Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Iran

Iranian Authorities Release Christian Couple

PRAGUE, October 6, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A Christian couple whose fate was unclear after their detention in northeastern Iran on September 26 has been released from police custody, family members told RFE/RL.

Detained Christian Couple's Family Seeks Answers

TEXT SIZE - +

October 05, 2006

Fereshteh Dibaj and her husband, Reza Montazami, ran an independent Christian church in Mashhad prior to their arrest.

Relatives said Dibaj and Montazami, who have a young daughter, were freed today on bail.

The reason for the arrests remains unclear.

Iranian authorities have arrested several Christian converts in recent months before releasing them on bail. The authorities have not made the charges clear in all of those cases.

Plainclothes security agents arrested 28-year-old Dibaj and 35-year-old Montazemi at their home, and confiscated the couple's computer, Christian publications, and other belongings. After rebuffs by police and hours of inquiry, family members learned that the couple was being held at the Information Ministry.

RFE/RL Iran Report

SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on Iran by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Iran Report."

Many Iranians have been claiming that their access to social networks and Internet-based e-mail sites has been blocked in recent days.

Iran Tightens Internet Control

Iranians are reporting that their access to Facebook and Internet-based e-mail sites like Gmail has been blocked, without any explanation from the government. Not even the strongest antifiltering programs have penetrated the firewall, they say. Some speculate the move is related to Iran's plan to launch a national internet, which might sever Iranians' ability to access the World Wide Web. More

Web-savvy Iranian oppositionists are renowned for their ability to use proxies and other means to circumvent Tehran

Explainer: Iran's National Internet

Reports that Iran has stepped up its Internet censorship in recent days -- as evidenced by a general slowdown of the web, Internet blackouts, and the blocking of sites such as Google -- has raised speculation that the country might be testing its controversial "national Internet." More

A cardboard Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran to mark the 33rd anniversary of his triumphant return to Iran following the Islamic Revolution.

Iran's 'Cardboard Khomeini' Faces Criticism, Condemnation

Iran's "Cardboard Khomeini" is fueling a firestorm of criticism in the Middle Eastern country after cutouts of the Islamic republic's founder appeared at a number of events, and photos mocking the mock-up went viral. More