Anonymous Iran

NiteOwl

By Josh Shahryar - http://twitter.com/irantranslator

New Twitter ID @jshahryar

(Please read this first: Hi, I have finally been able to restart writing the Green Briefs. However, I cannot guarantee that I can write them consistently, so forgive me if there is a short lull from time to time. I want to continue writing as I had promised before, but you never know. Also, it will take me some time to wrap my brain around GB writing again so forgive me again if the quality is not as good as the ones before. It's been almost three months. As always, almost all the news is gathered either through Iran news sites, reliable sources on twitter or friends in Iran.

Also, this will be the last GB I post on wwp. From now, I'll mostly post them on my own blog which is http://dailyniteowl.com. I'm not abandoning wwp, but I'm trying to combine both my blog readers and people who read the GB. Easier for me to combine like that then post in multiple place at the same time. )



Protests / Unrest

1. Preparations for the 16 Azar (December 7) protest are on the way. Here are some of the highlights of the happeneings:

A) Students at Ilam University in Ilam province have spread leaflets and posters across campus to invite other students to join them in the protest. Here’s one of the posters: http://tinyurl.com/yz4dcuk

B) SMS messages are being sent across Tehran to gather Greens in order to make the protests a success. One such SMS from Isfahan: http://tinyurl.com/ygelbap

C) IRGC and other security organizations have stepped up their presence in Tehran and other major cities in anticipation of the protests. Witnesses report of bus-loads of Basij being brought into Tehran and other cities. Police in Tehran have warned the Green Movement formally that they will be cracked down upon if they took to streets.

2. In anticipation of the protests, the government is continuing to summon students from universities across Iran and warning them not to take part in the protests. Reports from Tehran suggest that many students from Tehran University have been told that they would be promptly arrested if they joined the protests and would be expelled from the university. Six more students of Azad University in Tehran were summoned today to the disciplinary office of warned.

3. A video of students chanting against Safar Harandi on his visit to Ardabil’s Mohaghegh Aradabili University (Date and Time Unknown): http://bit.ly/87PFen

4. Families of detained students from Allama Tabataba’ie University protested in front of Evin prison today after 5 PM. The six students were arrested last Thursday.

5. Amir Kabir University Student Yousef Rashidi holding placard in Polytechnic University that says, “Fascist President – Polytechnic [University] Is Not Your Place!”: http://bit.ly/7lj9C4

Opposition

6. There are recent reports that in the past couple of days, Hasan Khomeini has had meetings with Abtahi. Although no date or other information is available, there is a picture being floated around. I cannot independently confirm when the meeting took place or what was discussed. Here is the picture: http://tinyurl.com/yd5bpfs

Government / International

7. Former Tehran Attorney General Saeed Mortazavi is reportedly going to be appointed as the new “Chief Inspector” (Which is considered a very prestigious post and is in effect one of the closest aides to the president) of the President’s office. Mortazavi is accused of being the main government official behind sending prisoners to Kahrizak and their torture. He has also been instrumental in closing down reformist newspapers.

8. Defying orders from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has decline to join meeting of the Expediency Council head by Hashemi Rafsanjani. The announcement comes at a time when the government is seeming applying further pressure on Rafsanjani to openly denounce the Green Movement.

9. Hashemi Rafsanjani today declared that the only way for unity in Iran was through the guidance of Khamenei. He also explained that he has been refraining from attending any meetings outside his work with the Expediency Council. It is worth noting that his son has come under increasing pressure and calls for his arrest and trial have been made by several low-ranking and at least one high-ranking official – Intelligence minister Heydar Moslehi - in the government.

Speaking during a meeting in Mashhad, Rafsanjani admitted that there were serious problems and misgivings in the country. He added that it was impossible to hide these problems and they must be solved.

10. Izzatullah Zarghami – the chief of IRIB – announced today that his plan for the next five years was to further Islamize Iran’s government-run media service. One of his key announcements was that women would no longer be allowed to wear too much make-up while appearing on TV and music programs would be shortened or cut down.

11. Sardar Fazli – the Commander of Sepahe Sayedushadda, another paramilitary force within the Iranian security system – announced today that anyone who is going to cause insecurity in the country must prepare themselves to be killed. He also alleged that Basij did not fire upon protesters during gatherings and protesters have been killed by people other than security forces.

