Glad to see this Iranian filmmaker has been freed. Now for the other prisoners of conscience in Iran…

Iranian documentary filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb has been released from Evin Prison after three months in jail. ISNA reports that MirTahmasb, who was arrested on the charge of “collaborating with the Persian BBC network”, was released Saturday night on bail of $200,000.

Mojtaba Mirtahmasb hugs his son Yasna after he was released from jail

Eye on Iran: Iran-US Brinkmanship Over Oil Strait Worsens

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AFP: „A showdown between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers worsened with warships from each side giving weight to an increasingly bellicose exchange of words. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards rejected a warning that the US military would ’not tolerate‘ such a closure, saying they would act decisively ‚to protect our vital interests.‘ State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday that Iran had exhibited ‚irrational behavior‘ by threatening to close the strait. ‚One can only guess that the international sanctions are beginning to feel the pinch, and that the ratcheting up of pressure, particularly on their oil sector, is pinching in a way that is causing them to lash out.'“ http://t.uani.com/uMSFq5

AFP: „Two American warships have crossed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident despite Iranian threats to close the strategic oil route, the US Navy said Thursday. The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay ‚conducted a pre-planned, routine transit through the Strait of Hormuz‘ on Tuesday, said Fifth Fleet spokeswoman Lieutenant Rebecca Rebarich. The US military reported no friction with Iran’s naval forces after Iranian leaders warned of possibly shutting down the vital strait if the West went ahead with more punitive sanctions over its suspect nuclear program. ‚Our interaction with the regular Iranian Navy continues to be within the standards of maritime practice, well-known, routine and professional,‘ Rebarich said in an email from Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.“ http://t.uani.com/t8tPZj 

Arseh Sevom Annual Report, 2010

Dear Readers:

The primary goal of Arseh Sevom is to promote a vibrant civil society in Iran and related communities. All activities we take on are in service to this. Vibrant societies make room for voices from the margins as well as the center.

The name Arseh Sevom is Persian for third sphere and refers to the sphere of activities represented by civil society. The organization was formed to address the needs of civil society actors. In the wake of the flawed 2009 presidential elections in Iran, many civil society actors have found themselves facing severe pressure. This includes limitations on travel, new sanctions against associations, harassment and arrests, and unfounded charges against organizations and individuals. Revolutionary courts and the notion of national security are used to circumvent the rule of law. In 2010, we released the report, Attack on Civil Society in Iran, documenting many of the abuses.