Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 9.4.2005:

Iran dissident journalist Ganji back in jail

Reuters:

Dissident Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji has recovered sufficiently from his two-month-long hunger strike to return to prison, Iran's Justice Minister Jamal Karimirad said on Sunday. ...

The outspoken reporter, whose plight brought comments of outrage and concern from the United States and European Union, eventually called off his hunger strike after more than 60 days last month.

"Akbar Ganji was released from hospital yesterday and returned to the prison," Karimirad told the official IRNA news agency.

Ganji's wife has said he only ended his fast after receiving assurances from judiciary officials that he would be allowed to go home. READ MORE

Now the question is what will Ganji's next move be?

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

• Iran Press News reported that Hamidreza Assefi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran said: The U.S.'s refusal to grant a visa to the Islamic Republic's Parliamentary delegation to attend the world conference of international parliamentarians is considered exceedingly rude. Adding: The United States with this action has proven itself unqualified to host international networks.
• Iran Press News reported that the Secretary of the regime's high council of security warned: Europeans and other major world powers (China and Russia) better not make the mistake of using the big stick of the U.N.'s Security Council.
• Iran Press News reported on the new fabricated charges against activist and political prisoner, Bina Darab-Zand, adding that Darab-Zand and fellow activist and prisoner, Behrooz Javid-Tehrani are both on hunger strike together.
• Iran Press News reported on the condition of several political prisoners, Kayvan Rafii, Behrooz Javid-Tehrani and Ejlaal Qavami.
• Iran Press News reported that starting tomorrow, the Islamic regime's disciplinary forces fearing widespread protests, demonstrations and uprisings have plan to strategically place their disciplinary forces around university campuses and high schools, calling it: a direct confrontation with hoodlums and misfits.
• Iran Press News reported that workers in Khuzestan blocked the transit road between the cities of Ahvaz and Khorramshahr for an hour. The workers protested the company's conditions and apathy in the work place as well non payment of their salaries for the past two months.
• Iran Press News reported Shokrollah Attaarzadeh, member of a division the Islamic regime's majority, in reaction to the United States refusal to grant Haddad Adel and his delegation visas said: Ahamadinejad must order Iran's extrication from the United Nations charter and have the embassies of countries who associate with America, closed.
• Iran Press News reported that workers gathered in Tehran to protest the mismanagement and dereliction of the authorities of said factory.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) has infiltrated key levers of power in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala, southern Iraq.
• Reuters reported that the IRI said threats of U.N. Security Council referral would not persuade it to abandon its nuclear program.
• SMCCDI reported that a man accused to have waged 'war against god' was hanged, yesterday, in the southeastern City of Iranshahr
• Chicago Tribune provided a recap of the major evidence of Iran secret nuclear program.
• Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the IRI will help US victims of Hurricane Katrina if there is a need to do so.
• Ha'aretz reported that the IRI rejected a European threat that Tehran had less than two weeks to freeze uranium conversion or face referral to the UN Security Council.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that the European Union felt betrayed by the IRI's restarting its uranium enrichment process. One diplomat saying: The Iranians have destroyed the basis for dialogue.
• TurkishPress reported clashes in western Iran with Kurdish terrorists have left 120 Iranian police dead and a further 64 injured in less than six months.
• And finally, The Mercury News reported that the most direct threat to Iran's theocracy is its expanding and restless middle class.