Iran Early Bird

Full Report

Election Aftermath Update
1. Mourning Mothers continue their protest – The Mourning Mothers group has published a statement announcing that it will continue its protest actions this week, too, with a rally scheduled for Laleh Park in Tehran on Saturday. Last week, security forces prevented the women from entering the park and arrested a number of them.. Detained Reformist leaders ‘confess’ to undergoing training for ’“velvet revolution’ – The Intelligence Ministry-affiliated Jahan News website is reporting that detained Reformist camp leaders, including Tajzade, Qouchani, Abtahi and Hedayat Aqaei, have admitted their part in stirring the unrest in the country and confessed to undergoing training in stirring a velvet revolution designed to overthrow the regime.
3. Concern that some detainees have been executed – Six detainees at Evin Prison were executed on Wednesday, with the authorities failing to provide information on the identity of the individuals or their crimes. The spokesman for the Iranian Human Rights Organization has expressed concerns that the executed men were detainees from the recent unrest.
4. Detainees being subjected to severe torture – Iranian human rights activists continue to express concerns regarding the situation of the detainees from the unrest in the country, with reports coming in from prisons that they are being subjected to severe physical and mental torture. Some reports even speak of fatalities as a result of the torture.
5. Police Chief Over most of the 1000 Detainees have been freed. National Police Chief Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqaddam revealed on Wednesday that over 1000 people were detained during the recent unrest in Tehran but most of them have gone free.
6. Karaj residents attack IRGC commander – According to unofficial reports, residents of Karaj, one of Tehran's northern suburbs, yesterday attacked IRGC commander Sardar Mahmoud Dadgou, who has been involved in the recent arrest operations in the city. The Karaj residents reportedly beat him outside his home and left him in critical condition.
7. Journal editor disappears, senior Mousavi aide arrested – Hamid Hamouzad Khalili, the editor of the popular Chelcheraq journal, disappeared some 48 hours ago and his whereabouts and status remain unknown. Reports also speak of the arrest of Javad Emem, who headed Mousavi's election campaign headquarters in Tehran.
8. IRGC deputy commander: Demonstrators fired shots – Sardar Zoalqadr, deputy commander of the IRGC's Mohammad Rasoulallah Division in the Tehran Province, on the recent unrest in Iran and the Students Revolt of 1999: "The two events cannot be compared. The events in 1999 involved only a portion of the student population, while today's events have been a lot more widespread and have involved many more elements, including the leaders of world imperialism. They have been behind all of this." The IRGC commander added that demonstrators had fired on one another in some instances during the riots.
9. Filling stations on Tehran’s main streets shut down – Tehran residents are reporting that security forces have shut down the fuel filling stations in the capital’s main streets out of concern that demonstrators may torch them.
10. Interpol dealing with witness to Neda Soltan killing – Internal Security Forces commander Sardar Esmaeil Ahmadi has announced that Interpol is dealing with Arash Hejazi, the Iranian doctor who claims to have witnessed the killing of Neda Soltan. Ahmadi stressed that Soltan’s killing was premeditated and had nothing at all to do with the unrest in Tehran. Hejazi is currently in Britain, where he is studying at Oxford and is seeking political asylum.
11. Arrest of students continues – Security forces are continuing their arrest campaign against students, with reports coming in yesterday of the arrest of five more students, including the secretary of the Students Union, from the Ahwaz Oil College.
12. Two students arrested in raid on Babol University – According to reports from Babol University, Intelligence Ministry forces on Wednesday raided the campus and arrested at least two students. Several more Babol University students are in custody at the Intelligence Ministry’s detention facility in the city.
13. Text-messaging services return to Tehran – The Alef website is reporting that after a three-week suspension, text-messaging services are again available in Tehran. Iranian bloggers are reporting that the resumption of services has been greeted by thousands of satirical text messages such as "July 1 – SMS Liberation Day" and the like.
