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Do not transfer Ashraf residents to another location: Iraqi MP
According to Mojahedin-e- khalgh website and based on a report published by the Azzaman daily, Iraqi MP Mohammad Eqbal from the Iraqiya Coalition described Maliki government’s insistence to close the Ashraf residents dossier by transferring them to another location as bizarre. “Refugees must be treated according to human rights standards and international conventions,” Eqbal said. “It is the Iranian regime that attempts to direct measures on the Ashraf dossier based on its own interests. Camp Ashraf residents are considered ‘protected persons’ under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the UN must assume an additional role in the protection of the defenceless residents of this camp.” Azzaman daily also reported: Prosecutor lawyer Qahtan al-Saiidi  says there are many threats and dangers in the relocation of Camp Ashraf residents to another location, and we suggest to the UN representative and UN Secretary General’s Special Representative that Camp Ashraf residents not be transferred to another location. 

Senior IAEA Team to Visit Iran from 29 to 31 January 2012

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano issued a statement saying. A senior IAEA team will visit Iran from 29 to Jan. 31, 2012. The overall objective of the IAEA is to resolve all outstanding substantive issues. The team of experts will be led by the Deputy Director General for Safeguards, Herman Nackaerts, and will include the Assistant Director General for Policy, Rafael Grossi. ‘The Agency team is going to Iran in a constructive spirit, and we trust that Iran will work with us in that same spirit,’ IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said.

U.N. rights chief shocked at numerous Iraq executions, says number is ‘terrifying’

Al Arabiya, reported on 24 Jan 2012 that the top United Nations human rights official criticized Iraq on Tuesday for carrying out a large number of executions, including 34 on a single day last week, and voiced concern about due process and the fairness of trials. “Even if the most scrupulous fair trial standards were observed, this would be a terrifying number of executions to take place in a single day,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said, in a statement referring to executions carried out on Jan. 19. “Given the lack of transparency in court proceedings, major concerns about due process and fairness of trials, and the very wide range of offences for which the death penalty can be imposed in Iraq, it is a truly shocking figure,” she added. At least 63 people are believed to have been executed since mid-November in Iraq, where the death penalty can be imposed for some 48 crimes including a number related to non-fatal crimes such as damage to public property, Pillay said. “Most disturbingly, we do not have a single report of anyone on death row being pardoned, despite the fact there are well documented cases of confessions being extracted under duress,” she said. Iraq should “halt all executions and, and a matter of urgency, review the cases of those individuals currently on death row,” Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge said.

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According to the Public Relations Office of the Bushehr Judiciary, Heidar Bohrani, “The case of the perpetrators of the Abpakhsh incident was pursued in a special way in the Bushehr courts and currently, with the verdict of the penal court, both criminals were sentenced to public hanging in the place of the incident. …“In the past two months, five public hangings were carried out in the Province of Bushehr in the towns of Jam, Dashtestn and Gonave to teach others a lesson”, Bohrani added. Bushehr lies in a vast plain running along the coastal region on the Persian Gulf coast of southwestern Iran.
In other news the death sentenced of 2 Kurdish prisoners identified as Logman and Zaniar Moradi has been upheld by the Iranian regime’s Supreme Court on charges of enmity with God.
A death row political prisoner Ali Afshari is reported of being in critical condition after suffering an internal bleeding as a result of torture in the Central Orumieh Prison. This Kurdish prisoner was sentenced to death on charges of enmity with God by the Mahabad Revolutionary Court.
Also the death sentence of Saied Malek pour a Canadians residence was confirmed by the court, according to Fars state-run news agency. 

In the Islamic Republic, Women’s main duty is housework, child rearing and taking care of husbands

Hamid Ahmadi cited the statements of Khamenei, Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader about the conditions of women’s employment in the society and said, “It has been stressed in Islamic teachings that the main duty of women is centralized in the home”. “The main [duty] of the man is to provide home expenses outside of the home and the woman has the responsibility of managing the home”, he added. This so called family specialist said that a women’s main duty was summarized in the three areas of housework, caring for husbands and rearing children.

Iranians forced to get Quran lessons for employment!!

According to Khorasan state-run daily a new government order to executive systems and Provincial Offices, all new employees are obliged to present permits showing that they have gone through Quran lessons in addition to the anticipated lessons. Employees who do not have such a permit have to go through Quran fluency lessons and then go to work.

