Green Brief #25

(This report has been compiled through reports by twitter users in Iran and aboard, as well as contacts inside and outside Iran. Media outlets have been credit where used. As reports coming from Iran cannot be fully authenticated, if the report confirms something, at best it confirms that several reliable twitter sources agreed upon it. If you want to follow my updates, my twitter account is @Iran_Translator)

Protests / Unrest

1.Delayed reports - just emerging - confirm that protests did indeed take place around the country on July 9th. We also have authentication of mass arrests during this time. Reports of black-outs during Ahmadinejad's speech are now being confirmed by mainstream media as well (this was confirmed on twitter three days ago).

2.Vast weekly protests and the heavy presence of Basiji's have had a negative impact on Iranian bazaars; they are finding it harder and harder to stay open. As a result, commerce is slowly coming to a standstill. Reports indicate that the opposition is in the midst of planning more strikes and protests. Today, about 150 protesters pelted eggs at the German Embassy in Tehran protesting against the death of an Egyptian woman in Germany at the hands of a right-wing extremist.

3.People in Tehran are continuing to honk their horns at the sight of Basijis - and chanting anti-government slogans while speeding away. Many people drive with their headlights on. Reports indicate that many Basijis are quitting their jobs and are being replaced by fresh recruits, many of them under 18. People travelling to Iran are being targeted at the airport upon entry and are being forced to divulge their Twitter and Facebook accounts so the government can monitor their online activity.

Opposition

4.In a letter to the Head of the Judiciary, Mahdi Karoubi – one of the candidates during the election and a key force behind the current protests – asked for the immediate release of all political prisoners as well as arrested protesters. In a letter addressed to Ayatollah Shahrodi, Karoubi claimed that, "People believed in the system, however, the system had been hijacked by a few." He accused Tehran's authorities of systematically eradicating opposition. He warned the government of "unimaginable consequences" if the current situation persisted.

5.Ayatollah Montazeri has released a Fatwa that is very supportive of protesters and their cause. In the Fatwa, Montazeri "condemned violence against protesters as un-Islamic." He's pleaded with the government to not play with the name of Shi'ism and Islam with their actions. He hinted that Khamenei's leadership is standing against Islam, human rationale and National interests – and that he was clearly in the wrong. Reports of Ayatollah Ustadi - Qom's temporary Friday Prayer's Imam - resigning his position and calling a strike could not be confirmed.

6.In an open letter released to the media, the women's wing of Mousavi's Participation Front have said that Iranian mothers were awaiting the release of their loved ones with teary eyes and aching hearts. They asked the government to immediately release all prisoners and to stop arresting people for using peaceful means to express their dissent.

Government / International

7.Iranian Foreign Minister, Manuchehr Motaki, has stated that Iran is willing to discuss issues with the West, but claimed that the government was going to present a package of issues for discussion – rather than just one. This comes at a time when the European Union has now fully suspended visas to Iranian diplomats who wish to enter any EU member nation.

8.The spokesperson for Parliament's Imam's Way Faction declared that the government's legitimacy was "questionable" after what transpired post-election. Reports from Tehran indicate that many members within the Faction are thinking of not partaking in the "vote of confidence" that will be held in Parliament soon (the President selects a cabinet, and then a vote of confidence takes place). The spokesperson added that, "When a Cabinet Minister refuses to answer to the public, then it shouldn't expect to get a vote of confidence."

9.Tehran's Police Chief has declared a state of emergency in parts of Tehran. Iran's government removed the head of security of Zanjan Province - after reports surfaced that he may be sympathetic to the reform movement. A number of prominent citizens in Tabriz have written a letter to Khamenei declaring that, "people were not satisfied with the election and that they will continue to voice their opposition to Ahmadinejad's government."

10. One of Mousavi's offices, located inside the Presidential Palace, was evacuated by government orders. Mousavi used this office during the last twenty years after leaving the Prime Minister's Post. It was NOT his campaign headquarters. Meanwhile, the government is stepping up its media campaign of discrediting Mousavi's role in Iran's past. This comes at a time when a large number of Iranian clerics in Qom have reportedly threatened to leave Iran for Najaf, Iraq (Najaf is the holiest site in Shi'ism and Qom is a center of Shi'ite learning). They demanded the government to cease with their relentless pressure to side with them.

Arrested / Released / Killed

11. Reports from inside Evin Prison indicate that at least one prisoner has died under extreme torture. The prisoner is the son of a member of the group of Mourning Mothers and was reportedly named Sohrab A'rabi. Reports of torturous acts had been confirmed before, but recent details reveal more extreme forms such as:

oBinding and then beating prisoners with batons oForcing prisoners to lay on their wounded side – on hot asphalt oPouring scorching-hot water over prisoners' heads

12.Reports of more than a dozen prisoners crammed into a 9 x 9 foot cell are increasing. Other reports indicate that the prison is so overcrowded that prisoners are now being thrown into cells that are half-demolished. Prisoners are interrogated non-stop for more than 12 hours. Injured prisoners are not receiving any medical attention - many are said to be in very bad conditions.

13. Iran is now holding 36 journalists in prison. Reports indicate that despite the overcrowding, nearly 150 protesters arrested on July 9th in Tehran were moved to Evin Prison. We don't have confirmations to the number of people arrested, but without a place to go. The arrest of many people were confirmed today - among them: Abbas Mirza Abutalebi (a reformist politician), Majid Saidi and Towheed Begi (photojournalists), Kaveh Muzaffari (a journalist who been detained and released prior), Shamsuddin Esaie (a key aide of Mousavi), and Hengameh Shaheedi (a key member of Etemaade Melli Party).

14. On a positive note, Iranian courts postponed the court date for seven Baha'is detained in Tehran today. They are being prosecuted under Iran's strict religious laws because of their faith. Reports also indicate that Kambiz Noroozi, a journalist detained yesterday, was released. The families of several detainees have pleaded directly to influential clerics in Qom to help attain the release of their loved ones.

Media

15. In an unexpected move, ISNA – one of Iran's official news agencies – declared that recent unrests in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Province was provoked by US intervention in Chinese affairs. ISNA declared that China did all it could to quell an uprising fueled by foreign intervention.

Green Brief #24

tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely and post it wherever you wish to.)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Friday, July 10 .


Protests / Unrest

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

1. There was a gathering of the families of those detained during the protests in Tehran today. Protesters stood in front of Kalantari 103 Pasdaran, 140 Baghe Faiz and Enghelab Square. Numbers cannot be confirmed, but the numbers were probably small.

2. It has not been confirmed that Basijis attacked the dorms of the Polytechnic University yesterday. The presence of Rafsanjani’s family was also partially confirmed. Still no word of whether Mousavi joined mourners later in the evening like he said he would.

3. Police in Nicosia, Cyprus clashes with Iranian protesters in front of the Iranian Embassy. People were seen being dragged and reports indicate that several were arrested and held for several hours. Whether this was from July 09 cannot be confirmed at this point. Here’s a video related to the incident: Revolutionary Road...: Shame on Cyprus police!


Government / International

Image via Wikipedia

4. Ayatollah Hashim Hashim-Zadeh Hareesi – a member of the Assembly of Experts – said today that people had started to distrust the system. He explained that whatever had happened after the election had caused people to become suspicious and that the government needed to take strides to restore people’s trust otherwise, distrust could result in further more severe problems.

5. Tehran's Interim Fridays Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani asked the Majlis of Iran to take measures in solving some short-comings that are present in the current electoral law. According to Ayatollah Emami Kashani, the unrest that followed the recent election was a result of those short-comings.

