Civil Society Watch

December 26, 2010
December 26, 2010
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Iranian-Kurdish Law Student’s Execution Stayed

The execution of Habibollah Latifi has been stayed. His sister reports that many demonstrators showed up to protest the execution, "Security forces have threatened the demonstrators [and told them] to disperse, but [this]was not accepted by the people until they were told about the suspension of the sentence by a Sanandaj prison official." The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports on a meeting between Latifi's lawyers and the judiciary.
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December 26, 2010
December 26, 2010
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Rising Prices Hurt in Iran

The Washington Post reports on the economic situation in Iran. Many complain of restrictions that prevent them from raising their own fees to address the effects of rising prices resulting from the end of subsidies.
"I never heard the government give money to the people. My dad and granddad also never saw such a thing," said the driver of a dilapidated orange Mack truck. "When they give away money like this, it means we are in trouble. The fuel price rises are only the beginning, I fear."
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December 25, 2010
December 25, 2010
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Interview with Sister of Habibolah Latifi

Masih Alinejad's interview with the sister of Iranian-Kurdish prisoner of conscience, Habibolah Latifi can be read over at EA WorldView. His sister reports, "My parents are elderly and I don’t dare give them the news regarding my brother’s execution, therefore they are still unaware of the news. I myself am not in a good situation either, but I have pursued his case until now, and will continue doing so."Habibolah Latifi is one of many Iranian-Kurds accused of capital crimes. Last May, four were executed, despite evidence that they were innocent. Amnesty International and United4Iran have letter-writing campaigns to protest the planned execution.
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December 23, 2010
December 23, 2010
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High Prices Start to Hurt

...In a continuing pattern of restrictions on independent civil society, union truckers are told that they cannot raise prices for their customers or they will find themselves booted out of the union. The LA Times reports:
"We were told by written notification that if we stop transporting cement at the same price our union membership cards will be nullified," 56-year-old Bahman, who owns two cement trucks, told The Times. "That means that non-members of the truckers union can replace us and we lose our stable monthly income."
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December 9, 2010
December 9, 2010
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Call for Articles and Posts: “Networks, Networking, and Change: Traditional, Social, Digital.”

Arseh Sevom's Call for Articles and Posts: "Networks, Networking, and Change: Traditional, Social, Digital." DUE: FEBRUARY 25.Universities, churches and mosques, cafes, squats and upstart art spaces have all been incubators for social movements. Can virtual meeting places join those physical meeting places as breeding places for social change? Have they already?There is so much to learn about how networks function and work together, which is why Arseh Sevom has chosen the topic: "Networks, Networking, and Change: Traditional, Social, Digital,” for its first online magazine.
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December 7, 2010
December 7, 2010
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Punishing Students for Their Opinions

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has released a report detailing abuses against students for dissenting viewpoints. Many high achieving students have been expelled from Iran's universities. “Excluding students from universities based on their political and religious views is a totalitarian practice that ruins careers and removes reform-oriented young people from future professional cohorts,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the Campaign’s spokesperson.
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December 1, 2010
December 1, 2010
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Getting to Know a Student Activist: “Freedom is not Free”

United4Iran recently published an interview with the roommate of student activist, Majid Tavakoli, who is currently imprisoned in Iran. Here is what his friend had to say about the speech Majid gave in December of 2009 that led to his arrest:
I, and other close friends, tried to convince him to revise his decision but he was persistent. He reasoned that if we retreat [from] our basic rights, in holding peaceful protests inside campuses, we [would] have to retreat [from] the worst level of dictatorship. He was reasoning that as a prominent student leader, his speech would give the courage to other students to stand for their rights. He used to say: “Freedom is not free.”
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November 30, 2010
November 30, 2010
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Legalizing the Murder of Civil Society

Legalizing the Murder of Civil Society reports on a bill that would completely change the legal procedures for registering and operating civil society organizations. Arseh Sevom released a paper analyzing the impact of the proposed law.
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