Eye on Iran: US Won’t Ease Oil Sanctions at Iran Nuclear Talks

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Bloomberg: ”Negotiators headed to Baghdad for a second round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program won’t be giving Iran the relief it is seeking from oil and financial sanctions hobbling its economy, according to Obama administration officials and Western diplomats. Instead, the U.S. and the five other major powers that will hold talks tomorrow with Iran in the Iraqi capital have agreed on confidence-building measures they may offer in response to Iranian concessions, said several U.S. officials and Western diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue… At the [May 17 House Foreign Affairs Committee] hearing, Mark Wallace, president of United Against Nuclear Iran, a New York-based advocacy group, said Congress should send a strong message to the administration by passing stronger sanctions on Iranian banking, insurance, disclosure and shipping. Wallace urged lawmakers to make sanctions more ‘airtight’ and said the administration can be more aggressive about enforcing an economic blockade on Iran and pressing EU allies ‘to not walk back those very important steps that they’ve taken.’” http://t.uani.com/Lcw75f

Fox News: ”Intent on weakening Iran economically, the Senate on Monday approved tough new penalties on the Tehran regime to thwart its nuclear ambitions. By voice vote, the Senate backed the measure ahead of talks between leading nations and Iran in Baghdad on Wednesday. The bill would target Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, require companies that trade on the U.S. stock exchange to disclose any Iran-related business to the Securities and Exchange Commission and would expand penalties for energy and uranium mining joint ventures with Tehran. The bill also would deny visas and freeze assets on individuals and companies that supply Iran with technology that could be used to crack down on its citizens, such as tear gas, rubber bullets and surveillance equipment. Both the Obama administration and the international community have imposed tough sanctions on Iran over its nuclear development program, which Iran maintains is for peaceful purposes only.”http://t.uani.com/Lycpqm

LGBT Republic of Iran: An Online Reality?

In our research work at Small Media, we cover misrepresented
or underrepresented aspects of media in Iran. We feel that the
study of the media sphere in Iran has been overly politicised,
and has covered visible aspects at the expense of invisible ones.
We believe that the study of suppressed minority communities
and their usage of the internet is one such neglected topics. We
are interested in finding out how different minorities use the
internet to maintain their identity despite repression, making
the internet far more than just a tool for ‘activism’.

We will not stop at research. In fact, we consider the research
to be the first and vital step towards informing our practical
work in the areas of training and technology. This study inspired
us to develop and implement an online LGBT dictionary and
a series of informative radio programmes for LGBT Iranians.
We hope that this report will encourage others to come up
with projects that will benefit the LGBT community in Iran, and
we are happy to help as much as we can.

Complete study

How to Engage Iran in Baghdad: Toward a Win-Win Strategy

by ANGIE AHMADI

Emphasize potential rewards rather than further punishments.

Angie Ahmadi is an associate at the National Iranian American Council.

The recent nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.N. Security Council members plus Germany (the P5+1) in Istanbul sparked optimism that the decade-long dispute could be resolved. Positive anticipation of the next round of talks in Baghdad has been amplified by Tehran’s softened rhetoric. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi recently stated that Iran will work to improve relations with the West. Even more significantly, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s special adviser on international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, described the Istanbul meeting as a step forward: “We hope the following steps will be positive and the West’s positioning will not mutate.” These remarks indicate a degree of support from Khamenei. But how should Iran’s seeming appetite for compromise be utilized by the West to build what E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called “a sustained process of dialogue”?Parsing Iran’s recent behavior can help create a successful framework for negotiations in Baghdad. More than sanctions, Iran’s domestic political developments may offer a better explanation of Tehran’s posture. Iran’s political landscape has shifted in ways that could provide Khamenei with greater decision-making latitude, and factors often identified as impediments to engagement — factional rivalries within the ruling system and anti-Americanism as a fundamental element of the regime’s identity — may carry less weight than in the past. With an emasculated opposition and a curtailed President Ahmadinejad, Khamenei faces less political pressure at home, thereby removing some obstacles to compromise. Although it is widely believed that a deal with Khamenei is unlikely given his negative perception of the West and risk-averse personality, historical precedent suggests the contrary. Khamenei has been constitutionally authorized to block any foreign policy initiative, but he allowed attempts by former presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami to negotiate with the West. Hence, it may be more accurate to say that Khamenei is unlikely to support a deal unless he perceives it as fair and not undermining his own authority.