6. The Guardian Council’s spokesperson, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaie said today that the Guardian Council was currently going over the entire election. According to him, the Council will soon release a detailed report about the election. The Council has already affirmed the impartiality and accuracy of the election which leaves little room for further investigation into charges of fraud.

7. The French Ambassador in Tehran met with Clotilde Reiss, the detained Frenchwoman who’s currently being held in Iran on charges of espionage. According to the ambassador, Ms. Reiss looked in good mental health. It is not clear as of yet when she will be released.

8. Iran’s government today summoned the German ambassador and questioned him about the death of an Egyptian woman in Germany at the hands of racist extremists. Iranian TV continues to show her death and accuse the West of acting against Muslims in Europe.

9. The G7 nations + Russia have given Iran till September to restart negotiations on its controversial nuclear program. It was unclear what Iran’s rejection of this offer would entail. The statement came during a meeting in l’Aquila, Italy where the group was meeting to go over the world-wide economic downturn.

10. A U.S. panel has demanded that Baha'is facing trial in Iran be released immediately. Baha'is are a religious minority in Iran who believe in a universal religion and are fervent supporters of world peace. They are openly persecuted because of the country’s strict religious laws.

11. The Canadian also summoned the Iranian ambassador in Ottawa and demanded the immediate release of Canadian-Iranian journalist Mazyar Bahari. Bahari has been detained for a while now and the government is trying to keep a lid on Bahari’s whereabouts. She works for Newsweek.


Arrests / Releases / Deaths

12. Iranian-American Scholar, Kian Tajbakhsh has been arrested according to reliable sources. Majid Durri has also been rearrested. There are also reports that security forces arrested several students during their raid at Amir Kabir University’s dorm. Their fate remains unknown.

13. The only person released today was Kambiz Noroozi, yet his arrest cannot be fully confirmed. Family members of several political prisoners – including those of Mirdamadi and Hajjarian - met with Ayatollah Mousavi Aradabeli today. Ayatollah Ardabeli consoled the families and discussed the issue with them. He later said that this is an important issue and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

14. Reports have now surfaced that people detained during yesterday’s protests have been moved to Evin Prison. The prison is reportedly so full that people are kept in the corridors. Sources have confirmed that people are being viciously tortured and detainees are underfed. Many are facing solitary confinement.


Media

15. Fars News has reported that the government has discovered a recording studio belonging to the BBC at Mousavi’s campaign headquarters. Iranian media continues to beat the drum of an Egyptian woman’s death in Germany and protests yesterday were for the most part, ignored.


*A hearty thanks to Sahar joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who're spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. Thank you very much everyone for helping out Anonymous with donations so they could keep the servers up and running and clear the cost. Very grateful for that!

B. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

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Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #23

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely and post it wherever you wish to.)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Thursday, July 9 .


Protests / Unrest

1. As anticipated, there were protests today in almost every corner of Iran. In total, tens of thousands took to the streets across the country. Protesters were brutalized, arrested and shot at. Tear gas was extensively used. Detailed recap follows.

2. Tehran - Even before the protests started, security forces had gathered in Enghelab Square, Jamalzadeh Square and other parts of the city. It appeared as if helicopters were flying around in almost every block of the city. Their presence was continuous over Enghelab Square, Laleh Park, Azadi Blvd, and Azadi Square. An IRG (Islamic Revolutionary Guard) Unit, also known as Sepahe Pasdaran in Farsi, was stationed in front of the Ministry of Interior. All shops were closed on Azadi Blvd to prevent possible damage.

3. By 5 PM, people started to gather en masse at Vanak Square, Enghelab Square, Valiasr Square, Ferdowsi Square, as well as other parts in Tehran. Hundreds gathered at Tehran and Polytechnic University. People were joined by their wives, fathers, mothers and children. Contrary to most reports, many elderly people were also reported to have joined the protests. At times, pedestrians would join protesters in order to increase their numbers – making it more difficult for security forces to attack.

Image by .faramarz via Flickr

4. Protesters chanted “Mir Hossein, Ya Hossein!” and “Death to the Dictator.” Strangely enough, some slogans were directed at Mojtaba Khamenei – the son of Ayatollah Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei has allegedly taken control of the Basiji and is heavily involved in the government’s attempt at brutally suppressing the protests. “Mojtaba Bemiri, Rahbari Ro Nabini” – Mojtaba may you die and never become the leader – was heard being chanted in many neighborhoods (I personally viewed some authentic videos).

5. Estimating how many people actually gathered in Tehran is almost impossible. What can be safely asserted, from eyewitness accounts and examination of videos, is that the numbers were more than 35,000 - that's including all the protesters and some pedestrians who joined them. Again, this number is only an estimate. All over the country, the number of protesters was reported to be slightly more than twice as much. On a side note, there were confirmed reports of people protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in Tehran.

6. The police and the Basiji did not back away today. Clashes were reported in Tehran at Valiasr Square, Enghelab Square, Vanak Square, Karegar Shomali Street, Tehran University, and other parts of the city. Police shot at people in Azadi and Enghelab squares. People were seen being hit by bullets and falling to the ground. So far, at least one fatality has been confirmed in today’s scuffles.

7. Tear gas was used at Vanak Square, Enghelab Square, Tehran University and in other areas. Tear gas was most heavily used in front of Tehran University where hundreds of protesters had gathered. Protesters were shot at with rubber bullets as well. Tear gas was hurled at buses – an attempt to stop protesters from getting to and from other protest sites.

8. We have confirmed reports that plainclothesmen attacked dorms inside of Amir Kabir University. Partially confirmed reports also indicate attacks on Polytechnic University’s. Unconfirmed reports suggest security forces shot at people from helicopters. Heavy clashes were reported on Tajrish and Shariati Streets as well.

9. Fires were ablaze around the city. The metro station at Mirdamad was set on fire. Basijis were seen breaking window shops and attacking people indiscriminately. There were reports of people going on the offense and retaliating against the Basiji - in an attempt to stop them from damaging property and arresting other protesters.

10. Mousavi was supposed to join mourning families at a mosque today in Tehran. So far, no reports of his presence have emerged. Rafsanjani’s daughter was also expected to join the protests – no confirmation of her attendance has been obtained.

11. As previously mentioned, only one death can be confirmed at this point. Videos of people brutally beaten have been circulating on the internet – most of them confirmed. Today’s protests have seen an increase number of women heartlessly beaten. As the security forces chased crowds, women were often the ones falling behind, and thus, were mercilessly beaten with batons (Personally saw the video of woman with a broken leg being carried away by other protesters).

12. At the end of the day in Tehran, people took to the roofs again and started chanting ‘Allah o Akbar’ and ‘Death to the Dictator’. There were reports of Basijis shooting at people on rooftops in some parts of Tehran. Only partial confirmation could be obtained for this.

13. Apart from Tehran, large protests were fully confirmed in Ahvaz, Mashhad, Rasht, Isfahan, Tabriz, Sari, Hamadan, Babol, Kerman, Dezfol and Shiraz. Reports from Shiraz indicate that the protest there was probably the largest. Isfahan was a close second in terms of the number of people on the streets.

14. Reports of clashes in Isfahan where protests took place from 6 PM – 10 PM are confirmed. Tear gas was heavily used. In Dezfol, about two thousand people took to streets and reports of clashes are confirmed. Partially confirmed reports in Mashhad show that clerics had yet again joined the protesters.


Opposition

Image via Wikipedia

15. Iranian Nobel peace laureate, Shirin Ebadi, wrote an open letter to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that has been published online. Ebadi request the removal of a ban placed on the operation of the Defenders for Human Rights Center – which she chairs -, and an end to the security and political pressures on civil, political and human rights activists by governmental bodies and officials in his administration.


