The Islamic Republic Iran doesn't like deviations from its state ideology. There are elitist regime circles who would like to impose certain rules concerning life style, sexuality, dress-code, behaviour or believes to the whole population of Iran. Besides Bahai, Sunnis, Yogis or Sufis who face a brutal state campaign against their way of life and their believes, there are several other groups in Iran who are being harassed or excluded from social life by law. Gays and lesbians will face death sentences according to article 110 of Iran's penal code. Many of these persons have left Iran to seek asylum in countries that are tolerant in this concern. One of them is Matin Yar, who is a refugee from Iran, waiting in Turkey to be granted asylum in a western country. We would like to introduce our readers in his situation by asking him a few questions. The interview could be done with the help of Saghi Ghahraman, whom we also asked some questions concerning her work. [more]

On August 25th, Esmaeil(Hadi) Rahmanian, Farzad Darvish-Sarvestani, Ali Akbar Ebrahimzadeh, Heydar Esparjani, and Keramatollah Mohit referred to the Judiciary along with their attorneys, Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, Amir Eslami (2 members of the Human Rights Committee of the Bar Association), and Davoud Montazeri after being summoned on August 22nd. [more]

Within Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's small circle, there are two men in which the Iranian president has total trust. They are his old friends and are as religious as he is, and share the same vision. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie and Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi are the two closest allies of the Iranian president. Hashemi, who acts as the president's adviser, is not in the spotlight as much as Rahim Mashaie, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff. The appearance of a government official such as Rahim Mashaie, who isn't afraid to express himself so openly and unconditionally, is very new and unusual for many conservatives. In Iran, where most politicians pretend to believe in many things in order to gain or stay in power, there are not too many people like Mashaie, who is direct, gets straight to the point and doesn't worry about offending Iran's clergy. [more]

President Obama's eloquent endorsement on Friday of a planned Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center, followed by his apparent retreat the next day, was just one of many paradoxes at the heart of the increasingly impassioned controversy. [more]

The world continues to watch anxiously as the Iranian clerical dictatorship ponders the fate of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani -- a 43-year old mother of two children, Sajad, 22, and Farideh, 17 -- who faces death at the hands of the Tehran tyrants after she was found guilty of adultery, apparently with no evidence – although she is a widow, whose husband had died before her allegedly prohibited conduct. She was sentenced to public stoning; now, possibly, hanging. [more]

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claims the promotion and teaching of the artform is not compatible with country's sacred regime [more]

On 26 July, EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on Iran above and beyond those called for by the United Nations Security Council. The measures came into force as soon as they were published in the EU's official journal on Tuesday. [more]

RAHANA- Dr. Saeed Masouri was arrested in December 2000, in the city of Dezful and is currently being held in Section 10, Ward 4 at Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj. His original trial and appeals court initially resulted in a death sentence. During his 10 years in prison he has spent 3 years in solitary confinement in prisons in Tehran and Dezful. After extensive efforts, his death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. [more]

European Union moves well beyond the UN, in imposing tough new sanctions on Iran’s Oil Industry, Banking, and the Revolutionary Guards. Coming Up – The military force is the strongest business contractor in Iran. What has been the impact of the sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards? [more]

Mohammed Larijanis interview at the human rights conference in Genève on 15-06-2010. Mohammed Larajani is the Iranian Government’s representative for Human Rights. [more]