IR Iran Says it Broke Up U.S.-Backed Cyber Networks

The Associated Press /

Iran said Saturday it has dismantled several U.S.-backed opposition networks that were gathering information on nuclear scientists and finding ways to circumvent controls on the Internet meant to deprive the opposition of its most crucial tool. A judiciary statement carried on the official IRNA news agency said the networks were set up by Iranian opposition groups, including the People's Mujahedeen, and that 30 of their members were arrested. "A number of organized American cyber war networks were dismantled and 30 influential suspects were arrested ... in a series of complicated security operations in the information technology and communications field," IRNA quoted the statement as saying. The government has repeatedly accused the U.S. and Britain of provoking the unrest that followed June's disputed presidential election — charges both Washington and London have denied. The statement comes as Washington is pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which the U.S. and other nations fear is aimed at producing weapons. Iran denies such an intention and says its nuclear work is only for peaceful purposes like power generation. The Iranian statement did not say when the suspects were arrested but it accused the U.S. of using such networks to undermine Iran's ruling system under a policy that it asserted originated in 2006 during George W. Bush's presidency.

"The new intelligence battle known as cyber warfare was made part of the U.S. government's agenda," IRNA quoted the statement as saying. The statement claimed the U.S. Congress approved a $400 million budget for the covert operation that also involved groups seeking to restore Iran's monarchy. Iranian authorities have launched a broad clampdown on many Web sites, including blogs, independent news outlets and sites linked to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims he was deprived of the presidency through fraud in the June election. With anti-filtering software and the use of Web proxy sites, some Iranians have been able to circumvent those controls to browse YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Farsi-language news sites that were blocked. The judiciary statement said the targeted networks were using such software to enable the opposition to access the Web, which it depends upon to organize protests and spread its calls for political and social reform. "Members of the network, after being identified and arrested, confessed that their proxy anti-filter software ... was employed and unfortunately extensively used for espionage purposes," IRNA quoted the statement as saying. Iran has also brought many activists and opposition leaders to trial throughout the postelection unrest. (Read more...)

IR Iran Jails Top Female Reformist for 3 Years

Agence France Presse (AFP) /

An Iranian court has sentenced a top female reformist arrested after last year's election dispute to three years in jail for plotting to harm national security, her lawyer said on Saturday. Azar Mansouri was arrested in September during a widespread crackdown on opposition supporters who challenged the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009. Mansouri, a senior leader from reformist political party, Islamic Iran Participation Front, was sentenced to a three-year jail term, lawyer Mohammad Reza Faghihi told ILNA news agency. "She has been charged with disturbing public order while participating in gatherings, issuing propaganda against the regime, spreading lies and plotting to harm national security," he said, adding he had filed an appeal against the verdict.

Iranian authorities have sentenced several top reformists and political activists to varying jail terms after accusing them of acting against the regime since the election dispute erupted. In recent weeks several detainees have also been released but Iranian news reports say 10 protesters charged with participating in the post-election unrest have been sentenced to death so far. On January 28, Iran executed Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour, two members of a monarchist group. It was unclear when they were arrested but they were put on trial along with several other post-election protesters.

HRW: IR Iran Should Release or Charge Famed Filmmaker

The Associated Press /

An international human rights group on Saturday called on Iran to either charge or release an acclaimed Iranian filmmaker who backed the country's opposition. Jafar Panahi was taken into custody nearly two weeks ago by Iranian security forces during a raid on the filmmaker's Tehran home. A state prosecutor has said Panahi's detention is not political and that the filmmaker is suspected of committing unspecified "offenses." Human Rights Watch noted that Panahi and fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who was picked up along with Panahi, have not been charged since being arrested on March 1. In a statement released Saturday, the rights group also criticized Tehran for providing no legal basis for the filmmakers' continued detention. "The Iranian authorities should either charge these men or release them immediately," said Sarah Leah Whitson, the rights group's Middle East director. Human Rights Watch said a third filmmaker was also still in custody. That report could not be independently verified. Panahi, 49, supported Iran's opposition following the disputed June presidential election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.