Government / International

16. Reports coming from Tehran suggest that senior Ayatollahs that have supported the government are increasingly becoming disillusioned about Khamenei’s leadership because of his son’s heavy involvement in the post-election events. Partially confirmed reports from Tehran suggest that the head of the Judiciary has halted all death sentences until further notice.

17. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear installations. Iran's ambassador to Iraq said Thursday that five Iranian diplomats held by US forces in Iraq for more than two years had been handed over to the Iraqi government.

18. The European High Court has affirmed the ban against Iran’s National Bank in Europe. The court decided that Iran’s government was acting against international laws by continuing to work on its nuclear program, thus, the earlier decision by the EU to ban the bank should continue to take effect.

Image by Kamyar Dadgar via Flickr

19. At least 30 people were arrested from in front of Tehran University; several others from Valiasr Square. Several protesters were seen being beaten and dragged away. Security forces were said to have used ambulances to move arrestees away so people would let them pass through.

20. There are reports that some young Iranians had their passports confiscated at the airport immigration before entering Iranian soil. Mehsa Amrabadi was finally able to call her family after three weeks of being in detention. She is several months pregnant and her husband has been arrested too. She’s being held at Evin Prison. Sayeed Laylaz was also able to call his family, after being in detention for several days now.

20. Abbas Hakimzadeh, another reformist politician, and Kaveh Muzaffari, a reporter, were both released today. It has been reported the UN’s human rights body has requested the Iranian government to let them enter the country and investigate human rights violations after the election.


Media / Communications

21. In Tehran, the Telephone Directory Service was out, SMS was cut off again, cell phones weren’t working in several parts of the city and even land-lines were also cut off in some parts. Most Iranian televisions ignored protests almost completely. Some later showed limited footage. Press TV again claimed that the UK was unquestionably behind the unrest in Iran.


*A hearty thanks to Sahar joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who're spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. Anonymous has been faithfully running this forum for the past three weeks besides their regular website. The amount of traffic and the extra content has added to their costs of running their servers. If you want to help monetarily, you can check out their donation page at: General Expense - Why We Protest

B. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor and the Iranian Election - Bring down the Iran Curtain | Ian's Brain

Farsi:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor: آنلاين Tor

Help us set up more bridges on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #22

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely and post it wherever you wish to.)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Wednesday, July 8 in Iran.


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Protests / Unrest

1. Tomorrow, July 9th (18th of Tir in Iran), marks a very important day. It memorializes the 10th year anniversary of a student uprising for freedom. Many students were killed and thousands were beaten, arrested and tortured.

Thousands are expected to take to the streets tomorrow in a peaceful march. It will be in memory of those slain, the revived fight for freedom, and to once again show their discontent with the election results. Cities confirmed to protest include: Ahvaz, Arak, Adrabil, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bojnurd, Bushehr, Esfehan, Ghazvin, Ghom, Gorgan, Hamedan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Mashhad, Rasht, Sanandaj, Sari, Semnan, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmieh, Yasuj, Yazd, Zahedan and Zanjan.

2. Protesters have been advised to walk calmly through cities, as well as to carry Korans and roses in their hands – to show their peaceful intent. Sardar Ismail Ahmadi-Moghadam, a high-ranking commander in the Iranian security forces, claimed that no one had requested permission for permits to hold rallies or to stage protests. Reports also suggest that Rafsanjani’s family is planning on attending the rallies.

3. Mir Hossein Mousavi released a new statement calling on Iranians “To honor and commemorate those slain in the post-election violence by going to mosques and other religious establishments to mourn and pray for them.” He has specifically asked them to do so in the late afternoon. Mousavi went on to endorse rallies and protests that are to be held for this purpose. Furthermore, he declared that he will be joining the mourners.

4. News circulated today of security forces attacking internet cafes in Kermanshah. It was reported that they checked people’s cell phones and interrogated them as to what they were doing there. Reports say Basijis started marking people’s doors with red ink at night – those of who chanted on their rooftops. It was suggested that Basijis would then go back in the morning and intimidate those residents. Recent reports say that people voluntarily marked their doors with red ink in order to confuse and overwhelm the Basijis.


Opposition

Image by eshare via Flickr

5. IIPF (Islamic Iranian Participation Front) – a reformist political party with close ties to Mohammad Khatami – released a new statement on Iranian websites asking for the immediate release of all political detainees and non-political detainees. The statement slams the government’s brutality and violence and called the election, “a coup against democracy in Iran.” They asked the government to reduce the presence of security forces in Tehran because it was, “starting to look like an army brigade.”

6. It has been reported that Hashemi Rafsanjani has yet again decided to NOT lead Friday Prayers. It is speculated that the rationale behind his decision has to do with wanting to remain neutral until the issues regarding the election are resolved. Two days ago, his political party declared the election invalid. Rafsanjani himself has not made it clear whether he supports that statement or not.


Government / International / Clergy

7. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is continuously canceling trips abroad and inside Iran. So far, he has cancelled his trips to Libya and Egypt (to attend the meeting of Non-Aligned Nations). He cancelled his trip to Mashhad and now there’s news that he has cancelled his trip to Shiraz as well. Heads of States from around the world have also cancelled trips to Iran – among them, The Sultan of Oman and the President of Ukraine. Recent reports from inside his faction divulge that he will not be traveling abroad until the situation in Iran is “completely calm.”

8. International media is reporting that Mojtaba Khamenei – the son of Ayatollah Khamenei – has taken direct control of Iran’s militia group (Basij) in order to suppress the Sea of Green. They also report that officials within other security forces, along with the powerful clergy, are not happy with the situation. However, solid confirmations from our Iranian sources have yet to be confirmed.

9. The spokesperson for the Guardian Council today announced, “That even though the Guardian Council could be approached through legal channels, any complaints against the election were meaningless.” According to him, the Guardian Council’s decision was final.



Arrested / Released / Killed

10. Mohammad Ali Dadkha, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist, was arrested at his office today. Amir Raeesian and Malihe Dadkhah – who were in his office at the time – were also taken into custody. Mohammad Reza Yazdan-Panah of the Islamic Iranian Participation Front was also arrested. Partially confirmed reports suggest that Zhila Bani-Yaghoub and Ahmad Amavi have been put under house-arrest.

11. The Iranian Government released 22 of the 25 staff members from Kalameh Newspaper who had been arrested two weeks ago. Twenty members of the Mourning Mothers Group, arrested last week, were let go. Nine civilians were discharged. High-profile releases include: Gholamreza Zarifiyan (a Cabinet Minister during Khatami’s administration), Zainab Paighambarzadeh, and Poyesh Asaanlo.

12. Ismail Ahmadi-Mogham, Commander of the Iranian Police, announced that 100 detainees will be released in the next few days. He claimed the government had already released two-thirds of the 2,500 protesters arrested. Roughly 500 of those still detained, will be prosecuted in a court soon.


Media Communications

13. IRG’s (Islamic Revolutionary Guard) Javan Daily Newspaper continues to publish confessions of reformists and other detainees who had been arrested in the post-election unrest. Independent sources have confirmed that prisoners have been tortured to confess that they were, “directed by foreign nations into instigating violence in Iran.”

14. Internet connection speed has slowed even further in Iran. Connecting phone calls to Iran has also become notoriously difficult. Chants of Allah o Akbar continue to echo across the night in most parts of Iran -every night.




*A hearty thanks to Sahar joon for helping me out with proof-reading and very valuable tips. Also, a BIG THANKS to all the translators who're spending their precious time on getting this to as many people as possible.

Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. Anonymous has been faithfully running this forum for the past three weeks besides their regular website. The amount of traffic and the extra content has added to their costs of running their servers. If you want to help monetarily, you can check out their donation page at: General Expense - Why We Protest

B. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor and the Iranian Election - Bring down the Iran Curtain | Ian's Brain

Farsi:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor: آنلاين Tor

[B]Help us set up more bridges on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #21

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely and post it wherever you want.)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Tuesday, July 7 .


Protests

1. There have been reports of atrocities committed against villages in Iran. According to partially confirmed reports, a village near Kamyaran in the Kordestan Province was set on fire by security forces because of protests there last week. Several villagers have also been arrested and are currently in custody.

2. In anticipation of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech on Tuesday night, people across Iran came up with a unique plan to disrupt the transmission of the broadcast. The plan was to turn on as many electronic devices as possible, thus disrupting the flow of electricity across the country. Reports confirm that during his speech parts of Karaj, Ghazvin, Sari, Tabriz, Isfahan, Rodehen, Saghez, Lavasan, Ahvaz, Khoramshahr, Dezful, Jahrom, Khomeini Shahr, Shahin Shahr, Folad Shahr, Kashan and Rasht experienced massive black-outs.

3. Black-outs were also reported in Eastern Tehran, as well as the areas of Baharestan, Sarcheshme and Amir Kabir in Central Tehran. There were unconfirmed reports of gunshots in Eastern Tehran as well as Basijis attacking people who climbed to their rooftops to chant ‘Allah o Akbar’ and ‘Death to the Dictator’.


Opposition

4. Mousavi, Karoubi and Khatami held a joint meeting in Tehran today. The three leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the cause of invalidating the election. They called on the government to recognize the legitimate demands of the protesters. They also appealed the government to immediately release all political prisoners and protesters detained during the post-election unrest. The three leaders appointed Mr. Alireza Beheshti, Mr. Moghadam, Mr. Al-Weri and Mr. Amini to probe into the cases of those arrested. They will also survey families whose properties had been damaged during the protests.

5. Hashemi Rafsanjani’s Politically Party – Kargozaran - released the following statement yesterday: “We declare that the election result is unacceptable due to the unhealthy voting process, massive electoral fraud, and the bias candidate choice of the Guardian Council.” Rafsanjani himself has so far not supported this statement and where he stands is still unknown at this time.

6. There are partially-confirmed reports that Mousavi met with one, mourning protester’s family on Monday night. The protester’s father told Mousavi that his son was not very political, yet had taken a great deal of interest in Mr. Mousavi’s message. He also claimed that his son was not violent. Mousavi told the grieving family that the blood of the innocent never goes in vain.


International

7. After US Vice President Joe Biden’s statement yesterday, that suggested the US would not interfere if Israel were to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, Saudi Arabia was reported as offering Israel its airspace for any future attacks on Iran. However, Saudi Arabia today denied that it had made such comments. In the meantime, US President Obama has vehemently denied that Biden’s statements implied that the US had given Israel “a green light” to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

8. Canada announced today that it hoped the G8 group of nations would hold a unanimous and firm position in regards to Iran in its upcoming meeting in Italy. Statements by the Prime Minister’s spokesperson indicated that Canada saw Iran’s regime as extremely dangerous, and hoped for a united position by the G8 in this regard.

9. Ten Nobel Peace Prize winners sent a letter today to Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General. They asked him to do everything in his power to put a stop to the abuse of human rights in Iran, and to make sure political prisoners in Iran are freed. They went on to request that he send a special envoy to Iran to investigate human rights abuse and government propaganda against Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi.

10. Kenneth Roth, Executive Director for Human Rights Watch, called on G8 leaders to denounce the violent repression of protesters in Iran. He asked the G8 to dismiss any claims made by the Iranian government that blames “foreign powers” for the violence THEY have committed against protesters. The group called on G8 leaders to ask for an impartial investigation into abuses and accountability for those responsible. Mr. Roth added, “G8 leaders should make clear that Iran is violating international law.”

11. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a televised speech tonight, told the Iranian people that the election was the ‘freest’ of any other anywhere in the world. He blamed foreign powers of interfering in Iranian affairs. He claimed that his opponents have not provided any evidence of voter fraud. His speech was briefly cut because of a power outage, but transmission resumed within seconds.


Arrests / Releases / Killed

12. Faizollah Arab-Sorkhi, a reformist member of Mujahideen-e-Enghelab and a close supporter of Mohammad Khatami – was arrested at his home today. His whereabouts are unknown. It has also been confirmed that another reformist, Siyamak Haidarzadeh is currently being held in captivity. There are no news of his whereabouts either.

13. Although the police in Tehran claim that students arrested from the University of Tehran have all been released, the University’s Chancellor announced that at least two are still in detention.

14. Mahdi Karoubi’s office has asked those with family members in detention or whose property has been damaged during the protests by security forces to contact them about the incidents. Karoubi’s office has released a phone number through which they can be contacted: 227 131 35

15. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, demanded that Iran release French citizen Claudette Reiss immediately. Reiss was arrested a few days ago as she was leaving Iran from Tehran International Airport. She had been living in Isfahan for five months and was teaching French. Reiss has been charged with attempting to harm Iran’s National Security.

16. Confirmed reports from Evin prison indicate that the torture of prisoners has intensified. A reliable source confirmed that hot water was being poured on prisoners, they weren’t allowed to sleep, and that many had been put in solitary confinement. We now confirmed instances of sexual harassment, and rape of male and female prisoners.

17. Iran’s Attorney General’s Office has announced that starting next week, prosecution against some 500 detainees – all arrested during the protests the last couple of weeks - will begin. This comes at a time when thousands of people are feared to be in Iranian prisons stemming from arrests made at protests. Many high-profile political prisoners have not been able to contact their families and many are said to be in dire need of medical attention.

18. In other news, during Ahmadinejad’s speech, a bug continued to fly around his head, forcing him to swat around relentlessly at the bug in front of his face. Reliable sources have now confirmed that the bug has been arrested, moved to Evin Prison, and has confessed to a plot to annoy Ahmadinejad by the Evil UK. His confession will be broadcasted through IRIB soon – so stay tuned.

(A special thanks to all the translators, editors and compilers who make the job of making the Green Brief easier. THANK YOU!)



Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. Anonymous has been faithfully running this forum for the past three weeks besides their regular website. The amount of traffic and the extra content has added to their costs of running their servers. If you want to help monetarily, you can check out their donation page at: General Expense - Why We Protest

B. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

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Congratulation notes from children and wives of our dears in prison to their noble fathers and husbands:

These appeared on Mousavi's Facebook page:

Special thanks to Sara for the Translation

Fetemeh, daughter of Dr. Mostafa Tajzadeh
Dad; happy father’s day to you! I am not crying in your absence as I have learned patience from you. Stay strong!

Sepehr, son of Shahab Tabatabai
Our dear daddy Shahab; no hand can separate you from us. You are with us even when you are away, anytime, anywhere. We are anxiously waiting for your return.

Children of Safai Farahani
Dear father; this year we are celebrating the birth of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the symbol of justice, in the absence of your precious presence and we are praying for your wellbeing and prosperity to the almighty God. We are proud of you and we love you dearly.

Zahra, wife of Dr. Ali Tajernia
My companion and soulmate Ali; day is formed by the sun, night by the starts and I by you. Congratulations to you on this day!

Mohammad-Hossein, Sara, Amir-Hossein and Alireza, children of Dr. Tajernia
Our kind father; our congratulation is an excuse to remember the happy days of our lives. We congratulate this day to you and pray to the compassionate Lord for your wellbeing and freedom.

