Iran Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Iran

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  • Hamid Dabashi on Iran Protests: "This is Not Another Revolution. This is a Civil Rights Movement"

    In Iran, supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi have called for another protest in Tehran today in defiance of the government ban. At least nineteen demonstrators have been killed in the ten days since the election of June 12th. The government continues to detain journalists and activists and has set up a special court for demonstrators. We speak with Columbia University Professor Hamid Dabashi. He writes, "I see the moment we...
    Jun 24, 2009 | Story

  • Deep Packet Inspection: Telecoms Aided Iran Government to Censor Internet, Technology Widely Used in US

    As thousands in Iran turn to the web to make their voices heard around the world, a new report finds telecoms in Europe have helped the Iranian government develop one of the world’s most sophisticated mechanisms to censor the internet. It’s called deep packet inspection, and it’s also being used here at home. We speak with Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press. [includes rush transcript]
    Jun 23, 2009 | Story

  • After a Day of Deadly Protests, Iran's Guardian Council Admits Voting Irregularities Took Place in Presidential Election

    Iran’s powerful Guardian Council has admitted that voting irregularities took place in at least fifty cities and that the number of votes cast exceeded the number of voters by a difference of as many as three million ballots. This comes as reformist presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi has called for another round of big street protests after a brutal crackdown this weekend. We speak to Iranian American independent filmmaker and journalist...
    Jun 22, 2009 | Story

  • As Part of Crackdown on Journalists, Iranian Security Forces Detain and Beat Canadian Journalist

    In his first public remarks after days of demonstrations, Ayatollah Khamenei denied any possibility that last week’s vote had been rigged and defended President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as the rightful winner of the election. At the same time, the Iranian government continues to arrest journalists, prominent reformists and associates of the opposition candidates, including twenty-six-year-old Mohammadreza Jalaeipour, the top strategist for presidential...
    Jun 19, 2009 | Story

  • Protests Continue in Iran; Government Cracks Down on Foreign Media

    Thousands of Iranians took to the streets Tuesday as reformist politicians, including defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, rejected the Guardian Council’s offer of a limited recount of the disputed votes in Friday’s election. Both critics and supporters of President Ahmadinejad staged competing rallies in Tehran Tuesday, while Iranian security forces arrested at least three prominent reformists, including former Vice...
    Jun 17, 2009 | Story

  • Hundreds of Thousands Protest in Tehran Accusing Ahmadinejad of Stealing Election; Guardian Council Orders Partial Recount

    In Iran, protests against Friday’s election results continue for the fourth day, and the powerful Guardian Council says it is ready to hold a recount of disputed votes. The announcement follows a mass rally Monday in Tehran of several hundred thousand people who defied an official ban on a public rally to protest the election results. Iranian state radio reports that seven people were killed at the rally. [includes rush transcript]
    Jun 16, 2009 | Story

  • Iran in Turmoil After Disputed Presidential Election; Anti-Ahmadinejad Street Protests Continue

    Iran remains in a state of turmoil after Friday’s much-anticipated elections ended in a result strongly disputed by opposition candidates and many thousands of their supporters. Today, Iranian officials refused to allow the leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters to hold a major rally protesting the re-election of President Ahmadinejad. Demonstrators began calling for the election to be canceled after the Interior...
    Jun 15, 2009 | Story

  • Iranians Flood to Polls in Pivotal Presidential Election

    Iran goes to the polls today following an acrimonious election campaign that has polarized the country between the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and three opposition candidates. A record turnout is expected for this presidential election, and the enormous mobilization generated by some of the candidates has been described as unseen since the early days of the Iranian revolution. We speak with Trita Parsi, founder and president of the...
    Jun 12, 2009 | Story

  • Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi Joins Defense Team of Jailed Iranian American Journalist Roxana Saberi

    We speak to Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi about the jailed Iranian American reporter Roxana Saberi, whom she represents. Ebadi also shares her thoughts on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s upcoming elections, US-Iran relations, and more. [includes rush transcript]
    Apr 30, 2009 | Story

  • Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi on Threats to Iranian Rights, from Within and Abroad

    Nobel Peace Prize-winning Iranian human rights advocate Shirin Ebadi is on a short visit to the United States speaking out against both American and Israeli military threats to Iran, as well as the growing domestic repression of activists inside Iran. In recent weeks, Ebadi herself as been the target of right-wing attacks in her country. We speak to her about how she is dealing with the climate of repression in her country, her visit to the United...
    Feb 04, 2009 | Story