Arseh Sevom — The elections are coming, which means candidates are finally registering, the internet is slowing, and paranoia is high. In the latest crackdown, dogs walked in public are being confiscated. Iran hasn’t budged on the press freedom index, hanging on to its spot as one of the six worst countries in the world. Workers refuse to let May Day go unnoticed: they celebrate, strike, and protest poor wages and even worse conditions. Ten political prisoners in Evin were transferred to solitary confinement, while permits have been issued for mining in protected natural areas.
The cost of currency combined with crippling sanctions is hurting all sectors of Iran’s society from business owners to pharmaceutical manufacturers to the population at large. Iron sellers went on strike, a food for oil deal with Shell was blocked, and children are going malnourished. Iran’s workers suffer from unpaid wages and poor safety regulations. The subsidy [...]
The Editor. April 9, 2013
Arseh Sevom — With election season on the horizon, speculation begins about likely candidates while officials create an atmosphere of insecurity with rumors and fear mongering. Civil society actors in Khuzestan are rounded up. The family of a former framer of Iran’s constitution is told that there can be no public gathering for his funeral. [...]
The Editor. March 8, 2013
Arseh Sevom — This week the mother of Neda, the young woman whose death was captured on camera during the demonstrations following the 2009 presidential elections, reminds us of international women’s day. (h/t United4Iran). Ban Ki Moon makes a statement for an end to violence against women and children. Iran’s sociologists report on growing sexual [...]
The Editor. March 8, 2013
Whether it is preventing filmmakers from making films or protesting the decisions of international festivals and awards committees, film has been in the news lately when it comes to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Envelope Please… “In the end, life is but memories. Bitter memories. Sweet Memories. There’s more to life than work…” a character [...]
The Editor. February 21, 2013
Arseh Sevom — From the “not again” department, we hear news that the Intelligence Ministry won’t let up on the BBC and continues to arrest, hold, and harass journalists and filmmakers. Meanwhile, Jafar Panahi receives international acclaim despite being under house arrest and banned from filmmaking. The South Pole could become a vacation spot for [...]
The Editor. February 14, 2013
Arseh Sevom — Student leader, Majid Tavakoli, locked up in prison in Iran, will be awarded the International Student Peace Prize in a ceremony in Norway on February 15. Authorities announce new categories of criminalized speech in advance of the upcoming presidential elections. Mehdi Karroubi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mir Hossein Mousavi remain under house arrest [...]
The Editor. February 7, 2013
This week we saw the arrest of the notorious Saeed Mortazavi following a very public power struggle on the floor of the parliament between the speaker, Ali Larijani, and the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad joined the ranks of those on the receiving end of flying shoes during a trip to Egypt. And amidst worries about [...]
The Editor. January 31, 2013
Arseh Sevom –Everything has its place in Iran: monkeys in space and journalists in prison. And, oh what a prison! After prisoners complain of their conditions, parliamentarians visit Evin, calling it a “hotel.” Stoning makes a comeback — at least in print. The surveillance of Iran’s cafes is revealed when Cafe Prague closes its doors in [...]
The Editor. January 24, 2013
Arseh Sevom — Prison furloughs have been given to a number of prisoners of conscience even as Sakharov Prize winner Nasrin Sotoudeh was called back to prison after just three days. Public executions spark debate. Iranian State Television airs an “exposé” of CIA spying. Parliament debates restricting foreign travel for all women under 40 while [...]
The Editor. January 24, 2013
January 22, 2013: The undersigned human rights organizations strongly oppose the death sentences issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) against five civil and cultural activists who are members of the Ahwazi Arab ethnic minority in Iran. We urge the IRI authorities to halt the implementation of the death sentences against these five men pending [...]
The Editor. January 17, 2013
Arseh Sevom — Despite efforts to keep life-saving medicine from falling victim to sanctions, there is a shortage in Iran. “Free” elections is a hot topic while the squeeze on purchasing power worries a Revolutionary Guard Commander. Musicians find themselves behind bars and Yahoo! rolls out secure email. Killing Us Softly: Sanctions and Iran’s Health [...]