FAZ: IAEA: Einigung mit Iran über Untersuchung von Atomanlagen

Nach Auskunft des IAEA-Chefs Yukiya Amano haben sich Iran und die Internationale Atomenergie-Organisation auf eine Untersuchung des iranischen Atomprogramms geeinigt. Kleinere Meinungsverschiedenheiten müssten aber noch geklärt werden.

© AFPAmano spricht nach seiner Rückkehr aus Teheran am Wiener Flughafen mit Journalisten

Die Internationale Atomenergie-Organisation (IAEA) und Iran haben sich auf eine Untersuchung des umstrittenen Atomprogramms geeinigt. Eine entsprechende Vereinbarung solle bald unterzeichnet werden, sagte IAEA-Chef Yukiya Amano nach seiner Rückkehr aus Teheran am Dienstag in Wien. Einige kleinere Meinungsverschiedenheiten müssten noch geklärt werden.

Amano sagte, Teil der Vereinbarung sei auch der Zugang zu der militärischen Forschungsanlage in Parchin nahe Teheran. Der Westen verdächtigt Iran, dort Tests mit Atomsprengköpfen zu simulieren. In dem Abkommen sollen die Bedingungen festgehalten werden, unter denen Iran der IAEA Zugang zu Dokumenten, Experten und Anlagen gewährt. Amano sagte: „Es bestehen noch einige Unterschiede, aber Herr Dschalili erklärte, diese werden kein Hindernis sein, um eine Einigung zu erzielen.“ Details nannte der IAEA-Chef nicht.

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NYT: U.N. Nuclear Monitor Strikes Deal with Iran, Reports Say

TEHRAN — The leader of the United Nations nuclear monitoring arm was reported on Tuesday to have said he expects to sign a cooperation deal with Iran “quite soon” after conferring with senior Iranian officials during an unusual one-day trip to Tehran.

The announcement by Yukiya Amano, the director general of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency, came as he returned to Vienna from Tehran ahead of negotiations scheduled for Wednesday betweenIran and the world powers over Iran’s disputed uranium enrichment.

Reuters reported that Mr. Amano said a “decision was made to conclude and sign the agreement.” While some details remained to be worked out, he added: “I can say it will be signed quite soon.”

Neither the Iranians nor the United Nations monitor, the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, offered details on the substance of the visit to Tehran on Monday, his first to Iran since his appointment in 2009. Al Alam, Iran’s Arabic-language channel, quoted Mr. Amano as saying his meetings had been “very useful,” but did not elaborate.

Mr. Amano’s trip here, announced unexpectedly on Friday, was part of what diplomats in Vienna called an effort centered on persuading Iran to allow inspections of a site the agency suspects has been used for secret tests for triggering mechanisms that could be used in a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials have ridiculed those suspicions and contended that the site, called Parchin, was sufficiently inspected by the agency in 2005.

The visit precedes a second round of talks between Iran and six world powers, scheduled to start on Wednesday in Baghdad. At that meeting, negotiators will try to reach agreement on the framework of the beginning of a compromise in which Iran would stop enriching uranium to 20 percent purity — a level considered a short technical step away from weapons grade. In exchange, Western powers would allow the Islamic republic to produce its own fuel at a much lower rate of purity not usable for nuclear weapons.

Whether such a compromise can be achieved remains unclear. Israel, which considers Iran a threat to its existence and has threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear installations, has urged negotiators for the world powers to reject any deal that would permit Iran to enrich any uranium. Although there have been some subtle signs from Israel that it may be more flexible, its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ceded no ground on Monday.

Mr. Amano met with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, who is scheduled to fly to Baghdad for the talks with the world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. The semiofficial Fars News Agency said Mr. Jalili had complained that the United Nations agency had been “leaking” information to Iran’s enemies, suggesting that such information had led to the assassination of five of Iran’s nuclear scientists from 2010 to November.

On Monday morning, morning Mr. Amano met with the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Fereydoon Abbasi, who survived an assassination attempt in 2010. Both men “explicitly” discussed the current problems between Iran and the agency, the Fars report said, adding the Iranian side had offered suggestions. No further details were given.