14. Symbol of 1999 Students Revolt: The world must help the people of Iran – Ahmad Ba’tabi, who became a symbol of the 1999 Students Revolt after a picture of him dressed in a bloody shirt was published around the world, has called on the world to come to the assistance of the citizens of Iran. “The international circles must help the Iranians; they must enter the game and show their support for the citizens of Iran,” he said in an interview with Il Journale, adding that at the time of the Students Revolt, only the students had faced up to the regime. Now, he said, many of the country’s citizens are opposed to the regime.
15. Etemad-e Melli slapped with publication ban – The Etemad-e Melli website is reporting that following Karroubi’s pledge Tuesday to continue the struggle, officials from the Tehran District Attorney’s Office and the Islamic Guidance Ministry showed up at the newspaper’s printing house and prevented the daily from appearing on Wednesday morning. Etemad-e Melli belongs to Karroubi’s political party.
16. Journalists Union meeting canceled – A meeting of the Tehran Journalists Union scheduled for today to protest the current media restrictions in Iran has been canceled. The Union’s website says the meeting was called off following orders from security elements.
17. Publication bans on two more newspapers – Two more Reformist-affiliated newspapers, Hayate No and Sedaye Edalat, failed to appear this morning. Hayate No has been gagged for publishing for publishing Ayatollah Esfahani's statement that the government is illegitimate, while Sedaye Edalat has been banned for intending to continue to publish statements by Karroubi and Mousavi.
18. Journalist resigns in protest – Nick Ferrari, a journalist for Iran's Press TV working out of London in English, has resigned in protest against the Iranian regime's violent handling of the demonstrations.

The Political Scene
19. Mousavi: We are historically bound to continue our protest – In his latest statement, Mousavi writes: "From now on, we will have a government that will be facing serious problems vis-à-vis its relationship with the public, a wide public of which I am a part. I do not accept this political legitimacy. We are facing danger… A regime that was based on the trust of the people for 30 years cannot replace this trust with military force. The trust has been severely undermined." Mousavi urged the public to act justly, wisely and in keeping with the laws of the country.
20. Karrubi vows to remain steadfast to the end - Mehdi Karrubi: "I shall remain steadfast to the end of my life on the path of the people and the revolution. You sent forces to the northern neighbor (to learn) how to frighten the people by beating them with batons and firing pepper (tear) gas at them. After the election, street pavements were stained with blood. I apologize to the people for having trusted the officials."
21. Ahmad Khatami slams demonstrators and protests again – After his attack on demonstrators during his Friday prayer sermon last week, Expediency Council member Ahmad Khatami has again come out against the post-election protests, commenting that state officials who worked against Ahmadinejad are not worthy of remaining in their posts. According to Khatami, “The regime has been too merciful in dealing with the rioters. Some of those who were behind the unrest are the depraved of the earth [a charge that carries the death penalty under Islamic law]. Anyone who talks of election fraud is committing a sin.” Khatami’s name has been mentioned in connection with the soon-to-be-vacant post of Judiciary head.
22. “Javan” daily: Mousavi as a dictator in the mask of an open-minded person” -JAVAN claims that Mousavi is a potential dictator with the image of a calm, logical and educated person. He is a symbol of a historical movement that is rooted in the sick Westernized broad-mindedness. (Javan, July 1).
23. Students Basij against Mousavi – Students Basij members from the Tehran University Law Faculty have filed a lawsuit against Mousavi. In their suit, which was sent to the head of the Judiciary, the students call on the authorities to hold accountable those elements who tried after the elections "to turn this great opportunity into a threat and to undermine the victory of the Iranian nation."
24. Unfolded ballots – Pictures from the vote re-count show numerous unfolded ballots, with the pro-Reformist Rooz Online website claiming that these ballots were clearly not taken out of the official ballot boxes and are new.
25. At least four closed ballot boxes found in Shiraz – Nasab Abdollahi, a journalist from Shiraz, claims in his personal blog that at least four unopened and uncounted ballot boxes were found in the city's library, where the votes were counted. According to Abdollahi, the governor of the province asked journalists not to publish anything about the matter and declared the ballot boxes "national documents."
