Heard In Iran: Iranian Blogger Dies in Prison
March 19, 2009
Iranian Blogger Dies in Prison March 18 -- A well-known Iranian blogger sent to Tehran's infamous Evin prison last month for allegedly insulting Iran's religious leaders and agitating against the government has died under questionable circumstances. [more in English or Persian]
Khatami Drops Out of Presidential Race March 18 -- Iran's former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, who was seen as having a good chance of ousting incumbent Mahmud Ahmadinejad, has officially withdrawn his candidacy for the country's June 12 election [more in English or Persian]. Khatami said he would throw his support behind fellow reformist and former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Musavi, but a Tehran-based journalist told Radio Farda that Iranian youth who supported Khatami are unlikely to vote for Musavi. [listen in Persian]
The Case For and Against Musavi March 15 -- Journalists, academics and analysts in Tehran, Toronto and Paris discuss Mir Hossein Musavi's candidacy on Radio Farda's weekly roundtable, "Viewpoints." [more in Persian]
Doctor Who Treats Jailed Political Prisoners Thrown in Jail March 15 -- Dr Hessam Firouzi, a physician who treated noted political prisoners such as student activist Ahmad Batebi has himself been sent to prison. The regime accuses him of "hiding fugitive prisoners." [more in Persian]
Human Rights Lawyer Barred from Leaving Iran March 16 -- Naser Zarafshan, who represented relatives of Iranian intellectuals murdered in 1998, told Radio Farda that he was barred from leaving the country. Zarafshan's passport was confiscated when he was leaving Tehran for Brussels to attend a forum on environmental issues. [more in Persian]
Seven Baha'i Leaders Still in Jail March 13 -- A lawyer for seven prominent leaders of the Baha'i religious community says his clients have been in prison for more than a year and no formal charges have been filed. [listen in Persian]