1945 GMT: The English-language website of Mowj-e-Sabz has a short summary of the Mousavi-Khatami meeting (1500 GMT).
1830 GMT: After a four-day absence, fueling speculation of a connection to the ill health of the Supreme Leader (0645 GMT), the newspaper Kayhanhas reappeared today.
1515 GMT: The Battle Goes On. Yesterday Karroubi made clear his intention to stand firm against Government threats of arrests. So today the Government reiterated the warnings. The deputy head of Iran’s judiciary, Ebrahim Raeesi, has repeated to the Islamic Republic News Agency that the consideration of charges is “very serious”.
1500 GMT: Mousavi and Khatami Meet. Parleman News summarises a discussion between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mohammad Khatami, who asserted that the Iranian nation will not be diverted from its course by “force and pressure”. The post-election movement had awakened Iran to the blessings of Islamic Revolution, especially its path toward justice, freedom, independence, and honour, and it would not deviate from its attachment to those ideals.”
1345 GMT: Nice response to today’s Friday Prayers on Twitter: “Hey Jannati, thanks for the free publicity! You told WAY more ppl about 13 Aban [4 November demonstrations] than the Greens could!”
2025 GMT: Grand Ayatollah Montazeri has issued a thinly-veiled challenge to the Revolutionary Guard through another statement. Focusing on the abuses of the armed forces, he declares, “Some think that because they have guns they should exercise the power of their guns and use it everywhere. In any society that wants to be obedient, its armed forces should not be cruel but rather be compassionate and merciful.”
2000 GMT: Remember how we started this morning with a letter from Hashemi Rafsanjani, criticising and warning about “false news” to discredit him? Well, consider this from Javan Online, a publication closely linked with the Revolutionary Guard, as reported by Tabnak:
“Since the inauguration of the 10th administration, I believe in its legitimacy. Presently Mr. [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad attends the Expediency Council meetings as president, with invitations signed by myself,” Rafsanjani said in a meeting with Iranian political figures in favor of the national unity plan.
It’s not surprising that Javan would put this story, whether or not it is accurate. What is surprising is that, in light of Rafsanjani’s warning that the only reliable news about him would come either from his website or the offices of the Expediency Council, an important website like Tehran Bureau would reprint Javan’s claim without reflection.
Or, if you prefer a more serious but high-quality end to the evening, check out Al Jazeera’s documentary inside the Iranian protests, filled with new footage on the early days of the post-election conflict.
1835 GMT: The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports that academic Kian Tajbakhsh was arrested on Thursday night. Tajbakhsh is a specialist in local government reform, urban planning, public health, and social policy who has taught at both American and Iranian universities.
1830 GMT: A new website, “The Rooftop Project”, is trying to compile a present a full record of the nightly “Allahu Akhbar” (God is Great) protests from just before the election to the present. We’ve posted a note and sample footage in a separate entry.
1810 GMT: A lull in developments inside Iran, so EA’s Ali Yenidunya has looked at developments elsewhere, “It’s not the statement of the G8 Summit [on the Iranian nuclear programme] that poses the questions over future relations with Iran. Those are in the post-summit positions now being considered in Washington and Paris, not to mention Moscow and Beijing. Read the rest of this entry »