He was briefly detained last summer when he visited the gravesides of the victims of Tehran's postelection unrest and was later banned from traveling abroad. The filmmaker has won awards at the Chicago, Cannes and Berlin film festivals, although several of his films have been banned from showing in Iran. Whitson said that by targeting a high-profile artist like Panahi, "the Iranian government is sending a clear message that it is willing to go after anyone it considers a threat." "If well-known figures like Panahi are not immune from arbitrary arrest and detention, ordinary Iranians will think twice before engaging in any activity that may seem critical of the government," Whitson said. Ahmadinejad's re-election has been challenged by a range of public figures, including filmmakers and singers who have expressed support for the opposition and criticized the harsh government crackdown on street protesters. The opposition contends Ahmadinejad won through fraud and that opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was the rightful winner.

Statement by Iranian Women for International Women’s Day

The Feminist School /

Official statement by a group of Iranian women’s rights activists who participated in a Green gathering commemorating March 8th. The Feminist School - On the afternoon of March 7, 2010, a ceremony celebrating International Women’s Day took place in Tehran. Participants included Zahra Rahnavard, Minoo Mortazi, Shahla Lahiji, Fatemeh Rakei, Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Mansoureh Shojaee, Farzaneh Taheri, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Farideh Mashini, Fatemeh Gavarayi, Shahla Foroozanfar, Parastou Sarmadi, Marzieh Azarafsa and a number of other women’s rights activists and families of prisoners. Every year in anticipation of International Women’s Day, there is a particularly refreshing feeling in the air. Several days before the celebration and a few days after, women’s groups and associations in Iran begin meeting, making decisions, and planning for events. The hustle and bustle associated with preparing for this day is a testament to the constant and ever lasting presence of women, regardless of the conditions; particularly when the conditions have been difficult and under pressure. Proof of this dynamic presence is the commemoration of International Women’s Day under the very difficult and critical conditions of the past four years. This year once again, despite the many pressures and constraints imposed, a number of programs and ceremonies were held both openly and behind closed doors by verious groups. One such ceremony and conference was “The Green gathering of women’s rights activists in Iran.”

The commemoration of International Women’s Day by influential female members of the Green movement was a spark of hope for all women’s rights activists who look to the Green movement for defending their identity and rights. Due to the current restrictions, the ceremony took place with the presence of only a limited number of women’s rights activists and families of those imprisoned during recent events. The groups that were present include Mothers for Peace, The Forward Thinking Religious Women’s Organization, The Women’s Participation Front, a number of members of the Committee Against Violence Toward Women, members of The Feminist School, The Association of Iranian Women, The National and Religious Women’s Association, The Committee of Women Supporting Female Prisoners, and a number of prominent female lawyers. Those present discussed the importance of collaboration between women with different political and intellectual view points within the women’s movement and the reciprocity between the women’s movement and the Green movement; emphasizing the continued support by both movements for the demands and concerns of women in Iran, particularly the importance of freedom of expression in honour of International Women’s Day. (Read more...)

Abbas: IR Iran Hampering Unity Talks

The Jerusalem Post /

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has blamed Iran for impeding reconciliation between his Fatah faction and its archrival Hamas. “Iran doesn't want Hamas to sign the Cairo reconciliation document,” Abbas said during a visit to Tunisia on Friday. Abbas said Hamas objected to signing an Egyptian-brokered deal with Fatah because of opposition from Teheran, and argued that the Palestinians should be “free from Iranian tutelage.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denied the accusations on Saturday, claiming Iran’s position regarding the Palestinian issue involved “unity and solidarity of Palestinian factions in face of the Zionist regime.” “Both Fatah and Hamas are unable, for whatever reasons, to reconcile at the moment,” Dr. Samir Awwad, a professor of international relations at Birzeit University told The Media Line. “President Abbas would want to come up with reasons to justify why the national reconciliation has failed after so many months of disagreement. He’s pointing to possible involvement of regional powers, and this time he’s naming Iran.” Abbas’s statements come in the run-up to the Arab League summit in Libya starting March 27. Analysts have suggested the accusations might be an attempt by Abbas to garner more support from Arab countries against Iran and Hamas.

