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Iran: Mousavi Statement for 13 Aban Demonstrations (31 October)
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The Latest from Iran (31 October): Karroubi to March on 13 Aban

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2100 GMT: A Hold-Up of the Telecommunications Privatisation? Mehr News reports that Iran’s General Inspection Organization has said uncertainties remain in the purchase of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI), submitting its report to a Parliamentary committee for further investigation.

Three Iranian firms, part of a consortium named Etemad Mobin Development, bought 50 percent plus one share of the company for $7.8 billion on 20 September. There are claims that the Revolutionary Guard is a hidden partner in the consortium.

2050 GMT: Mr Smith adds to the news (1530 GMT) that Mehdi Karroubi restated his claims of election fraud in a meeting today. Karroubi was actually meeting the leadership of Daftar-Tahkim-Vahdat, the student organisation who supported him in the Presidential campaign and whose leaders, Ahmad Zeidabadi and Abdollah Momeni, are currently in jail.

2030 GMT: More on Hengameh Shahidi. After some uncertainty this afternoon over her announced release on $90,000 bail, the Karroubi advisor was able to leave after more than 120 days in detention, including 50 in solitary confinement. There are reports that she has been transferred to hospital following her hunger strike last week.

We have been identifying Shahidi as a lawyer. Mr Smith checks in to correct us: she is a prominent journalist and war correspondent.
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Tags: 13 Aban, Abdollah Momeni, Ahmad Reza Radan, Ahmad Zeidabadi, Ali Larijani, Alireza Beheshti, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Yusuf Sane'i, Borzou Daragahi, Daftar-Tahkim-Vahdat, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hengameh Shahidi, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Iran Telecom, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Los Angeles Times, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud Vahidnia, Mehdi Karroubi, Mehr News, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Sadegh Larijani, Seyed Reza Taghavi

NEW Iran: The Karroubi Letter to Rafsanjani on Abuse of Detainees
UPDATED More Iran Drama: Will Rafsanjani Lead This Friday’s Prayers?
Iran: President Ahmadinejad’s Battle in Parliament
The Latest from Iran (9 August): Once More on Trial

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1830 GMT. Sinking. Ship. Etc. Further to our news that members of Parliament have criticised President Ahmadinejad’s choice for Minister of Defence, Sadegh Masouli, two MPs have gone public with more revelations of trouble. Javad Arianmanesh, an MP from Mashhad, has stated that the probability of a vote of confidence for Mahsouli, who is the current Minister of Interior, is very weak, and Mehrabian, Aliahmadi and Eskandari (Ministers of Industry, Education, and Agriculture) are also unlikely to go through. Mr. Hosseini, the MP from Gharaveh and member of the Parliamentary Energy Commission, has asserted, “In these conditions more that half of the ministers will not get a vote of confidence”.

In these circumstances, Ahmadinejad’s selection of Masouli was either very brave or very stupid: the Interior Ministry had difficulty getting confirmation last year amidst a running battle in the background between Ahmadinejad and Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani.

1710 GMT: Aftab News is repeating the assertion that Rafsanjani will not lead the Friday prayers. Still no comment from the former President’s website.

1705 GMT: In a new directive the Intelligence Ministry has warned the media to “refrain from publishing information that has been classified as top secret material by this ministry….This includes documents, identity of Intelligence Ministry personnel, information about the hierarchical framework of Intelligence Ministry etc….Ignoring the rules and regulations in this matter would lead to legal prosecution.”

I am sure this announcement has nothing to do whatsoever with the revelations of the mass firings by the President of Ministry of Intelligence personnel.
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Tags: Aftab News, Ali Larijani, Etemade Melli, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Kahrizak Prison, Mehdi Karroubi, Mohammad Ali Jafari, Sadegh Masouli, Seyed Reza Taghavi, Yudollah Javani

The Latest from Iran (9 August): Once More on Trial

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UPDATE 10 August, 1740 GMT: OK, EA staff and some well-informed colleagues have put heads together while we wait for some confirmation, any confirmation, from Hashemi Rafsanjani’s website.

There is a significant difference between the statement of Seyed Reza Taghavi, the head of the Friday prayers committee, and the alleged statement from Rafsanjani’s office. Taghavi’s statement indicated that the cancellation was necessary to prevent the “political exploitation” by the opposition of the event. The supposed statement from Rafsanjani said the former President was withdrawing to avoid “likely disturbances”. So Rafsanjani, if the statement is true, has put the burden of blame on the security forces, indicating their past attitudes towards protest and demonstration has prevented his appearance.

Still, we have to put our hands up for the moment: is the statement true?

UPDATE 10 August, 1645 GMT: Etemade Melli, the newspaper affiliated with Mehdi Karroubi, has jumped in, considering the statement from the Friday prayers committee: “It seems that such a decision [Rafsanjani's withdrawal from Friday prayers in Tehran] has been made because of concerns that the last blatant display of popular support that greeted Rafsanjani last time will be repeated. The question remains that was this decision made [by the committee] due to governmental pressure or that Rafsanjani himself decided to not lead the prayers”.

UPDATE 10 August, 1520 GMT: The Iranian Labor News Agency’s report, claiming a statement from Rafsanjani’s office, that the former President will not lead Friday prayers is being cited as fact by international news outlets. BBC Persian is reporting, without referring to ILNA, that Rafsanjavi has stepped aside. CNN is even more blatant (and thus far from completely accurate): “A powerful former president of Iran who has become a critic of the regime will not lead Friday prayers this week, despite earlier reports that he would, his office said Monday.”

However, ILNA’s article is curiously close to the line set out by the head of the Friday prayers, Seyed Reza Taghavi (1120 GMT), and there is no statement on Rafsanjani’s website.

It is also worth remembering that, before Rafsanjani led prayers on 17 July, there were false reports on state media that he had withdrawn.

Interpretation for the moment? Until there is confirmation from Rafsanjani’s own people, this should be treated as an attempt either to bump the former President into stepping down or to mislead people that he will not be appearing.

UPDATE 10 August, 1320 GMT: The Iranian Labor News Agency is claiming that Rafsanjani’s office has issued a statement saying the former President will not lead Friday prayers this week. for “the prevention of political conflict.”

UPDATE 10 August, 1130 GMT: Seyed Reza Taghavi, the head of the commitee for Friday prayers committee, has said Hashemi  Rafsanjani will not lead this Friday’s service in Tehran “to prevent political manipulation”.

There has been a bit of a drama regarding Rafsanjani’s Friday prayers.
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Tags: Expediency Council, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Seyed Reza Taghavi