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Iran holds American women's rights activist

By: The Guardian, October 24, 2008

An American student and women's rights activist has been arrested in Iran while visiting her family and conducting research into the Iranian women's movement. Esha Momeni, a masters student at California State University, was seized last week while driving in Tehran, according to Amnesty International.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/24/iran-arrest-american-activist

Thousands prohibited from leaving the country or trading in Iran

By: IHRV, October 24, 2008

An authority in the Ministry of Justice announced that more than one-hundred thousand people are banned from traveling or conducting transactions outside of the country.  Mr. Hasan Zebhi, the country’s deputy prosecutor, while announcing the figure, also said the cases are being reviewed in an effort to reduce the total numbers.

http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=1140

Iran: Detained merchants from Bazaar Held in solitary confinement

By IHRV, October 24, 2008

According to information received from section A-D in Isfehan Prison, many bazaar merchants and young people who had participated in the demonstrations held in Isfehan Bazaar, are being detained and transported to this section of the prison.  Currently, all detainees are held in solitary confinement.  This section, like section 209 in Evin Prison, is managed by the Ministry of Intelligence.  The political prisoners in this section are subjected to physical and mental torture and are forced to make confessions.

http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=1137

Egypt’s journalists fight for free speech

By: World Focus, October 24, 2008

Egyptian writers, reporters and bloggers face restrictions when expressing their views. Of Egypt’s 14 known arrests of bloggers, nine occurred last year — an election year. One of the estimated 160,000 Egyptian bloggers shares his perspective in our Web exclusive video: Egyptian bloggers cite censorship, arrest and torture. Special correspondent Hoda Osman and producer Sally Garner report on the state of journalism in Egypt from Cairo.

http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/10/23/egypts-journalists-fight-for-free-speech/2098/

Egyptian blogger Nora Younis wins Human Rights First Award

By: Global Voices, October 23, 2008

Human Rights First hosted its annual dinner and 30th anniversary celebration honoring those at the forefront of the struggle to defend human rights, featuring actress Sigourney Weaver, who will serve as the master of ceremonies, Caroline Kennedy, who will accept an award on behalf of her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, and singer Mary Chapin Carpenter, who will perform.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/23/egyptian-female-blogger-nora-younis-receives-human-rights-first-award/

Iran: President of CSUN issues statement in support of Esha Momeni

By: 4 Equality, October 19, 2008

The President of California State University has issued a Statement about the Arrest of Esha Momeni, a graduate student at CSUN Northridge and a member of the Campaign, who was arrested on October 15, 2008 while visiting family and conducting research for her thesis project, focused on women’s rights activists. The statement appears below: I am deeply concerned that one of our graduate students, Esha Momeni, has been arrested and detained by Iranian authorities while conducting research as part of her Master’s degree requirements in Mass Communications at California State University, Northridge. My understanding is that her thesis project focused on women’s issues in Iran.

http://www.4equality.info/english/spip.php?article373

Iran's economy runs out of steam

By: Forbes, October 17, 2008

As markets floundered amid the credit crunch, Iran's leadership celebrated the West's economic crisis. On Oct. 11, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared, "The claim that the free market manages all things is a huge lie and benefits only thieves and criminals." Two days later, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei decreed that the West's financial crisis was a sign of "the ineffectiveness of liberal democracy-based policies."

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/10/17/iran-oil-economy-oped-cx_mr_1017rubin.html

Berlin ♥ Iran – II

By: WSJ, October 16, 2008

It's been a while since German military officers attended rallies that feature threats to Jews. Last month Berlin's defense attaché in Tehran resumed that tradition at Iran's annual military parade. The German envoy had the privilege of hearing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promise to "break the hands" of invaders amid banners that read "Israel should be eradicated from the universe" and shouts of "Down with Israel" and "We will crush America under our feet."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122410947451238107.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

'Surge in unfair' Saudi beheading

By: BBC News, October 14, 2008

A human rights group says executions are surging in Saudi Arabia, and those most likely to face death by the sword are migrant workers and poor Saudis. Amnesty International says these groups are executed disproportionately and indiscriminately because they are unable to use the "blood money" system.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7668617.stm

Hanged for being a Christian in Iran

By: The Telegraph, October 11, 2008

Eighteen years ago, Rashin Soodmand's father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity. Now her brother is in a Mashad jail, and expects to be executed under new religious laws brought in this summer. Alasdair Palmer reports.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/3179465/Hanged-for-being-a-Christian-in-Iran.html