THE EYERANIANS

Robert Tait has written a good article about child executions in Iran and the case of a boy hanged for a crime committed at age 13. Apparently they executed Makwan despite a stay of execution ordered by Iran’s judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi (Excerpt below).

Makwan Mouloudzadeh, 20, was executed in the western city of Kermanshah, after being convicted for raping three boys in 2000. He was put to death in apparent violation of a stay of execution ordered by Iran’s judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who had requested a review last month after asking whether the sentence conformed to sharia law.

Mouloudzadeh’s lawyer, Saeed Eqbali, said officials had executed his client without issuing prior notice, as Iranian law requires. The man’s family had only been informed afterwards and told to collect his body. A large crowd attended his funeral on Thursday in his home town of Paveh.

I always wondered if there has been a live performance of Pink’s “Dear Mr. President” song. Apparently the Code Pink folks are on top of everything. The following video is of a Code Pink member singing it at the Moms For Peace rally earlier this year (March ‘07) in front of the White House. The second video is the live performance of the song by Pink.

By MARK MAZZETTI

Published: December 3, 2007

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb.

The conclusions of the new assessment are likely to be major factor in the tense international negotiations aimed at getting Iran to halt its nuclear energy program. Concerns about Iran were raised sharply after President Bush had suggested in October that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to “World War III,” and Vice President Dick Cheney promised “serious consequences” if the government in Tehran did not abandon its nuclear program. Read More…

h/t to Agonist