For as much as we try.For as much as we suffer.For as much as we struggle.For as much as we lose.For as much as we crawl.For as much as we R

For much is shared with world at large. From whose eyes who clearly see. From captured vision of a world astray. For now I saw what you see.

For with renewed warmth these souls of mine. And with sudden chills these arms of mine. For the chime of the timeless clock brings forth joy

The quiet of the night brought forth my stormy evening.A puzzled day brought forth this mindless moment.A victorious feeling await my hunger

Energy: For empty thoughts are brought forth by an empty life.Where the tea grows cold like my soul.And the soup becomes warm like my body.

Your gift to me on this cheerished night is peace of soul of a solitary mind.My gift to you during these days of solitude are deafened ears.

To make a difference your only voice. To make a contribution my only wish. For your news saddens our lives. And we are saddened by lost ears

For while this soul grows old, this tea goes cold.For your soul to remain young, you must first learn to beat your new drums.So rise up, NOW

While the bots who choose to follow are easily blocked, the humans who wish to link are difficult to reconnect.Choose Wisely & Monitor Often

@42DeepThought

To the Music of: World I Know by Collective Soul

Twittered Thoughts

For the world we know will become the world we knew. The sanctioning of the world will bring about a future not unlike that of our history.6:48 PM Aug 20th

For as much as we try.For as much as we suffer.For as much as we struggle.For as much as we lose.For as much as we crawl.For as much as we R6:53 PM Aug 20th

For much is shared with world at large. From whose eyes who clearly see. From captured vision of a world astray. For now I saw what you see.7:04 PM Aug 20th

For with renewed warmth these souls of mine. And with sudden chills these arms of mine. For the chime of the timeless clock brings forth joy7:31 PM Aug 20th

The quiet of the night brought forth my stormy evening.A puzzled day brought forth this mindless moment.A victorious feeling await my hunger7:34 PM Aug 20th

Energy: For empty thoughts are brought forth by an empty life.Where the tea grows cold like my soul.And the soup becomes warm like my body.7:38 PM Aug 20th

Your gift to me on this cheerished night is peace of soul of a solitary mind.My gift to you during these days of solitude are deafened ears.7:42 PM Aug 20th

To make a difference your only voice. To make a contribution my only wish. For your news saddens our lives. And we are saddened by lost ears8:07 PM Aug 20th

For while this soul grows old, this tea goes cold.For your soul to remain young, you must first learn to beat your new drums.So rise up, NOW8:11 PM Aug 20th

While the bots who choose to follow are easily blocked, the humans who wish to link are difficult to reconnect.Choose Wisely & Monitor Often8:22 PM Aug 20th

As I sit and stare as the world glances by, I see the pain of their turmoil.  But for all the casting shadows are but forgotten at the sight of the dancing jock in a jeep or the gentle hum of a seat mate.

The chimes of the roads traveled are captured through our visions of a life not ours.  But a pain shared by all who must live only seeking to survive.

For all who transpire must first find their peace in the heart of unity through common sorrows and the loving joy of music and dance.

For only with music can we survive the pain and sorrow of our commutal existence in a community of disconnected souls.

For our eyes are our mirror yet we fail to cast an acknowledging gaze to those who simply are and those who fail to see their place in life is with us.

@42DeepThought

To the Music of: A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum

Why We Protest – IRAN

The Green Brief by NiteOwl

1. The Green Brief – NiteOwl – Why We Protest – IRAN – RePost
2. The Green Brief #2 (June 18) – RePost
3. The Green Brief #3 (June 19) – RePost
4. The Green Brief #4 (June 20) – RePost
5. The Green Brief #5 (June 21) – RePost
6. The Green Brief #6 (June 22) – RePost
7. The Green Brief #7 (June 23) – RePost
8. The Green Brief #8 (June 24) – RePost
9. The Green Brief #9 (June 25) – RePost
10. The Green Brief #10 (June 26) – RePost
11. The Green Brief #11 (June 27) – RePost
12. The Green Brief #12 (June 28) – RePost
13. The Green Brief #13 (June 29) – RePost
14. The Green Brief #14 (June 30) – RePost
15. The Green Brief #15 (July 01) – RePost
16. The Green Brief #16 (July 02) – RePost
17. The Green Brief #17 (July 03) – RePost
18. delayed (see below)
19. The Green Brief #18-19 (July 04-05) – RePost
20. The Green Brief #20 (July 06) – RePost
21. The Green Brief #21 (July 07) – RePost
22. The Green Brief #22 (July 08) – RePost
23. The Green Brief #23 (July 09) – RePost
24. The Green Brief #24 (July 10) – RePost
25. The Green Brief #25 (July 11) – RePost
26. The Green Brief #26 (July 12) – RePost
27. The Green Brief #27 (July 13) – RePost
28. The Green Brief #28 (July 14) – RePost
29. The Green Brief #29 (July 15) – RePost
30. The Green Brief #30 (July 16) – RePost
31. The Green Brief #31 (July 17) – RePost
32. The Green Brief #32 (July 18) – RePost
33. The Green Brief #33 (July 19) – RePost
34. The Green Brief #34 (July 20) – RePost
35. The Green Brief #35 (July 21) – RePost
36. The Green Brief #36 (July 22) – RePost
37. The Green Brief #37 (July 23) – RePost
38. The Green Brief #38 (July 24) – RePost
39. The Green Brief #39 (July 25) – RePost
40. delayed (see below)
41. The Green Brief #40-41 (July 26-27) – RePost
42. The Green Brief #42 (July 28) – RePost

The Saga Continues @ http://iran.whyweprotest.net/green-brief/

To be jostled in the night by the tweets of the day.  Great care is taken to noise out the foul air.  From shortness to greatness NOTHING gained if not fully shared.  Isolated from a dying maxed out world.  Feeding for hours on end-less banter.  The pile of compost greens the Earth.  For only the voice of an Angel can confirm the voice of the Daemon amongst us.  Immersed in a sea of green to brief us all who fail to see above the horizon.

