Even authorised gatherings are suppressed

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:46:47 +0200

Medhi Karoubi during the gathering.

Barring Mirhossein Mousavi, Iran's remaining opposition leaders met in Tehran on Sunday. But although the gathering was authorised, it ended in a violent attack by the police. One of our Observers was there.

Reformists Medhi Karoubi, Hadi Gharafi and the daughter of former president Ali Rafsandjani met on Sunday to honour Ayatollah Beheshti, the former head of the Iranian Republic's judicial arm, who was killed in an attack in 1981, just after president Abolhassan Banisadr was ousted.

Iran election: 'This time… we have to vote'

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:48:40 +0200

Image posted on Flickr by "Faith Today".

Iran's tenth presidential election takes place this Friday and the race is heating up. Current president Ahmadinejad and reformist Mirhossein Mousavi, both running for president, clashed in a televised debate last Wednesday, causing protests and street-fights on Saturday. Unlike in previous elections however, Iranian expat students say they won't boycott the vote this time.

Jessica Bogus is a 21-year-old French girl currently studying in Lund, Sweden, where many Iranians study abroad. While eating some traditional Gaz (nougat from Esfahan), Jessica asked her Iranian friends, the majority of whom boycotted the 2005 election, what they would do this time.

Mehdi Karroubi

Even authorised gatherings are suppressed

Iran election: 'This time… we have to vote'