26. “Near-immediate confirmation of the elections by the Guardian Council will not make people forget recent grievances” .Aftab-e Yazd in an editorial titled "Two days, four reports, two points" comments on the near-immediate confirmation of the elections by the Guardian Council after a committee to review votes was formed: it asks if election authorities believe this will simply resolve the problem and people will forget recent grievances. Aftab-e Yazd Claims that a partial recount gave Ahmadinejad more, not less votes, it adds, prove the point made by the other candidates that miscounting the votes was possible. It states regarding the recent arrest of protesters that they too may have been mistakenly arrested - like some of briefly detained employees of the British embassy - and the right-wing press had better not rush to gloat over their arrests nor authorities neglect to 'scrupulously' safeguard their civic rights. (Aftab-e Yazd, July 1)

27. Majlis members go on three-week break – Majlis members will begin their three-week summer break next week.

Diplomatic Affairs
28. Deputy head of AEOI: Russia to speed up operation of Bushehr nuclear plant – Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that the Russian contractor in charge of the construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant had agreed to speed up the process. Following a meeting in Moscow on June 30 with the head of the Russian Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko, Saeedi said that the pre-commission stages of the Bushehr nuclear power plant and initial steps for loading dummy fuel were successfully underway to make the reactor prepared for real fuel loading. Saeedi rejected the existence of any financial or technical obstacles to the launch of operations at the Bushehr plant.
29. Ahmadinejad promises Stronger Stance on Global Issues; election results- victory for the anti-imperialist front in the world - Ahmadinejad said during a meeting with Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Oil that the presidential election was a victory for the anti-imperialist front in the world and therefore Tehran will take stronger stance on the international stage. “Surely, from now on, we will enter the global scene more powerfully”
30. Ahmadinejad’s campaign manager: Zionists and U.S. neoconservatives changed Obama’s “soft stance” on Iran, urges Obama not to repeat Bush’s mistakes – Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi, who ran Ahmadinejad’s election campaign, said that Obama originally took a soft stance on the results of Iran's presidential election but then was forced by the Zionists and the American neoconservatives to make tough comments about Iran. He urged Obama to reconsider his stance on Iran in order to pave the way for positive interaction between the two countries. “Obama should take practical measures to manifest his commitment to change the policies he inherited from George W. Bush that made the United States anathema in the international arena.”
31. Commentary in Siyast-e Ruz under the headline, "Iran's hazy election climate and Uncle Sam's broken eggs” – According to the commentary: “Under the circumstances when the election tensions have died down, the followers of election candidates have confirmed the soundness of the election and have rejected renewed unrests provoked by foreigners, the West is looking at the Islamic Republic's national security as a trump card. The West, who before the presidential election in Iran, influenced by Iran’s domestic, regional and international power, adopted the biggest obeisance since the Revolution towards Iran. Even Barack Obama, the U.S. president and Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, who as leaders of the Western anti-Iranian movement, had considered the resolution of regional problems to be impossible without Tehran and emphasized Iranians' right to nuclear energy, changed their approach after the election. The West, which before the Islamic Republic's election, had used all the options on the table including threats, enticement and ultimately direct negotiations for preventing the Islamic Republic from achieving peaceful nuclear energy technology, discovered the confused political climate after the election to be an opportunity to play in the existing hazy field. Western officials and senior American, British, French and German leaders in particular, turned to support for continuation of riots, once Iran's political climate became confused so as to revive the lost game. What is significant now and after the unrests have calmed down in Iran is that the West has put all its eggs in the rioters' basket and has destroyed all the bridges to be able to make a new beginning. In analyzing the reason for this action by the West, the issue can as usual be connected with not having access to correct information or nervousness and the Westerners' adventurous inclinations - issues that have sunk the West, under the leadership of America in the quagmire of Iraq and Afghanistan. The West that imagined that supporting chaos in Iran would reduce Islamic Republic's power and make them [the West] able to ride the waves in the existing grey climate with the help of their cultural and media agents and ultimately win the lost game, will now no longer be able to start the new game because its true face has been exposed. Another point that can be deduced from Obama's behavior and that of other Western leaders, after the Iranian election, is the tactical behavior adopted by the White House, mixed with nobility and equanimity, before the elections. Obama, who at the beginning of his victory in America's presidential election had said he would adopt intelligent power for domestic and foreign planning, showed this quite well in his reaction to Iran's events. However, when based on an intelligence mistake, the Islamic Republic's power seemed weak and a torn-apart Iran got reflected through the glasses of U.S. diplomacy, the White House set out to provoke division and unrest in Tehran.” (Siyast-e Ruz, July 1)