Of happenstance we can confirm the negatives so positively.  With bands of green this spotted owl sits on his post.  A revolution to some this growing protest from much unrest. In a police state, what can the police state out loud.  For they must protect from the guard of those who would steal from their people.  They elect to arrest those who protest, while protecting those who elect. For only those without reason can view these acts as treason.  For their loyalty to their nation is stronger then those disloyal to their people.

A word never heard by these ears but always known.  Of many names, these thugs are called upon.  Of misspent youth they now batter the youth of the peaceful mind.  These Baseejis are the hounds of devil with the souls of the lost.  For only in few numbers will they fail to survive.  Fear that their numbers will grow as the bruises swell.  While the powerful play their power games, the few will lay down and rearm in what they fear.  Their biggest threat now plainly in their face.  For the gangs will rise over the solitude of the masses.  For those who are threatened may fail to see the light of another day.

For the Mullahs will join but will stay invisible to those they must praise.  For no longer contained, they choose to face contained then to be restraind.  With those in the countries pocket will take side to exaggerate their state of grace.  Though downplayed for days, the cure for this illness can only be found by private feeds.  For their public is fed with the truth of the led and the lies of the dead.  For witnesses are widespread to the irregularities of the surreal.   From door to door, taken by guarded means.  The armies will simply wait.  For only the plain will spark protest by their violence in the face of justice.

For thanks are sent from the morning sons.  Quite a sum who first hear of such buggery and burglary.  For every morning we must get it in the ear.  For only the educated truly think of who controls their lives.  For the princes to grow, the king must be dethroned.  Through happy stance they failed to see, for those who learn will want to speak.  As the world unites and watches over a modern tube.  They struggle to speak in mass over modern lines.  For one state requests to stay up for what one state demands to bring down.

For the brave revolt against the revolting aged.  Their voices struggle for what is right in a leading world.  The prayers grow to their cheers of remodernization.  For passion creates and the intellect recites.  Once a beauty of the world forever torn down by dissent.  Their unmodern decent made public by unquiet streets.  The whole world will suffer unless we start to watch.  The world world will pray unless we start to contact.

For the powerful old play their war games.  For these battles have always been drawn in these fields.  For the battles long fought are fought again.  For two hands always manipulate the pious puppets.  While the world wants to play their interconnected games.  The aged will always know only the games of their bored youth.  While alliances are formed and old empires reformed we simply dismiss the world games we play.

The sources are found, the conduit establish, and the world will watch what the restricted infrequently fail to see.  For by divulging the reliable will lead to keys stained by bloody remains.  For respect is given before it is earned.  This Diavlog is brought to you by the Color Green.

For who is this NiteOwl?

“Oh, I’m just a Guy Fawkes helpin out Iranians. “

@42DeepThought

To the Music of: Send Me an Angel by the Scorpions

Loss of thought is often matched by a loss of solitude and conflict lost. Gain of mind is often unmatched by Again of soul and peace gained.

Only the cries of animals remain in the ears of those slain by the blows of words and the bows of inaction.A torment told this shit torrent.

A climate so odd as to see the likes of the ellusive publicized-victimized-extrasized-verbalized-organized-paralyzed-destabilized lame duck.

Of fortunes told for this story goes for misfortunes hold as this play unfolds as we await awake for this much at stake for mistake a steak.

@42DeepThought

To the Music of: Something For Nothing by Rush

Twittered Thoughts

We are but peons on the playboard of existence awaiting our demise at the hands of our masters who must view us as ants crawling up a mound.9:02 PM Jul 28th

Loss of thought is often matched by a loss of solitude and conflict lost. Gain of mind is often unmatched by Again of soul and peace gained.9:08 PM Jul 28th

Only the cries of animals remain in the ears of those slain by the blows of words and the bows of inaction.A torment told this shit torrent.9:12 PM Jul 28th

A climate so odd as to see the likes of the ellusive publicized-victimized-extrasized-verbalized-organized-paralyzed-destabilized lame duck.9:20 PM Jul 28th

Of fortunes told for this story goes for misfortunes hold as this play unfolds as we await awake for this much at stake for mistake a steak.9:25 PM Jul 28th

The Green Brief #42 (July 28)

I’m NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar – twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter. I’m a journalist and a human rights activist and NOT Iranian. This is a compilation of news from Iran that I’ve gathered through twitter and Iranian sites that were advertised on twitter. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC).)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Tuesday, July 28. (Some reports maybe from the 29th as well)

In German: The Green Brief #42, deutsche Übersetzung, Teil I – Why We Protest – IRAN und The Green Brief #42, deutsche Übersetzung, Teil II – Why We Protest – IRAN

In Hebrew: Content Factory: עלון ירוק 42 28.7

In Polish: Oddajcie Irańczykom głos!

In Spanish: Informe Verde en Español: Informe Verde 42 (el 28 de julio)

Protests / Unrests

1. The Ministry of Interior refused to issue a permit for gatherings on Thursday for mourning the 40th day of Neda’s death. However, Mousavi and other reformists have indicated that they would proceed with plans for gatherings, even if a permit is not issued. Mousavi and other reformist leaders will also visit the graves of protesters who have been killed during the unrests. Mousavi has reportedly suggested that his supporters make use of religious holy days for gatherings and rallies – full confirmation of this could not be obtained.

2. Two minutes of silence will be publicly observed in many parts of the world on Thursday. For more details on this and how to participate, please follow this link: The Silent Wave. The Silent Wave – Be still for Iran on Thursday July 30, 2009.

3. Saifullah Daad’s funeral will be held on Monday (Iran Time) and many reformists and Green Movement supporters are expected to attend. Partially confirmed reports suggest that Mir Hossein Mousavi will also be present.

4. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi and the Secretary General of Amnesty International Irene Khan have published a joint statement, declaring that the situation in Iran was getting worse. They expressed concern that violent repression was possible in retaliation to protests that might be held on the day of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s inauguration.

5. Mehr News has reported today that a bomb had been defused near Saderat Bank in Karaj. This remains unconfirmed for now.

