Ahmadinejad
Security Forces Unlawfully Close Iran’s House of Cinema
Arseh Sevom believes that the interference from governmental bodies and security forces is the primary cause for the problems facing one of the biggest NGOs in Iran. What has happened to the members of House of Cinema in the past few years is a violation of th
House of Cinema Attacked
July 15, 2013 was another in a long list of bad days for Iran’s beleaguered House of Cinema. On the order of the Ministry of Culture, the building that houses the organization was broken into and shut down by the police.
Iran: Ultra Democracy, Engineering Makes it So
In the most “engineered” of election campaigns since the inception of the Islamic Republic, candidates are surprised to find themselves censored. The Revolutionary Guards reorganizes to face the challenge posed by elections, warning that Ahmadinejad supporters
Iran: Under Pressure Society Struggles
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, […]
Iran: Wrestling with the BBC, the South Pole, and the IOC
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, […]
Iran: Power Struggle, Shoes, Lost Revenues
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, […]
Ahmadinejad Under a Spell?
Hardline cleric Mesbah Yazdi claims that Ahmadinejad’s closest adviser has bewitched him, the Washington Post reports. The cleric said Ahmadinejad’s top adviser, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, has used has hypnotism, spells or charms to take control of Iran’s electe
Iran’s reformists and activists: Internet exploiters
The political use of the Internet by two of Iran’s distinct social movements, women’s-rights activists and the reformist ulama (clerics), reveals the innovative force of this new medium.