Iran Update
Volume: 1 - Issue:  4021 May 2010
Iran Update
Dear Friend,

We are delighted to present you with the current issue of Iran Update, a publication of International Solidarity for Democratic Change in Iran (ISDCI).    
A diplomatic game of chicken with Iran
The Washington Post
David Ignatius
20 May 2010

Let's be generous and call the frantic diplomatic maneuvers that have been taking place this week over Iran's nuclear program a "negotiation," Tehran-style.
Here's how the scorecard looks: First the Iranians said yes in October to a deal to enrich uranium outside their borders; then they said no; then, on Monday, they said yes to a version of the accord brokered by Turkey and Brazil.
Tehran was surely hoping that by accepting the deal, it would head off a new sanctions resolution being drafted by the U.N. Security Council. The would-be mediators, Turkey and Brazil, were hoping to buff their credentials as leaders of a new "nonaligned movement."
But the last-minute dealmakers appear to have miscalculated: On Tuesday, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, including Russia and China, went ahead and endorsed a draft resolution condemning Iran's nuclear program, ignoring Tehran's machinations the day before.
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Sanctions effort may open door to press Iran Central Bank
The New York Times
NEIL MacFARQUHAR and DAVID E. SANGER
19 May 2010
UNITED NATIONS - Buried in the sanctions resolution now being debated in the United Nations Security Council lies the possibility of a new effort to pressure Iran over its nuclear program: a call for countries to "exercise vigilance" in dealing with Iran's central bank.
American and European officials said Wednesday that the reference, passing though it is, could give them a legal basis in the future for choking off financial transactions between Iran and banking centers in Europe and elsewhere. Previous sanctions have taken aim at specific banks suspected of financing proscribed nuclear activity, but never anything as pivotal as dealings with the central bank itself.
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Ali Saremi's son speaks out against father's execution order
Persian2English
19 May 2010
Akbar Saremi, the son of political prisoner Ali Saremi, has spoken out against the execution order for his father.
There is no justification for this other than the fact that the regime has been unsuccessful in putting down the uprising in Iran. The regime has been forced to execute political prisoners. These prisoners are at their hands and they are shackled, unable to do anything. They only execute them to scare people from participating in uprisings.
My father came to see me at Camp Ashraf a few years ago. Upon his return to Iran, I called him to make sure he arrived safely. It was after that phone call that the regime found out that he had come to see me at Camp Ashraf. They attacked our house and arrested my father. They broke all our belongings. Then they sentenced my father to death.
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Convicted killer of Iranian ex-PM granted parole arrives in Tehran
France 24
19 May 2010
REUTERS - An Iranian man serving a life sentence in France for the 1991 murder of Shahpour Bakhtiar, Iran's last prime minister under the shah, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday night, news agencies reported.
A French court ordered the release of Ali Vakili Rad earlier in the day, just two days after Iran freed French teaching assistant Clotilde Reiss, who was held on charges of spying during anti-government protests in Tehran last year.
Both countries have denied the two moves were connected, but France's opposition Socialists are unconvinced and have urged Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to answer questions from parliamentarians about the teacher's release.
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Exiled diplomat lifts veil on Iran's regime
Channel 4 News
Lindsey Hilsum
19 May 2010
Exclusive: While Iran reacts to the latest UN draft sanctions aimed at their nuclear programme a former Iranian diplomat tells Lindsey Hilsum about the regime's "divide and rule" tactics used in its dealings with the West.
Earlier this month I went to Oslo to meet the most senior Iranian diplomat to known to have resigned since last year's disputed elections.
I say "known to have", because according to Mohammed Reza Heydari, formerly Iran's Consul in Norway, several others have quietly returned to enforced retirement in Tehran, opting for silence and safety. Many more, he says, just keep their heads down while waiting for the day the regime changes.
Mr Heydari's story is both personal and political. The Iranian government says he is an opportunist who deserted his country to live the good life in Norway. He says he's risking his life by speaking out - his mother-in-law's house in Isfahan was attacked by suspected members of the basij militia, and he regularly receives threats by email or phone.
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Thank you for your reading Iran Update. We welcome your comments. 
 
 
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ISDCI News Group
In This Issue
A diplomatic game of chicken with Iran
Sanctions effort may open door to press Iran Central Bank
Ali Saremi's son speaks out against father's execution order
Convicted killer of Iranian ex-PM granted parole arrives in Tehran
Exiled diplomat lifts veil on Iran's regime
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Members of Iranian opposition in Camp Ashraf - Iraq
Paris - 26 June 2010
 
A grand assembly will be held near Paris on the anniversary of the Iranian people's nationwide uprising for democracy and to express solidarity with Iranian dissidents in Camp Ashraf-Iraq. The event has already been sponsored by over 100 European Parliamentarians and political dignitaries. Hundreds of dignitaries across the world as well as tens of thousands of Iranians are expected to participate in the event. Please call or email us to register for an advance entry pass and an introduction booklet. Early registrations begin on Friday, 21 May 2010