Selected Headlines

Ayatollah calls for emergency Assembly of Experts meeting

[Source: Yazd Online][Dastgheib.ir] August 13, 2009

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Mohammad Dastgheib, a member of the Assembly of Experts and a senior cleric, issued a statement calling for an emergency meeting of the Assembly.

"When Imam Khomeini said 'support the rule of the just jurisprudent so that the Revolution will be kept out of harm's way,' he meant that when the people withdraw their support of the rule of the just jurisprudent, the just jurisprudent is unable to do anything and his rule becomes meaningless," Ayatollah Dastgheib said in his statement.

"It is the duty of the Assembly of Experts to safeguard every single article of the Constitution and in this path have the support of the people. This is the very raison d'etre for the Assembly of Experts."

"The people, through their votes, have appointed the Experts as their legal representatives to protect the constitution."

"In the recent events [following the 10th presidential election], the protests of the people and the demonstrations, which continue to date, show that the people are still not satisfied with the election process and its result because of noncompliance with the law. If the law had been executed, people would have no complaints, as they are the ones who voted for it."

"It is obvious that if the people are assured that the Experts are making efforts to protect their rights and that they [the Experts]

hold safeguarding the constitution and the people's votes in high esteem, they will settle down and will sanction the enforcement of the constitutional laws."

Ayatollah Dastgheib went on to criticize the Assembly for not inviting former president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami to the Assembly to answer the questions put to him.

"He [Khatami] was distanced from you and it was even said that he is an outsider, and many other charges were brought against him."

"However, the head of the 9th administration [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad], who was not even a cleric, was repeatedly invited [to the Assembly] and yet he never answered any of the questions put to him and he appointed someone else to answer in his place and .... Is this not a reason for the people to question why the Experts are playing favorites?"

The cleric closed his statement by reminding the Assembly that "people will pass away and all that will be left is their actions."

The 86-member Assembly of Experts headed by Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani is tasked with appointing Iran's Leader and supervising his actions.

Boroujerdi: Will Hajjarian, Tajzadeh photos be enough?

[Source: Parleman News] August 12, 2009

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy commission, said he was willing to show reporters pictures of Saeed Hajjarian and Mostafa Tajzadeh as proof of their well being.

During a press conference, in response to reporters requesting to accompany the Majlis truth-finding committee on inspections of detention centers, Boroujerdi said, "We will request permission for a number of reporters to go to the detention centers, so they may see [for themselves] and tell the people."

When eager reporters attempted to give the lawmaker their cell phone numbers, Boroujerdi said, "Reporters can propose a visit, but the decision as to who will be allowed to come along is up to the judiciary."

When asked about Hajjarian, the lawmaker said, "He lives in a house with a pool."

When reporters debated that Hajjarian has no use for a swimming pool, Boroujerdi said that walking in the pool had been advised by Hajjarian's doctors.

"If I show you pictures of Mr. Hajjarian and Tajzadeh and you see that they are well, will that be enough for you?" Boroujerdi said.

"But you are people who will not believe anything even when provided with visual proof," he added.

A reporter commented that they could be holding Boroujerdi under house arrest, but showing pictures that made it look like he was having a good time. He then told the head of the Majlis commission they could do the same to him -- hold the official hostage, but make it look like he was having a good time.

"You don't look the type [who could do such a thing]," Boroujerdi said to the reporter. ("Behetoon nemiad een kareh bashid.")

Lawmaker: 16 students in Evin, no jailed professors, 23 killed

[Source: ILNA] August 13, 2009

Hassan Dougani, A member of the Majlis truth-finding committee, said the committee found 16 students detainees in its August 12 inspection of Evin Prison.

"According to the information given to us, no university professors are currently in prison," said Dougani, adding that the 16 detained students are being held in Evin.

"The names of these students have been given to the head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mr. [Alaeddin] Boroujerdi."

When asked if the information had been passed to the committee by Tehran's prosecutor, Dougani said, "This information was given to us through unofficial channels and I cannot reveal the source."

He went on to use the 'unofficial information' to reveal that 23 individuals including civilians, Basij members, and police officers had been killed in the post-election unrest.

Radan to replace Ahmadi-Moqaddam as police chief

[Source: Ayandeh News] August 12, 2009

Amid calls for Police Chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam's resignation and his immediate transfer to head Basij forces, a new report suggests Deputy Police Chief Brigadier Ahmad-Reza Radan will take up the vacated post.

Radan, who is rumored to have personally participated in the beatings of Kahrizak detainees, now looks ready to lead the Iranian police forces, according to a Rajanews report.