Hussein Shariatmadari, an influential adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, contended in remarks published Sunday that the purpose of Mr. Amano’s sudden trip had been to frustrate Iran’s negotiators by canceling a strategic meeting that was to have taken place in Vienna on Monday. Those negotiators had been scheduled to receive long-awaited documents from the agency suggesting that the country had tested nuclear triggers in a blast chamber at Parchin. Iranian officials say they need the documents to prepare for the meeting on Wednesday with the world powers.

“This is the ‘proof’ the West always uses against us, but which they are afraid to show us,” Mr. Shariatmadari, editor in chief of the state newspaper Kayhan, wrote in a column. “Now they can continue to pressure us with their claims during the Baghdad talks.”

But other Iranian officials said Mr. Amano’s visit was commendable.

“Visiting Tehran, for the first time, helps Mr. Amano to get a realistic impression of our nuclear activities,” said Hamid Reza Taraghi, a political analyst close to Iran’s highest leaders. “We need to continue this positive atmosphere in Baghdad.”

In Israel, Mr. Netanyahu went out of his way to restate his hawkish position.

“The objectives of Iran are clear: It wants to destroy Israel and is developing nuclear weapons to realize that goal,” Mr. Netanyahu said. The big powers “need to put before Iran clear and unequivocal demands: Iran must end all enrichment of nuclear material, Iran must remove from its territory all material that has been enriched up until now, and Iran must dismantle the underground nuclear facility in Qum.”

The prime minister’s remarks came on a day that Haaretz, the left-leaning Israeli daily newspaper, published a front-page article suggesting that his administration “may be more flexible about Iranian low-level uranium enrichment than it is currently willing to let on.” The article referred to a written statement by the defense minister, Ehud Barak, saying that enrichment up to 3.5 percent could be acceptable, and said Mr. Barak had shared this view with American officials.

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Welt: US-Senat gibt grünes Licht für neue Iran-Sanktionen

Washington – Zwei Tage vor Beginn der Gespräche der fünf UN-Vetomächte und Deutschlands (5+1) mit dem Iran über dessen umstrittenes Atomprogramm hat der US-Senat grünes Licht für eine weitere Verschärfung der Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen das Land gegeben.

Unter anderem richten sie sich gegen die einflussreichen iranischen Revolutionsgarden und ihre Rolle bei den Ölexporten. Der Beschluss wurde am Montag (Ortszeit) in Washington einstimmig gefasst.

«Heute hat der Senat dem Iran in klares Zeichen gesendet, während er sich auf die 5+1-Gespräche in Bagdad vorbereitet», sagte der Co-Autor der Vorlage, der demokratische Senator Robert Menendez. Teheran müsse bei den Gesprächen einen überprüfbaren Plan zur vollständigen Offenlegung seiner Atomwaffenpläne vorlegen. «Ansonsten wird Washington die wirtschaftliche Schlinge weiter zuziehen», sagte der Senator aus Florida.

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Russia warns against military attack on Iran

Sergey Ryabkov

Russia says some Western countries are still considering military action against Iran in response to its nuclear disputes.

Speaking to reporters on his return from the G8 summit at Camp David, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov said G8 leaders have signalled that they are ready to tap into emergency oil stockpiles this summer in order to increase pressure on Iran, which he says reveals that some states are considering a military option against Iran.

Ryabkov said: “It is one of many various signals coming from various sources that the military option is considered as realistic and possible. We are receiving signals, both through public and intelligence channels, that this option is now being reviewed in some capitals as more applicable in this situation”.

He added: “We are very worried about this. We do not want the region and the world to fall into… new divisions and bitter political arguments.”

The West is concerned that Iran is using its nuclear energy program as a front to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges and says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Russia has supported UN resolutions against Iran but has slammed unilateral sanctions by the United States and European countries. Russia has also steadily maintained that any military intervention in Iran would be disastrous, and the nuclear disputes must be settled through diplomatic means.

Ryabkov also indicated that Russia has prepared a set of proposals to be presented at the meeting between the G5+1 and the Iranian delegation on May 23 in Baghdad. He said the proposals include steps for Iran to gain international trust as well as incentives to secure its cooperation.

He added that any follow-up talks should be scheduled quickly to maintain the momentum of the negotiations.