Wife and children of Dr. Shirakvand
My dear father; tonight is the birthday of most noble and most chaste of the fathers. But I am wondering what uncommitted sin has banned me from your kind embrace and warm kisses? Hope that the caring hand of Imam Ali presents my unlimited love to your lonely hands.

Dr. Marsousi, wife of Dr. Saeed Hajarian
Dear Saeed; we have forgotten your stammering owing to your constancy of belief and shuddering of your hand because of your permanence of notion. They were able to target your voice and hand with hatred and revulsion but your idea and your conviction will always be green. Today is the birthday of the king of compassion and justice. They have imprisoned your ailing body but know that your green idea will always remain in our hearts.

Leili-Saddat Jalalzadeh, wife of Javad Imam
The birthday of Imam Ali is not only the father’s day but also the day to celebrate courage, humanity, generosity, peace, compassion and truth, and these are the treasures that not everyone can attain. These days you were not only courageous but also taught bravery, resilience and humanity to everyone. Congratulations to you on this day!

Children and wife of Majid Nayeri
Our dear Majid; we sincerely congratulate father’s day, the day of courage and heroism, and we hope you come back to the family’s arms soon.

Mohammad, Ahmad and wife of Dr. Abdollah Ramazanzadeh
Our dear father, congratulations to you on this day! Endure as God is with those who are patient. God willing we will soon meet you and your noble comrades among the family and the Iranian people.

Maryam Baghi, wife of Mohammad Ghochani
My darling, Mohammad; on this blessed day I entrust you to the “born of Kaaba” who portrayed justice and fairness with the heart broken from the injustice that he endured. God of Ali, God of you, is the ultimate judge. I congratulate this day to you and I swear to your God that the ultimate champion is none but the truth. To this day no corporeal power has been able to alter belief and faith with chain and prison so you that have faith in father of Shias, Imam Ali, are free even in prison. Congratulations to you and your fellow imprisoned comrades for the birth of the king of all noble men in the universe.

Wife and children of Kambiz Nourozi
In the appreciation of your imprisoned pen and of your hand that made heroism and courage the memory of these days. Stars be upon your day!

Mahtab, Doughter of Eissa Saharkheir
Dear Dad; we are spending father’s day in your absence and enduring what is happening these days. We are waiting for your freedom. We are waiting for the freedom. Be prosperous and courageous!

Sajaad, son of Sadegh Nourozi
My dear father; I wish you were with me in such a day. Be determined and courageous!

Mother of Somayeh Tohidlo
Dear God, put the “knowledge of Ali” ahead of the “love for Ali”. Best wishes for the birth of the icon of justice and bravery to all his true followers.

Green Brief #20

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely. A big apology for not being able to brief yesterday. I was in a different city and the internet connection at the hotel was just...)


These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Monday, July 6 in Iran.


Protests

1. As reported yesterday, people did indeed gather in front of Evin Prison with flowers and gifts for prisoners. These individuals were there to celebrate Iranian’s Father’s Day. However, the peaceful gathering resulted in the presence of security forces – which again used force in order to scatter the crowd. It has not been confirmed if anyone was injured in the incident. Videos of people chanting in front of the Evin prison have been released, but dates cannot be confirmed on any of them.

2. UAE police last night prevented roughly 100 Iranian expatriates from signing a piece of cloth which said, “Ahmadinejad is not our president!” It was supposed to be sent to Paris and used as a petition where it would’ve joined similar petitions from around the world. The UAE police told protesters that they had the right to gather, but did not have the right to sign petitions against the Iranian government.

3. In an interview on an Iranian website, the spokesperson for Imam’s Way Faction (members of Parliament) accused security forces of attacking people’s homes and abducting Iranian students from universities in Tehran. He also complained that the government was blocking their website, Parlemaan News, from time to time. He demanded the government to stop filtering news from reaching the people.

4. Protesters are widely being dubbed as “rioters” by the Iranian Media and government officials. It has increasingly replaced the word protesters in government channels. Ayatollah Khamenei called the participants of the post-election protests a ‘depressed’ and ‘distressed’ minority.


Opposition

5. There were reports today of a meeting between Rafsanjani and Mousavi, however, it could only be partially confirmed. Rafsanjani is proving to be very elusive for both sides of the conflict - so anything attributed to him needs to be considered with great caution.

6. Mousavi celebrated Imam Ali’s birthday today with a small group at his house. Mousavi said, “The flaws in the system had become more apparent because of the election.” He called the government illegitimate and stated that he and his followers will continue to work to achieve their goal of nullifying the election. He went on to say, “the real issue has not disappeared simply because the protests have quieted down - on the contrary, we will continue to work to the very end.”


Government / International / Clerics

7. Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, congratulated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his victory as President today. He was being eyed as a key member of the government who might be swayed to join the pro-reform movement, however, despite earlier indications; he has remained firmly in Ahmadinejad’s side.

8. It must be noted that except for one statement from pro-reform clerics in Qom supporting the protesters, no pro or anti-protester statement has been released by major clerical organizations from Qom. Reports indicate that the majority of clerics in Qom are against crackdowns on protesters and meetings are daily held between various factions to determine their course of action.

9. Hossein Subhani-Nya, a key member of the Iranian parliament’s foreign relations committee, told Iran’s Al-Alam TV today that they had indications that 6 member nations of the G8 group had already decided to call back their ambassadors from Iran after being urged to do so by Britain. He did not divulge the names of the members. He added that Iran would never bend to Western pressure and that it will take action against countries who call back their ambassadors on a case by case basis.

10. After Joe Biden’s statements yesterday, Alaeddin Broujerdi, the head of Iran's parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said today that Iran was going to take ‘real and decisive’ action if attacked by Israel. He defended the government’s crackdown on protests and called the situation in Iran calm and peaceful. Today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the Iranian people deserved a better government.

11. Ayatollah Khamenei warned the West to not interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. He urged Western countries to not meddle in Iran and warned them of a reaction by the Iranian nation if they didn’t pay heed to his warnings. News of Khamenei being abandoned by senior officials is intensifying. It was reported today that the spokesperson for the Guardian Council – Mr. Kadkhodaie – will be resigning soon to focus on teaching. Reports indicate it is a move by Kadkhodaie to distance himself from the government.

12. Grand Ayatollah Abbas-Ali Amid Zanjani – a former chancellor of Tehran University and a member of the Combatant Clergy Association – said today that every healthy mind doubted the impartiality of the election. He said that the large scale arrests of post-election protesters was regrettable and slammed the government for killing protesters and then branding them as rioters.

13. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRG, said today that the IRG had taken a large role in quelling the protests. He said that the opportunity had presented itself and the Guard had to take action in order to restore calm in the country which it did almost flawlessly.


Arrests / Releases / Killed

14. Ahmadi-Mogham, a high-ranking police official in Tehran, today said that the police had not fired a single shot at protesters. He also denied any relationship between plainclothesmen and the police and the Basijis. This comes at a time as more and more sources report that at least 100 people were killed in Tehran during the protests – many of them by Tehran’s police.

15. Reports indicate of the arrest of at least one female French citizen in Iran. It cannot be positively confirm when she was arrested and where she is kept at this point. It has been reported by the BBC that she’s an academic who had spent 5 months in Isfahan and was arrested on her way out of Tehran at the city’s main airport.

16. Farnaz Moyerian, a student activist and reporter, was released today from Evin Prison. It has been reported that Mousavi will be meeting with the families of detained protesters sometime in the next few days to discuss their release.