Kahrizak was a 'substandard' detention center closed by order of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei after shocking reports surfaced that prisoner abuse at the facility had led to the deaths of a number of detainees, including Mohsen Rouholamini, the son of a senior aide to conservative politician Mohsen Rezaei.

Detainee families gather outside Revolutionary Court

[Source: Hamounism blog] August 12, 2009

Some 90 members of the families of the detainees of the post-election unrest gathered in front of the Revolutionary Court on Tuesday out of concern for their loved ones.

Reports of prisoner abuse have caused distress among families of detainees, some of whom remain unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones, since the Revolutionary Court has not confirmed the names of some of last week's detainees.

The Revolutionary Court announces detainee names on a daily basis so that families can post bail or retain lawyers.

When some families who are unable to make bail voiced their protest, they were told, "Instead of wasting our time go find a way to post bail... until you do so, your family members will remain in jail."

Mousavi: Nation's desire for reform in interest of Islamic Republic

[Source: Tabnak] August 14, 2009

Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi said the biggest form of deception is attributing the nation's innate desire for reform to foreign powers.

"None of the people devoted to the Revolution wanted the recent events to happen, and worse to see it justified by lies upon lies, and the biggest lie of all is to see the people's innate desire for reform attributed to foreigners," Mousavi said.

"The people wanted and still want their complaints heard in a calm atmosphere free of tension," said the member of the Expediency Council while pointing to the people's distrust for foreign intentions.

"Are the people's protests which are within the framework of the constitution and based on the slogans chanted during the Islamic Revolution in line with the interests of foreign powers or holding trials in which the figures and children of the Revolution are seated next to seditionists [MKO]? Which one serves the interests of the UK and US?"

"Does the US prefer to see Seda o Sima [state television] be impartial and trustworthy or lose the trust of the people by repeatedly airing lies? Are those who have forced the people to turn to foreign media outlets for information serving the interests of foreigners or those who demand the state broadcaster to be impartial and transparent in reporting?"

"Is disrespecting Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi, who is one of the most devoted individuals to the Islamic establishment and the country, not serving foreign interests?"

Rafsanjani visits Hakim in Tehran

[Source: Tabnak] August 14, 2009

Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, has met with the powerful head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who is undergoing cancer treatment in Tehran.

A source close to Hashemi revealed that the Iranian cleric had visited Hakim at his residence in northern Tehran.

During the meeting, Rafsanjani stressed the importance of unity among Iraqis and the formation of a coalition government in Iraq.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim has been receiving treatment in Tehran for the past year.

Hossein Karroubi: I am sorry for Boroujerdi

[Source: Etemade Melli] August 12, 2009

Hossein Karroubi, son of prominent Reformist politician Mehdi Karroubi, slammed remarks made by lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi claiming that his father's letter to Rafsanjani was written based on the information provided by the readers of Etemad-e Melli newspaper.

Etemad-e Melli ['National Trust'] is a Reformist daily owned by Mehdi Karroubi.

"I'm saddened to see Mr. Boroujerdi, as the head of the Majlis truth-finding committee, has rushed to draw a conclusion without first investigating the issue. Maybe it should be concluded that if this is how the committee investigates detainee issues it is obvious what their findings will be like," Hossein Karroubi said.

In a recent letter sent to Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Karroubi requested an investigation into the rape of some of the protesters detained in the unrest that erupted following the announcement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner of the 10th presidential election.

The letter was made public after the expiry of the 10-day deadline given to Rafsanjani to respond to it.

Hossein Karroubi went on to describe his telephone conversation with Tehran Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, saying, "Mr. Mortazavi contacted me to ask about the content of Mr. Karroubi's letter and he asked me which of the officials or commanders of the Sacred Defense [eight-year Iraq-Iran war] had met him [my father] and given him the information; I told him I didn't know."

He went on to say that the calls made to the Etemad-e Melli paper had all been made after the letter was made public.

"I told him [Mortazavi] that after Etemad-e Melli published the letter many of our readers contacted us either to thank us for publishing the letter or to say that they had been among the people who had been abused in detention."

"Mr. Mortazavi asked me to provide him with the names of the reporters who had responded to these calls and spoken with the callers. I did not give him any names because the paper receives hundreds of calls regarding different issues every day, any one of the Etemad-e Melli staff may answer these calls, therefore no specific person can be named to have spoken with callers so I cannot give him any names."

"Mr. Karroubi's letter was written based on the evidence he had received and as he has been on vacation for a week, I was the only one to receive and publish this letter," Hossein Karroubi concluded.