12. Several activists and celebrities have sent a petition to Iran’s United nations mission, calling for the release of three American hikers who’ve been held there since July. The signatories include activist Gloria Steinem, billionaire businessman Richard Branson, actress Mia Farrow, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture

13. Dozens of students have been arrested in the past month from across Iran by the government. At least ten of these have been arrested in the past day alone which include student activist Mahdieh Golro. Other detainees include student activist Yousef Rashidi (You can see Rashidi’s picture in the first section holding a placard), blogger and journalist Foad Shams, Tabriz University student Rasoul Alinejad, women’s rights activist Farhad Sharifi and Reza Joshan from Karaj.

14. In the past few days, the government has also arrested three other people on charges related to the protests from Yasuj – one of them belongs to the Baha’i minority.

15. Salman Seema – a political activist who’s been detained for 20 days – has reportedly been severely tortured while in detention. According to his relatives who met him at Evin, several of his ribs have been broken by security guards during interrogation.

16. Economist Saeed Leylaz has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment.

17. In a rare glimpse of hope, activists Mahboubeh Haghighi and Negar Sayeh were released today.

Media

18. VOA talks to arrested political activist Salman Sima’s sister (FA): http://bit.ly/6ZkR6F

19. The government has banned the publication of Kurdistan University’s main publication, ‘Hejan’.

Miscellaneous

20. A Message to Iranians Struggling for Civil Rights from an American Family: http://bit.ly/5r891z

21. Green wall graffiti in the city of Sari: http://bit.ly/7u15nF (via TSI)

22. Lawsuit against Iranian gvt before Montreal court: http://bit.ly/85pSyx

23. In Sanandaj University: Khamenei's poster on fire: http://tinyurl.com/ye7rext

24. Photoshopped picture of people welcoming Ahmadinejad in Isfahan: http://mytasvir.com/photo/gallery/24b16b7629b63b.jpg

A video showing the real number of people during the same event: http://retwt.me/1KKv8

ramin.ger

Good to read from you again. Thank you very much for your information. It means very much to me !

Michael the German

Say - I can't open the page, all I get is a blank empty page, no matter what browser I use. Any idea what's wrong?

Michael the German

Nope, still nothing - seems like some timout problem for me... But without any error message.

Weird.

Sonst jemand aus Deutschland mit Problemen, die Seite aufzumachen?

Paleene

Sorry Michael, the link Roe gave works perfectly for me as well. In Germany.

NiteOwl

Michael, I think it's some issue with your browser. Everyone else is getting it fine. Did you try with a different browser? Otherwise, you can see it on Newsvine too.

Michael the German

Yupp, Newsvine works, thanks a bunch!

I tried it on Firefox and IE, both with the same result... Wei-rd. Hmmm. I'll try to find out more about this...

socrates

now my friend is time to gain more supporters. as far as i understand oposition is strong in teheran and some lagre citier, but it is very weak in small towns and countryside. this is because there is easier to establish monopol over informations. i assume that most of basij are recruted there (you said that they are bussed in to teheran) and filled with lies that thugs (junkies, jobless pople and so on) are destroying teheran and that they must stop them.
if you want to make green movement successfull you must spread green movement on countryside. you must show those people the truth - how neda was murdered and how basij are beating inocent people in teheran and how goverment is using propaganda to gain legitime power to crack down protest.
if you gain support of the people in small towns and countryside less and less people want to help basij...

Nedjarsan

Dear activists,

sorry for my long absence from the forum but i have had a lot of things to be taken care of.

These things really had to be solved first to let me go on with everything else.

Cheers to Nite-Owl again for his endurance !

In deed the first link in his GB did not work for me either. Not at work, not at home.

Newsvine is working, thanks god.

I wish everybody all the best and i am back as sharp as i can.

__________________
Khodahafez estebdad, Salaam azadi

Paleene

Welcome back, Ned, good to have the chance to read your sharp and witty comments again!

(Life is rollercoasting over here (as well?), but I am trying hard to stay updated, at least.)

Looking forward to your contributions.