Communications

17. SMS services have been disconnected in Tehran again. Iran’s national broadcasting agency has been removed again.


Miscellaneous

18. Tehran's Air Pollution Monitor Center warned citizens not to go out on Tuesday as air pollution was above Crisis Level because of recent dust storms. Due to air pollution, all government offices and educational institutions in Tehran will be closed tomorrow. The chants of Allaho Akbar echoed across Iran again at night, even as the roofs could be hardly seen because of low visibility.




Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. Anonymous has been faithfully running this forum for the past three weeks besides their regular website. The amount of traffic and the extra content has added to their costs of running their servers. If you want to help monetarily, you can check out their donation page at: General Expense - Why We Protest

B. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

Tor Browser Bundle

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Farsi:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor: آنلاين Tor

[B]Help us set up more bridges on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #18-19

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely. A big apology for not being able to brief yesterday. I was in a different city and the internet connection at the hotel was just...)


These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Saturday and Sunday, July 4-5 in Iran.


Protests

1. The head of the IRGC – one of the various security forces used to quell protesters – claimed today that the BBC and the British Embassy were the main instigators directing ‘rioters’. Brigadier General Abdullah Iraqi (Iraqi is just a last name) claimed that the government did not deal with the protesters harshly in the beginning – although it could have. Among his many outrageous claims was that ‘rioters’ hauled other injured ‘rioters’ from ambulances and killed them. He also claimed that ‘rioters’ injured 600 IRGC officers and that 8 officers had been killed in the line of duty.

2. Monday 6 July at 5 PM Iran time, the families of some Iranians who have been detained at Evin Prison plan on gathering in front of the prison with flowers and gifts in recognition of Father’s Day. Around 5000 workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation the city of Shosh in Khuzestan province have gone on strike – although said to be in solidarity with the Sea of Green, this could not be independently confirmed. Although said to be still in the planning phase, reports indicate the government has already started planting cameras in areas of Tehran where protesters have gathered in huge numbers in the past. It is said to be a way for pinpointing individual protesters for arrests and also better coordination of security forces in case of protests. It is interesting to note that Ahmadinejad has opposed the idea.

3. Heavy sand storms have hit Tehran and according to sources within the city, the entire city is affected by low visibility. Confirmed reports indicate that protesters are quietly going through the city and writing anti-government slogans on city walls, using the storm to their advantage.

4. Recently, a lot of news has been circulating about IRG and military clashes over how to deal with protests. Although we’ve been hearing a lot about it, the more reliable twitter sources have not been able to confirm anything in this regard.


Opposition

5. Mehdi Karoubi today stated that they will continue to fight even though it looks as if resistance will become more difficult. He mocked Ahmadinejad for ordering a probe into Neda Agha-Soltan’s death while many more people have been killed in the unrests. He claimed that the government had completely ruined the reputation of the Basij by ordering it to act violently during the protests. He further asked the government to stop the spree-killings during protests.

7. Reliable sources have indicated that Mir Hossein Mousavi will be creating a new party in order to further their goals of nullifying the election. Among the many instances of fraud in the election that have been claimed by Mousavi is the alleged printing of 20 million extra votes by the government in order to fill boxes with votes for Ahmadinejad.

8. It is continually being hinted that Rafsanjani is working frantically behind doors to find a solution to the current stalemate. Reports indicate that he has stepped up pressure on the Guardian Council and is working to weaken their sway over the security forces as well as the Iranian regime. Nothing is fully confirmed at this point, although the sources who have reported this are quit reliable. In a meeting with families of detainees, he said that what has happened since the election has been a bitter experience and that Iranians should join hands and help make the regime stable in the long-term.3

9. Several high-ranking officials within the government or related to government officials have been disowned by their parents. In the latest case, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s son-in-law was disowned by his father. Mahdi Khorsheedi’s father said on Saturday that he no longer had a son named Mahdi because Mahdi Khorsheedi had sided with Ahmadinejad in the post-election unrest.


Arrests, Releases, Fatalities

10. Isa Saharkhiz, a prominent Iranian journalist and founder of IAPPF (Iranian Association for Protection of Press Freedom) was arrested on Friday. Another reformist and member of Musharekat Party (IIPF), Jalal Mohammadlou was arrested while on his way to the hospital. Two prominent members of Musharekat Party, Saeed Hajjarian and Mohsen Amin-Zadeh, both of whom had already been arrested and released earlier in the uprising, have now been transferred to an IRG hospital in Tehran. According to sources, Hajjarian is in failing health.

11. Masood Bastani, an Iranian journalist and the husband of detained Iranian journalist Mehsa Amrabadi, was detained while he was at court seeking information about his wife. Mahsa was detained 20 days ago and is with child. Their house had previously been raided, but Masood hadn’t been home while the security forces caused serious damage to their property.

12. It has now been confirmed that the lone UK Embassy staffer in custody is being charged with endangering Iranian national security and is the Embassy’s senior political analyst. Most detainees that were arrested in the post-election unrest have been charged with attempting to endanger national security. So far, 20 journalists are also in Iranian prisons. A Greek-born American journalist working for the Washington Times has now been released by the Iranian government. Bita Samimi Rad, a leftist student activist, has now also been released from Evin Prison.

13. Members of Mourning Mothers, a group that was formed by mothers of detained protesters to seek their release, who had been arrested in Laleh Park last week have now been freed. The group has planned more gatherings in Tehran in the next week to try and seek the release of their loved ones.

14. Hamid Maddah, a core member of Mousavi’s campaign in Mashhad, died in custody on Saturday. He had been arrested in Gowharshad Mosque along with many other Mousavi supporters. According to sources, he had been tortured badly and wasn’t able to recover. The official death certificate registers the cause of death as internal bleeding in the skull.
15. There are reports surfacing of the wide-spread use of torture and intimidation in Evin prison. Protesters are regularly beaten, sources claim, and there have been instances of male protesters being raped. Unconfirmed reports also indicate of several protesters being hanged at Evin and in Mashhad, but they cannot be confirmed at this point.


Government / International / Clergy

16. The Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom released a statement on Saturday calling the election invalid and the government formed by it illegitimate. The association boasts within its ranks respected clerics and Shi’ite teachers that reside in the holy city of Qom, a center for Islamic learning for Shi’ites. It had been reported before, on the Green Briefs and other outlets, that there were intense negotiations going on in Qom. This seems to be only the tip of the iceberg and sources indicate more is soon to follow in the form of support for reformists and protesters.

17. Ahmadinejad on Saturday told a meeting of medical school deans that he wanted to hold negotiations with President Barack Obama before the media. He stated that he would go to the United Nations and ask President Obama for the opportunity. The White House has not released any comments about the offer. Ahmadinejad also indicated the Iran will pursue more active diplomacy in his second term.

18. Ayatollah Hashemi Shahrodi, the head of Iran’s judiciary, asked courts throughout the country to prosecute people who are aiding protesters through websites. He has also ordered an overall clampdown on anyone ‘using any means’ to help protesters. Furthermore, Sharhodi has ordered the prosecution of people who’re ‘helping to spread lies about Iran through satellite channels’.

19. In Kordestan province, the government has started to compile a list of supporters of opposition candidates. The list is supposedly being prepared to make the work of security forces easier when arresting unwanted elements. As sit-ins at mosques were used by protesters to show their discontent, the doors of several mosques in Tehran have now been closed. There are notes hanging on the doors telling people that the mosques are closed to Etekaaf, a form of religious sit-in at mosques where people pray to Allah and ask for forgiveness.

20. Mohammad Mollabashi, a government official in the Ministry of Education, has stated that students who have been active in ‘riots’ will not be permitted to pursue their education in Iran.