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Maliki releases Iranian regime’s terrorist from Iraqi prisons

According to Iraq’s Al-Rafidain TV, sources close to Maliki’s office have revealed that based on instructions received from the Iranian regime’s envoy in Baghdad, Maliki has ordered the release of all prisoners belonging to the groups affiliated to the terrorist Quds Force. These sources have said Maliki has ordered 52 prisoners consisting of senior leaders of ‘special groups’, such as paramilitary units of battalions belonging to the Hezbollah, Assaeb Ahl al-Haq and the so-called Promised Day Brigade.

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Freedom Messenger a Persian website said: Since the start of the New Year, the Iranian regime has begun a campaign of death, executing 1 prisoner every 4 hours.  If the regime continues its rampage, by the month’s end they will have executed 186 individuals. If the rate of their killing spree continues further, by the end of the year Iranian regime will have murdered over 2,200 individuals.  The regime has used an assortment of charges against such prisoners, in order to try to legitimize the massacre. The charges against each individual range from terrorism, espionage, drug trafficking, enmity with God, rape, and so on.  Each of the prisoners has gone through a judicial system that offers little fairness, transparency, or due process. As a result, differentiating between ordinary criminals and opponents of the regime can be very difficult.  Many prisoners face trumped up charges despite committing purely political offenses. Aside from leading the world in executions per capita in 2011, and being second only to China in the number of executions annually, Iran is currently the only country which still executes minors.  In September of 2011, 17-year-old Alireza Mullah Soltani cried and begged for his life as he was publicly. 

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Irwin Cotler the Member of Parliament for Mount Royal and the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Group for Human Rights in Iran, wrote in Natioanl post on Jan 21^st that Iran’s Supreme Court has now confirmed the death sentence of Iranian-born web programmer Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian permanent resident. Malekpour was convicted of “crimes against Islam” and “spreading corruption on Earth” – which have emerged as classic trumped-up charges in the Iranian pattern of the criminalization of innocence. For supposedly creating pornography websites in Iran, Malekpour is set to receive the death penalty. It should be known that Iran has been on an execution binge. This past December, Amnesty International reported on the escalation of Iranian executions, even by wonton Iranian standards. Six hundred people were put to death between the beginning of 2011 and November alone. While many of these executions were for alleged drug-related crimes, this category, too, recently has become a catch-all for the suppression of dissidents. Mr. Cotler added: This case should serve as the wake-up call that the Canadian needs to sanction the IRGC and list it as a terrorist entity. The United States has already labelled it as a terrorist group, while the UN and EU have imposed various sanctions against the IRGC and its leaders. It is regrettable that Canada continues to dither with regard to listing it as a terrorist entity here in Canada. The hope is that pressure from the international community may yet convince Iran to drop the false charges in this case and free Malekpour – allowing him to return to Canada. But however this case ends, the time has come to sanction the IRGC, and list it as a terrorist entity.

8 people who held discussions and criticized Islam and religion in an internet social network were sentenced to 54 years of prison combined

These eight people were mostly arrested between July and February 2011 for being active in a social network and criticizing and studying the conventional arguments and reasons in religious views. After the Intelligence Agency arrested them, they were tortured and forced to make confessions on state-run TV. They were kept in solitary cells for a long time and [intelligence agents] tried to link them to European embassies and countries despite the fact that they had only discussed religious issues on the internet. Most of these people were treated violently and were mentally and physically tortured for a prolonged amount of time.

A man accused of rape was publicly hanged

A 31 year old man accused of rape was married and had two children and was employed. He was sentenced to public hanging and 99 lashes after legal procedures and his sentence was carried out. He was hanged on Thursday Jan. 19, 2012 according to Fars state run news agency.

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The Iranian regime hanged 12 people in Shiraz

According to state-run news agency Mehr, 7 people were hanged in Shiraz prison and 5 others in public in city of Shiraz. Their alleged crime was armed robbery. The abbreviated names of the 5 people were announced but not the other 7.

