A Finnish magazine has obtained a surveillance system Nokia allegedly supplied to Iran last year, allowing the government to locate, monitor and ultimately arrest dissidents. Dark, damning and depressing.
Iran election
Why the West should stop worrying about Iran’s nukes
The West’s obsession with Iran’s nuclear ambitions is playing right into Ahmadinejad’s hands, says a former UN official. If we really want to help Iranians’ struggle for democracy, we need to forget about sanctions and get creative.
Journalists flee Iran — and they’re the lucky ones
Iranian journalists who reported on the country’s post-election riots are now fleeing the country en masse after being “intimidated and terrorized” by the government — and they’re the lucky ones: some are still being held prisoner.
How the Falun Gong powered Iran’s protests
When it comes to subverting government internet censorship, few are more experienced than China’s Falun Gong. So when Iranians started using the net to organise protests, the Falun Gong thought they’d lend a hand…
Meet Ahmadinejad’s Cabinet nominees
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has identified six of the ministers he intends to nominate for his new cabinet — naming three women in the mix in an apparent move to improve his embattled image.
Trials in Tehran: West blamed for unrest
The trial of three Westerners in Tehran has become an attack against Western imperialism. “You are no longer a superpower. We are.” said a sign in front of the British embassy.
US backflip as “elected leader” Ahmadinjed is sworn in
As Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sworn in for his second term as President, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs is in damage control after describing him as the “elected leader” of Iran. “He’s been inaugurated. That’s a fact. Whether any election was fair…”
Newsweek fight on for journo’s freedom in Iran
Newsweek continues to pile the pressure on Iran to free journalist Maziar Bahari, who has been detained there since the post-election riots in June, using petitions, editorial and even taking out full-page ads in The NYTimes and WSJ calling for his release.
Inside Iran’s show trials
Iran’s mass trials of 100 post-election protesters are “transparently ludicrous”, says Pejman Yousefzadeh — but this is not a regime concerned with legitimacy.
Iran’s “show trial” divides a nation
100 Iranian activists have appeared in court, accused of inciting violence in the wake of June’s presidential election. Opposition spokespeople have derided the events as merely a “show trial”, but hardliners are pushing for even more arrests
Mousavi piles the pressure on Ahmadinejad
Mir Hossein Mousavi is stepping up the verbal attacks on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the embattled Iranian president continues to butt heads with colleagues and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Iranian opposition leader “smells blood”.
Visualising millions of Iran tweets
At its peak, a search for “Iran” on Twitter was generaing over 100,000 tweets per day. Here’s what that looks like, in graph form. The results are quite engaging.
Iranian Basij militia member tells of violence, rape and executions
An anonymous member of Iran’s Basij militia has told the Jerusalem Post of his role in suppressing protesters during the recent post-election riots, as well as acts of physical and sexual violence conducted by the paramilitary group.
Americans like their conflicts in black and white
Americans like their conflicts with good guys and bad guys, says Tony Karon, but in situations like Iran, Darfur and China, trying to make everything fit a Cold War script can have a tragic outcome.
Newsweek defend imprisoned journalist
Newsweek’s Iranian correspondent Maziar Bahari has been imprisoned in Iran since 21 June, without formal charges or access to a lawyer. The news-magazine call on the Iranian government for justice.
Iran protests, then and now
Ahmad Batebi, an icon of Iranian student protests that took place 10 years ago speaks to The Daily Beast about the latest wave of uprising and dissent in the country — and why he believes it is unstoppable.
Iran protestor deaths covered up
A doctor working in Tehran writes in the Guardian that the death toll from the post-election protests is far higher than the official figure of 20, and that medical staff are being pressured to cover up the real figures.
Iranian police move to crush renewed protests
With thousands of Iranians defying the country’s security crackdown to return to the streets in renewed protests, police and militia have retaliated violently with tear gas and batons. Nevertheless, says the NYT, the mood remained “festive”.
Lawyer: Newsweek journo on trial in Iran
Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari and a number of reformist leaders in Iran are to face trial accused of “acting against national security.”
Why Twitter deserves the Nobel Peace Prize
Twitter’s role as a window to Iran in the fallout of the country’s presidential election warrants consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize, argues Mark Pfeifle. In other news: a thousand “social media commentators” just wet themselves.
Ahmadinejad: It’s over, I won
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is blaming unspecified “conspiracies” and Iran’s “enemies” for the country’s recent turmoil following his election, but has nevertheless hailed his victory as a triumph for the nation.
Meanwhile…
- TIMES: Mousavi, Khatami denounce government
- NYT: Europe might pull out diplomats
- ECONOMIST: Iran’s regime digs in
- GUARDIAN: Clerics pose little threat to Khamenei
- FP: Jackson answers Ayatollah’s prayers
Eyewitness risks his life to tell Tehran’s stories
Crikey has been put in touch with an Iranian refugee who now has permanent residency in Australia. One of his brothers lives and works in Tehran, staying in touch with phone calls.
Ahmadinejad wins. Again!
Iran’s Guardian Council has finished recounting a random 10% of votes from June 12’s presidential election. Uphshot? No irregularities. And President Ahmadinejad’s vote count just got bigger.
What social media revolution?
In the end, what could be heard on Twitter last week with regard to Iran was white noise from the West, writes Helen Razer.
Iran: The world leader in jailing journalists
In just the 13 days since the Iranian election, the country has become the world’s leading jailer of journalists, with 40 journos detained and arrest by police.
