Iran's Nuke Response "Not Serious"
July 26 -- U.S. Ambassador to the IAEA Gregory Schulte tells Radio Farda: "We want a deal to be made, but we still need a clear indication that Iran's leadership wants a deal... Undersecretary Burns went to this meeting to hear the response from [Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed] Jalili; unfortunately, the response we received was not a serious one." Schulte added, "All we need to know for these negotiations to start is whether Iran is ready to first freeze and then suspend its uranium enrichment activities" [article in Persian].
Khatami Warned Against Presidential Bid
July 30 -- According to political analyst Rasul Nafeesi, "Khatami has not made a final decision in regard [to running for president] and the opposite camp, by expressing all kinds of opinions, wants to make Khatami decide against [being a candidate] because Khatami is known to be a very sensitive person and he has a great deal of self-respect and wouldn't put his reputation at risk" [article in English].
29 Convicts Executed in Prison
July 29 -- Lawyer Naser Zarafshan says the average age of the executed convicts is under 30, "meaning that they belong to a generation that is the outcome of the Islamic Republic regime, brought up under its rule and laws." Zarafshan adds, "If one does a thorough investigation, we can see not only that crime has not been eradicated, but has increased and developed into a totally new form, which is unprecedented" [article in Persian].
Police Raid Memorial Gathering for Poet
July 25 -- A member of Iran's Writers Association says police and security forces surrounded the cemetery where mourners had gathered to remember prominent Iranian contemporary poet Ahmad Shamlou, demanding to see authorization for the meeting. "Nowhere in the world is a permit needed to hold a memorial gathering in a cemetery... This was just a memorial for Ahmad Shamlou, but talking about Shamlou necessitates talking about freedom; and this makes some upset" [article in Persian].
Activist Barred from Leaving Iran
July 30 -- Lawyer Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah says a government decision to bar Alumni Association spokesman Abdollah Momeni from leaving Iran, without a fair trial, is a clear violation of the fundamental and inherent rights of man. Momeni planned to participate in the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum in Malaysia [article in Persian].
Law Permitting Polygamy Debated
July 26 -- Paris-based women's issues analyst Shahla Shafigh, lawyer Giti Fazel in Tehran and London-based cleric Abbas Mohajerani discuss a draft law recently approved in the first reading by an Iranian parliamentary committee that would allow men to take a second wife [article in Persian].