Sunni Arab countries are anxious over the prospect of Iran becoming a regional nuclear power in the Middle East as Tehran continues to defy international demands to abandon its nuclear program. Regional powers, including Egypt, are concerned Iran is gaining political clout, which might tip the local balance of power. “Iran is trying to create a coalition with Hizbullah, Syria and Hamas and that’s how [Abbas] interprets many of Hamas’ positions,” Awwad said. “There is regional support for Hamas from that coalition.” Awwad said that despite coalition attempts, he does not believe Iran carries much weight in internal Palestinian politics, rather that Hamas itself wants to hamper the talks in order to defer a reconciliation deal and buy time before setting a date for elections, at a time when opinion polls suggest Hamas’s popularity is waning. But Israeli intelligence sources claim there are close ties between Iran and Hamas, and supporters of Abbas’s position say Iran has an interest in involving itself in local Palestinian issues in order to show Egypt that it is a dominant power in the region. Egypt’s recent efforts to bring about an agreement between the Palestinian factions have so far failed, despite going on for more than a year. (Read more...)

IR IRAN’S SECRET NUCLEAR BASE

Express.co.uk /

IRAN’S lurch towards becoming a nuclear power took another stride last night after reports of a new missile-launching facility. Satellite images of the complex reinforced concerns that the Islamic Republic is being aided by North Korea. Iran unveiled the Simorgh (Phoenix) space launch vehicle (SLV) on February 3 but has not publicly revealed the location of the rocket’s launch complex. According to Jane’s, the London-based intelligence group, new satellite images show a launch pad 6.5 miles north-east of the existing Semnan site. It could ultimately launch Tehran’s next-generation Simorgh rocket, said experts. Worryingly, the nature of construction suggests that Iran has been collaborating with Pyongyang. Last month President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed that Iran was officially a “nuclear state” after allegedly producing its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level. The claims, made before hundreds of thousands of cheering Iranians on the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, came a day after the US imposed tougher sanctions. Mr Ahmadinejad repeated that Iran was pursuing nuclear energy and had no intention of producing nuclear weapons. However, satellite images taken on that day revealed Simorgh and Safir-2 rockets displayed in Tehran’s Azadi Square. The new site includes a gantry tower which is 43 feet wide, approximately 60 feet tall “and has a cliff-side flame bucket nearly as high as the tower itself”. A Jane’s report said: “It appears midway towards completion,” adding that the launch pad could easily accommodate the 88-foot Simorgh if the gantry were to be extended by 33 feet.

It went on: “The development of the Semnan facility and the Simorgh SLV both demonstrate the likelihood of collaboration with North Korea in Iran’s missile programme. “The platforms seen on the new gantry tower resemble those seen on the gantry tower at North Korea’s new launch pad at Tongchang. A drainage pit 570 feet directly in front of the pad also mirrors one at Pyongyang’s new west-coast launch site. “Similarly, the first stage of the Simorgh strongly resembles the North Korean Unha-2, with four clustered engines and nearly the same dimensions.” The respected information group concluded: “Given these investments in its missile infrastructure, and despite the United States attempting to garner support for further sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme, Tehran appears determined to continue developing its missile and rocket capabilities in the foreseeable future.” Last night Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox warned: “Iran is our single biggest emerging threat.” He added: “If Iran becomes a nuclear weapon state, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will be next. “After all that we did to try to stop nuclear proliferation at the end of the Cold War, failing with Iran will lead to a nuclear arms race in the world’s most unstable region.”

The Iranian Regime Efforts to Buy Nuclear Bombs

The Washington Post /

The father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program has written an official account that details an Iranian attempt to buy atomic bombs from Pakistan at the end of the 1980s. Bombmaker Abdul Qadeer Khan states in documents obtained by The Washington Post that in lieu of weapons, Pakistan gave Iran bomb-related drawings, parts for centrifuges to purify uranium and a secret worldwide list of suppliers. Iran's centrifuges, which are viewed as building blocks for a nuclear arsenal, are largely based on models and designs obtained from Pakistan. Khan's narrative calls into question Iran's long-standing stance that it has not sought nuclear arms. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last month that "we won't do that because we don't believe in having them." The account also conflicts with the Pakistani government's assertion that Khan proliferated nuclear know-how without government approval. Pakistan has never disclosed Khan's written account. A summary of interrogations of Khan and four others in 2004, conducted by Pakistan's intelligence service and later provided to U.S. and allied intelligence officials, omitted mention of the attempt to buy a nuclear bomb. But Pakistan's former top military official in 2006 publicly hinted at it.

