counter-revolutionary mini-groups and has questioned the explicit sentences of the court. When a sentence has been confirmed no one is entitled to accuse the judiciary and in this way to please the enemies of the Islamic Republic, so that they imagine that we have executed a number of innocent individuals, and this is very unfair."

Dowlatabadi stressed: "The prosecutor general will definitely act at an appropriate time, and this has nothing to do with the electoral issues. In the year 1367 (the year that started on 20th March 1988) he (Mousavi) was completely familiar with the binding orders of His Eminence the Imam (may he rest in peace) regarding the Hypocrites, and he knows full well that the judiciary acts within the framework of national laws. The contents of the files clearly demonstrate that fact. He has been aware of the files of Farzad Kamangar (one of the five executed on 9 May) and others. The fact that the sentences are carried out a few years later does not mean that the sentences that had been issued had been wrong. They had not been carried out (earlier on) for a number of reasons and now the judiciary has carried them out."

He stressed: "It would be better for these individuals who claim to be following the line of the Imam to act in accordance with what they claim. They should specially support this system that has been founded on the basis of Islam and the Koran."

Tehran's prosecutor added: "Such actions are tantamount to trying to flee forward (trying to take the offensive) in order to say that all the sentences that are issued are invalid. In his statement he has stated that we have detained a number of people who have served (the country). However, those who have been arrested in the course of the election disturbances are those who have acted against national security, and according to the laws of the Islamic penal code any action against national security must be punished."

Some of the supporting statements and views of a defeated election candidate are tantamount to spreading lies (against the system)

Speaking about the way that Tehran prosecutor's office would act against the phenomenon of issuing illegal statements, Dowlatabadi said: "We have repeatedly said that we distinguish between criticism and committing a crime. According to the constitution and the press law, it is permissible to criticize the officials of the Islamic Republic and their performance, and nobody should have any concerns regarding that. Criticism has been allowed both during the leadership of His Eminence the Imam and under the leadership of the esteemed leader of the revolution. However, engaging in insults and questioning the pillars of the revolution and supporting some activities that are forbidden by the law would be regarded as offenses."

He stressed: "This man's views and the support that he has provided (for those who have been executed) are tantamount to spreading lies, and expressing such views is an offense. Nowhere in the world is the judiciary attacked in such a brazen manner, especially at a time when the sentences that have been passed by the courts have been confirmed (by the Supreme Court)."

Tehran prosecutor said: "These people wish to please certain individuals and to achieve some status for themselves. However, they overlook the fact that such stances are quite contrary to the aspirations of His Eminence the Imam and his support for the Islamic Republic, in the same way that the events on the day of Ashura exposed a number of people. Some time ago, this man also met with the members of the Freedom Movement, which was very strongly criticised by the Imam, and the views that he expresses are in keeping with the views of that movement."

On the day when the trial of the leaders of sedition starts, attention will be paid to all these issues

Tehran prosecutor stressed: "Many of the stances that he and another defeated candidate have adopted constitute offenses, but as the Islamic system acts on the basis of some considerations regarding their trial we have left it to an appropriate time."
This responsible official in the judiciary pointed out that the fact that we keep quiet does not mean that their actions do not constitute offenses. He said: "Trying them on charges of acting as the leaders of sedition would depend on some Islamic considerations, and we shall definitely act on that basis. However, his recent statement in support of the destroyed (executed) counter-revolutionary criminals is one that is quite different from his former electoral statements and it is contrary to the principles. When they are put on trial all of these issues will be taken into consideration."

The sentences of 217 individual who have been found guilty have been confirmed
Ja'fari Dowlatabadi pointed out that the judiciary must act in accordance with the law, but as the Imam had pointed out the Islamic system takes into account certain considerations that may be beyond our understanding. He added: "Today, we are not acting according to the public demand for prosecuting the leaders of sedition. This is not due to weakness, or negligence, or some form of coordination with them or due to the lack of concern. The reason for this delay is that the time for it (the trial) has not yet arrived." He stressed: "When the right time comes we shall act, exactly as one picks a fruit that is ripe."

Tehran prosecutor said: "We would like to reassure the people that the judiciary acts within this framework. If we are keeping quiet these days it does not mean that we accept (agree with) those statements." He added: "Our working experience during the past 30 years have shown us to act in such a way that we will achieve the goals of the revolution. God willing, we shall respond to this public demand at the right time."

At the end, Ja'fari Dowlatabadi pointed out: "So far, none of the sentences concerning those who have been arrested in connection with recent events has been implemented, and all this hue and cry is baseless. However, it is necessary to point out that the sentences of 217 individuals who have been found guilty of involvement in the post-election incidents have been confirmed. Their protests have been investigated and the sentences have been confirmed."