Selected Headlines

Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Iranian press, and excerpts where the source is in English. The link to the news organization or blog is provided at the top of each item. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Please refer to the Media Guide to help put the story in perspective. You can follow other news stories through our Twitter feed.

Shiite Iran's top Sunni rebel hanged

AFP | June 20, 2010

Abdolmalek Rigi, head of the Sunni rebel group Jundallah who waged a deadly insurgency in Shiite Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, was executed on Sunday, state media reported.

"After the decision of the Tehran revolutionary tribunal, Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged on Sunday morning in Evin prison," Iran's official news agency IRNA said, quoting a court statement.

"The head of the armed counter-revolutionary group in the east of the country... was responsible for armed robbery, assassination attempts, armed attacks on the army and police and on ordinary people, and murder," the statement said.

Rigi was captured in a dramatic operation in February while on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan, when Iranian warplanes forced the plane he was travelling in to land in Iran.

His hanging comes less than a month after his brother Abdolhamid was executed on charges of terrorism.

Hardliner Jannati censored

Khabar Online | June 19, 2010

Pro-government websites censored parts of Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati's Friday Prayers sermon that contained criticism of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks about hejab.

The websites did not carry the part of the sermon in which Ayatollah Jannati said taking cultural measures was not enough and that censured attempts to restrict the police in their fight against improper hejab, a reference to Ahmadinejad televised interview in which he said he was against such enforcement.

Jannati Sides with Police, Raps President

Tabnak | June 18, 2010

After President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized police for their implementation of the hejab initiative, Tehran's interim Friday Prayer Leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, defended the police and said "No one has the right to enforce any restrictions on NAJA (police)
regarding the hejab and chastity initiative."

"Although we have many political, economical and other problems, moral security should not be overlooked with the excuse that we have more important issues to deal with," he said.

Azad University dean arrested: Fars

Fars | June 19, 2010

Ali BAdraqeh, head of the Islamic Azad University's Islamshahr branch, was arrested last Wednesday for allegedly hiring a group to assault students awaiting the arrival of lawmaker Hojjatoleslam Hamid Rasaei on campus.

Fars claimed students who wanted to attend Rasaei's speech on the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation of Khoramshahr at the university's amphitheater on May 24, were assaulted by a group believed to be affiliated with Azad University.

The students were allegedly assaulted while listening to Rasaei's explanation about the cancellation of his scheduled speech on campus.

Two of the students were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to Fars.

Fars claimed that Badraqeh was a close associate of Mehdi Hashemi, who left the country with him last year. This appears to be an attempt to link the dean's arrest with Mehdi Hashemi' case.

Fars quoted an unnamed source as saying that Badraqeh's case was a complicated and intricate one.

Pro-govt daily mistakes Honduran clash for Iranian one

Peykeiran | Parleman News | June 19, 2010

The Iran daily published a special edition on the occasion of the anniversary of the 10th presidential election and dedicated it to the country's political developments in 2009. It was called "Password 3."

The 224-page special edition included on page 220 a picture of the Honduran demonstrator's clashes with police; the caption read: "Rioters attacking police."

This AP photo, which was first published on June 29, depicts clashes between Manuel Zelaya's supporters and Honduran police.

Rahimi bodyguards assault woman reporter

Roshangari | June 19, 2010

During a trip by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cabinet to the Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province, a woman reporter was assaulted by first vice-president Mohammad Reza Rahimi's bodyguards.

According to the Iranian Student's Bulletin, Rahimi's bodyguards assaulted the woman reporter so severely that other reporters refused to cover Rahimi's trip to the province.

Reporters finally agreed to cover the trip after Chaharmahal Bakhtiari governor intervened and promised to follow up on the incident.

The woman reporter's name and the name of the paper she was reporting for have not been released, Jaras said.

Basij to Launch Virtual University

Raja News | June 18, 2010

The head of the Basij organization Mohammad-Reza Naqdi announced that upcoming launch of a virtual university for its members.

"If we want to fight the global arrogance with might in political, cultural, economical, scientific and technological fields, we must arm ourselves with modern knowledge and technology," Naqdi told a group of Basij elites and experts in East Azarbaijan on Thursday.

Fars News: 12 Million Basijis Organized

Fars | June 18, 2010

Deputy Basij Commander Ali Fazli said 12 million members of the paramilitary force has been organized. "Whomever is the follower of the Imam's way of thought and has his heart set on serving the honorable people of Iran is a Basiji even if his name has not been registered with the organization," Fazli told Fars News Agency in Nour.

"There are 70 million people who have a Basiji way of thought and are steadfast in their defense of the ideals of the Imam and values of Islam and the Revolution and who have shown their presence on different scenes at different times."

"In organizing the Basij we are looking for the 20-million-strong army and to this effect we have so far organized 12 million individuals who are active in various scientific, research, constrictive and ... projects."