Iran

The sudden execution of five Iranian political prisoners today appears to signal a government policy of relying on politically-motivated executions to strengthen its position vis-à-vis its opposition through terror and intimidation, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said. The Campaign condemned the execution of five political prisoners, including Farzad Kamangar, a 34-year-old teacher and social worker, who was charged with Moharebeh (taking up arms against God),  convicted and sentenced to death in February 2008, after a seven-minute long  trial in which “zero evidence” was presented. Four others also executed included Shirin Alam Holi, Ali Heidarian, Farhad Vakili and Mehdi Eslamian.

Nous venons d’apprendre avec stupéfaction que, mercredi le 28 avril dernier, les Nations Unies ont élu l’Iran à la Commission de la condition de la femme , pour un mandat de quatre ans. Par cette décision scandaleuse, l’ONU permet à cet État théocratique d’exercer son influence sur le sort des femmes dans le monde. On le sait, la République islamique d’Iran pratique la lapidation des femmes et fouette celles qui sont jugées "immodestes", certains les accusant même d’être de ce fait responsables des tremblements de terre !

Since the UN General Assembly must adopt a decision on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s bid for membership in the UN Human Rights Council, and because it is not possible to make a correct decision without knowing the facts about the government’s performance, particularly in the past year, I would like to draw the attention of the distinguished Member States’ representatives to the following points: The Islamic Republic of Iran is signatory to the international covenants on Civil and Political Rights, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Rights of the Child. Sadly, however, it does not abide by its obligations, in law or in practice.

A senior Iranian cleric says women who wear revealing clothing and behave promiscuously are to blame for earthquakes. Iran is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and the cleric's unusual explanation for why the earth shakes follows a prediction by the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that a quake is certain to hit Tehran and that many of its 12 million inhabitants should relocate.