Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 12 – Students from Lorestan University resumed a hunger strike in protest to lack of rights of expression. The students had originally started their hunger strike last Saturday but then suspended it when local government officials promised to resolve outstanding issues.
Lorestan University students go on hunger strike
Iran’s 2003 Nobel Laureate Says Prize Helped Her Everywhere But Home
AP: A year after her Nobel Peace Prize was announced in Oslo, human rights activist Shirin Ebadi said today that the honor
had helped her cause everywhere except at home in Iran.
“The Nobel Peace Prize has given me more international possibilities. It has opened a lot of doors,” said the Iranian lawyer, writer and activist. “But the prize has not made my work any easier in Iran.”
Iran digs heels in on uranium enrichment
Reuters: The EU cannot force Iran to give up its right to enrich uranium, Iran’s foreign minister says, apparently slamming the door on European Union efforts to halt the process and ease fears Tehran is seeking a nuclear bomb. “It is wrong for them (the EU) to think they can, through negotiations, force Iran to stop enrichment,” Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told a conference in Tehran on Tuesday. “Iran will never give up its right to enrichment.”
Iran ‘child murder’ trial starts
BBC: The trial has started in Iran of two men accused of murdering 17 children, two men and a woman in the desert outside the country’s capital, Tehran. Iranian state media said seven others would go on trial later, accused of sexually abusing the children. At least 16 police are being reprimanded or referred to the judiciary for incompetent handling of the investigation into the killings.
Iran ‘won’t negotiate’ with EU on uranium
DPA: Iran on Tuesday said it would not negotiate with the European Union over a halt to uranium enrichment, just as an inspection team from the United Nations nuclear watchdog arrived in the country.
“We welcome negotiations with the EU but the talks should
just be focused on Irans legitimate right to have peaceful nuclear technology and not on stopping uranium enrichment,” Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told state-run television.
Iranian Vice President Resigns
AP: An Iranian vice president, who was a close ally of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, resigned Tuesday, saying he could not work with the conservative-dominated parliament.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi first tendered his resignation in February, but it was not accepted. He said Tuesday that the president had accepted his resignation after he insisted …
Russia urges Iran to heed IAEA’s nuclear demands
Reuters: Russia urged Iran on Sunday to heed the U.N.
nuclear watchdog’s call for it to suspend sensitive nuclear
work that could be used to make atomic bomb material.
Iran, in turn, said it was ready to give whatever assurances were required to show that it will not use nuclear technology to make atomic weapons.
Iran offers Europe deal to produce nuclear energy
AP: Iran’s foreign minister made Europe an offer Tuesday: recognize our right to enrich uranium and we will guarantee never to produce nuclear bombs.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi put the offer in a speech to an energy conference in Tehran about six weeks before his government has to show the UN nuclear watchdog that it has ceased enrichment and all related activities. Iran has already rejected the demand of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Russia makes nuclear plea to Iran
BBC: Russia has urged Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme in order to avoid possible sanctions from the UN Security Council. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would continue nuclear co-operation with Tehran if it complies with the UN nuclear agency (IAEA). In its meeting last month, the IAEA called on Iran to suspend its nuclear fuel cycle.
Iraq frees 130 Iran prisoners, hundreds remain – TV
Reuters: Iraq on Monday released 130 Iranians arrested for crossing the border illegally, but another 270 remain behind bars, Iran’s top diplomat in Baghdad told state television.
Washington and some officials in Iraq’s interim government have accused Iran of meddling in Iraq’s affairs and allowing weapons and fighters to cross their long border. Iran denies this accusation.
