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 International Electoral Education Council (IEEC) is currently focusing on upcoming elections in several countries, including the June 14 elections in Iran. One of the programs being undertaken by the IEEC is the study of Iran’s Out of Country Voting (OCV) process. They have created documents to assist individuals and organizations interested in informal electoral observation at polling stations outside of Iran. The Handbook for Iran and a Methodology and Checklist for observation prepared by the IEEC in both English and Persian.
The Editor. April 16, 2013
Arseh Sevom – Over the years, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij have become increasingly active in the political sphere, interfering with the operation of free and fair elections with increasing prevalence. Under the guise of protecting the revolution, they have subverted electoral law with impunity. With each election, their meddling has become more brazen [...]
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. 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. January 29, 2013
Declaring free elections without saying “free elections” The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, shot himself in the foot last week when he called for an end to public demands for free elections, reported Radiofarda [en]. In response to comments made in recent weeks by figures such as former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad [...]
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 [...]
The Editor. January 10, 2013
We may have taken a break, but the news did not. So happy new year to all of our readers and a quick rundown of what’s in store in 2013′s first weekly review. We’ve got letters for you this week. The most heartbreaking comes from 21-year old Zanyar Moradi who begs the world to take [...]
The Editor. June 18, 2012
Green Movement: Three Years On This week marked the third anniversary of the demonstrations following Iran’s flawed 2009 presidential elections, which brought the Green Movement to the world stage. In 2009, millions of Iranian citizens took to the streets of Tehran and other major Iranian cities to protest what they saw as a rigged election. [...]
The Editor. June 18, 2012
The hashtag RememberIran is being used on Twitter to share memories from the events of three years ago in Iran. A small sample of the tweets follows: [View the story "RememberIran" on Storify]
The Editor. March 6, 2012
This week was dominated by news of parliamentary elections, and threats of war, Asghar’s Oscar continued to bring some joy to people and to be a topic of discussion all over the world. In the streets of Tehran some even handed out candy to celebrate. The New York Times has provided a flurry of opinion [...]
The Editor. February 28, 2012
Iran’s Civil Society in the News: Arseh Sevom Round-up of Top Stories from the Week of February 19-25 Contents Hunger Strikes and Heresy: Prisoners of Conscience in Danger Opposition Calls for Voters to Stay Home The Call for Free and Fair Elections Jammin’ and Jammin’ and Jammin’… Jam No More Coming to Your TV: Iran’s [...]
