Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 16 – At least 30 juveniles are on death row in Tehran and Rajai-Shahr (40km west of the Iranian capital) for offences they have been alleged to have committed under the age of 18. “There are some 30 juveniles under the age of 18 in Tehran’s Centre for Reform and Education (Juvenile Prison) and in Rajai-Shahr currently sentenced to …

Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 16 – Sources within the Iranian opposition have confirmed to Iran Focus that they were able to obtain a classified document from within Iran’s intelligence and security apparatus showing Iran’s connections to insurgents carrying out attacks in Iraq.
The document is a report written by an Iraqi group mounting armed attacks on Iraqi civilians and U.S. and Coalition troops in Iraq.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 16 – Iran’s bookstore owners are complaining of the government’s decision to ban 200 books, including political, social, cultural, religious, arts, music, scientific and historical literature. According to a Tehran bookshop owner who wanted to remain anonymous, Iran’s government have recently sent a list of 200 books considered to be “immoral”, “unIslamic”, or “influencing acts against the state”.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 15 – The privatization of Iran’s hospitals has led to people avoiding important surgeries for fear of rising hospital costs, according to a member of the Health Committee in Iran’s Majlis (parliament). “With putting this plan into action in hospitals, people are afraid that they would face long periods of time hospitalized with hefty bills”, Jahanbakhsh Amini said in an interview with a state-run news agency.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 15 – More than 200 tons of narcotics have been discovered in Iran over the past nine months, according to a senior Iranian security official. Speaking to a gathering of reporters, the State Security Forces commander, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, hinted today that such a large quantity of drugs in circulation might raise questions that drug smuggling has become institutionalized.