32. Javan published Cartoon of Queen Elizabeth II burning Iran
33. Accusations that the US government initiated development of anti Ahmadinejad computer game – Iranian websites are reporting that the U.S. administration has instructed computer games developers to produce anti-Iranian games. One company has launched a 3-D game called “The fall of Ahmadinejad” and is selling it on its official website under the slogan, “Special offer to mark the elections.” According to the game’s instructions, “You are a trained soldier. Your mission is to hunt down Ahmadinejad and topple him from the presidential seat in the regime of terror… and, in the same breath, liberate the Iranian people, destroy the weapons of mass destruction, fight the evil IRGC and finally come to face-to-face with the leaders of Iran.”
34. Iran-Syria joint cooperation commission meets – Iranian and Syrian officials attended a joint cooperation meeting in Damascus during which implementation of the roadmap between Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey was underlined. Iranian Housing and Urban Planning Minister Mohammad Saeedi-Kia, who headed the Iranian delegation to the meeting, said that the development of ties between the four countries, especially in transferring gas, electricity and development of transportation were among the roadmap's contents. He expressed hope that the formation of a joint bank would be implemented by the next session of the commission due to be held in Tehran.
35. FM grilled over Iran's non-membership of the UNSC. Mottaki's explanation on Iran's non-membership of the Security Council did not convince Kavakebian" The minister was in parliament to answer questions by the reformist MP; why he asked had Iran sought to enter the UN Security Council if it said the UN's structure is flawed, and why had so few states voted for its non-permanent membership? (Aftab-e Yazd, July 1)
36. Iran welcomes expansion of ties with Ukraine - Tehran will welcome expansion of political and parliamentary ties with Kiev, Mahdi Sanaee, and the head of Iran-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group, said on Wednesday. Safaee made the remarks in a meeting with Ukrainian ambassador to Tehran Ihor Lohinov.
37. Iranian ambassador presents credentials to Myanmar leader – Iran's non-resident ambassador to Myanmar, Majid Bizmark, has submitted his credentials to Myanmar's leader.

Security Affairs
38. Final Day of Ground Forces Drills - Rahim Musavi, Iranian army deputy chief of staff said the drills have sent several messages: for the inside - to say that Iran would continue enhancing its defense capabilities ; second for neighboring countries to say that these drills are for preserving security and stability in the region; third is that Iran would not be an easy passageway for enemies.
39. Regular Navy Commander: Iranian military presence in international waters and high seas element of military might. Iranian Army's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that "[Iranian military] presence in international waters and high seas is an element of the Iranian army's military might…Such a great move requires presence in high seas. This is one of the elements of Iranian navy's military might." He reiterated that the move is aimed at providing security for the Islamic Republic of Iran's trade ships and oil tankers.
40. Grenade found at a shrine in Iran's capital – Employees at the Imamzadeh Saleh mausoleum in Tajrish Square found (June 30) a grenade that had been planted in a trash can in the women's rest room. The safety pin of the grenade had been removed and a piece of tape had been put in its place. The Tajrish shopping district is a popular tourist spot on the northern edge of Tehran. It is currently one of the busiest areas of Tehran, with various bus stops, shopping malls and many restaurants. The head of the Tehran section of the Yadollah Shirmardi charity organization said the culprit sought to stir fear in the minds of the Iranians who participated in the June 12 presidential election
41. Trial of Jondallah members begins – The trial of 13 members of the Jondallah opposition group has opened in Zahedan. Among those on trial is Abdelkhamid Riji, the brother of Jondallah leader Abdelmalik Riji. The 13 are being charged with armed robbery, armed kidnapping and armed attacks on Iranian security forces in which a number were killed. The accused have admitted that “Abdelmalik Riji is a mercenary of the United States and the Zionists and has received instructions and training from them.”
