Kaveh Ghoreishi
Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaiee, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff, resigned his post in the first week of April and was replaced by Hamid Baghaiee, a close confidant of President Ahmadinejad and a Mashaiee protégé. Many observers have longed believed that Mashaiee was Ahmadinejad’s ideal choice to run for president in 2013. Some have argued that Mashaiee’s resignation (or perhaps his removal) from the post is a clear sign that President Ahmadinejad’s close friend and ally is losing his fight with his powerful conservative critics. more»
Shayan Ghajar
Iranian Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi attempted to resign from his position on April 17, the second such attempt by a minister during president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s current term. Ahmadinejad accepted the resignation, while the Supreme Leader, who has final authority on the matter, rejected the resignation and insisted upon Moslehi staying. more»
Arash Aramesh
Residents of major cities in Iran are complaining about recent hikes in price of natural gas. According to Mehr news, a semi-official news agency, consumers have seen a tenfold hike in the price of natural gas since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ‘subsidies reform’ plan was initiated. more»
Ashkan Parsa
The Iranian parliament is discussing the details of a bill which will set the stage for dissolving many non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions.
According to this piece of legislation, a committee comprised of representatives from security and propaganda agencies, such as the Ministry of Intelligence, the Organization of Islamic Propaganda, the Basij, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps will be responsible for monitoring and supervising civil society institutions and their activities. more»
Arash Aramesh
The Iranian parliament passed a bill in late March restricting the activities of NGOs and private organizations in Iran. The bill, which has become a source of grave concern for civil society activists in Iran, is to be implemented starting in April, and will llikely damage or halt entirely the activities of NGOs engaging in any endeavor that discomfits the Iranian regime. In effect, by making the regulations governing NGOs harsher than ever before, the bill seeks to make non-governmental organizations de facto governmental organizations. more»
