Iranian opposition says if the Islamic Republic refuses to issue them a permit for a pro-Arab rally, it will only be proving its fear of popular movements. Ardeshir Amirarjmand, an aide to MirHosein Mousavi, told Jaras website that the request for demonstrations “is a test for those who keep saying the Green Movement is dead.” [...]

Iranian opposition leaders MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are seeking government permission to stage a peaceful demonstration to express “solidarity with the people’s movements in the region, especially the freedom movements of the people of Tunisia and Egypt against their oppressive regimes.” They made their request in an official letter to Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Iran’s [...]

Conservative MP Ali Motahari today said Mahmoud Ahmadinejad himself is to blame for parliament’s recent dismissal of the president’s trusted transport minister. Ever since Hamid Behbahani’s ouster on February 1, parliament and the president have been sniping back and forth over the issue. Motahari said Behbahani’s fate was sealed when he failed to attend his [...]

The trial of the three U.S. nationals charged with “espionage and illegal entry in to Iran” began today in Tehran behind closed doors. The trial comes at a time of tense relations between Tehran and Washington over nuclear negotiations. Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested in the border regions of Iran-Iraq in [...]

Iran’s Expediency Council is accusing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of “undermining the system and instigating Iran’s enemies both within and outside the country.” The statement is part of the council’s response to Ahmadinejad’s official letter of complaint, which attacked the council’s chair and the heads of the legislative and judicial branches of the government. The Expediency Council [...]

Trial of six of the recently converted Christian citizens by the names of Mehdi Forutan known as Peter, Parviz Khalaj, Iman Farzad Manesh, Behrouz Sadegh Khanjani, Mohammad Baliad known as William, and Ms Nazli Makarian will be held at the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz on Saturday February 5, 2011. Their charges [...]

Iranian film community called on the judiciary to withdraw the sentence handed to prominent Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panahi, . At the opening ceremony of the 29th Iranian Fajr Festival of Film, veteran filmmaker, Massoud Kimiayi urged the judiciary to reconsider Panahi’s sentence. Kimiayi, who was receiving a lifetime achievement award at the the festival, said: [...]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says it was “illegal” for parliament to impeach his minister of transportation, Hamid Behbahani, and he will soon reveal the details to the people. “Usually during Fajr celebrations [the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution] even government critics refrain from criticism and thank those who are at the service of the people day [...]

The wave of executions continue in Iran. According to a report by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 97 executions have been carried out in one month alone (December 20, 2010 – January 19, 2011), throughout various cities in Iran. Additionally, scores of other citizens are awaiting execution. The accelerated rate of executions [...]

Dutch Foreign Minster, Uri Rosenthal assured his parliament today that he will pursue every channel to investigate allegations of torture in the case of Zahra Bahrami. Rosenthal added that he will do all he can to have Bahrami’s remains returned to her family in the Netherlands. The Dutch government has already frozen all contact with [...]