Source: Radio Zahmaneh

Iranian political prisoner dies in jail

Mansour Radpour

An Iranian political prisoner at Rejai Shahr Prison in Karaj has died in jail, and a preliminary examination points to a cerebral hemorrhage as the cause of death.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that Mansour Radpour died Monday at 8 AM, and his face, neck and feet appeared darkened.

According to HRANA, Radpour suffered from a myriad of health conditions such as high blood pressure as well as heart and kidney problems, but prison authorities refused him adequate treatment.

HRANA also reports that Radpour had suffered from nausea on several occasions, but the prison infirmary had refrained from hospitalizing him.

Radpour made several requests for visitation rights with his son, which often authorities declined.

Radpour, a 41-year-old resident of Karaj, was arrested five years ago and charged with having sympathy for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, a dissident political group.

HRANA claims that Radpour was badly tortured in prison and was refused medical care.

He was sentenced to three years in jail for “activities against national security through collaboration with the PMOI”. After that time was served, he was handed another five-year prison sentence.

Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iranian economist to serve out prison sentence

Fariborz Rais Dana

Iranian economist Fariborz Rais Dana was arrested today in Tehran to serve out a one-year sentence.

The Workers’ Rights Defenders website reports that Rais Dana was arrested and transferred to Evin Prison. He sentence relates to a media interview in which he criticized the government’s plans for restructuring subsidies.

In an interview with Persian BBC, only a few hours after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced his subsidy plans on Iranian state television, Rasi Dana accused the Ahmadinejad administration of “illusion therapy” and emphasized that the government’s actions would wreak havoc on the economy.

His statement led to his immediate arrest in December of 2010, and he was released after a month on bail.

The Middle East Economic Association spoke out against his arrest, calling for his immediate release.

Later, Rais Dana was sentenced to one year in prison for a series of charges including “membership in the Writer’s Association, preparing seditious announcements against the regime, giving interviews to BBC and VOA, and accusing the Islamic Republic of abusing prisoners and holding show trials.”

Source: RadioZahmaneh

A Book Fair with Vast Crowds and Some Official Moral Panic

by ALI CHENAR

Six million reported visitors, several banned publishers, and one scandalized minister.

[ culture ] Tehranis just said goodbye, till next year, to one of the city’s most popular cultural events — the Tehran International Book Fair. Domestic and international publishers gathered together at the fair’s 25th annual edition to offer their latest. Professionals, students, and academicians went from booth to booth looking for textbooks, while educated book lovers searched for the latest novels and essay collections. The majority, however, came primarily to socialize, to meet new people, and to have a good time.The pious always complain of the immortalities that take place during these book fairs: the mingling of boys and girls, the titles that are not as Islamic as they should be, and the publishers who are suspected of liberalism. In recent years, the fair has been held on the grounds of Tehran’s municipal mosalla (prayer compound) — ironic, perhaps, but then the University of Tehran often plays host to the capital’s official Friday Prayers. Wherever it takes place, the event brings a breath of fresh air to a city where the atmosphere is as polluted as politics. Many have not missed it for a decade or even more, among them Mahmoud, a 42-year-old government employee. He has been coming to the fair since he was 22.

Quotes on Round 2 of Iran Nuke Talks

The following is a collection of comments from senior officials in Iran, the United States, Israel, the Group of Eight Industrialized Nations, and Russia about the diplomatic initiatives to resolve disputes over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. The world’s six major powers—the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia—are set to hold round two on May 23 in Baghdad.

 

IRAN

 

Chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, May 18

“Some are saying that the time for negotiations is running out. However, I tell them, ‘What is running out is the policy of exerting pressure. Those who assume that they can exert pressure on the people or hinder Iran’s progress through sanctions must be aware that they are playing on our field… In addition, the people are standing firm on their rights and will not relinquish an iota of them.”

Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi, May 20

“Iran has never limited its talks with the 5+1 to nuclear issues. Therefore, Iran’s package of proposals includes a number of important issues, including terrorism, campaign against drugs, and energy.”

Parliamentary Declaration, May 21

“The P5+1 should respect the rights of the Iranian nation. And they should ignore the Zionists’ pressures and move to change their policy of confrontation to co-operation under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

NATO: Missile Defense Shield for Europe is Up and Running

Source: VOA

NATO says its U.S.-led missile defense shield for Europe is up and running.