Media / Communications

21. Fars News alleged on Sunday that Mousavi’s campaign headquarters was nothing but a meeting point for sexual-deviant Iranian youth. He claimed that many of these people wanted to help Mousavi to gain sexual freedom. The editor-in-chief of Keyhan newspaper has said that any party formed by Mousavi is illegal as Mousavi’s responsible for spilling Iranians’ blood.

22. Several prominent television personalities have now been banned from IRIB. The editor of Etemaade Melli newspaper was again summoned on Sunday by the public prosecutor’s office in Tehran. He was there to answer accusations of involvement in ‘riots’ by the newspaper’s staff and support for them by the newspaper.



Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. I would like to ask all the people translating the Breifs to take a break today and not translate this brief as it is far too long and the next one will be coming out shortly anyway. I will send you a link to the new one via email soon as it’s done. (Probably in about 12 hours).

B. Anonymous has been faithfully running this forum for the past three weeks besides their regular website. The amount of traffic and the extra content has added to their costs of running their servers. If you want to help monetarily, you can check out their donation page at: General Expense - Why We Protest

C: If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context, please request for sub-editorship at #iran.aic - WebIRC - AnonNet - Check out the website for the project at: Iran Map | Iran Map or email me at dbosca@gmail.com.

D. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor and the Iranian Election - Bring down the Iran Curtain | Ian's Brain

Farsi:

Tor Browser Bundle

Tor: آنلاين Tor

[B]Help us set up more bridges on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #17

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. [B](My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Friday, July 03 in Iran.


In Dutch: Green Brief #16 (2 juli) (Nederlands) - Why We Protest - IRAN

In French: Dossier Vert #17 – Vendredi 3 Juillet, 2009 � Le dossier vert – The green brief in French

In Greek: Green Brief #17 (july 3) [In Greek] - Why We Protest - IRAN

In Hebrew: http://sites.google.com/site/cometru...untitledpost-1

In Indonesian: The Green Brief #17 (Indonesian) - Why We Protest - IRAN

In German: Nachrichten zur Situation im Iran

In Norwegian: Green Brief #17 (Norwegian)

In Portuguese: O Taborita: Resenha Verde #17 (3 de julho)

In Russian: Green Brief # 17 (July 03) [in Russian] - Why We Protest - IRAN

In Spanish: Green Brief #17 en Español � Pocket Diplomat

In Swedish: Green Brief på Svenska

In Turkish: http://ow.ly/gvyY



Protesters

1. Family of detained protesters continued to swarm in front of Evin Prison for the third day in a row. In yesterday’s mourning at Beheshte Zahra Cemetery, mourners were reportedly attacked by Basijis. It was reported that a large portion of Tehran’s shops were closed yesterday – to commemorate the 20th day of the “Sea of Green” movement.


2. There were demonstrations at Mashhad today, although our sources could not confirm information beyond that. Sources also indicated that so far, at least 5 people have been killed and more than 200 have been detained during protests from Mashhad. High-profile detainees include Hashem Khastar, Reza Arab and Rohullah Shahsavar.

3. The main University of Sistan o Baluchistan has been shut-down by the government, according to unconfirmed reports. Furthermore, students from the university were dragged out of their dorms and sent home. Daryoosh Shikoof, a prominent Iranian filmmaker who lives in Germany, has started a hunger strike in front of the Russian Embassy in Berlin to protest Russia’s continued support for Ahmadinejad’s regime.


Arrested and Killed

4. Ayatollah Jannati – Head of The Guardian Council - announced that the remaining British Embassy staff has been found to have had a hand in the unrest. Speaking at Friday Prayer’s in Tehran, he added they will be “prosecuted for the crimes they have committed – and already confessed to.” He went on to say that, “confessions from other instigators of violence will also be shown on national TV.” Sources indicate that the government is planning on hanging the remaining staffers after mock trials. So far, two British Embassy staffers remain in Iranian custody.

5. Sara Sabaghian, a lawyer and prominent women’s rights activist, was freed today from Evin Prison. Another detainee at Evin, Mojtaba Tehrani, who maintained the website for Etemade Melli newspaper, has called his family after a week in detention and asked them for their prayers. Reports have also surfaced that an Iran Telecom employee who has sent text messages to the BBC has been fired from his job.


Statements

6. Grand Ayatollah Yosuf Sanei today stated that, “confessions of detained protesters didn’t hold any merit, neither legally or rationally.” He added that, “detentions, killings, beatings, lies and tricks should not stop people from trying to retain their right to determine their future.” He called into question the legitimacy of the election again by stating that none of the candidates – except for the winner – had given up their claims against its impartiality. He also cautioned security forces against the use of force against civilians and called it an “unforgivable sin” and stated that no order by any authority could justify acts of violence against the populace. His statements come at a time when more Ayatollahs are siding with protesters and denouncing the government’s actions in the aftermath of the elections.

7. No reliable statements from Mousavi have surfaced today. His wife, Zahra Rahnavard, however, did state today that Mousavi will continue to fight for women’s rights. Reports have indicated that at least she is under house arrest and unconfirmed reports indicate that both of them are currently being overseen by security forces and their movement is severely restricted.

8. The Association of Iranian University Graduates has released a statement claiming that, “the government was out to suppress opposition by any means possible escalating from the rigged elections.” Dozens of Iranian university professors have a signed a letter expressing deep anger for the attacks made by security forces on Iranian universities and students.


Government / International

9. Reports indicate that Ahmadinejad’s trip to Mashhad has been canceled due to the government’s fear of possible violent reaction from the residents there. Reports have also surfaced that clerics in Mashhad are conducting closed-door meetings to evaluate the situation and many have given their blessings to protesters. Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city is considered a holy city because of the numerous shrines for martyrs, as well as for Prophet Mohammed’s family members. It boasts a large and active population of clerics.

10. All 27 EU member nations have summoned the Iranian ambassadors in their countries to question them about the current situation in Iran. They asked about the fate of the remaining British Embassy staff detained in Tehran, and demanded their immediate released. Pressure is being mounted on Iran as EU nations are searching for ‘other ways’ to resolve the situation. It is being reported that the EU is considering whether it should stop issuing visas to Iranian government officials.

11. The Dutch government today suggested that it might push for EU legislation banning the sale of all technology that could be used to filter or censor information to Iran. The Dutch Parliament told the government it should take the initiative to convince the European Union to ban such sales. It was reported that China lent expertise to the Iranian government to censor websites and track down net-dissidents. Today, it was also reported that the Sultan of Oman – one of very few countries who congratulated Ahmadinejad on his re-election – has canceled his trip to Iran.

12. Etemaade Melli’s Newspaper was once again censored by the government. According to reports, it was forced to publish a repeat of yesterday’s articles. The government has claimed that the videos of Neda’s death are all fake. Mr. Zarghami, head of the government’s official media organization, IRIB, has accused Twitter, Facebook and YouTube of grossly misrepresenting what is going on in Iran and said that they were being directed by foreign forces.


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Green Brief #16

I'm NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar - twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter - and I've been immersed in tweets from Iran for the past several hours. I have tried to be extremely careful in choosing my tweet sources. What I have compiled below is what I can confirm through my reliable twitter sources. Remember, this is all from tweets. [B](My work is released under Creative Commons (CC). So use it freely)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Thursday, July 02 in Iran.