Economic Affairs
42. Joint Iran US economic council formed - A member of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce announced that trade exchange between Iran and America reached 154 million dollars in the last quarter. Asgarowladi confirmed the news about the formation of Iran-U.S. joint (economic) council (E’temad, July 1)
43. Iran To Cooperate With Foreign Investors On Railway Projects - Iranian minister of road and transportation said that Tehran has reached agreements with different countries over implementation of 10 significant rail projects in Iran. "Negotiations for the construction of approximately 6,000 km (of railway) have entered the final stage," Hamid Behbahani said. One of the projects under negotiation pertains to the 370-kilometer-long Qazvin-Rasht-Anzali-Astara railway with a credit of euro 700 ml. Referring to the projects' financing scheme, he explained that construction of infrastructures, including installation of the rails, will be performed by Iranian contractors, while the foreign parties will be responsible for supplying rails, locomotives and wagons. "The road ministry aims to use foreign financing in a bid to transfer the technology for building locomotives and other needed items (to Iran) and strives to create the (required) capacity for the foreign party to supply its needs through domestic production in Iranian plants,"
44. Central Bank governor: Banks' outstanding debts increased from 33,000 billion to 38,000 billion tuman - Mahmud BahmaniCentral Bank governor says in view of the rise in the banking system's the outstanding debts to the Central Bank in the last four months, some mechanisms have been envisaged to address the problem. He says the Central Bank has divided these debts into different categories, each of which will be handled differently. For instance, debts incurred because of investment in the production sector will be treated differently to other sectors (Khorasan, July 1)
45. Oil Ministry's reaction to critics of management changes" Seyyed Zia'eddin Nureddini, head of Oil Ministry's public relations office, defends the recent personnel changes in the ministry's management, and says the process started a long time ago, in order to improve the organization's performance and efficiency (Khorasan, July 1)
46. Iran, Afghanistan sign trade MOU
47. Iran, Armenia set up joint company to build pipeline
48. Iran to open border terminal in southeastern province This terminal is situated in Sistan-Baluchestan Province on the joint border between Iran and Afghanistan and near the Hirmand River. (Iran TV)

Domestic Issues
49. Brazil’s Ronaldo to star in Iranian film – Iranian director Mohammad Hosseyn Latifi wants to make a film about Brazilian football star Ronaldo. In Italy, where Ronaldo plays, the media have greeted the news enthusiastically and are reporting that Ronaldo’s life will be portrayed in an Iranian film to be produced by the Iran-Brazil Chamber of Commerce. According to the reports, “the Iranian director will make the film only for the Palestinian children living in the refugee camps.”
50. 25, Best Age For Marriage ; Rise of 11% in the divorce rate Mohammad Eshaqi Deputy head of Irans National Youth Organization (INYO)According to religious teachings, the ideal age to get married is 24-25 .The youth between the ages of 24 and 25 are more deeply interested in getting married. Youths opinion about the best time to get married has shifted dramatically over the past years, Eshaqi lamented, calling economic problems the main reason behind such delay in marriage among the Iranians. According to the state Birth Registration Organization, there was 3% up in the marriage rate in the year ended March 20, 2009. There were 101,113 divorces recorded in 1387 (March 2008-March 2009)- a rise of 11% in comparison with the last year.

Upcoming Events
51. July 15 to 18. first Iranian international exhibition on innovation in energy-related fields Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds will be the venue for the first Iranian international exhibition on innovation in energy-related fields during July 15 to 18, 2009. The 4-day event will focus on subjects such as optimizing energy consumption, energy saving, and introducing advantages of renewable and alternate sources of energy,