Ballistic Missile Defense

UN Nuclear Chief Seeks Weapons Probe Deal In Tehran

Source: RFE/RL

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency has held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran about clearing the way for an international probe into whether Iran has conducted secret nuclear-weapons research.

Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani (left) during meeting with IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano (center)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Yukiya Amano was reported to have met with the head of Iran’s nuclear-energy organization, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, during talks on May 21.

Amano was also expected to meet with chief nuclear negotiator Said Jalili and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Talented Iranian Students To Receive Special Marriage Gift

Source: Mehr News Agency

The vice-president for scientific and technological affairs announced on Thursday a two-fold increase in marital gift to highly talented students.

Photos: Mass Wedding at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran

Rostam 2 Series by Siamak Filizadeh at LCMA

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) 
Ahmanson Building, Level 4
June 2, 2012-December 3, 2012
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Organized by LACMA through Aaran Gallery in Tehran; co-sponsored by Farhang Foundation

Dyeing Workshop in Arak

The last traditional dying workshop in Arak, Iran will be closing soon after the retirement of its remaining workers. This is due to lack of support for handwoven Sarouk Persian rugs which is one of the highest quality handwoven carpets in the world.

The Stepped Village of Ashtabin

The stepped village of Ashtabin is located near the town of Jolfa, by the Aras river, in Iran’sEast Azerbaijan province. This village, which goes back to Safavi era, was registered in Iran’s national heritage list in May 2000.

Ahmadinejad should ‘open nightclubs’: Iran MP jibes

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves after casting his ballot for the parliamentary election run-off at a polling station in Tehran on May 4, 2012. The vote is seen as unlikely to change the political direction of the predominantly conservative chamber, though it could help lay the ground for 2013 presidential elections. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE

A hardline Iranian MP on Saturday took a jibe at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for failing to support an Islamic dress code for women, suggesting the president should now move to open “nightclubs” in the Islamic republic.

Fars news agency quoted MP Ali Motahari as saying that the president’s alleged lax views on the Islamic dress code had allowed women, directly and indirectly, to dress in a way promoting “sexual provocation.”

“The situation of the (Islamic) veil is tragic… thanks to the apparent and hidden encouragement by the president,” Fars quoted Motahari as saying.

Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie have promoted a situation in which girls now “wear (in public) pants, and coats that don’t cover the knees,” he said.

“They have actually allowed sexual provocation… and now, they should think of opening nightclubs and cabarets,” he added sarcastically in reference to Ahmadinejad and Mashaie.

Ahmadinejad, who has on occasion spoken against the use of police to enforce the Islamic dress code, is seen as too liberal by Iran’s hardline regime. And Mashaie is accused of having a negative influence on his boss.

Iran’s so-called morality police have launched a large crackdwon in recent days on women deemed to ensure that women wear the mandatory headscarf and not clad in “un-Islamic” attire.

The crackdown is part of an annual campaign before the sweltering heat of summer, when women try to shed some of their mandatory attire.

The operations see police screening foot and vehicle traffic at major junctions and shopping centres, and lead to fines or arrests.

Source: D Star

Operation “Dog Walkers” and “Hijab Violating Women”

On Saturday night, the police in Tehran went after the dog walkers and the women drivers with improper hijab. Owning dogs in Iran is frowned upon, and walking the dogs in the streets is forbidden. Also, women are expected to adhere to hijab rules. They are required to cover their hair and refrain from wearing heavy makeup. They are also expected to wear loose pants and manteaus to cover their skin without showing the body’s curvature.

These rules are mostly ignored by the population and they aren’t striclty enforced by the police either. But occasaionally, especially during summer times, the police and morality squads go into high gear and step up the enforcement.

Roundup of Today’s International News 21/05/12

IRAN – IAEA, P5+1 TALKS

Lift sanctions, Iran tells West before nuke talks
Iran on Saturday said sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme should be lifted in talks with world powers next week in Baghdad, but maintained the punitive measures would not compel it to abandon its atomic “rights.”

