“All Options” on Iran Must Include Diplomacy
For the first time since the May 2010 “Tehran Declaration,” Iran has offered a proposal that could break the deadlock over its nuclear program. While there are many unanswered questions about the contours of the proposal and about Iran’s motivations for offering it, there is only one way to answer those questions: renewed diplomacy. According […]
Akbar Ganji: “The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look” (Part 2 of 2)
On June 15, 2011, Akbar Ganji published an article,”The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look,” on BBC Persian, examining the economy of Iran and the effects of the international sanctions on it. NIAC’s Ali Tayebi and Sahar Fahimi have translated this article from Ganji’s original pen, Persian, to English. This is the second half […]
Akbar Ganji: “The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look”
On June 15, 2011, Akbar Ganji published an article,”The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look,” on BBC Persian, examining the economy of Iran and the effects of the international sanctions on it. NIAC’s Ali Tayebi and Sahar Fahimi have translated this article from Ganji’s original pen, Persian, to English. “The Worst Scenario for […]
Haleh Sahabi killed at father’s funeral
Haleh Sahabi, a human rights activist and women rights champion, died today in a scuffle that broke out with Iranian government security forces at her father’s funeral, Reuters reported. Haleh was arrested for participating in protests following the 2009 election, and temporary released to attend the ceremony. Her father, Ezzatollah Sahabi (1930-2011) was a politician […]
NIAC Applauds Senate Call for Human Rights Monitor
NIAC applauds Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and 23 other Senators who today called for the Obama Administration to work with the international community to establish an independent U.N. human rights monitor on Iran when the U.N. Human Rights Council convenes this March. The action taken by the Senators in support of greater international scrutiny of […]
Crackdown Underway with Mass Jailings and Threats against Opposition Leaders
In the wake of yesterday’s massive protests, a major crackdown appears to be underway. Radio Zameneh is reporting 1,500 people were arrested in yesterday’s demonstrations and transferred to Evin Prison. Officials are reportedly refusing to inform families about the status of their loved ones, and “special guards” even attacked and dispersed family members who gathered […]
Execution of Dutch-Iranian Woman Demonstrates Need for Greater International Pressure on Rights
On Saturday, Iranian-born Dutch citizen Sahra Bahrami was executed purportedly on charges of drug smuggling. Bahrami was first detained in December 2009 for “security crimes,” but her family believes that she was executed for her involvement in the 2009 Ashura protests while visiting family members in Iran. In violation of Iranian law, Bahrami’s own Iranian […]
UN Resolution on Human Rights in Iran is Same Old Story
Don’t be fooled by the media’s coverage of the new draft resolution on Iran’s human rights situation that advanced yesterday. While headlines suggested that the US and the international community were doing something serious on Iran, this resolution is not much different than the Iran resolution adopted by the UN last year. In fact, the […]
In the Struggle for Human Rights, Every Victory Brings More Work
There has been some welcome news on the Iranian human rights front in recent days. First, Iranian authorities released human rights activist Nazar Ahari yesterday from the infamous Evin Prison, and photos of her outside the prison have made their way onto the internet. Additionally, earlier in the week Iranian officials officially suspended the execution […]
Who is reporting on the report?
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear facilities and capabilities as part of its quarterly report onthe Iranian nuclear program, eliciting an immediate outcry from news outlets, with several calling the new report clear evidence that tough sanctions and even military action might be necessary to prevent Iran from “going […]
Obama’s Pursuit of Sanctions Came at Expense of Human Rights
When the United States’ efforts to pass new Iran sanctions finally came to fruition just days before the June 12 anniversary of Iran’s dubious presidential elections, some observers concluded that the new sanctions must have been a result of the Iranian government’s atrocious human rights violations. The Obama Administration encouraged this impression, even though the […]
Iran Rejects UN Accountability for Baha’i Treatment
The Baha’i International Community expressed its deep disappointment with Iran’s refusal to adopt recommendations made by the UN during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Iran’s Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani, brazenly rejected a number of the council’s key human rights concerns and accused the Baha’i International Community of […]