In Italian: Gonzo Times � Blog Archive � 02/07/2009: Report di fine giornata


Protests

1. Thousands of people gathered at Iran’s Beheshte Zahra Cemetery and other smaller cemeteries to mourn the people who’ve died in the protests. The numbers were hard to confirm, but various sources claimed somewhere between 10-15 thousands. Large numbers of Basijis were reported to have been stationed in and around Beheshte Zahra, but no clashes were reported. Shopkeepers in Tabriz shopkeepers have reportedly stopped their strikes because of government intimidation and threats by the Basijis.

2. Mousavi’s Facebook page asked for protesters to form a human chain on Sunday, however, this could not be confirmed through other sources. This while about 120 women from the group Mourning Mothers gathered at Laleh Park again today and lit candles in memory of the fallen protesters. They have planned mass gatherings in Laleh, Andisheh and Mellat parks for July 4. Some relatives of detainees gathered in front of Evin Prison again today and asked for the release of their loved ones.


Government / International

3. Hard-line parliament members today again called on the Judiciary to prosecute Mousavi for allegedly breaking the law by calling protests and for instigating violence. The call had been made in the past as well and several state-run newspapers have also made similar demands in the past few days. Unconfirmed reports from Qom and Khorasan indicate that more clerics are considering to denounce the government’s actions in the past week and to declare the protests legitimat

4. Samareh Hashemi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s campaign manager, told PressTV today that the SMS outage and cell phone service restrictions were put in place to "ensure security" during and after the election. He added that Mousavi wasn’t really an opposition leader because he’s views closely matched those of the governments. He claimed that all the candidates fully know that the election was as impartial as any and that no voting fraud had taken place.
5. More international pressure is being mounted as in a meeting next week; EU member nations will consider pulling their ambassadors from Iran because of the government’s actions. Russia’s foreign ministry announced today that Russia opposed international sanctions against Iran and that the election and its aftermath were Iran’s internal issues that needed to be dealt with by Iranians, MosNews reported. A former Justice Minister of Canada, Irwin Cotler, has asked the international community to ban Ahmadinejad from entering their countries, Deutsche-Welle reported.
6. An Egyptian lawyer belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, Mamdouh Ismail, has filed a complaint in the prosecutor general’s office in Egypt asking them to ban Ahmadinejad from entering Egypt next month to attend a diplomatic meeting there. He has accused him of winning the election fraudulently and insulting two of Prophet Mohammed’s companions. This was reported on Al-Arabiya’s website.


Arrests, Casualties, Releases

7. Seven people were arrested in Qazvin today in connection with the protests. The head of Participation Front in Hormozgan province, Mr. Ramezanpour, was arrested there today. The government-owned media now claims that 20 people have died in the post-election protests. Real numbers are hard to obtain, but the number is reportedly much more than what the Iranian media reported. Iranian journalists Maryam Ameri and Omid Mohaddes were released from prison today in Tehran.

8. However, Saeed Hajjarian – a prominent politician and backer of Mousavi – is being said to be in deteriorating health. Amnesty International today once again called upon the government to release Hajjarian. On Wednesday News Week asked Iran for immediate release of their reporter Maziar Bahari who had been detained earlier and rejected accusations by the Iranian media that Bahari had a hand in the post-election violence. He was arrested on June 21 and has been denied access to a lawyer.

9. Meanwhile media reports of six protesters being hanged in Evin were denied by the government. Iranian Students News Agency reported on their website that the six people were accused of killing their spouses and other people. They didn’t indicate that any of the people were implicated because of any involvement in the protests.

10. Interpol today denied that the witness to Neda Agha-Soltan’s death is wanted by the Interpol. They also denied receiving any requests from the Iranian government for his arrest. Iranian media and government have claimed that the witness, Arash Hejazi, was wanted by the Interpol. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Iranian government’s intelligence agencies as well as the Ministry of Islamic Guidance are compiling a list of Iranian journalists which will be barred from traveling abroad.

11. Reports of torture at Evin and other Iranian prisons are mounting. Some sources claim that detainees are being beaten every night and others are being water-boarded with hot water in order to get confessions from them.


Statements

12. Yet another Ayatollah has joined the cause of the protesters. Ayatollah Bayat-Zanjani today said that demand for justice and protesting for one’s rights was legal. He also denounced the suppression of protesters and called the act illegitimate. He asked Mousavi to stand for justice and help people get their rights. Zanjani joins Ayatollahs Taheri, Ghaffari and Montazeri in their support for the cause of the protesters. Karoubi announced again today that he would not recognize the government and would continue to stand by people demanding for their rights till the end of his life.

13. It has also been reported that Rafsanjani, who is also one of the Imams who rotate leading Friday prayers in Tehran’s largest mosques, has for the second week decided to not lead the prayers. Last week, his spot was first filled by Khamenei, but Khamenei pulled out at the last minute leaving Ahmad Khatami to lead the prayers. Rafsanjani is not planning to attend this Friday's prayer either.


Media

14. Parlemaan News’ website has been blocked by the government. The website was one of the only remaining sources of impartial news for the Iranian people. The government closed it after it posted several of Mousavi’s statements and Khatami’s criticism of the government. Parlemaan News – parlemaan means parliament in persian – is the official news webstie of the Imam’s Way faction of MP’s in the Iranian parliament. They had been warned last week by security forces and the Judiciary to restrict criticism of the government.

15. The BBC reported today that the Kingdom of Jordan had banned Iran’s state-run Al-Alam and Press TV stations from broadcasting in Jordan and revoked their operation permits. Al-Alam broadcasts news in Arabic and Press TV is the main English language news channel of Iran. The latter today showed footage of what it called ‘thugs attacking Basiji Headquarters in Tehran’ which showed several protesters chanting in front of the headquarters at an unspecified date. The footage didn’t show any of the ‘thugs’ actually using any of Molotov cocktails they were holding.


COMMUNICATIONS

16. Even though SMS was back in Tehran yesterday, reports indicate that it has been cut-off once again. Sources indicated that they’d asked twitter users from Tehran to not text each other using the service because it could be a ploy by the government to find dissidents. There are reports that Iran’s main telecom companies were trained in China in how to how weed out dissidents using their data posted on the net as well as monitoring and other techniques.

17. Even though yesterday’s news of four unopened ballot boxes being found in Shiraz couldn’t be verified, reliable sources indicate that the governor of Fars province where Shiraz is located announced today that the boxes were from past elections. He added that they will be stored as national documents. Mohammad Reza Nasab-Abdollahi, the journalist that broke the news, has been reportedly intimidated by the government and is being pressured to recant his report and deny the claim.

18. Chants of Allah o Akbar again echoed across Iran. Reports have suggested that dozens of people – in some cases the residents of entire apartment buildings – have been arrested by Basijis for chanting on their rooftops at night. Residents in Northern Tehran have also been warned that they could either stop chanting or risk losing their satellite antennas – which are illegal in the country, but widely owned by the public.

Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

A. We currently are trying to get the Brief out in as many languages as possible. If you can translate the brief for us in a language other than English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch or Greek, please let us know. It comes out every day so it'll be an every day thing so it's for the long haul. But if you can even do a summary, it will be great! Email me on dbosca@gmail.com if you're interested.

B. You could retweet this link and let more people know about what’s going in Iran.

C. The government in Iran is still increasing internet filtering and throttling in an attempt to silence their people. Anonymous info shows that many in Iran are looking for proxy and Tor information in Tehran and all around the country. Please donate your bandwidth to help bring down the Iran Curtain. Here are links on how to help and get help on this:

English:

Tor Browser Bundle

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Tor and the Iranian Election - Bring down the Iran Curtain | Ian's Brain

Farsi:

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Tor: ?????? Tor

Help us set up more bridges on Tor here: http://gonzotimes.net/?page_id=500