#Iran — I’m Sorry, So Sorry, #Rouhani Apologizes on State TV
February 10, 2014
#Iran: Abuse in Soccer Schools, Feminists Speak Out, Economy and Sanctions
March 10, 2014
Arseh Sevom–Wow, is Iran ever in the news. Nuclear negotiations, prisoners of rights, fertility treatments, and sanctions relief all feature this week. What we didn’t include could fill an entire newspaper. Arseh Sevom congratulates physicist Omid Kokabee on the award of the Andrei Sakharov Prize from the American Physical Society and calls for his immediate and unconditional release from prison. We are watching other developments with interest.
By Peyman Majidzadeh with contributions from Arseh Sevom staff
On February 10, 2014 the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran announced that the efforts of human rights and Internet freedom activists resulted in changes to the sanctions on certain Internet services and equipment for personal use of Iranians [en]. As a result, Iranians can now purchase personal technology products or services made or offered in the US. The lobby AIPAC changed its direction announcing it will not press for new sanctions against Iran [en]. Meanwhile a report shows that Israeli arms dealers tried to evade sanctions on Iran to sell it spare parts for its military aircraft, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif laid out his country’s conditions for recognition of the state of Israel [en]. Zarif said in an interview:
“Once the Palestinian problem is solved the condition for an Iranian recognition of Israel will be possible.”
Iran is attempting to make business interactions with France [en]. French automakers lost 11,000 jobs when sanctions forced them to pull out of Iran. It has been a while since Iranian officials have admitted to the country’s economic problems. If the two countries can overcome international concerns, the possible deal could help Iran recover from its economic illness.
It was last week that the International Monetary Fund published its report on Iran’s economy [en]. The evaluation states that years of government mismanagement together with the pressure resulting from international sanctions left scars on the nation’s economy that will be hard to overcome in the short run. In this bad economic situation, Iran’s only choice is to reshape its international business contacts and recover its blocked money. Iran is expecting an influx of oil money from South Korea [fa] starting in March 2014. South Korea will be the second country to pay Iran’s oil money after Japan.
Another scene for Iran’s maneuvering is the new round of nuclear talks [en]. Iran and the world’s six major powers had agreed that the talks, aimed at reaching a comprehensive deal, would begin on February 18 in Vienna amid tempered expectations. Just before the talks, Tehran reaffirmed its call for the United Nations nuclear watchdog to present records used to accuse the country [en] of trying to build a nuclear weapon. What threatens the talks is that the parties will lock themselves into entrenched and widely divergent positions that will make it more difficult and time-consuming later to reach an agreement. Maybe the best way forward is for both sides [en] is to “own up to past mistakes and make amends.” Let’s hope they can generate enough goodwill to reach to a comprehensive and more effective agreement.
The new round of nuclear talks began as the Islamic republic of Iran celebrated its 35th birthday [en]. Former president Mohammad Khatami and President Hassan Rouhani asked people to participate in the ceremony: a request only a few reformists embraced. The 35th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution was a good opportunity for analysts to review Iran’s post-revolution history. This link [en] provides you with some meaningful numbers on Iran’s revolution.
Civil society, on the other hand, is making its positive moves while Iran is engaged in interactions with the international community. The campaign Unlock Iran [en] has been launched to raise awareness about prisoners of rights in Iran. In an early morning “pop-up demonstration,” photos of prisoners of conscience were displayed in front of the UN building in New York.
One of the prisoners featured in the campaign, Omid Kokabee, is a physicist studying for his second PhD in Texas who was arrested during a visit to family in Iran. A petition calling for his release is available here. Kokabee is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2014 Andrei Sakharov Prize “for his courage in refusing to use his physics knowledge to work on projects that he deemed harmful to humanity, in the face of extreme physical and psychological pressure.”
In another significant move, Iranians participated in the One Billion Rising [en] global campaign to end violence against women. The campaign asked participants in different countries to gather on 14 February 2014, and collectively dance to support justice for women. Public dancing is prohibited in Iran, however Iranian participants sent their videos to the campaign’s Facebook page to prove one more time that nothing can stop them from demanding their rights.
Iran’s domestic scene also marked birth of a new reformist newspaper, Aseman Daily [fa], this week. A team of well-experienced and skilled journalists have come together to feed hungry minds with some portion of the information they so desperately seek. After a while of being a weekly journal, Aseman is now facing a new level of challenges as a daily.
Iran has transformed itself into the fertility treatment capital of the Muslim Middle East [en], with more than 70 fertility clinics throughout the country. It attracts people from all over the region.
Iran cannot keep information doors closed to its people while being one of the most populated countries in the region. More births means more youth in the near future. And more youth means a higher need for information and education. In such a situation, let’s wait and see what the new government has in mind with the controversial project of National Internet [en]. Does it intend to limit people’s access to the free flow of information? Is it able to do so in the first place? No one can ever underestimate the power of people, especially when it comes to the needs of the youth.
It seems the news about Iran has no end. Here are some suggested links regarding the review just provided. Feel free to explore!
Mann: Iran-G5+1 talks held in good atmosphere [en]
Iran says may send forces into Pakistan territory for abducted border guards [en]
Supreme Leader says N-talks would lead nowhere but he would not oppose [en]
Iranian bank sues U.K. for $4 billion over business lost to sanctions [en]
Iran names 8 banks for transferring frozen assets [en]
70 MPs seek to question Zarif over Holocaust remarks [en]
U.S. congressmen back diplomacy with Iran [en]
Iran’s forgotten prisoners, by Mansour Osanlou [en]
