======== I R A N D E M O C R A C Y W A T C H A Periodical Newsletter by Democracy Network of Iran Democracy Network of Iran is an internet-based network of individuals with focus on social, economic and political development in Iran, advocating creation of truly democratic processes in political and social realms. For more information, you can look at our web site: http://www.algonet.se/~farhad/dni/index.htm or send an email to dni@glue.umd.edu ******************************************************************** Issue 5 Friday June 14, 1996 ******************************************************************** In this Issue: * Arafat Meets Maryam Rajavi * Iran Increases Defense Spending by 30.7% * More Executioins and Stonings in Iran * Fraudulent Activities in a Clergy-Run Firm * AI's Appeal for Ahmad Bakhtari * Three Charged for Spying for CIA * Azarbaijan Governor Attacked by Rev. Guard Commander * Nategh Nouri on Iranian cinema * US House Passes Bill on Iran Sanctions * Jannati on "Islamicizing" the Universities _______________________________ Source: UPI Date: June 6. 1996 LONDON, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met this week in London with an Iranian opposition figure who expressed support for the Middle East peace process, the dissident group said Thursday. Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran met Arafat Tuesday and ``discussed issues of common concern and exchanged views on regional and international development,'' the group's London office said in a statement. _______________________________ Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 Subject: Defense spending at $ 3.31 Billion Source: Reuter TEHRAN, Iran, According to Reuter, "Iran has earmarked more than $14 million to counter U.S. ``plots'' against it and raised its yearly defense budget by 30 percent, Tehran radio said Thursday." According to Vice-President Hamid Mirzadeh, ``25 billion rials ($14.3 million) has been earmarked to counter America's plots...[and] the defensive budget has been increased by 30 percent to reinforce defensive potential'' in the Iranian year which started on March 20. According to the defense minister, Iran's defense budget was expected to be increased by 30.7 percent to $3.31 billion, _______________________________ Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 16:02:57 +0800 Subject: Stoning in IRI Source: Reuter TEHRAN, Iran- Reuter reports that "Two Iranian lovers were stoned to death for adultery and murder and three others were hanged in public for kidnapping and murder, newspapers said Sunday." In a separate case, three main members of a criminal gang dubbed ``Scorpion'' were hanged in public in the northeastern city of Mashhad Sunday, Kayhan newspaper said. It said gang members had kidnapped and killed five women after stealing their jewelry during 1989-90. ________________________________ Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 Subject: Fraud in a clergy led firm Source: Reuter TEHRAN Reuter reports "Kayhan newspaper quoted Gholamhossein Mohseni, prosecutor of a special clergy court, as saying the court ordered the arrest of the nine employees of Yavar-e Momenin (Helper of the Faithful) company for receiving deposits from customers without having the financial means to produce apartments as promised. Gholamreza Foroughi, a 23-year-old Shia Islamic theology student who was the firm's general manager, was among those held, Mohseni said." __________________________________ Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 Subject: Appeal for Ahmad Bakhtari EXTERNAL AI Index: MDE 13/19/96 10 June 1996 Further information on UA 138/95 (MDE 13/05/96, 15 June 1995) and follow-up (MDE 13/05/96, 2 February 1996) - Death penalty IRAN Ahmed Bakhtari, aged 41, agricultural engineer Amnesty International is dismayed at reports that Ahmed Bakhtari may be at risk of imminent execution. Although his death sentence had been confirmed by the Supreme Court, his case was referred to the Pardon Committee. In response to appeals from the Urgent Action Network after the previous update (MDE 13/05/96), the authorities stated the following about the case: "... since Mr Bakhtari appealed for clemency, the case has been sent to the Pardon Committee. Thus, the case is being dealt with in accordance with the legal procedures, and it does not mean that a retrial is being held." According to information received by the organization, Ahmed Bakhtari was visited in prison by an officer from the Ministry of Justice, who informed him that the Pardon Committee had decided that the death sentence should be carried out. _________________________________ Date: Tue, 11 Jun 96 09:01:13 -0700 Subject: Spying for CIA Source: Reuter TEHRAN, June 11 - Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested three people for ``military espionage'' for the CIA. Tehran radio quoted the head of the armed forces judicial department, Ali Yunesi, as saying the three unidentified people would stand trial on charges which also included ``passing military information at time of war to the American spying organisation CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).'' The country's elected parliament last month passed a law imposing the death sentence for espionage, singling out agents working for the United States and Israel. ___________________________________ [Sobh Weekly 5/28] Azerbaijan Governor attacked by Rev. Guards General The local commander of the Rev. Guards for West Azerbaijan province has sharply attacked Mr. Ali Abdolali-Zadeh, the Governor-General for the province, accusing him of "liberalism" and anti-revolutionary tendencies. Rev. Guards General Ra'oufi denounced the Governor-General for his criticism of Ansar-e Hezbollah. "With the things I have seen as the result of your policies in this part of the country, our relations with you are broken entirely, and we feel free to do whatever we decide," General Ra'oufi told a gathering of Tabriz Hezbollahis and war veterans. Ra'oufi accused the Governor-General of "organizing public exhibitions with music and dance, and staging love story plays." He also criticized Abdolali-Zadeh for "wiping the names of martyrs from the streets and replacing them with other names." In an address one week earlier, Abdolali-Zadeh had called for the end of Hezbollahi violence and accused them of "club-wielding" methods. "We can't fight liberals or capitalists by silencing speakers, closing down newspapers, setting fire to book shops, attacking theaters, creating tumults and clubbing people. These methods will only damage social coherence. If we want to get rid of "liberals," the only way is to be more liberal and more democratic. In today's world, only technology and logical thinking counts," Mr. Abdolali-Zadeh said. _______________________________ June 13, 1996 Iran -cinema "A movie which promotes hopelessness has no value, no matter how many prizes it wins," said the conservative speaker of parliament, Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri. He charged that awards from western festivals were "politically motivated." Meanwhile, the Islamic culture authorities have issued a lengthy directive laying down strict rules for film-making in Iran. The new "code" bans "inappropriate close-ups of women," "any physical contact between men and women of no close family link," "the use of any words with sexual innuendoes," or "negative portrayal of the police and armed forces." The new regulations also reinforce the dress code for women actors and ban the use of make-up. Last year, some 200 film-makers and actors criticized government interference in the movie industry in Iran and called on the authorities to ease restrictions. _________________________________ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 Subject: U.S. House panel passes Iran-Libya sanctions bill Source: Reuter WASHINGTON - "A House committee Thursday approved a compromise bill strengthening U.S. sanctions against Iran and Libya but giving the president considerable latitude in carrying them out. The bill would target for sanctions persons investing at least $40 million in a single year to significantly advance the petroleum industries of Iran or Libya. The president would have to choose two from a list of six sanctions in the case of Iran, and may impose one in the case of Libya. " ___________________________________ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 Subject: Jannati on universities Source: Reuter TEHRAN, Jannati in the Friday Mass prayer: ``As long as impious elements are at universities as adminstrators or professors, any call to Islamicize universities has no exact meaning,'' ``So the first step should be to appoint pious people to administration and teaching posts,'' Jannati said the drive was needed because the universities had failed to educate committed Muslim professionals. ``I do not think anybody denies the fact that usually those who enter (universities) with beliefs and morals...have lost many of these...Islamic morals when they leave,'' Jannati said. _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ > _/ _/ > _/ Democracy Network of Iran (DNI) _/ > _/ P.O. 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