The National council of Resistance of Iran warned against the executions of family members of Ashraf residence in Iran. The NCRI said in its statement on Jan 14 that Judge Salavati for the second times has ordered the execution of Mr. Javad Lari 56 years old. He was arrested in the summer of 2009 for traveling to Camp Ashraf an Iranian resistance base in Iraq. The Iranian regime also sought to convict political prisoner Ali Moezi to death. He too was arrested for visiting his two adult children in Ashraf. Also the lives of Mr. Mohsen Daneshpoor 67 years old, Ahmad Daneshpoor and Abdolreza Ghanbari who were arrested during the uprising in 2009 and have been sentenced to execution is in danger. Mr. Gholamreza Khosravi SavadJani is also in imminent danger for giving donations to Mojahedin Khalgh Organization of Iran. He has spent 40 months is solitary confinement.

Iranian refugees in Camp Ashraf face threats from Iraq, Iran

According to NCRI’s statement on Jan. 13, Nouri Al-Maliki Iraq’s prime minister announced 126 arrest warrants for the residents of Ashraf and accuses them of terrorism, ruthless crimes inside Iraq and murder of political and religious figures in Iran. The residence of Ashraf are the Iranian refugees willing and ready to be transferred to Camp Liberty but in a safe transition under the US and UN protection.

In an interview with the Iranian regime’s official media, broadcast widely on the state radio and television network on January 12, including Channel 1, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, said, “The Monafeqin (a terms widely used by the Iranian regime) are a completely terrorist grouplet and the first group of them will be transferred in a few days from Camp Ashraf to a base formerly run by the Americans so that the preliminary work for their exit from this country can be performed. We stress that in less than four months from now, no Monafeq will remain in Iraq. After that Camp Ashraf will be closed and the land will be returned to its owners.”

Mrs. Rajavi, NCRI's president elect expressed regret and objection over the Iraqi government’s litany of unlawful actions as well as successive violations of international law and conventions, particularly as they relate to breaching the principle of Responsibility to Protect about Camp Ashraf. For the third time, she urged the convening of an international conference attended by SRSG, Ashraf lawyers, the Iraqi and U.S. governments; the EU, UNHCR, OHCHR and European Parliament, in order to salvage the peaceful solution. Mrs. Rajavi called on the Secretary General and the Security Council to take action to this end before it’s too late.

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According to Mehr state-run news agency, Nazar-Ali Moradi, 53 years old  was hanged in the Khorin Prison in Varamin on Thursday January 5 on charges of carrying narcotics. Five people were hanged in Zanjan on charges of carrying heroin, according to Asre-Iran a stste-run media. In other news a man was hanged in Semnan. The Iranian regime also hanged 5 people in Kerman and 3 people in Kermanshah. According to Harana news agency, On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, twenty two prisoners were hanged in Evin on drug related charges.  These prisoners were transferred from Ghezal Hesar Prison on Saturday and Sunday and locked up in solitary confinement in Evin Prison to be prepared for the executions.

Political prisoner denied medical treatment after paralyses with injection

According to Kordpa website, Jan 2^nd, a Kurdish political prisoner was paralyzed after receiving an injection in prison. According to reports, 26 year old political prisoner Ali Chak, who is from a village in Sardasht in Western Azarbaijan Province, was transferred to the Mahabad Public Prison infirmary where he received an injection. He became paralyzed in both legs a short time after the injection. This Kurdish political prisoner was once again returned to his cell despite his critical condition and was only transferred to Orumieh Hospital after other political prisoners protested this issue. No measures have reportedly been taken for Ali Chak’s treatment and his condition is deteriorating. Ali Chak has been sentenced to seven years of prison on charges of cooperating with a Kurdish opposition group.

Journalist Fatemeh Kheradmand has been arrested

According to House Rights of Iran, Journalist Fatemeh Kheradmand was arrested last night at her home and transferred to Evin prison. She is the wife of journalist Masoud Lavasani, who was released from Evin prison on September 8th after enduring approximately two years imprisonment. According to Human Rights House of Iran, Iranian security agents, who introduced themselves as judicial agents, searched Kheradmand’s house before arresting her. During the inspection process at her home, the security agents confiscated Kheradmand’s personal items and computer. 

Iranian regime sentenced Reza Joshan to another 16 months in prison

Reza Joshan who was arrested during the post-election incidents in 2009 was sentenced to another 16 months of prison. According to reports, the first branch of the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced this political prisoner to 16 months of prison on charges of propagating against the government. Reza Joshan who had been recently transferred to cellblock 209 in Evin Prison for fresh interrogations is currently in Rajayi Shahr Prison in Karaj and his sentence has been announced to him. Reza Joshan’s family says that another case has also been opened for him but there is no information on its contents.

