Iran Focus: Tehran/London, Dec. 28 – An Iranian political prisoner, Ali Saremi, was hanged in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison on Tuesday on the charge of “Moharebeh”, or “waging war against God”.
Iranian dissident executed in prison
Bosnian filmmakers protest jailing of Iranian directors
AFP: About 50 Bosnian filmmakers and actors gathered Monday in front of the Iranian embassy in Sarajevo to protest against prison sentences handed out to directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof.
Iran’s Intelligence Minister admits hacking into opposition e-mail
RFE/RL: Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi has publicly admitted hacking into the e-mail of opposition members.
Right turn: HSBC’s shift on its Iran ad
Washington Post: The international bank HSBC says it is pulling an ad that juxtaposes a plug for the bank’s ability to find “potential in unexpected places” with a factoid about Iran: “Only 4% of American films are made by women. In Iran it’s 25%.”
RBI further curbs deals with Iran
Reuters: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday further curbed transactions with Iran, saying all current account transactions including trade deals with the Islamic Republic should be settled outside the Asian Clearing Union (ACU).
Germany summons Iran’s ambassador over journalists
AP: Germany has summoned Iran’s ambassador to express anger that two detained German journalists in Iran weren’t able to meet with relatives over Christmas despite earlier promises by authorities.
Iran condemns ‘Zionist spy’ to death: prosecutor
AFP: An Iranian revolutionary court has sentenced a “spy working for the Zionist regime” to death, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said on Sunday.
Iran halts execution of Kurdish student: lawyer
AFP: Iran has halted the execution of Kurdish student Habibolah Latifi, who was due to be hanged on Sunday for backing a separatist rebel group, his lawyer told the ISNA news agency.
Family fails to meet detained journalists in Iran
AP: Relatives of two German journalists detained in Iran since October were not allowed to see their loved ones for Christmas despite traveling to Tehran in hopes of seeing them, an official in Berlin said Sunday.
Iran says market oil balanced and prices likely to increase
Reuters: Iran’s OPEC governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi said on Sunday that the oil market was stable and the crude prices could reach $100 per barrel, the Oil Ministry’s website SHANA reported.
