US journalist Roxana Saberi was released from prison after an Iranian court of appeals reduced her eight-year term for espionage to two years and then suspended the sentence.
A May Day rally in Tehran, organized by independent Iranian labor organizations, was attacked by security and intelligence forces, with many beaten and arrested. Arrests are also reported in Sanandaj.
Pope Benedict’s decision to send a delegation to Durban II has opened a new rift with Jewish groups. Rome rabbi Riccardo Di Segni called it the Vatican’s “latest imprudent step.”
Facing international criticism, Iran’s judiciary ordered fair appellate proceedings for a US journalist convicted this week of espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison.
The Revolutionary Court of Iran convicted US journalist Roxana Saberi of espionage, sentencing her to eight years in prison, in a trial closed to the public.
A spokesperson for the Iranian Judiciary announced that imprisoned US journalist Roxana Saberi has been tried on espionage charges. The proceedings were closed to the public.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, on a visit to Iran as the G20 summit opens in London, denounced capitalism and announced the founding of a joint Iranian-Venezuelan binational bank.
Israel may attack Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear bomb, Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in the Middle East, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Obama’s video message to the people of Iran on the Persian new year Nowruz has the neocons crying “appeasement.” But days earlier, Obama renewed sanctions on Iran for another year.
Several trade unionists have been arrested by the intelligence police in Iran, as part of the government’s effort to impose the Islamic Labor Council to undermine independent unions.
Judicial authorities in Iran carried out lashing sentences against labor leaders Shiva Kheirabadi and Sosuan Razani for their participation in May Day events last year, while several more unionists were arrested.
Human rights activists in Iran say the US “regime change” campaign has prompted Tehran to turn up the heat on internal dissent—and makes it easier to tar activists as American agents.