6. Mousavi stencils in green are appearing all over Tehran. Picture: http://tinyurl.com/mnowfy

Opposition

7. Full Text of Mousavi’s Speech on Monday (English): Mir Hossein Mousavi میر حسین موسوی: Mousavi: “Religious celebrations are opportunities for the display of the “Green” movement’s creativity.” | Facebook (I went through as much of it as I could and the translation seems to be impeccable. Hopefully, those who were looking for it will find it useful).

8. Ninety two professors and faculty members of universities in Tabriz have sent a letter of support to Mousavi. The letter also asks the government to release political prisoners, ensure freedom of speech and stop violently oppressing peaceful protests.

9. Ayatollah Sayed Jalalludin Taheri Isfahani has written a letter supporting Rafsanjani’s stance in regard to the elections. He asked the political elite to join hands in finding a solution for the current turmoil. He stated that the regime and spirituality were in danger because of the present situation.

10. Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani also wrote a letter today to the reformist leadership. The letter states that the blood spilled, during the post election violence, was on the hands of those who have always thought little of people and have ignored their votes. He urged the reformists to continue to stand against the oppression that was taking place and said those who ignore such atrocities also share the blame.

11. In an interview, published in Etemaade Melli newspaper, Fakhrusadaat Mohtashamipour blamed the Guardian Council of overly supporting Ahmadinejad and hurting the oppositions’ campaigns using censor tactics and media as a tool.

12. Reformist leaders continue to meet with the families of protesters who’ve been killed or detained. On Monday, Mohammad Khatami met with the family of detained reporter Mohammad Ghochani and Mahdi Karroubi met with the family of Neda Aga-Soltan. Karroubi told the family of Neda that she had merged into the people’s movement and had become a symbol for freedom.

Government / International

13. Reports suggest that Ahmadinejad has assumed the responsibilities of the Minister of Intelligence after he sacked Ejaie from the post. This can only be partially confirmed at this point. There are other reports suggesting that he has appointed another high-ranking official at the Ministry as the “caretaker”.

14. Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, on Monday praised the women of Iran for their bravery in pursuit of their rights and freedoms. He mentioned Shadi Sadr and the fact she had been arrested. Video: YouTube – Congressman Poe Impressed By The Women Of Iran

15. Iranian MP Ali Motaheri today criticized the government’s decision to close just one detention center. He said the closing of only one detention center didn’t mean that there were not other places where people were deprived of their liberty and tortured.

16. Reports suggest that Ahmadinejad is losing support in parliament. At least two parliament members have reportedly suggested in recent days that Ahmadinejad’s government could face a vote of no confidence. However, this remains only partially confirmed. Ahmadinejad is also still under pressure by some conservatives for keeping Esfandiar Mashaie as his Chief of Staff.

17. MP Hamid Reza Katouzian of Tehran today criticized Ahmadinejad harshly over his continued support for Mashaie. He also accused Ahmadinejad of not being loyal to the Supreme Leader. Also on Tuesday, conservative MP Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghaddam expressed support for Rafsanjani and said that most of the detainees should be released since they were simply young and excited youngsters.

Arrested / Released / Killed

18. After the order by Shahrodi which stipulated a speedy release for detained protesters with minor offences, Ali Larijani – the head of the Iranian parliament – announced today that a special committee would be reviewing the situation from the beginning of the tension. The three member committee will meet with prisoners and write a detailed report about their status, rights and the interrogations they’ve gone through. The committee would also gather complaints from people who’ve been beaten or have suffered financial loss during the unrest.

19. Saeed Hajjarian is reportedly being released today. He is in failing health and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that if not released, he could die in detention.

20. More deaths during the protests have been confirmed.

- Hossein Akhtar-Zand, 32, was killed by Basijis in Isfahan on June 15th.
It has been alleged that he was thrown from a building. I have seen pictures of his body. I am not going to post the link as they are too graphic.

- Saeed Abbasi was killed on June 20 after being shot in the head on Rodaki Ave.-

- Sajjad Qayed Rahmati, was killed on June 21 by IRG members near Navab Metro Station.

- Davood Sadri, 25, was killed on June 15 after being shot by Basijis from the rooftop of their headquarters at Moghdad near Jinnah Avenue in Tehran.

- Amir Javadi Langroodi has also died after suffering days of torture at Evin.

- A 16 year old detainee was brutally beaten in front of more than 200 other detainees at Kahrizak and died on the spot.

- Hossein Akbari was killed by security forces in the first week of unrests. He had gone missing, but his family didn’t know of his death for almost a month. His body was given to his family on July 22 and he was buried four days later.

- Mansour Ghoujazadeh, a resident of Khoy, was beaten so badly during a protest that he couldn’t survive his injuries. He was quietly buried after his family was threatened by security forces.
(But they aren’t just names, they have faces too: Faces of the Iranians killed and Arrested)

21. Reports today confirmed the detention center, ordered to be shut down by Khamenei, is Kahrizak Detention Center located south of Tehran. Horrendous reports of torture and abuse are surfacing about the facility.

- One detainee reportedly suffered so much trauma to the head at Kahrizak that he went blind and died in detention.

- Detainees are forced to strip, then, electric cables are used to lash them for hours ripping into their bodies and inflicting terrible damage.

- Other detainees are crammed into small cells where many have contracted infectious diseases.

- Tehran’s Police Chief, Ibrahim Reza Radan has personally beaten and tortured detainees on his visits to the facility. His weapon of choice was reportedly a plastic hose.

22. Reports from other detention facilities describe incidents like these:

- A female detainee was supposedly forced to sign a confession to admit she had not been mistreated while in detention. She was repeatedly beaten, harassed by male interrogators, her hair was pulled and male interrogators repeatedly touched her body inappropriately to force her to confess.

- One detainee was forced to lick the commode of the detention facility’s toilet and guards forced his head down to the ground with their boots. He was also repeatedly beaten with batons.

- Guards who would refuse to subjugate prisoners to such torture were reprimanded. One guard was detained and tortured after he refused to torture a detainee.

- One Iranian expatriate, who had been detained after returning from London, was beaten so badly and harassed that he has become mentally unstable. After his release, his family has been forced to restrain him so he does not attempt to commit suicide.

