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Eight people who held discussions and criticized Islam and religion in an internet social network were sentenced to 54 years of prison altogether.

These eight people were mostly arrested between July and February 2011 for being active in a social network and criticizing and studying the conventional arguments and reasons in religious views.After the Intelligence Agency arrested these people, they were tortured and forced to make confessions on state-run TV. They were kept in solitary cells for a long time and [intelligence agents] tried to link them to European embassies and countries despite the fact that they had only discussed religious issues on the internet.Most of these people were treated violently and were mentally and physically tortured for a prolonged amount of time.From these detainees, Dr. Kamran Ayazi, a dentist from Shiraz, was sentenced to 9 years of prison on charges of enmity with God and received the longest prison term.Dr. Ladan Mostavafi [f] was sentenced to five years of prison, Hanieh Sane [f], was sentenced to seven years of prison, Hojatollah Nikouyi, five years of prison, Mohammad-Reza Pounaki, six years of prison, Mohammad-Reza Akhlaqi, seven years of prison, Sepehr Ibrahimi, eight years of prison and Amir Latifi was sentenced to seven years of prison.These eight men and women were charged with ‘insulting sanctities and insulting the leader’.

Persian2English – There has been no word on Hanieh (a.k.a. Sharareh) Farshi Shotorban since regime security agents arrested her in Tabriz in July 2010. According to reliable sources, the young Iranian woman was arrested for her membership in Facebook and online activities. Previously, it was reported that her charges include: “Insulting what is sacred” and “Having contacts with a foreign entity”. She is currently held in the notorious Evin prison. Hanieh has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Today is Hanieh’s birthday. She turns 30 years old. A close source has reported the following afer speaking to Hanieh’s mother:

Although [Hanieh's] mother is from Tabriz [the Azari language is predominant in this city] and I understand her language, and despite all her efforts to explain her daughter’s supposed crimes to me, I still don’t understand why this young woman has been sentenced to seven years behind bars. Of course, Hanieh tries to make the best of her situation in prison…Hanieh’s mother is forced to travel 650 kilometers alone to visit her daughter for just a few minutes from behind a cabin window. [However,] they have made an exception for [Hanieh's birthday]. They have allowed [Hanieh's] mother face-to-face visitation today. I hope that [Hanieh's mom] will finally be able to share the birthday cake she has been carefully carrying for two days with her beloved daughter. The women’s ward will be celebrating tonight!

According to the latest report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, with 43 journalists behind bars, Iran currently ranks as the worst country in the world with the most imprisoned journalists. The latest arrests occur as conditions worsen for journalists behind bars in Rajai Shahr and Evin prisons. And, the pressures on their families and loved ones has also increased. Imprisoned journalists in Iran face severe restrictions without the ability to take advantage of furlough.

January 18, 2012: Three more Iranian journalists have been arrested in the past 24 hours. Their names are: Saham[aldin] Bourghani, Parastoo Dokouhaki, and Marzieh Rasouli.

Journalist Fatemeh Kheradmand has been arrested

January 18, 2012: According to a phone conversation that Masoud Lavasani had with his wife yesterday morning, Fatemeh Kheradmand is not doing well. Her husband has expressed worry regarding his wife’s situation in prison, especially because it seems that the jailed journalist is being deprived of the medication she requires. The reason for Kheradmand’s arrest remains unknown. Their 3-year-old son Matin is also very worried. According to Lavasani, Matin constantly asks about the condition of his dear mother. Lavasani hopes that his wife doesn’t suffer from a convulsion in prison.

Former MP calls for "active criticism"

A former Iranian MP has provoked a variety of reactions from the Iranian establishment by appearing on television to slam the political system’s lack of “active criticism” and to call for ways of questioning the Supreme Leader.

When Emad Afrough appeared on the National Iranian TV channel on Sunday, he criticized the lack of ways to challenge government policies and officials and to engage officials in critical dialogue.

Conservative MP Hamid Resai told Parliament on Tuesday that the National broadcaster had no business airing such statements.

While Resai’s indignation was echoed by several other MPs, Mostafa Kavakebian, a member of Parliament’s minority faction, spoke in support of the program, saying: “Mr. Afrough’s critics want to hear no other voice except their own.”

Afrough has said that his views were expressed in the framework of the “values and principles of the Islamic Revolution, the thoughts of the leader of the Revolution and the Supreme Leader,” adding that he is calling on Parliament for a response.

Crackdown on journalists continues

Peymon Pakmehr is the fourth journalist to be arrested by Islamic Republic authorities in the past few days in a new wave of cracking down on Iranian media activists.

Daneshjoo News reports that Ministry of Intelligence officers arrested Pakmehr two days ago in Tabriz. He has been charged with “propaganda against the regime” in Tabriz Revolutionary Court.

This is the fourth in a string of arrests that started with the detention of Parastoo Dokouhaki and Marzieh Rasouli earlier this week, and yesterday’s arrest of Sahameddin Bourghani, the editor in chief of the Iran Diplomacy website.

The crackdown appears to have been triggered by the approach of the March parliamentary election and the establishment’s fear of renewed protests around the election proceedings.

BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU nations Thursday agreed to sanction Iran’s central bank, freezing assets used to finance its nuclear drive, but have yet to clinch an oil embargo deal that could penalise debt-hit Greece.“The text was considered closed and agreed,” a diplomatic source said of the proposed financial sanctions, following talks between senior diplomats from the 27 European Union nations.
Diplomats have held lengthy meetings through the week in Brussels to agree an oil and financial embargo against Tehran that is to be formally adopted at talks between EU foreign ministers on Monday.
But Greek concerns held up a final deal on the oil embargo.
The freeze on assets held by Tehran’s central bank will be partial, “enabling legitimate trade to go ahead”, and ensure there are no obstacles to continued payment of outstanding Iranian debts to Europe, an EU diplomat said.
Germany notably expressed concern over the reimbursement of loans to Iran worth 2.6 billion euros should financial channels be closed.

TheStar-Hope is fading for Richmond Hill’s Saeed Malekpour, who has lost his final appeal against a death sentence in Iran.
“The branch of the Supreme Court responsible for (his) case announced to one of his lawyers that the court reached the decision to have the death sentence carried out,” says Maryam Nayeb Yazdi, a Toronto-based human rights activist.
“Saeed Malekpour is in imminent danger of execution.”
Malekpour, a 35-year-old permanent resident of Canada, was awaiting citizenship when he was arrested.“Canada condemns Iran’s reported decision to execute Mr. Malekpour,” said a statement issued Tuesday by Foreign Minister John Baird’s office.
“Sadly, his case is far from the only example of Iran’s utter disregard for human life. The regime in Tehran frequently ignores principles like due process for its citizens domestically, and international human rights obligations generally.”An engineer and web designer, Malekpour was visiting his gravely ill father in Tehran when he was arrested in 2008 and charged with “insulting and desecrating Islam.” He was accused of creating a site Iran claims was used to post “pornographic” images.Human rights monitors believe that Malekpour, one of a number of people held on Internet-related charges, is trapped by a convoluted justice system that is manipulated by rival factions in Iran.