RSS Feed     Twitter     Facebook

Posts Tagged ‘Jon Leyne’

Iran poll critics shun ceremony

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is entering the week of his re-inauguration as Iran’s president amid allegations that election protesters were tortured.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is due to endorse him as winner of the 12 June vote in the next few hours, and he will be sworn in on Wednesday.

Election challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi accused the authorities of using torture to extract confessions.

About 100 reformists and activists were put on trial in Tehran on Saturday.

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD’S INAUGURAL WEEK

  • Monday: endorsed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
  • Wednesday: sworn in by parliament

Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Q&A: Election aftermath

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a meeting in July 2009

Both Mr Mousavi and former President Mohammad Khatami denounced the hearings which continued on Sunday. The charges include conspiracy, rioting and vandalism.

They were among thousands of Iranians who rejected the official declaration that Mr Ahmadinejad had won the election.

Televised confessions have been broadcast, in which a former vice-president, among others, thanked his interrogator for showing him the error of his ways, the BBC’s Jon Leyne reports.

It looks more like an attempt to intimidate the opposition, than to present credible evidence, our Tehran correspondent says.

Some commentators, however, believe the trials are more likely just to fire up the anger of opposition supporters.

It is not clear exactly what opposition demonstrations are planned this week but the real challenge for Mr Ahmadinejad after his swearing-in may be whether he can assemble a credible team of ministers that will be endorsed by parliament, our correspondent says.

‘Trumped-up trials’

Mr Mousavi accused the authorities of forcing the detainees to confess to the crimes.

KEY DEFENDANTS

  • Mohammad Ali Abtahi (left): former vice-president, member of the Assembly of Combatant Clerics
  • Mohsen Mirdamadi (centre): leader of the biggest reformist party, the Islamic Iran Participation Front
  • Behzad Nabavi (right): member of the central council of the Organisation of the Mujahideen of the Islamic Revolution, former industry minister and former vice speaker of parliament
  • Mohsen Aminzadeh: former deputy foreign minister, served under reformist president Mohammad Khatami, member of Islamic Iran Participation Front

From left: Mohammed Ali Abtahi, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Behzad Nabavi

"The teeth of the torturers and confession-extorters have reached to the bones of the people," he said.

"Witnessing such trumped-up trials, the only judgment that the conscience of humanity can make is the moral collapse and discredit of its directors."

Mohsen Rezai, the only conservative to have challenged Mr Ahmadinejad in the election, also criticised the trial, saying people who had attacked the protesters should also be put on trial.

Earlier Fars news agency reported that a group of Iranian MPs had filed a complaint against Mr Mousavi several weeks ago, calling for him to be put on trial for "directing recent riots".

Hardliner Mohammad Taghi Rahba said Mr Mousavi and Mr Khatami were the main culprits behind the unrest.

At Saturday’s trial, defendants in prison uniforms were seated flanked by guards. They included supporters of opposition leaders Mr Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and aides of Mr Khatami.

IRANIAN UNREST

  • 12 June Presidential election saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected with 63% of vote
  • Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi called for result to be annulled, alleging poll fraud
  • Mass street protests saw at least 30 people killed and foreign media restricted

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh, former government spokesman Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, former senior lawmaker Mohsen Mirdamadi and former Industry Minister Behzad Nabavi were among those on trial.

Foreign media, including the BBC, have been restricted in their coverage of Iran since the election protests turned into confrontations with the authorities in which at least 30 people were killed.

Opposition groups alleged widespread vote-rigging. Post-election protests saw the largest mass demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution, which brought about the current Islamic system of government.


Are you in Iran What is your reaction to Mohammad Khatami’s comments Send your comments and experiences using the form below.

<p


This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Iran police clash with mourners

Neda Agha-Soltan

Iranian opposition leaders have vowed to attend ceremonies to honour those killed in the violence following the country’s disputed election result.

Authorities have refused permission for a ceremony traditionally held 40 days after a person’s death.

Among those who died on 20 June was Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman whose death was filmed on a mobile phone.

The mother of Ms Agha Soltan – who became a symbol of Iran’s protests – is expected to take part in the memorial.

One of 10 protesters who died that day, 27-year-old Agha Soltan was shot to death as she watched protests from the sidelines of the demonstrations.

Graveside ceremony

When footage of her death was posted on a video-sharing website, she became a symbol for the country’s opposition movement.

The BBC’s Jon Leyne says that Shia Muslims traditionally mark 40 days after a death in a ceremony called the Arbayeen.