(The committee formed by the parliament to investigate the cases of detainees most probably will not be visiting Kahrizak as it has already been closed. For accounts of what happened at Kahrizak, visit this link: كودن با استعداد: The Holocaust denier is casting his own version)

23. The number of protesters who have been killed in detention or on the streets has climbed to 78. According to multiple sources this number is much higher. Here is an updated list of the dead and detained Leaving Facebook… | Facebook.

24. The government is continuing to charge people money for returning the bodies of their loved ones. They are also being forced to sign papers that absolve the government of the blame for the victim’s death. Unless these two conditions are met, bodies are not returned.

25. Reports suggest that in the past two days, at least 140 prisoners were freed from Evin and other prisons. They include Mohammad Tavsoli who had been in detention for the past 43 days. Aida Mesbahi was also released today. The government has announced that the remaining detainees – which according to it number in less than 200 – have committed major crimes such as damaging property or providing weapons to other protesters that were used in violence.

26. Ali Maghami – a member of Karoubi’s campaign HQ – was arrested yesterday.

27. Unconfirmed reports indicate that two political prisoners were hung in Zahedan, Sistan o Baluchestan province. The prisoners were primarily persecuted because they belong to the Sunni branch of Islam which is a minority in Shia-majority Iran. There is still no news on the fate of seven detained members of the Baha’i faith.

Media

28. Javan Daily has accused the Association of Anonymous Addicts of also having a hand in the current turmoil. (Next, it will be the Pope!)

29. Khanaye Moseeqi (House of Music), an organization of Iranian musicians, has released a letter defending Saeed Shajarian. He has been repeatedly insulted by the government owned media after he asked them to stop broadcasting his patriotic songs.

Miscellaneous

30. Francesco Totti, top Italian footballer, sent a message in Farsi to Iranian youth fighting or their freedom:

Note: I thought about cutting down the number of GBs to less than 7 a week. But honestly, so much happens every day that I find it difficult to keep the GBs as brief as they should be. So until further notice, one a day will be the norm.

*Discuss/Annotate: http://aic.openmsl.net/wiki/index.php/Green_Brief_42 ; Create it if it doesn’t exist.

**If you wanna republish the Green Brief, please visit this page: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

***For Radio Broadcasters: Green Brief Pronounciation Guide – Why We Protest – IRAN

****(A list of all the Green Briefs: The Green Briefs

*****A hearty thanks to Sahar joon and S 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. You can retweet this link and help others know what is going on in Iran.

B. Iranmapping: iranmap.whyweprotest.net ; If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context for Iranmapping, please follow the instruction over at IranMapping – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

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

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

Get video torrents and help on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

The Green Brief #40-41 (July 26-27)

I’m NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar – twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter. I’m a journalist and a human rights activist and NOT Iranian. This is a compilation of news from Iran that I’ve gathered through twitter and Iranian sites that were advertised on twitter. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC).)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Sunday/Monday, July 26/27. (Some reports maybe from the 28th as well)

Protests / Unrest

In Hebrew: http://tinyurl.com/kpljpr

In Italian: http://tinyurl.com/lamtob

In German: http://tinyurl.com/m8uxw2

In Polish: http://bit.ly/19GILV

In Spanish: http://tinyurl.com/lm3baz

1. There are reports that a small gathering of people chanting against the government was held on Tuesday held in retaliation of the government’s decision to ban Mohsen Rohulamini’s funeral ceremony from being public. I can only partially confirm this at this point.

2. Plans are underway to hold a day of silence around the world to commemorate the 40th day of Neda’s death (I’m not sure if this has a lot of backing, but here’s the link: Example Tweets for Thursday 3…). Protests are planned in Iran on that day as well.

3. Basijis are apparently wearing jeans and shaving their beards in order to infiltrate the ranks of protesters.

Opposition

4. Mousavi urged the government to not interfere with the mourning gathering to commemorate Neda’s death. He said he hadn’t planned a speech and only Koran will be recited during the mourning. He, however, declared that the Green Movement will continue. The gathering will be held at Grand Mosala. He added, “How can it be that the leaders of our country do not cry out and shed tears about these tragedies?”

5. Two days ago, Hashemi Rafsanjani stated in a meeting with faculty members of a university in Tehran denied there was a power struggle in the nation. But, in order to resolve the current situation, he said that he still stood by his comments made during his Friday sermon.

6. Ayatollah Montazeri has released a statement that expresses concern over the current state of affairs. He also applauded the efforts made by various people to resolve the current state of turmoil. It has been also confirmed that Ayatollah Montazeri has met with Ayatollah Mousavi Ardabeli and Ayatollah Shabiri Zanjani.

7. Partially confirmed reports suggest that Ayatollah Saneie has announced his intention of attending the mourning rallies of the 40th day of Neda’s death. On Sunday, he also criticized the government’s wide-spread clamp downs on peaceful protesters and called on it to release all detainees. In a letter to Mousavi, Khatami and Karroubi, he also said that the path to attaining peoples’ rights must continue without violence or bloodshed. Ayatollah Mousavi Ardabeli also joined his call for the release of all prisoners and asked the government to halt cruelty against peaceful protesters. It is worth noting that both Ayatollahs’ statements come as a response to a letter sent to Iranian Ayatollahs by the reformist leaders, asking for their support.

8. Ayatollah Hassan Zarandi – a member of the Assembly of Experts, representing Kermanshah – has written a letter, supporting Rafsanjani’s Friday sermon.

9. Reformist MP Alikhani has criticized the government’s decision to continue using Russian-made airplanes. He accused the government of treating the lives of Iran’s citizens as worthless.

Government / International

10. It has now been confirmed that the resignation letter of the Minister of Culture has been rejected by Ahmadinejad. So far, only the Minister of Intelligence has been sacked. Reports of the sacking of two other ministers could not be confirmed.

11. It has been confirmed that sacked Intelligence Minister Ejaie has sent a letter to Khamenei criticizing Ahmadinejad rather harshly.