In interviews, two military officers whom Khan links to the bargaining with Iran denied that finished nuclear weapons were ever on the table. Spokesmen for Iran's mission to the United Nations and the Pakistani Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests to comment. However, a top Pakistani government official at the time said Ali Shamkhani, the senior Iranian military officer named by Khan, came to Islamabad, Pakistan, seeking help on nuclear weapons. The former official also said Khan, acting with the knowledge of other top officials, then accelerated a secret stream of aid. The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan at the time, Robert Oakley, separately said in an interview that he thinks Pakistan's top military officer urged and approved Khan's bomb-related assistance to Iran. Khan is a controversial figure, and he has complained bitterly about long-standing restrictions on his movements by Pakistan's government, which says it seeks to ensure he does not restart his nuclear dealings. Several U.S. experts have noted that as a result, Khan is eager to depict others as more culpable than he was in those dealings. Most observers now think Khan's work for Iran was directed by "senior elements of Pakistan's military, if not by its political leaders," said Leonard S. Spector, director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "Khan is clearly out to vindicate his reputation, but the issues remain murky enough that you can't be certain when he is telling the truth and when he is embellishing." (Read more...)

Human Rights in Iran and China 'Worsening'

The New York Times /

At a time of heavy international pressure on Iran, the State Department said on Thursday that the human rights situation there had “degenerated” since the disputed presidential election last year. In a toughly worded analysis, the department cited killings of election protesters and acts of politically motivated torture, beatings and rape. “An already poor human rights situation rapidly deteriorated after the June elections,” said Michael Posner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights, and labor, as the department released its overview of human rights around the world in 2009. “At least 45 people were killed in clashes,” he said. The voluminous report, an annual assessment called for by law, also broadly criticized practices in China. Mr. Posner called them “poor and worsening.” The report cites increased repression of ethnic and religious minorities, increased detention and harassment of activists and public-interest lawyers, and continuing repression in Tibet. It also criticizes the Chinese government’s control of the Internet in that country, though the report did not include the complaints early this year by Google executives about a series of major cyberattacks originating in China. Beijing has vigorously denied having any role in those attacks.

Mr. Posner said that in places like China and Iran, “connective technologies” had proved to be double-edged. While they allow a ferment of sometimes spontaneous organizational activities by dissidents and government critics, they also give governments “greater energy in curtailing freedom of expression.” In Iran, an opposition Web site reported on Thursday that a prominent political activist who was arrested on June 12, the day of Iran’s disputed presidential election, has been released from prison. Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former deputy interior minister, was released on Wednesday in what was called a “leave from prison,” the Web site, Jaras, reported. Mr. Tajzadeh received a hero’s welcome, and pictures circulated on the Web of two leading opposition figures, Mir-Hussein Moussavi and the former president, Mohammed Khatami, visiting him at his home. Hundreds of opposition activists have been arrested since the presidential election, and most of them remain incarcerated. Human Rights groups have said that none are released unconditionally and that most have posted hefty sums for bail and are summoned regularly to appear in court. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York based group, announced this month that at least 52 journalists remain in prison. On Thursday a lawyer for Saeed Leylaz, a prominent journalist and economist, said that his client’s sentence had been reduced from nine years to six, a term that human rights groups said remained indefensible. The sentence for Bahman Amuwee, another journalist, was reduced from seven years to five, the rights group Reporters without Borders said. (Read more...)

The Iranian Regime Blocking Foreign, Domestic Websites

The Washington Post /

At a time of heavy international pressure on Iran, the State Department said on Thursday that the human rights situation there had “degenerated” since the disputed presidential election last year. In a toughly worded analysis, the department cited killings of election protesters and acts of politically motivated torture, beatings and rape. “An already poor human rights situation rapidly deteriorated after the June elections,” said Michael Posner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights, and labor, as the department released its overview of human rights around the world in 2009. “At least 45 people were killed in clashes,” he said. The voluminous report, an annual assessment called for by law, also broadly criticized practices in China. Mr. Posner called them “poor and worsening.” The report cites increased repression of ethnic and religious minorities, increased detention and harassment of activists and public-interest lawyers, and continuing repression in Tibet. It also criticizes the Chinese government’s control of the Internet in that country, though the report did not include the complaints early this year by Google executives about a series of major cyberattacks originating in China. Beijing has vigorously denied having any role in those attacks.