Bowing to pressure about the treatment of opposition detainees, some of whom are reported to have died in prison, Iranian authorities have announced that many are going to be released.

Twenty who are charged with more serious offences – including bombings and attacking security forces – are expected to be put on trial next week.

There has been growing outrage, even amongst government supporters, about the treatment of opposition detainees, some of whom have died in prison.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she deplored the way the Iranian government was treating those it had imprisoned after the violence and urged authorities to release political detainees.


Are you in Iran Will you be attending any ceremonies to honour those recently killed Send us your stories using the form below.

You can also send your videos and photos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Iran blocks opposition memorial

Recent protests in Tehran - 9 July

Iran’s Supreme Leader has ordered the closure of a detention centre where protesters against the recent election result are said to have been held.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei closed the centre at Kahrizak because it failed to "preserve the rights of detainees".

Thousands of people were detained for protesting against the result of the presidential election on 12 June.

The closure comes as Iran’s authorities face growing pressure over its treatment of detainees.

The leader of the judiciary has ordered a review of all cases of those held in prison since the election, and the parliament has set up a committee to investigate the issue.

It is not clear whether the detainees at the Kahrizak centre were released or transferred elsewhere.

There are also continuing reports of grim conditions inside Tehran’s main prison, Evin, which seems unable to cope with the large number of opposition supporters rounded up since the election, says the BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne.

In recent days the opposition has reported almost every day new deaths of protestors held in prison.

One of those who died was the 25-year-old son of a close aide to one of the opposition candidates, Mohsen Rezai.

The death of someone so close to the ruling circle has obviously shocked senior figures in Iran, our correspondent says. </p


This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Iran plane fire kills at least 17

A passenger plane has burst into flames on landing at an airport in northern Iran, killing 17 passengers, state media has reported.

The burning plane skidded off the runway of the airport in the city of Mashhad, said the IRNA news agency.

Provincial official Ghahraman Rashid said another 19 people had been injured in the incident and the remaining passengers were evacuated.

The crash comes 10 days after another Iranian plane crash killed 168 people.

Map

The Aria Airlines plane involved in Friday’s blaze had flown from Tehran to Mashhad with 153 people on board.

It was reported to be a Russian-built Ilyushin aircraft.

"All the dead and injured people and passengers have been evacuated and the fire has been completely controlled," said Mr Rashid.

Footage shown on Iran’s Press TV showed the aircraft surrounded by emergency vehicles with the cockpit almost entirely destroyed.

The cause of the crash is not yet known but state media quoted an airport official as saying there had been "a technical glitch".

Iran has a notoriously bad air safety record.

Sanctions imposed on the country by the US mean both public and private airlines rely on ageing fleets and have trouble sourcing replacement parts, says the BBC’s Jon Leyne.


Are you in the area Have you been affected by the crash Send us your comments using the form below.

You can also send us your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

<p


This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Call for Iran protesters’ release

Mir Hossein Mousavi speaks to supporters at a rally in Tehran on 15/6/09

Iran’s opposition leaders are making a public appearance at Friday prayers for the first time since the disputed vote.

This comes amid warnings from the intelligence minister against turning the occasion into a protest and or "stage for undesirable scenes".

Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated presidential candidate, is making his first official public appearance.

Former President Ali Akbar Rafsanjani also gives his first sermon since the post-election unrest.

Meanwhile, Iran has announced a new atomic chief following the resignation on Thursday of Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s former envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will take up the post, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government announced.

It is not immediately clear why Mr Aghazadeh, the long-serving head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, stood down from the job, but he is said to be close to Mr Mousavi.

‘Protecting rights’

Mir Hossein Mousavi said on his website on Wednesday that he would attend the Friday Prayers at Tehran University – a weekly event that is attended by thousands and broadcast live to the nation.

Iranian nuclear chief steps down

File photo of Gholam Reza Aghazadeh

His fellow pro-reform presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi is also expected to attend.

It is also the first time in two months since Mr Rafsanjani has led the prayers.

Mr Rafsanjani is a dominant force in Iranian politics and a rival of President Ahmadinejad.

Although he did not voice his opinion during the unrest that followed the election, members of his family – including his daughter Faezeh – openly supported Mr Mousavi.

This could be a key moment in the confrontation between President Ahmadinejad’s government and members of the opposition, BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says.

They are waiting to hear from Mr Rafsanjani, but no-one knows whether he will support the opposition or offer a compromise, our correspondent says.

Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi on Thursday urged the "wise Iranian people" to be "vigilant that the Friday prayers not be turned into a stage for undesirable scenes".

Violent street protests broke out in Iran amid accusations of fraud after President Ahmadinejad was re-elected in the 12 June election.

At least 20 people died and hundreds were arrested in the days that followed the poll.

The country’s most senior political figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, upheld Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s landslide victory and demanded an end to protest.

Despite this, Mr Mousavi has remained defiant – demanding a re-run of the vote and describing the new government as illegitimate.

Announcing his decision to attend Friday prayers, Mr Mousavi said on his website, "I feel obliged to respond to the call of companions on the path to protecting rights to a noble and free life". </p


This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Iran plane black boxes ‘damaged’

Damaged black boxes have been recovered from a Caspian Airlines plane that crashed in north Iran with the loss of all 168 people on board, say officials.

Investigators who scoured scattered body parts and metal fragments for the data recorders hope they will salvage a clue as to the cause of the crash.

The wreckage was spread over a large area of farmland in Qazvin province, 120km (75 miles) north-west of Tehran.

The Tupolev plane was flying from the Iranian capital to Yerevan in Armenia.

In pictures: Iran plane crash

Map

Witnesses said the 22-year-old Russian-made aircraft, which had 153 passengers and 15 crew, nose-dived from the sky with its tail on fire.

Flight 7908 crashed 16 minutes after take-off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, officials said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered his condolences to the bereaved families and ordered a transport ministry investigation into the tragedy.

‘Heads, fingers, passports’

Farsi Majidi, head of the investigating committee, told Associated Press TV News: "Thank God, we succeeded in finding two of the three flight data recorders or black boxes.

ANALYSIS

Jon Leyne, BBC NewsIran has a notoriously bad air safety record. Because of sanctions imposed by the United States, Iran relies on an increasingly ageing fleet of airliners, and has trouble buying spares.

There are tales of aircrew buying spare parts on flights to Europe, then sneaking them back to Iran in the cockpit. While those sanctions don’t apply to aircraft from Russia and Ukraine, many planes from those countries in the Iranian fleet also appear well past their best.

For some people, flying in Iran can be a nerve-wracking experience. Stepping on board, it often becomes quickly apparent you are in a plane that has done many years service.

There are also frequent delays because of the shortage of aircraft. Iranian engineers and aircrew do their best to keep their fleets in service.

Jon Leyne

"Although they are damaged we are hopeful that we can extract information from them."

Eight members of Iran’s national junior judo team and two coaches were on the flight, heading for training with the Armenian team.

Among the mainly Iranian passengers were about five Armenian citizens and two Georgians.

Search teams picked through an area 200m (660ft) wide in a field at Jannatabad village, where the plane gouged out a huge smoking crater.

A relief worker, standing next to a body bag of human flesh, told AFP news agency: "There is not a single piece which can be identified."

Mostafa Babashahverdi, a local farmer, told Reuters news agency: "We found severed heads, fingers and passports of the passengers."

Witnesses said the Tu-154 had circled briefly looking for an emergency landing site. One man described it exploding on impact.

"I saw the plane crashing nose-down. It hit the ground causing a big explosion. The impact shook the ground like an earthquake," Ali Akbar Hashemi told AP news agency.

IRANIAN PLANE CRASHES

  • Feb 2006: Tupolev crashes in Tehran, kills 29 people
  • Dec 2005: C-130 military plane crashes near Tehran, kills 110
  • Feb 2003: Iranian military plane crashes, kills all 276 on board
  • Feb 2002: Tupolev crashes in west Iran, kills all 199 on board

Air disasters timeline

Part of the Caspian Airlines plane on farmland near Qazvin city, Iran, on 15 July 2009

At Yerevan’s airport, one woman wept as she said her sister and two nephews, aged six and 11, had been on the flight.

"What will I do without them" said Tina Karapetian, 45, before collapsing.

It was the third deadly crash of a Tupolev Tu-154 in Iran since 2002.

The BBC’s Jon Leyne says Iran’s civil and military air fleets are made up of elderly aircraft, in poor condition due to their age and lack of maintenance.

Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, trade embargoes by Western nations have forced Iran to buy mainly Russian-built planes to supplement an existing fleet of Boeings and other American and European models.


Are you in the area Have you been affected Send us your comments using the form below.

If you have pictures or video of the incident, you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

<p


This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.