12. Although it had been reported that Ahmadinejad’s inauguration would be held on August 2, new reports suggest that it might have been changed to August 5 and still others claim August 4 to be the day. For now, August 2 seems to remain in effect.

13. MP Hamid Reza Katouzian has stated that Mohsen Rohulamini’s only fault was to oppose Ahmadinejad and called the killing of dissidents by the government ugly and shameful. This is while another MP Ali Motaher – who has sided with reformists in the past weeks – asked Iran’s judiciary to give up the name of Mohsen’s killer.

14. Mohsen Rezaie has thanked judiciary chief Ayatollah Hashemi-Shahroudi for ordering a quick review of the cases of the detainees of the post-vote unrest in Iran.

15. It has been confirmed that besides Intelligence Minister Ejaie, as many as 20 high-ranking officials from that ministry have been sacked. Reports suggest that Ahmadinejad has sacked these officials for their failure to provide concrete evidence that attempts at staging a ‘velvet revolution’ were being made in Iran by foreign powers.

16. As reported in the Green Brief two weeks ago, several prominent Shi’ite clerics are going to make a decision about leaving Iran and settling in Najaf, Iraq. It is expected that the final decision will be made within days.

17. In a meeting held by a committee set up by the reformist camp to investigate the fate of detainees, Ali Larijani – the head of Iran’s Parliament – has asked them to continue their investigation. He has also asked for the release of those detainees who have not committed serious crimes. However, he reiterated that government’s official policy of blaming foreign media outlets for the current unrest in Iran.

Arrests / Released / Killed

18. It has been confirmed that Khamenei has ordered the closure of a single detention center because detainees were being ill-treated there and Iranian laws were broken. Khamenei’s spokesperson – while announcing the Supreme Leader’s decision – said that this had been done to ensure that detainees remain safe from cruelty while in detention. We cannot confirm which prison it is at the moment; however, it seems Khamenei must not be aware of what’s happening at Evin…

19. Famous Iranian actress Pegah Ahangarani has been detained. Partially confirmed reports suggest that prominent feminist, lawyer and human rights activist Shadi Sadr has been released.

20. The spokesperson for Iran’s Judiciary has announced that Shahrodi – the director of the Judiciary – ordered that within a week the fate of all prisoners detained after protests started must be determined. He said that some will be released very soon because they might not have committed any serious crimes, but claimed that only 300 remained behind bars. It has also been confirmed that 7 members of parliament went to visit Evin and Rajayi prison to assess the condition of detainees on Monday.

21. The director of Mazandaran province’s detention facilities has told a human rights organization that the provincial prison at Sari held a thousand prisoners – four times more than it could actually hold. He also claimed that up to 60 people were being held at cells designed for 12.

22. Ramin Qahremani – a protester detained for two weeks – has died only two days after being released because of internal and external injuries. He had been extensively tortured and was reportedly hung upside down for extended periods of time while in detention.

23. Faizullah Arab-Sorkhi, Saeed Hajjarian, Behzad Nabavi and Mostafa Tajzadeh, who are all reformists politicians currently in jail and in bad health, have been moved to IRG Hospital #66. It has been reported that they will be questioned by a special team from now on that is being headed by a representative of the Supreme Leader.

24. In more tragic news, the family of a protester who went to a rally in Rasht was recently notified to pick up his body by the authorities of the city. The protester’s brother was asked upon arrival by the authorities to sign a statement, saying that the protester had died because he was suffering from a terminal illness. When he refused, the protester body was not returned.

25. As chants of Allah o Akbar continue throughout the night, security forces are actively hunting people who are taking part in this form of protest. Reportedly, people are being fined hundreds of dollars if caught in the act.

Media

26. Reformist newspaper Sadaye Adalat’s permit has been cancelled by the government.

27. Several state-owned media outlets, mainly Ansar News, IRIB, PressTV and Keyhan have recently started to criticize Ahmadinejad rather harshly. The spate of criticisms started after Ahmadinejad’s appointment of Mashaie as his vice president and the six-day long battle between Ahmadinejad and conservatives to remove him.

(I don’t particularly like Fareed Zakariya but this is just brilliant!

)

*Discuss/Annotate: http://aic.openmsl.net/wiki/index.php/Green_Brief_41 ; Create it if it doesn’t exist.

**If you wanna republish the Green Brief, please visit this page: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

***For Radio Broadcasters: Green Brief Pronounciation Guide – Why We Protest – IRAN

****(A list of all the Green Briefs: The Green Briefs

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

B. Discuss/Annotate: Green Brief 38 – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

C. Iranmapping: iranmap.whyweprotest.net ; If you would like to help out with compiling all the news stories from Iran in a geo-spatial context for Iranmapping, please follow the instruction over at IranMapping – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

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

http://tinyurl.com/m6k3a9

Get video torrents and help on Tor here:

Gonzo Times � Torrents List (82 videos)

Green Brief #39 (July 25)

I’m NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar – twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter. I’m a journalist and a human rights activist and NOT Iranian. This is a compilation of news from Iran that I’ve gathered through twitter and Iranian sites that were advertised on twitter. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC).)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Saturday, July 25 .

In Hebrew: Content Factory: עלון ירוק 25.7 39

In German: Green Brief #39 (deutsche �bersetzung)

In Spanish: Informe Verde #39 � Diplomática de Bolsillo

In Polish: Oddajcie Irańczykom głos!

Protests / Unrest

1. The most wide-spread protests in the history of humanity were held today in support of Iranian’s rights. (Not in terms of numbers, but in terms of how many and where they were held.) Thousands of people took part in more than 100 cities across the globe. As words cannot describe this event, you are welcome to see a slideshow of the event: United4Iran’s Photostream

For the mammoth Green Scroll in Paris, click here: YouTube – Green Scroll in Paris – Ey Iran – Paris, Mur de la Paix, 25 Juillet 2009

One Green Brief team member reports that during Green Day’s concert in New York, pictures of Iran’s Green Movement were repeatedly shown in the background. Here’s a link to a picture, courtesy PocketDiplomat: Solidarity for Iran during Green Day Concert � Pocket Diplomat

(Several friends and team members of the Green Brief wrote letters about their experiences during the protests – I’m thankful for everyone’s participation. I personally took part in a protest and met with some members of the Baha’i community as well)

2. The protesters in Dubai, however, were told by the government to stop. When they didn’t comply, they were forcibly dispersed by the police. It has been partially confirmed that at least one protester was detained.

