· January, 2012

Stories about Iran from January, 2012

Iran: Official launch of Cyber Police

  31 January 2012

Iran police has announced [fa] the official launch of Iran cyber police in Tehran, Iran capital. The deputy commander of this cyber police says that 40 percent of cyber crimes take place in Tehran.

Iran: Police controls a Facebook group, arrests its administrators

  30 January 2012

A Facebook group called “Daaf and Paaf” (means hot persons) fell under control of Iran's cyber police. Iran's cyber police announced [fa] on the group's Facebook's wall that “the administrators of this group have confessed to promoting banality”. This group had an online competition for choosing hot Iranian men and...

Iran: Asylum seeker committed suicide

  30 January 2012

Several bloggers reported [fa] that Mohammad Rahsepar committed suicide in a refugee camp in Germany. The blogger says that “rich Iranians, politicians in exile,…should help these asylum seekers who live in terrible camps.”

Iran: Military applause for death penalty

  29 January 2012

The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Revolutionary Guards) has appreciated [fa] the death penalty for Saeed Malekpour, a web developer accused of running porn websites. The “center against organized crimes” at this army announced there are some other cases for porn website administrators in near future.

Iran: ‘Hostages in Syria are not military’

  28 January 2012

Free Syrian Army says it has taken hostage seven Iranians, five of whom were allegedly soldiers complicit in the Syrian government's crackdown on protesters. But an Iranian in Friendfeed writes [fa]: “They show a card as a document to show that this people were affiliated with military but that card...

Iran: ‘The pain of sanctions’

  25 January 2012

European Union has adopted an oil embargo against Iran. Faren Taghizadeh, a presenter at BBC Persian TV posted [fa] in Facebook: This is one of the adversities of being a journalist that you should talk about the pain of your people in details with a smile on your lips. But...

Iran: Barbie dolls under attack

  22 January 2012

Iranian police close down shops selling Barbie dolls in Tehran. Sabzgosh says” Iranian police has banned selling Barbies dolls.For Iran's police Barbie dolls are considered as an instrument in the Western soft war against Islamic Republic.”

Iran:Political prisoners in a cold jail

  22 January 2012

While Tehran is experiencing snow and severe cold weather, there are serious concerns over prisoners’ safety in the major prison, Evin. Saeid Pourheydar, former prisoner, writes [fa]: “The only heating system in solitary confinement cells at [Theran's prion] Evin's ward 240 is a warm water pipe. Now the prison has...

Iran:Press TV loses UK licence

  22 January 2012

Press TV, the Iranian state-run English-language TV, lost the license in UK due to what Ofcom says “breaching the Communications Act”. Maziar Nazemi, a presenter at Iran state-run TV believes [fa]: “It is obvious that every media is fulfilling the goals of its sponsors. So Ofcom's decision is a political...

Iran: Women activist shot dead in Texas

  18 January 2012

A Texas Medical Center student and Iranian women activist was shot dead on Monday in Houston. Gelareh Bagherzadeh was driving her car when she was shot.  Authorities said it is unknown what prompted the shooting. Iranians users are showing concerns over this murder in Balatarin, an Iranian link-sharing website.

Iran: Iranian site is striking against censorship in U.S.A

  18 January 2012

Amsterdam based Iranian Arseh Sevom site is striking against SOPA and PIPA which seek to deploy online censorship and surveillance in the name of enforcing copyright, employing the same tools used by authoritarian regimes. Arseh Sevom promotes civil society in Iran.

Iran: Golshifteh Farahani posed nude for Le Figaro

  18 January 2012

Madame Le Figaro published a nude photo of Golshifteh Farahani, Iranian actress based in Paris, and there has been a huge interest and reactions to this quite rare photo on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. In a few hours the photo received more than thousands of comments and likes...

Iran: More web activists got arrested

  18 January 2012

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says [fa] Iran has arrested two web activists last week; Mohammad SoleimaniNia, who “hosts and manages websites of many Iranian civil society communities and intellectuals and manager of Persian literature website sokhan.com”, and Simin Nematollahi “Majzooban.org, the website of Iranian Gonabadi dervishes”.

Iran: Second blogger arrested in Tehran

  18 January 2012

Iranian authorities arrested Marzieh Rasouli, journalist and blogger, last night in Tehran. She writes stories and narrations of her daily life in ‘3 Rouz Pish’ [fa]. This is the second arrest of a blogger in a couple of days in Tehran. Parastoo Dokouhaki, blogger and journalist, was arrested on Sunday.

Iran: Gender based books for schools

  17 January 2012

Iranian authorities announced that school books to be changed and written based on gender. Azar Todnar says gender discrimination becomes institutionalized in Iran.

Iran: Another Blogger in Jail

  17 January 2012

According to confirmed reports from Tehran, Parastoo Dokouhaki, Iranian blogger and journalist, is arrested by authorities. Parastoo is a women activist as well. She writes in her blog  “Zan-Nevesht” and in its English version “The Remains of the Day“.