IAEA chief in Iran to urge more cooperation
“There has been good progress during the recent rounds of discussions between Iran and IAEA. So I thought that now is the right time … to visit Iran and have direct talks with high officials of Iran,” UN nuclear watchdog chief, Yukiya Amano added. But he added: “This visit is very short, and I’m not an inspector”.

IAEA To Press Iranians On Site Visits Before Iraq Meeting
“Iran will not sign a deal with the IAEA until it can be used as one of its chips in the Baghdad meeting,” Fitzpatrick said. “The IAEA report will be a punctuation mark painting the increasingly dire picture of Iran’s program.”

For Iran ‘Breakthrough,’ Coalition Cannot Break Down
Far from a breakthrough, what we can expect from the nuclear talks in that case is a long, slow and frustrating process.

Eye on Iran: South Korea Poised to Halt Iran Oil Imports from July

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Reuters: ”South Korea will effectively become the first of Iran’s major Asian customers to halt oil purchases from July 1, when a European Union insurance ban will prevent further imports. South Korea’s largest oil refiner SK Energy will stop Iranian oil imports after the ban takes effect, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. Last month, industry sources said the only other South Korean refinery that buys Iranian crude, Hyundai Oil Bank, would stop imports from June. Iran exports most of its 2.2 million barrels of crude per day to Asia, home to its four biggest buyers China, India, Japan and South Korea… ‘SK Energy won’t lift Iranian crude oil after lifting a 2 million barrel cargo in early June,’ one of the two sources said. ‘SK Energy will not import Iranian oil for July arrival.’ SK Energy had agreed to import 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude this year under a long-term supply deal, while Hyundai Oilbank had agreed to import 70,000 bpd. Both refiners have declined to comment on their plans.”http://t.uani.com/Llyp1s

AP: ”Opposition to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is widespread around the world, including in neighboring countries Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, and support for tough economic sanctions is high, according to poll released Friday. Support for military intervention to prevent Iran from going nuclear is more divided, the Pew Global Attitudes survey of 21 nations found. Among the countries polled, support was highest in the United States at 63 percent and lowest in Russia at 24 percent, while at least 50 percent of the people surveyed in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic favored military action… The Pew poll found that Iran’s actions in recent years have damaged its standing in the neighboring Sunni-majority countries of Egypt and Jordan, where favorability ratings are low, support for military intervention reached 50 percent and approval of strengthening economic sanctions is high.”http://t.uani.com/K3BdCC 

Iran News Round Up (May 21)

Politics Political analyst Sadeq Zibakalam: “In case,… Mr. Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf enters the [presidential] electoral arena, I believe that the reformists should swallow their pride and sentiments… All reformists should join in supporting Mr. Qalibaf. This means that Mr. Aref officially asks the reformist voters to vote for Mr. Qalibaf… Mr. Aref would be an ideal president for the reformists, but the fundamental question is this: Would Mohammad-Reza Aref be able to take steps towards reform? What steps could Mr. Qalibaf take in the direction of realizing reformist agenda…? We should have no doubt that Mr. Qalibaf would be stronger…” Diplomacy Asr-e Iran describes Saudi Arabia as “the enemy of Iran,” and predicts a gloomy future for relations between the two countries. Iran-Azerbaijan relations: Trend News Agency reports anti-Iran demonstrations in Baku. Combatant Clergy Association slams the Republic of Azerbaijan for hosting the Eurovision. Ayatollah Kazem Sediqi, temporary Tehran Friday prayer leader, criticizes Azerbaijan for hosting the Eurovision and for “allowing a parade for the homosexuals.” Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, Tabriz Friday prayer leader: “The government of Azerbaijan should know that by staging a homosexuals’ parade in the city of Baku, the anger and hatred of the Muslims of the world would be uncontrollable.” Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda, Mashhad Friday prayer leader: “This is theconspiracy of Israel in a Shi’a country…” The Tehran Friday prayer ends with a rally protesting the Saudi-Bahrain union plan.