3. Hundreds of Iranians rallied in Vanak and Azadi Squares and many other parts of the Tehran today. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans and asked for the release of detained protesters. In the scorching heat, people were served with green soft drinks. Protesters were attacked by plainclothesmen and anti-riot police and several many were severely beaten at Vanak and Azadi. Many others were arrested. The families of detained protesters held a gathering in front of Evin Prison again.

4. Mousavi’s camp has reportedly requested the government to issue a permit to hold a mourning ceremony for the slain on Thursday which coincides with the 40th day of Neda’s death.

5. Protesters have now started to write Ahmadinejad’s name on garbage bags.

Opposition

6. Iran’s PressTV reports: “A Tehran court has found Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian guilty of fraud after he registered someone else’s invention in his own name.
The verdict came after plaintiff Farzad Salimi filed a complaint against former municipality officials Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum over the dishonest registration of an invention dubbed “Safe Room for Earthquakes” in their names.”

7. Ayatollah Mousavi Ardabeli has issued another statement asking the government to release all detainees that have not broken the law. He claimed that the government was losing people’s trust because of the detentions.

8. Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastegheyb has issued a statement condemning a letter released in the name of members of the Assembly of Experts that criticizes Rafsanjani. He asked them to immediately renounce the letter and apologize to Rafsanjani.

9. Ayatollah Zanjani has reportedly issued a fatwa calling for a boycott of Ahmadinejad’s inauguration.

10. Leaders of the reformist camps have written a letter to Grand Ayatollahs of Iran to break their silence over the election and the post-election events. Mousavi, Khatami and Karroubi – the principle signatories – asked the Ayatollahs to stop the government from breaking the law and committing atrocities against the people of Iran.

11. In a separate statement released today, Karroubi condemned the wide-spread beatings of women during protests. He accused the security forces of specifically targeting women. Later during a meeting with members of his party, he said that they needed to become firmer in response to the deteriorating situation. He also announced a restricting of the party shortly.

12. It has been confirmed that even though Ayatollah Vaez Tabasi – the most eminent cleric in Mashhad – didn’t greet or meet Ahmadinejad during his visit to that city, he had actually come to the airport to receive Rafsanjani when he visited the city last week.

13. Mohammad Reza Naseri Shohan – a high-ranking member of Etemaade Melli Party in Ilam province – was summoned to appear in court by the judiciary.

Government / International

14. 13. After his appointment as Ahmadinejad’s senior Vice President was revoked, Mashaie has now been appointed as Ahmadinejad’s Chief of Staff and senior advisor.

15. 14. Even though it was earlier reported that the Ministers of Intelligence, Health, Labor and Culture had all been sacked, we can only confirm the sacking of the Minister of Intelligence Mohseni Ejaie at this point. Reports suggest the he may have been sacked because he was partly opposed to detainees’ confessions being broadcasted on IRIB.

16. 15. Partially confirmed reports also suggest that the commander of the Basij, Hossein Taleb is going to be appointed as Ejaie’s replacement in Ahmadinejad’s new cabinet. Taleb has been accused of being the mastermind behind torturing detainees and obtaining confessions from them.

17. Sayed Ali Jafari – the Commander of IRG – has yet again accused reformists of attempting to stage a velvet revolution. He claimed that greatest dangers to stability in Iran came from elements inside the country.

Arrested / Released / Killed

18. Mohsen Rohul-Amini’s father today said that Mohsen had died after being tortured profusely. According to Mohsen’s dad, his jaw had been broken and after bleeding for days, he’d developed meningitis and died as a result.

19. Amir Javadi – a protester who was detained – has died at Evin. It cannot be confirmed yet whether he died under torture. Family has been told to collect his body on Sunday. He was 24 and a student of Qazvin’s Azad University. It has been reported – but not confirmed – that another detainee Mojtaba Samenezhad has died under torture at Evin.

20. Prisons in Iran have become a hotbed for infectious diseases as the number of detainees soars. The Ministry of health has reported in the past few days, at least 2,000 shots have been sent to prisons across Iran. At least two prisoners have so far died of meningitis in detention. Families of protesters who have died or have been badly injured after torture at Evin are only granted custody of their loved ones or their bodies if they promise to not lodge a complaint against the prison.

21. A number of intellectuals including Fariborz Rayis Dana arrested as they attended a gathering to commemorate the anniversary of Iranian poet Ahmad Shamloo’s birth.

22. The staff at Evin Prison told families of detainees today that the names of none of the detainees they were seeking information about were in the prison’s computerized database.

23. We had reportedly earlier that some detainees were being kept at a make-shift detention center that used to serve as a drug rehabilitation center. Reports now suggest that deep holes have been ground inside the building’s main yard and prisoners are lowered and kept in the holes for days at a time without food or water.

24. Detained reformist Saeed Hajjarian is reportedly very sick. It has been reported that he is suffering from some sort of infection. Will update when we know more.

25. Detained journalists, Masood Bastani and Mahsa Amrabadi were allowed to meet each other briefly today. Mahsa is heavily pregnant.

*One blogger made some pictures of how Iranian banknotes might look like when the Green Movement succeeds. (That’s right, WHEN, not IF.)

**(Apologies for the lateness and briefness of the brief. My commitment to this cause has NOT and WILL NOT change. But as everyone kept telling me to take a break, I have decied to spend some time with a friend to cool off a little bit. kudos to her and thank you all for your vigorous support!)

*Discuss/Annotate: Green Brief 38 – Anonymous Intelligence Collective ; Create it if it doesn’t exist.

**If you wana republish the Green Brief, please visit this page: For Bloggers, News Sites and Forum who want to republish the Green Brief Plesae Read! – Why We Protest – IRAN

***For Radio Broadcasters: Green Brief Pronounciation Guide – Why We Protest – IRAN

****(A list of all the Green Briefs: The Green Briefs

Read this if you want to help or get help!

