Headlines: Rights Activist Nazar Ahari Sentenced to 6 Years

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THE LEAD

Iran Sentences Rights Activist to 6 Years in Jail

AP | Sept 18

Iran sentenced a prominent rights activist and journalist to six years in prison on anti-government charges, Iranian media reported Saturday.

The semiofficial ILNA news agency said Shiva Nazar Ahari, founder of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters in Tehran, was convicted of moharebeh, or "waging war against God," a crime usually punishable by death. ILNA said Ahari received three years for that charge.

She was also convicted of plotting to commit crimes and agitating against the ruling system, ILNA said.

In total, Ahari received six years in jail, and has been ordered to pay $400 as a substitute for 76 lashes.

ILNA quoted Ahari's lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, as saying he was "shocked" to learn his client had been convicted of moharebeh, saying "there is no legal basis for this charge against her."

Human rights groups have dismissed the claims against her as "trumped-up charges," saying the accusations against Ahari stemmed from her participation in protest rallies after Iran's disputed June 2009 presidential elections.

See also: "Iran Jails Rights Activist for 'Warring against God'" (AFP)

OTHER NEWS

Ahmadinejad Meets Syrian, Algerian leaders, Heads to NY

Tehran Times | Sept 19

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made short stops in Damascus and Algiers on Saturday for talks with his Syrian and Algerian counterparts before flying to New York for the UN summit.

Ahmadinejad discussed the latest regional and international developments during his stay in Damascus and Algiers. 



In his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Ahmadinejad said further cooperation between Iran and Syria could benefit regional and international peace and security. 





Ahmadinejad and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika also discussed ways to expand ties and discussed issues related to the Islamic world.



After talks with the Algerian president, Ahmadinejad left Algiers for New York to attend a UN General Assembly session and the Millennium Development Goals summit which will be attended by 140 heads of state.

'Iran Ready for Nuclear Talks, But We Won't Make Concessions'

DPA (via Haaretz) | Sept 17

Iran would be ready to hold nuclear talks with world powers, but not accept any concessions with regards to its nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday.

"We are ready to hold nuclear talks with the 5+1 group, but such talks would have no impact whatsoever on the course of Iran's nuclear program," Ahmadinejad said in a live interview with the news network Khabar.

"Iran is ready to conduct a dialogue, but a dialogue would be meaningless if the other side wanted to force us to accept anything," the president added.

Obama Is Said to Be Preparing to Seek Approval on Saudi Arms Sale

New York Times | Sept 17

President Obama is preparing to seek Congressional approval for a huge arms sale to Saudi Arabia, chiefly intended as a building block for Middle East regional defenses to box in Iran, according to administration and Pentagon officials.

The advanced jet fighters and helicopters for Saudi Arabia, long a leading customer for these weapons, could become the largest arms deal in American history, and one significant enough to shift the region's balance of power over the course of a decade.

The key element of the sale would be scores of new F-15 combat aircraft, along with more than 175 attack and troop-transport helicopters and, if subsequent negotiations are successful, ships and antimissile defenses. The deal has been put together in quiet consultations with Israel, which has sought assurances that it will retain its technological edge over Saudi forces, even as Saudi Arabia improves its ability to face down a shared rival, the Iranians.

"We want Iran to understand that its nuclear program is not getting them leverage over their neighbors, that they are not getting an advantage," a senior administration official said Friday, describing the Saudi sale as part of a broader regional strategy in which the United States has bolstered antimissle defenses in Arab states along the Persian Gulf. "We want the Iranians to know that every time they think they will gain, they will actually lose."

Ahmadinejad Says U.S. Should Answer Shourd's Release With Release of Iranians

ABC | Sept 19

Just days after the release of American hiker Sarah Shourd, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Washington should respond to his country's "huge humanitarian gesture" by releasing eight Iranians he says are being held in the United States.

The Iranian president made his remarks during an exclusive interview with "This Week" anchor Christiane Amanpour, just after arriving in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Amanpour asked the Iranian president to respond directly to an appeal by the mothers of the two remaining American hikers being held, asking that their sons being released.

Ahmadinejad said their cases are in the hands of the judicial system, but he appeared to have already rendered his verdict.

"They violated the law," he said. "Do you want violators to be released. Is that what you're asking me?"

"It would not be misplaced to ask that the U.S. government should take a humanitarian gesture to release the Iranians who were illegally arrested and detained here in the United States," Ahmadinejad said.

See also: "Families of 2 Americans Still in Iran Wait, Wonder" (AP/ABC)

Ahmadinejad Says Propaganda against Administration Unprecedented

Tehran Times | Sept 17

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that propaganda against his administration at home has reached an unprecedented level.

Foiling the enemy's plots is the main component of the administration's foreign policy, he said in an interview with the daily Iran published on Saturday. 


Elsewhere in his remarks, the president seemed to downplay the role of the Majlis.

When it comes to the independence of the different branches of government, some only advocate an independent legislative or judiciary branch while the executive body is the most important branch of the government, the president explained.

Certain people cite Imam Khomeini's statement on the importance of Majlis, but at that time the president was not entirely in charge of the country, rather prime minister, who had to be endorsed by the Majlis, was mostly responsible for running the country, he explained.

According to the Constitution, the administration shoulders the responsibility of running the country, and thus the other branches of government should help it fulfill that duty, the president stated.

Iran Invites Turkey into Space Program: Report

Reuters | Sept 17

Iran has invited Turkey to cooperate in work on the Islamic Republic's space program, which aims to put a man in space by 2017, the Turkish newspaper Haberturk said on Saturday.

Western countries which suspect Iran is trying to build nuclear bombs are concerned the long-range ballistic technology used to propel Iranian satellites into orbit could be used to launch atomic warheads. Tehran denies such suggestions.

Pro-business Haberturk said Turkey had not responded to the proposal. Turkish officials were unavailable for comment, and there was no immediate comment from Tehran.

The reported proposal to cooperate on the sensitive program would underscore growing trust between Turkey and Iran as the states seek to strengthen diplomatic and business ties.