Mr. Posner said that in places like China and Iran, “connective technologies” had proved to be double-edged. While they allow a ferment of sometimes spontaneous organizational activities by dissidents and government critics, they also give governments “greater energy in curtailing freedom of expression.” In Iran, an opposition Web site reported on Thursday that a prominent political activist who was arrested on June 12, the day of Iran’s disputed presidential election, has been released from prison. Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former deputy interior minister, was released on Wednesday in what was called a “leave from prison,” the Web site, Jaras, reported. Mr. Tajzadeh received a hero’s welcome, and pictures circulated on the Web of two leading opposition figures, Mir-Hussein Moussavi and the former president, Mohammed Khatami, visiting him at his home. Hundreds of opposition activists have been arrested since the presidential election, and most of them remain incarcerated. Human Rights groups have said that none are released unconditionally and that most have posted hefty sums for bail and are summoned regularly to appear in court. (Read more...)

We Will Stand by the People

Rooz Online English /

In a gathering to mark the International Women’s Day, Iranian women’s rights activists called for the “eradication of discrimination against women in all laws, the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, equal opportunities in politics and management, release of political and ideological prisoners and freedom of peaceful action for women.” They announced, “We will stand by the people and green movement activists while continuing the struggle for the achievement of our independent rights and demands. We will not stop until their full achievement because we are countless.” According to Rooz reporters, the gathering to mark the International Women’s Day was held despite the extreme amounts of pressure and intimidation imposed by the government, at Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s office. Zahra Rahnavard and many women’s rights activists attended the gathering, as many others have been arrested or forced to leave Iran since the June 12 election coup. In previous years also similar gatherings on the International Women’s Day were either prevented or turned violent because of police interference. In 1385 (2007), plain-clothes and special unit forces engaged in violent clashes with the women, dispersing them from the Baharestan square and arresting several activists. In 1382 (2004) the gathering ended before it began as plain-clothes agents surrendered the Laleh park, where the gathering was scheduled to be held, and beat the participants with batons.

Yesterday’s gathering was held while Simin Behbahani, who was scheduled to fly to Paris on an invitation from the Paris city government, was barred by security agents from leaving the country. The feminism school website quoted Simin Behbahani, “I was invited by the Paris city government for March 8, and I had prepared a text on feminism and a poem about women to read at the event and planned to return on Wednesday. Because of my old age and health issues I repeatedly thought about not going, but decided to participate in the event with my poem and text on feminism because of the kindness and persistence of inviters and my love and dedication for my country’s women and respect for this important day. After I passed through the customs gate and received the exit stamp on my passport, two agents called me, confiscated my passport and interrogated me until 5 am with a series of why and how questions, and then gave me a piece of paper asking me to go to the Revolutionary Court to get my passport back.” As such, Simin Behbahani joined the growing group of female civil society activists who have been barred from exiting the country throughout the past four years. Among them are Nasrin Sotoudeh, Mansoureh Shojaie, Narges Mohammadi, Talat Taghinia and Badrossadat Mofidi.

Report: IR Iran Sentences Professor to 6 Years

The Associated Press /

An Iranian appeals court sentenced a university professor to six years in prison for suspected involvement in the country's postelection turmoil, local media reported Thursday. Several pro-reform newspapers, including the Bahar daily, quoted Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, a lawyer for Saeed Leilaz, as saying the appeals court sentenced his client to a six-year jail term. He did not say when the court ruling took place. Leilaz, an economics professor at Shahid Beheshti University, was convicted of insulting the country's supreme leader, violating public order and participating in a plan to disturb the country's security, Tabatabaei said. Leilaz has been a sharp critic of Iran's economic policies. He also has worked as a journalist and analyst for local newspapers.

The reports of Leilaz's sentencing come a day after the pro-reform Web site Parlemannews reported the release of the prominent reform politician Mostafa Tajzadeh. Tajzadeh, who served as deputy interior minister from 1997-2005, was arrested June 13, a day after the country's disputed election that won President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second four-year term. Both Leilaz and Tajzadeh were among more than 100 political figures and activists that Iran put on a mass trial following a crackdown on opposition supporters who claim Ahmadinejad won by fraud. Tajzadeh's release comes ahead of the Iranian New Year later this month, when authorities traditionally release some prisoners in symbolic acts. Earlier this month, Iran freed six journalists and opposition activists on bail.