Helpers:

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

B. Discuss/Annotate: Green Brief 39 – Anonymous Intelligence Collective

The Green Brief #38 (July 24)

I’m NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar – twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter. I’m a journalist and a human rights activist and NOT Iranian. This is a compilation of news from Iran that I’ve gathered through twitter and Iranian sites that were advertised on twitter. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC).)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Friday, July 24 .

In Hebrew: http://conetntfactory.blogspot.com/2009/07/38-247.html

In Italian: Green Brief #38 (July 24) in Italian: Bollettino Verde nr. 38 del 24 luglio 2009

In German: http://seaofgreen-germany.blogspot.c…9-deutsch.html

Protests / Unrest

* For the Iranian airliner accident, check this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n…tory?track=rss

1. In Solidarity with the Green Movement, protests are being held July 25 – that is this Saturday – in more than 100 cities worldwide. This initiative is being spearheaded by United 4 Iran. As I’m not just a journalist but also a human rights activist, I will personally join a protest and strongly urge everyone else to participate and to get their friends and loved ones to accompany them. Shirin Ebadi will be joining the protest in Amsterdam. For information on where they’re being held, please visit: www.united4iran.com

As part of the protest, a green scroll will be exhibited close to the Eiffel Tower from 7 to 9 PM. Link here: OpenDNS

2. Families of many political prisoners are planning to stage a protest in front of Evin Prison at 10 AM tomorrow (they have held many protests previously).

3. The hunger strike in front of the UN’s main office in New York continued today with the participation of many prominent Iranians, Americans and other nationals. Speaking to press reporters, Noam Chomsky – a prominent American linguist and philosopher – said, “People of the world were learning from the Iranian struggle.” Chomsky at the strike: chomsky_hunger_strike_2.jpg (image)

4. An anti-Nokia protest was held in front of the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Protesters blamed the cell phone company for selling the Iranian Regime the necessary equipment needed for monitoring protesters’ phone and internet use. Here is a picture from today’s protest (graphic images ahead – viewer discretion is advised): Picasa Web Albums – Mere Rhetoric Blog

Opposition

5. In a letter addressed to Mahdi Karroubi, Ayatollah Montazeri expressed “shock and dismay” over last Friday’s attack on Karroubi and Abdollah Nouri. They were attacked, pushed and insulted by security forces while on their way to Tehran University for Friday Prayer’s. Montazeri reiterated his position that, “A government’s legitimacy stems from the support of the majority of a country’s citizens – as mentioned in Iran’s Constitution.”

Moreover, he said, “It’s unfortunate that the government is afraid of peaceful protests and the participation of politicians such as Karroubi.” He put the blame for the violence and bloodshed upon “those who had given security forces the power to conduct such activities” – a clear hint at Khamenei and Ahmadinejad. He concluded by warning, “The government needs to listen to the VOICE of its people and give in to their legitimate demands in order to restore public trust in the Islamic Republic.”

6. Grand Ayatollah Saneie of Qom, has once again stated, “Forced confessions obtained from detainees have no legal or rational merit whatsoever and are un-Islamic.” He added, “Although detainees are allowed to lie in order to escape from torture according to Islam, anyone who FORCES confessions through torture, has committed a grave sin.” He claimed, “ANY form of torture performed on detainees is illegal and un-Islamic.” Saneie had previously slammed IRIB for broadcasting and publishing forced confessions of detainees.

7. Sayed Mohammad Khatami visited the homes of three detained political prisoners today and spoke to their families. The detainees included: Saeed Leylaz, Abbasmirza Abotalebi and Davood Solaimani. Khatami again called for, “The immediate and unconditional release of all the people detained during the post-election protests or otherwise linked to the Green Movement.”

8. On July 22nd we reported that 306 conservative clerics from the Qom’s Seminary Teachers Association had released a statement in support of Ayatollah Yazdi’s dismissal of Rafsanjani’s demands during his Friday Sermon. New reports, however, indicate that the statement was actually written by the Editor-in-Chief of Keyhan Newspaper. Reports say that he was ordered to do so by Ayatollah Hejazi – a prominent conservative cleric from Qom. Although most of the clerics of the Association are arch-conservatives, this is yet another sign of government propaganda against the Green Movement.

Government / International

9. The mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, called upon Ahmadinejad to promptly sack Mashaie and called him and his wife “hypocrites.” He joins several other prominent conservatives who have been enraged by Mashaie’s appointment as Ahmadinejad’s Senior Vice President. Mashaie has been criticized heavily by the Iranian Conservatives. Khamenei sent a personal letter to Ahmadinejad asking him to remove Mashaie from his post last week.

10. Within hours, Sayed Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi – a top Ahmadinejad aide – announced, “Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie has declared that he no longer considers himself as the Vice President of Iran. He is ready to accept any other position – to be of service to the Islamic Republic.” Mashaie’s website, however, does not include anything about his sudden departure. No hint has been given as to who will be replacing him.

(Enduring America did an interesting critique of Mainstream Media’s converge of the Mashaie affair. Here’s the link: Iran: How the “New Media” Tore Down the Gates of the “Mainstream” | Enduring America)

11. The US Senate voted unanimously last night to adopt bipartisan legislation that allocates funds to help Iranians obtain better access to news and information. This was in part initiated to neutralize the censorship of news and information by the Iranian government. In total, almost $55 million dollars will be made available – according to the legislation called the Victims of Iranian Censorship (VOICE) Act.

12. Sayed Reza Akrami – the Secretary General of the Society of Preachers in Tehran – has been dismissed from his post by the government. Reportedly, members of the Society had objected to his political positions. Akrami had supported Mir Hossein Mousavi during the elections. He also headed a small conservative faction that supported Mousavi’s candidacy.

