Iran Focus: Baghdad, Jan. 17 At a conference in Baghdad today, some 3,230 eminent Iraqi law experts and lawyers released a statement on the legal status of the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, calling it a legitimate movement. The conference in the Babylon Hotel was attended by more than 1,000 Iraqi law experts and political and social figures in support of the Iranian opposition, and by over 50 different media organisations.3,230 Iraqi law experts release statement on Iran opposition
Iran Focus: Baghdad, Jan. 17 At a conference in Baghdad today, some 3,230 eminent Iraqi law experts and lawyers released a statement on the legal status of the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, calling it a legitimate movement. The conference in the Babylon Hotel was attended by more than 1,000 Iraqi law experts and political and social figures in support of the Iranian opposition, and by over 50 different media organisations.Majority of young doctors in Iran living under poverty line
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 17 Young doctors in Iran are living under the poverty line with many of them forced to find alternative work to earn enough to get by, according to head of Iranian Doctors' Society.Iran spent over $1 billion on meddling in Iraq: Defence Minister
Iran Focus: Baghdad, Jan. 17 - The Iraqi Defence Minister, Hazem al-Shaalan today accused Iran of interference, saying, "Iran has spent more than $1 billion on meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq". In a telephone interview with the Arab language Ilaf website, al-Shaalan also accused candidates on the opposition list of Shiite figures led by Abdol Aziz Hakim as a group trying to invite sectarian and religious strife among the people of Iraq.2 students commit suicide in Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 17 Two teenage students hanged themselves in the town of Sirjan (southern Iran) on Friday. Mohammad-Javad Maki-Abadi, a second year high school student, and Asghar Maki-Abadi, a third year high school student, were cousins. They committed suicide in Mohammad-Javad's house when all of their relatives were out. The exact motive has yet to be confirmed.Iran drug addiction rate surpasses population rate 3 times
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 17 The Head of Iran's Addiction Prevention Office said that the drug addiction rate had surpassed the population increase rate by three times.
"Based on statistics obtained over the last 30 years, drug addiction has increased by eight percent, which is the equivalent of three times the growth of the population", ...
Eighty-nine percent of unemployed women in Iran highly educated
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 17 Eighty-nine percent of unemployed women in Iran are highly educated, with many in universities, according to a senior government expert. "About 88.7 percent of unemployed women in Iranian cities and 59.4 percent of unemployed women in rural areas are highly educated", Ladan Nowrouzi said, in an interview with ...30 juveniles on death row in prisons in Iran capital
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 ...Iraqi insurgents send action report to Iran's military chiefs
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.
200 more books banned in Iran
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".Rising hospital cost in Iran keep people away from surgery
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.
Iraqi official accuses Iran
UPI: A senior Iraqi official Saturday accused Iran of channeling money into Iraq to "achieve sectarian objectives" and destabilize the country. Waset Gov. Mohammad Ridha said $18,987.30 in Iranian tomans were seized and found to have been sent to a resident in the province "to try to entice sectarian extremism and ruin the elections process."More than 200 tons of narcotics discovered in Iran in past 9 months
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.
Jordan King receives photo of al-Zarqawi, Iran military chiefs
Iran Focus: Paris, Jan. 15 A photo showing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian born mastermind behind the latest spate of bombings in Iraq, standing with senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was seen by Jordan's King Abdullah II last month, according to an Algerian journalist.
Iraqi MP blasts Iran meddling in Iraq
Iran Focus: Baghdad, Jan. 15 A member of Iraq's interim parliament speaking on national television strongly criticized the Iranian regime for its meddling in Iraq. Hossein Sadr, a candidate from the election list of the current interim-Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, aired his comments on the Al-Iraqi network Thursday, saying that Iran should not be allowed to meddle in Iraq's internal affairs.Parts bound for Iran nuclear plant seized
Reuters: German investigators have seized four special motors they suspect were about to be illegally exported to an Iranian nuclear power plant and hope to intercept another shipment en route to Iran, prosecutors say. Customs officers found the high-voltage engines, each weighing around seven tonnes and imported from South Korea, when they raided an unnamed trading company in Hanover on Wednesday.European Parliament adopts Iran resolution to review EU terror list
Iran Focus: Strasbourg, Jan. 14 After a debate in which a number of Euro-MPs spoke out against the terror-tag placed upon the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), the European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution on Iran calling for a review of the European Union's list of terrorist organisations.Human Rights Watch annual report condemns violations in Iran
Iran Focus: Paris, Jan. 14 - In its annual report on human rights practices around the globe Human Rights Watch said that "basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and opinion, deteriorated in 2004". "Torture and ill-treatment in detention, including indefinite solitary confinement, are used routinely to punish dissidents
Abuses are carried out by what Iranians call 'parallel institutions': ...Nearly 1,500 guns rounded up in western Iran province in past 9 months
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 14 Some 1,459 guns have been confiscated over the past nine months in Kermanshah province (western Iran), according to the province's chief of State Security Forces (SSF). "The confiscated weapons along with those caught smuggling them have been apprehended and will be ...50,000 drug addicts rounded up in Iran capital in past 9 months
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 14 - More than 50,000 people have been arrested in Greater Tehran in the past nine months, according to the head of the Office to Combat Narcotics in Greater Tehran. "A large proportion of those in custody, who comprise people from different sectors of society, are between 25 and 30 years of age", Major Ghodratollah Mahmoudi said in an interview with a state-run news agencyon Wednesday.
150,000 drug addicts in northeast Iran city
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 13 - There are at least 150,000 drug addicts in the city of Mashad (northeast Iran), according to the head of the city's Central Medical Bureau.
"According to recent statistics there are 150,000 drug addicts
at present in Mashad", Rajab Hedayatnia said.
Iran Al-Qaeda link arrested in Kuwait: Radio
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 13 - An Iranian agent was arrested in Kuwait in connection with the latest spate of Al-Qaeda-related attacks in the Middle East. Sawa Radio reported that the unnamed individual was arrested by Kuwaiti security forces after recent intelligence implicated him as a cell in communication with the Al-Qaeda network with prior information on the attacks in Saudi Arabia.European Parliament resolution censures Iran rights violations
Iran Focus: Strasbourg, Jan. 13 - The European Parliament adopted a resolution by majority vote today condemning human rights violations in Iran in the second such move over the past six months. The toughly-worded resolution denounced practices such as execution of juveniles and stoning carriedout by the Iranian regime.
Iran Revolutionary Guards Commander: US presence a threat
Iran Focus: Tehran, Jan. 13 - In an apparent reference to the presence of US troops in Iraq, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Corps (IRGC) official called for Iran to mobilize its troops against the "dangerous Zionist threat".
Speaking to Revolutionary Guards and Iran's Bassij (paramilitary police) forces in Khuzestan on Tuesday Deputy IRGC Commander Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr said, "The Islamic Republic will not tolerate American presence in the region".
Australia deports Iranian man to Tehran
AP: An Iranian man who sought asylum in Australia after converting from Islam to Christianity has been deported to Tehran - where rights activists say his change of religion could endanger his life, a refugee advocacy group said Wednesday. The man, in his 30s, was placed on a flight late Tuesday from Sydney to Dubai, from where he would be transported to Iran, said Ian Rental, a spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition. 