EU agrees to embargo on Iranian crude

Reuters reported that the  European governments have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian oil, EU diplomats said on Wednesday. The prospective embargo by the European Union, along with tough U.S. financial measures signed into law by President Barack Obama on New Year’s Eve, form a concerted Western campaign to hold back Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran threatened last month to shut the Strait of Hormuz – outlet to the Gulf through which 40 percent of traded oil flows – and on Tuesday threatened to take unspecified action if a U.S. aircraft carrier sails through the strait. Britain’s defense minister warned the Iranian regime saying that any measure to block the Strait of Hormuz would be illegal and we are determined to keep the Strait open.

The Secretary-General Ban Ki moon welcomed the decision of the Government of Iraq to extend the deadline for the closure of the camp Ashraf to provide more time and space for the peaceful voluntary relocation of the residents.  As reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding, the Government of Iraq has a clear and exclusive responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the residents.  At the same time, the residents of Camp New Iraq have to abide by the laws of Iraq.  He appeals to all concerned to continue to demonstrate flexibility and good faith, and move towards the swift implementation of the relocation plan.  The Secretary-General reminds all concerned that any violence or attempt at a forcible solution would be unacceptable.  The Secretary-General also reiterated his call to Member States to accept the residents who are eligible for voluntary return or resettlement as soon as possible. The United Nations has been involved in this issue from a purely humanitarian perspective and has played the role of an impartial facilitator.  Under the leadership of Special Representative Martin Kobler, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees remain committed to continue supporting a peaceful and durable solution to the situation of the residents of the camp.

Obama signs new Iran sanctions into law

According to reports that the US President Barack Obama Saturday signed into law tough new sanctions targeting Iranian regime’s central bank and financial sector. The measures, meant to punish the Iranian regime for its nuclear program. The sanctions are meant to hit Iran’s crucial oil sector and require foreign firms to make a choice between doing business with Tehran’s financial sector and central bank or the mighty US economy and financial sector.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is facing death again

Sakineh’s case is before the court again for the alleged death of her husband. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, ‘has two sentences, one regarding adultery for which she was sentenced to stoning, and the other for being an accomplice to murdering her husband for which she received a 10-year prison term,’ said Malek Ajdar Sharifi, head of Iran’s East Azarbaijan province’s justice department. Sharifi said the chief of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, had responded by saying that ‘since the main purpose is execution then, if there are no facilities for stoning according to sharia, it could be changed to hanging’. Sakineh was sentenced to death by two courts in the northwestern city of Tabriz, capital of East Azarbaijan province, in separate trials in 2006. Under pressure by the international community, the Iranian regime suspended the stoning sentence pending a new examination of her case and she’s been in prison ever since not knowing what will happen to her.

Hangings continue in Iran

On the dawn of Wednesday December 24, seven prisoners were hanged in the courtyard of the Central Orumieh Prison on orders of the Judiciary. In an interview with the Mukrian News Agency, the lawyer of one of these prisoners, Massoud Shams Nejad identified these prisoners as Yusef .A, Heidar, D., Mehdi, S., Qorbanali, Sh. Saied, M., Sirous , M. and a female victim Nahid, A. “Judicial sources announced their crime as drug related”, he added.

According to reports, On Saturday December 24, two other prisoners were hanged in the Lakan Prison. One of these two men was 26 year old Sajjad Tal. He had been in prison for close to three years before his execution. His brother, Mohammad-Reza Tal was publicly hanged in Rasht.

Iranian women banned from kick boxing in Iran

According to new orders, from now on women are banned from participating in all kinds of sport competitions that are held in rings including kick boxing and Muay Thai and federations who cover these sports have to pay close attention to this issue, state-run Mehe news reported on Dec, 29. Marzieh Akbar Abadi, the Women’s Sports Assistant in the Ministry of Sports confirmed this report and said, “From sports held in rings, only kick boxing and Muay Thai are active in Iran and based on research into this matter, women are banned from participating in these two sports”. “In light of the violence in these sports, the danger it poses for the health of women who are to become future mothers, also the way the competitions are held, the kind of audience it has and the programs that are held before and after the competitions and in general the culture of these kinds of sports and the fact that it is inconsistent with Islamic culture and our Iranian culture, this decision was taken”, she said regarding the reason behind the ban.