July 17, 2009

The Iran Election Bulletin is a biweekly publication covering domestic political and election issues in Iran.

— Sign up to receive the Iran Election Bulletin by email
— Print this issue of the Iran Election Bulletin
— Contact the editor

Volume 1, Issue 10
Leigh Catherine Miles, Editor

The Iran Election Bulletin is a publication of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Letter from the Editor

A note on this week’s issue of the Bulletin | Read more »

Feature Articles

Human Rights Central to Future of Reform Movement

Today, more than a month after Iran’s presidential elections, no one can be certain what the outcome will be of the civil unrest they have generated. But what is more or less certain is that Iran will never be the same again. Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, it is clear that the events of the past 30 days have shaken the Islamic Republic. However, as the days pass, the intensified crackdowns on journalists, intellectuals, students and women activists indicate how determined the Iranian regime is to secure its political future. | Read more »

Voices from Iran

These stories are on-the-ground analyses and perspectives written by Iranian authors.

Imprisoned But Not Forgotten

Parvin Fahimi spent 26 days searching for her son, who participated in a peaceful protest march from Enghelab (Revolution) Square to Azadi (Freedom) Square on June 15. Finally, on July 11, Fahimi was told by officials to go to the police station to search through pictures of the unidentified deceased. Her son’s picture was there, among nearly 50 others. Her family is but one of many that are forced daily to search for their loved ones at Evin prison and the Revolutionary Courts.| Read more »

Iran: Fire Under Ashes

Iran has become a country of countervailing forces: the people are not going to ease pressure on ruling conservatives and the government will continue to act forcefully against citizens. While the massive crowds of protestors have subsided as Iranians enter a period of calm to reenergize, one cannot tell what tomorrow will bring. Iran appears to be a raging fire hidden under ashes – all it takes is a breeze to set it ablaze.

Background

Background Brief: Human Rights

The recent violent crackdown against Iranian activists exemplifies long-standing concerns about infringements on human rights in Iran. Although political and social restrictions were eased under President Mohammad Khatami, since 2005 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has renewed a clamp down on human rights citing national security concerns. | Read more »

Diagram: The Balance of Power

A visual depiction of the structure of the Iranian leadership, illustrating the lines of authority among the Republic’s elected and unelected officials (Will open in new window.) | Read more »

Submit an Article to the Iran Election Bulletin

Authors interested in writing for the Iran Election Bulletin should email Leigh Catherine Miles at [email protected] with a brief description of the proposed article and information on the author's background.

Articles published in the Bulletin generally approach the situation in Iran analytically, though the author’s point of view is often clear. Articles should be written in English and can vary in length from 800 to 1,500 words. The Iran Election Bulletin generally does not reprint articles previously published elsewhere.