Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 6.14.2005:

Today's demonstration at Evin Prison

As we reported earlier, the Iranian Writers Association held a demonstration in front of the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran, today. The demonstration was calling for the release of political prisoners held there. Most of Iran's leading dissidents are held in this prison. This is the same prison that Canadian journalist Kazemi was tortured and subsequently died just for photographing the prison.

Many were arrested but later released, according to Radio Farda. Here are a few photos of these courageous people.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Reuters reported that actor Sean Penn told a film student during a visit to Iran's Film Museum in Tehran Monday that the "Death to America" slogan chanted each week at Friday Prayers hurt Iran-U.S. relations.
• World Tribune.Com reported a U.S. Defense Department analyst has been indicted on charges of relaying information on Iran's nuclear program to Israel.
• The New York Times reported that with just days left in Iran's short presidential election campaign, the reformist camp finds itself facing a fork in the road: to vote or to boycott the ballot.
• The New York Times reported that the UN's ElBaradei demanded access to an Iranian Military Site.
• Reuters claims even Rafsanjani will struggle to end U.S.-Iran feud.
• Stefania Lapenna, The Jerusalem Post discusses The end of 'Europe.'
• Ekbatan Observer reported that the former Shah's wife sent a message of solidarity to the Iranian people.
• SOSIRAN.com sent ammunition for their supporters. A valuable resource.
• Windsteed, an Iranian blogger, thinks he knows who is behind the recent bomb blasts.
• The Christian Science Monitor reports that many Iranians say they will boycott the vote to delegitimize the result.
• Iran Press Service reported that for the first time a large number of Iranian women, among them Ms. Simin Behbahani, a popular national poet and an icon of Iranian intelligentsia demanded a change in the constitution.
• The Committee to Protect Bloggers is seeking help in finding 1,000 people to sign the petition to free Iranian blogger Mojtaba Saminejad.
• Jafar Rezaei an Iranian blogger explains why he will not vote in Friday's election.
• The Washington Times claimed years ago, after the German federal intelligence service BND warned ElBaradei that Iran was gaining knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle "that can be used to build nuclear weapons." Mr. ElBaradei responded by ordering his press spokesman to deny the existence of the information.
• The Associated Press reported the Securities and Exchange Commission has sent letters to U.S. companies requesting they disclose any business dealings with terror-supporting states.
• DEBKA thinks the Bush administration has given up on the battle against Iran’s nuclear armament. I don't think so.

And finally, photos and a cartoon:

• Iranian photographer, Takhtesiah.com: Iran moving to the right
• Nikahang.blogspot.com: A cartoon from Iran.