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Separations

Narges Mohammadi, deputy chair of Iran’s Defenders of Human Rights Center, has been ordered to serve a six-year sentence. Narges's children are left with no parental care as her husband, Taghi Rahmani, forcibly left the country last year. Why is it that the likes of State Welfare Organisation or even UNICEF remain silent on such an important issue? Why do Mousavi and Karroubi get a house arrest, while Narges Mohammadi whose children are now without parental care sent to prison?

Similarly, the former Foreign Minister and the leader of the Freedom Movement of Iran, Ebrahim Yazdi, has been given 20 days to report to Evin Prison for an eight-year term.

Farshid Fathi has been sentenced to six years in jail for acting against national security, contact with foreign organizations, and religious propagation.

Better late than never!

Finally President Obama has called for sanctions on those helping Syria and Iran acquire technology that lets them target dissidents through cellphone and Internet use. The measures would freeze assets of foreign companies that help deny free communication via the Internet in Iran and Syria. That is very promising news if not limited to just Iran and Syria as it will put an end to the West’s contribution to the crackdown on activists. Or will it?

We are open to criticism, but …

Baztab Emrooz has reportedly been filtered after it posted criticism of the Supreme Leader.

Two professors of philosophy have been dismissed from Shahid Beheshti University. I suspect that even if you make it to the university as a dissident student, there are no professors left to teach you anything. Why bother!!?

You are cordially invited not to attend

Although Ministry of Culture had already invited suspended publishers to participate in the 25th Tehran Book Fair, it was announced that 'Nashr e Cheshmeh' cannot attend the Book Fair as it has a judicial case. 

And tighter rules for all

According to the new amendment to the Press Law by the cabinet, all news agencies must quote their sources from now on. This has raised a lot of concerns even in some government affiliated news agencies. 

May Day calling

Alireza Mahjoub, Secretary of Iran's Workers House, said that if a permit to rally on May Day is denied by the Ministry of Interior, workers will gather all over Iran.

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