Military and Security Fars News, quoting Al-Menar, writes that Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad Mohammadi, representative of the Supreme Leader to the Awqaf and Charities Organization, during a visit to Lebanon, meets with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Ghazanfar Roknabadi, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Beirut, was also present at the meeting. Parliamentarian Ali Mottahari: “The Revolutionary Guards intervened in many constituencies [during the parliamentary election] in order to seriously support candidates backed by this force…” Ramezan Sharif, Revolutionary Guards Public Relations commander,dismisses Mottahari’s accusations: “Those making such claims should document their allegations… It is clear that the Guards preserves itself the right to legally pursue those who claim the Guards has intervened in elections…” According to Basij Commander Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, the Basij has established “rapid reaction forces of the Basij.“

Nuclear Issue The Justice Seeking Student Movement in a statement commenting on the announcednegotiations with the 5+1 Group stresses that “there is no excuse for joining the arrogant [powers] at the negotiation table…” The statement continues: “Have we forgotten that the United States and the great powers of the East and West think of nothing but their arrogant interests? Do we think that their enmity towards Islamic logic has come to an end? Do we think that the arrogant [powers] of the world have abandoned their arrogant nature? And do we hope to achieve victory for the Iranian nation and the sympathy of the world at these negotiations? Have we forgotten that whenever we have negotiated with the bullying powers of the world, in the end we returned from those negotiations with shame…?” “The world conditions are in our favor right now… Stopping the nuclear program in order to get rid of some of the sanctions and other such vague promises is not acceptable… Economic conditions and problems should not be used as excuses to retreat… It has been proven that whenever Iran has taken steps to reduce the pressure by adjusting its foreign policy towards negotiations with the arrogant [powers]… they have seen this as a sign of our weakness… Therefore, any agreement imposing restrictions upon the right of the country for nuclear progress is unacceptable… Our red line is return to the Tehran declaration… the additional protocol is our red line…” [E] Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi expressed the hope that the Wednesday talks in Baghdad between Iran and the six world powers would entail good results as it was the case in the April 14 talks in Istanbul. [E] Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano, in a meeting with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoun Abbasi in Tehran on Monday, underlined eagerness of the UN nuclear watchdog to further develop cooperation with Iran in various areas of nuclear applications.

Trade and Economy [E] India’s Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limits (MRPL) received the first cargo of Iranian crude oil insured by an Iranian company. [E] Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi downplayed the effects of sanctions on the country’s progress in the oil and gas industries, and said Iran has managed to set a record in building refineries in recent years.

Iran in the Afghan Media Afghanistan’s deputy foreign minister told the upper house of parliament that the spy agencies of Iran and Pakistan had ordered certain armed groups to destabilize Afghanistan through assassinating government officials: “After overt reactions in the media, Iran will increase intelligence activities to spread propaganda and equip armed groups across the country, in partnership with the ISI, Haqqani terrorist network, Lashkar-e Taiba, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.”

Süddeutsche: BAMF lehnt lesbische Asylbewerberin aus dem Iran ab

Von Katja Auer

Eine junge Frau flüchtete aus Iran, weil sie lesbisch ist. In ihrer Heimat ist ihr Leben in Gefahr. Doch in Deutschland wird ihr Antrag auf Asyl abgelehnt. Sie habe die Gefährdung ihrer Person nicht glaubhaft machen können.

Das Foto zeigt die Probleme nicht. Zwei lachende junge Frauen sind darauf zu sehen, fröhlich, lebenslustig. Die eine ist Samira Ghorbani Danesh, die andere ihre Freundin. Mehr als das, ihre Partnerin. Drei Jahre waren die beiden ein Paar. Wie es ihr heute geht, weiß Samira nicht. Ihr ist nur das Foto geblieben. Als sie ihre Freundin zuletzt gesehen hat, sei diese von den Bassidj, der iranischen Religionspolizei, mitgenommen und ins Gefängnis gesperrt worden. Wie die anderen, mit denen Samira und ihre Freundin eine Party gefeiert hatten.

In Teheran war das, vor anderthalb Jahren. Alkohol sei dort getrunken worden, geraucht, Musik gehört, sagt sie. Dinge, die in Iran zumindest problematisch sind. Aber vor allem war es eine Party von lesbischen und schwulen jungen Menschen. Homosexualität darf in Iran nicht ausgelebt werden. Wer es dennoch tut, der kann dafür sogar umgebracht werden. Als die Bassidj kamen, habe sie sich bei einem Nachbarn verstecken können, erzählt Samira. Danach habe sie ins Ausland fliehen müssen. Sie kam nach Deutschland und lebt heute in einem Frauenhaus in Franken.