13. Friday Prayer’s was lead by Ahmad Khatami today. The number in attendance was roughly 10,000 people – a far cry from the numbers who showed up last Friday. Khatami again criticized the Green Movement – and any politicians or activists who are leading and/or supporting it. After the sermon, about 300 pro-government people protested against Rafsanjani. It only lasted a few minutes. Most of the protesters were reportedly walking towards bus stops and only a few chants could be heard. On the other hand, the National Islamic Council – a reformist body of clerics and politicians – today announced their support for Rafsanjani’s Friday sermon.

The Green Brief #37 (July 23)

I’m NiteOwl AKA Josh Shahryar – twitter.com/iran_translator on twitter. I’m a journalist and a human rights activist and NOT Iranian. This is a compilation of news from Iran that I’ve gathered through twitter and Iranian sites that were advertised on twitter. Remember, this is all from tweets. (My work is released under Creative Commons (CC).)

These are the important happenings that I can positively confirm from Thursday, July 23 .

In German: http://tinyurl.com/ld63l5

In Hebrew: http://tinyurl.com/mnyuvq

In Italian: http://tinyurl.com/ktc5bo

In Polish: http://glosiranu.blog.pl/archiwum/in…p?nid=14413966

In Russian: http://tinyurl.com/ljbs3j

In Spanish: http://tinyurl.com/kvkp8t

In Swedish: http://greenbrief.blogspot.com/

Protests / Unrest

1. Dozens of Iranian-Armenians and Iranians protested in front of Caspian Airline’s office in Tehran today. A journalist covering the protests was arrested, but later freed. The protesters demanded to know why a Caspian Airline’s flight from Tehran to Yerevan, Armenia crashed near Qazvin more than a week ago. Security forces dispersed the protesters. Iranian Government Officials have said that it will take another 2 months to complete their investigation.

2. The hunger strike in front of the UN building in New York continued today, despite the pouring rain. Protesters sang songs from the revolution of 1979 and demanded that Iranian rights be safeguarded. Protesters declared their opposition to any military action against Iran. See pictures below – compliments of Mehdi Saharkhiz: onlymehdi, People singing so many ppl even in the rain

3. The citizens of Tehran have planned a protest for this Saturday. Details of the protest will be provided after it has transpired. People continued to chant “Allah-o-Akbar” last night in Tehran. Others walked the streets chanting “Death to the Dictator,” and “Allah-o-Akbar.”

Opposition

4. In a statement released today, Mousavi said, “We will not stop until the last detainee has been released by the government.” Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, stated, “The government can fabricate as many lies as it wants to, but the people of Iran will never believe any of the allegations against my detained brother.” She added, “My brother is only one amongst many other Iranian brothers and sisters who have been imprisoned – this is why I have not given his name to the media.” Lastly, she indicated that she will fight for her brother’s freedom.

5. Hossein Khomeini – a grandson of Imam Khomeini – has told the BBC in an interview that an Islamic Government had no legal basis in Islam unless the prophet or one of the 12 Imams was leading it. Hence, hinting that the current regime had no legal basis in Islam.

He also added that the current constitution and government could not be changed as long as a post for a spiritual leader as the country’s Supreme Leader existed, adding that spiritual leadership was for the prophet and the 12 Imams – 11 of which are dead and one is believed to be in hiding for more than a millennium. He condemned the government’s killing of peaceful protesters and of the indiscriminate arrests.

Government / International

6. It has been confirmed that Mohammad Yazdi – Secretary of the Assembly of Experts – has written a letter condemning Rafsanjani’s speech during Friday Prayers. Yazdi has asked him to revoke his stance. Although the letter is being circulated in the name of the entire Assembly, reports indicate that only a quarter of the members have signed it – another quarter has declined to do so.

7. IRIB has published Ahmadinejad’s letters of appointment for several of his new staff members. The list includes:

1: Asfandyar Rahim Mashaie as 1st Vice President
2: Mehrdad Bazrpash as Director of the National Youth Organization
3: Parvez Davoodi as 1st Advisor to the President
4: Sayed Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi as 1st Assistant to the President
5: Ali Akbar Salehi as Director of the National Atomic Energy Agency
6: Mohammad Javad Hajali Akbari as Presidential Advisor on Youth Affairs
7: Masood Zaribafan as Director of Martyrs Foundation and Veterans Affairs
8: Hamid Baghaie as Director of the Office of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts

8. The Minister of Communication announced that SMS services will be reactivated step-by-step. SMS services have been essentially suspended in Iran for more than a month. Protesters were thought to rely on SMS services for coordinating their protests.

9. Ahmad Khatami – a member of the Assembly of Experts Leadership Council and hard-line cleric – announced today that, “Ahmadinejad will prove his loyalty to Khamenei by quickly removing Mashaie from his post as VP.” Khamenei has already shown his express desire for Mashaie’s removal.

10. In a statement released today, Ayatollah Dastegheyb yet again praised Rafsanjani’s Friday Sermon and asked the government to listen to Mousavi, Karroubi and Rezaie’s demands. He called for unity among Iranians. He added, “Foreigners are never going to be Iran’s friend- unity among Iranians is the only solution to Iran’s problems.”

11. On the other spectrum, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Gharshi also released a written statement that was sent to government officials and opposition leaders criticizing Rafsanjani’s Friday Sermon. Gharshi – who is a representative for Western Azerbaijan Province in the Assembly of Experts (which Rafsanjani heads) – told Rafsanjani, “It caused me much pain and distress to see that you were unable to keep yourself away from the turmoil on the streets.” He asked Rafsanjani to stop before his “achievements and bright past” go to waste.

12. Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali has also criticized Rafsanjani’s Sermon and said that the elections had been a marvelous event. He hinted that prisoners should not be released because they had been implicated in violence. It is worth mentioning that Ayatollah Khazali’s son was detained during the protests and has now been freed on bail.

13. In an interview with the BBC, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “The internal debates going on inside Iran have made it difficult, if not impossible, for them to pursue any diplomatic engagement, not just with us but anyone, like the P5+1 [permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany]. There is so much that is on hold.”

14. Sweden – which heads the rotating presidency of the EU for six months – has asked the Iranian Government to promptly release Clotilde Reiss, a French citizen who has been imprisoned at Evin Prison for weeks.