IRAN NEWS BRIEFS

Call To Release Iran's 'Blogfather' For Norouz

The mother of a controversial, well-known blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, who is often described as Iran's "blogfather" because he helped popularize blogging in Iran, has called on the head of Iran's judiciary to release her son for the Iranian New Year, or Norouz, marked on March 21. More

A Turkish Role Model For Iran?

As Ankara has worked to improve relations with Iran, person-to-person bilateral contacts have blossomed in recent years. The experience, Abbas Djavadi writes, has been good for both sides. More
Iran Reformist Among Those Out On Bail

Iranian authorities have reportedly released on bail a top reformist who has been jailed since last June, along with a filmmaker and a reformist journalist. More

Iranian Politician Says Reformist Party's Ban 'Totally Illegal'

Former Iranian parliament deputy Fatemeh Haghighatjou has harshly criticized the decision by Iran's judiciary to ban activities by the major reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front. More


A Year On, Blogger's Death In Detention Remains Unexplained

Tomorrow marks one year since the death in Tehran's Evin prison of Iranian blogger Omidreza Mirsayafi. Many questions remain. More


Flight Of Iran's Critical Voices Shows Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

As many Iranian journalists and bloggers have been arrested in a government crackdown on dissent that began after the presidential election, dozens more have been driven into self-imposed exile abroad. One is Alireza Rezaei, a well-known blogger whose humorous take on even the worst aspects of the postelection protests gained him a wide following. More

Defiant Iranians Celebrate Festival Of Fire Despite Ban

Iranians last night openly challenged Supreme leader Ali Khamenei by taking to the streets for the traditional Festival of Fire, which Khamenei had said has no religious basis and should not be celebrated. More

Year Of 'Patience And Perseverance'

Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi has said that the coming new year in Iran will be the year of "patience and perseverance" for the opposition movement. More


Quote Of The Day

"Slowly [the authorities] will ask us not to breath, because they will say antirevolutionary air might get into your lungs." This is a quote from one of our listeners with whom I have been exchanging e-mails for the past several months. She is a young Iranian woman in the capital. More


International News Group Condemns Detention Of Iranian Journalists

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has condemned the continuing imprisonment of Iranian journalist Emad Baghi and what it calls the "repressive measures employed by the state to silence critical publications." More

Iranian-American Scholar Kian Tajbakhsh Reportedly Released On Bail

Iranian opposition websites are reporting that prominent Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh has been released from jail on $500,000 bail. More


The Picture That Was Removed

Iranian blogs and websites are reporting that this picture -- reportedly taken during President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s trip last week to Hormozgan Province -- was removed by the ISNA news agency shortly after being posted. More

Why Is Iran Releasing Some Postelection Detainees?

Several prominent detainees arrested in the wake of Iran's postelection unrest have been freed from prison. But Iranian authorities' motivation in freeing the prisoners remains unclear. More


Who Is Waging War Against God In Iran?

How did Mohammad Amin Valian, a 20-year-old student from Damghan, land in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) infamous Special Detention Center No. 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison? More


UN Torture Envoy Says Concerned About Iran

In the wake of the UN Human Rights Council's recent session on Iran, Manfred Nowak, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, talked about his attempts to visit Tehran and his efforts to make governments around the world take better care of their detainees. More


Afghans, Iranian Honored As 'Women Of Courage'

Ten extraordinary women have been recognized by the U.S. State Department in a ceremony in Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared in person alongside first lady Michelle Obama to praise the group of women that she and her staff have chosen as this year's International Women of Courage. More

Prague's One World Festival Puts Focus On Iran

The One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, which will show over 100 films from 30 countries in Prague from March 10-18, has a special focus on Iran this year. More


Filmmaker Calls For Release Of Jailed Panahi

One of Iran's most prominent filmmakers, Abbas Kiarostami, has called for the release of Jafar Panahi and Mahmoud Rasoulof, two directors recently detained by the Iranian authorities. More

Iranian Women’s Rights Advocate Dedicates Her Prize To Jailed Activist

Iranian human rights lawyer and women’s rights advocate Shadi Sadr has dedicated her “Women of Courage Award,” given by the U.S. State Department, to jailed human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari. More

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