The Washington Post reported on a new shift in the story of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Iranian state TV said Friday it will air new footage of her. The channel said the 43-year-old Ashtiani, who remains in prison in the city of Tabriz, was accompanied by her son, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, to her home for the filming of the latest footage. Iran has put Ashtiani's stoning sentence on hold amid pressure from rights groups, but has said she has also been convicted of involvement in the death of her husband. She could still face execution by hanging in the two cases.
Today several periodicals simultaneously have written about political prisoners in Iran and other countries.
The Los Angeles Times published an article "Four journalists jailed on 'security' charges." It continues discussion of the theme touched by The New York Times yesterday. The article says the four were arrested earlier this week at the offices of Sharq, a prominent daily newspaper associated with the country's reformist faction, which is under severe pressure from hardliners who have gained the upper hand in the country's political establishment. The authorities did not disclose the exact nature of the security crimes. The arrests may have been due to the newspaper's decision to publish a special issue about the country's student movement.
The New York Times reports about an Iranian-Canadian blogger imprisoned for more than two years. He has been released on furlough. A Web site close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadreported that Hossein Derakhshan, 35, was temporarily freed on bail. Mr. Derakhshan was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison in September for offenses including propaganda against the government.
Turkish information agency Hurriyet published an article describing the situation in general. "Number of journalists jailed worldwide at highest since 1996" says a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists stated that relying heavily on vague anti-state charges, authorities are jailing 145 reporters, editors, and photojournalists worldwide. Eritrea, Burma, and Uzbekistan are among the worst jailers of the press. The report said the main reasons for the 16-year high were the "sustained crackdown on critical voices" by Iran and "the brutal suppression of ethnic journalism" by China. Both Iran and China have 34 journalists in prison. As for Turkey, in all, it imprisoned 78 journalists this year.
Economy News. Press-TV reports that the Iranian oil ministry has reported a 35-percent leap in the country's petrochemical production in a seven-month period in 2010, compared to the same period last year. Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Abdolhossein Bayat said that Iran earned USD 5.7 billion from petrochemical exports in the seven-month period, noting a 62-percent jump in the country's oil revenues. He said only a small portion of Iran's petrochemical industry is dedicated to meeting domestic gasoline demands, but emphasized that supplying fuel to domestic consumers was the industry's foremost priority and part of its patriotic obligations.
Hurriyet published an article stated that Turkey's economy expanded 5.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, prolonging a boom that has helped the government reduce borrowing and approach investment-grade credit ratings. Record-low interest rates are fueling domestic demand, driving a faster recovery from the global crisis than any other economy in Europe, and attracting foreign investors.
Culture News. "Istanbul's Armenian architects remembered in exhibition" is an article published in Hurriyet. It says Armenian architects, who have built many well-known structures in Istanbul, are remembered in an exhibition that opened Wednesday at the Istanbul Modern. The exhibition displays photos of 100 buildings constructed by 40 Armenian architects who lived in Istanbul in the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, Istanbul Modern, International Hrant Dink Foundation and Architects and Engineers Solidarity Association, or HAYCAR. The exhibition reminded Istanbul residents of forgotten Armenian architects and their structures, and had a mission to raise awareness about the protection of those structures that are creating the silhouette of the city.
