Monthly Archives: October 2011

Iran Rejects Report of U.N. Rights Rapporteur

Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Credit:UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Credit:UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20, 2011 (IPS) – The U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Iran defended his new critical report on the country Thursday after it was attacked by Iranian officials, who continue to insist he will not be allowed to visit the country.

Ahmad Shaheed told reporters at a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York that he is sure of the complete accuracy of the contents of his interim report, released last weekend, and will issue a more comprehensive report in the months to come.

The 23-page report criticised the Iranian judiciary for the treatment of two opposition leaders, Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, who have been under house arrest for the past seven months. Continue reading Iran Rejects Report of U.N. Rights Rapporteur

Did Ahmadinejad Steal Billions?

“Ahmadinejad will not tolerate an impeachment and will move to disrupt the environment,” Khazali said. “He will leak certain information, publication of which could create tension in the society. [Iranian] authorities should not be concerned, however; as the sooner this cancerous tumor is removed, the better.”
“Ahmadinejad will not tolerate an impeachment and will move to disrupt the environment,” Khazali said. “He will leak certain information, publication of which could create tension in the society."
The Daily Beast- An outspoken critic of the Iranian government—and son of a conservative cleric—has accused Ahmadinejad of being linked to a banking scandal.

The Iranian president is taking heat.

Speaking in an interview with Voice of America, Mehdi Khazali, the son of a high-ranking conservative cleric in Iran, recently accused Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of being directly involved in a $2.6 billion banking scam in Iran. Over the past few weeks, the scandal that has taken place inside the Iranian banking system (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed the latest governor of Iran’s central bank) has turned into a tug of war among Iranian political factions. Some even believe that the scandal could push the controversial Iranian president out of office. Continue reading Did Ahmadinejad Steal Billions?