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Sunday, February 22, 2015

Iran - Masoume Zia ( female ) Sentenced to 74 Lashes and Imprisonment

Posted on: 22nd February, 2015

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Masoume Zia
HRANA News Agency – Masoume Zia, one of the Erfane Halghe activists has been sentenced to 74 lashes and 1 year imprisonment.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), Masoume Zia who was arrested in a protest gathering of Erfane Halghe followers in front of Islamic Revolutionary Court, was sentenced to 74 lashes and 1 year imprisonment in a hearing on 7 February 2015 at Islamic Revolutionary court on the charges of disturbing public order and public safety by attending an illegal gathering.
Masoume Zia and 15 other Erfane Halghe instructors attended different hearings during February and in total received 37 years of imprisonment.
It is important to note that “Masoumeh Zia” was sentenced to 1 year suspended imprisonment back in 2006. This sentence was given to her based on the charge of attending the peaceful Women’s gathering which intended to change discriminatory laws against women on 12 June, 2006

Fears mount among Iran's neighbours over nuclear talks


Arak Heavy Water reactor
The emerging terms of a deal to curb Iran's quest for a nuclear bomb is striking fear to neighbouring Arab countries in the region.
Concerns are mounting that the US may allow the Iranian regime to continue with its nuclear programme for civilian purposes - and therefore maintain the technology needed to produce nuclear weapons.
The Washington Post newspaper said: "The direction of US diplomacy with Tehran has added fuel to fears in some Arab states of a nuclear-arms race in the region, as well as reviving talk about possibly extending a US nuclear umbrella to Middle East allies to counter any Iranian threat.
"The major Sunni states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have said that a final agreement could allow Shiite-dominated Iran, their regional rival, to keep the technologies needed to produce nuclear weapons, according to these officials, while removing many of the sanctions that have crippled its economy in recent years."
And Arab officials said any deal could drive Saudi Arabia and other states to try to match Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
One Arab official said: "At this stage, we prefer a collapse of the diplomatic process to a bad deal."
The Obama administration initially said its policy was to completely dismantle Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure as a means to protect Washington’s Middle East allies, the paper said.
But it added: "Arab officials have increasingly spoken about a possible nuclear arms race in the Mideast as the negotiations have continued for 18 months, having been extended twice."
Arab leaders said they are committed to supporting the US coalition fighting Islamic State. But they said the campaign is complicated by fears Washington is aligning with Tehran, it added.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Four Geologists Kidnapped by Suspected Rebels in Northern Colombia



BOGOTA – Four geologists have been kidnapped in a rural area of the northern Colombian province of Norte de Santander, according to the Colombian Geological Service, or SGC, which said ELN leftist rebels are the likely culprits.

A group of people “intercepted and apparently detained” the geologists, employees of the company GEMI S.A.S. who were working as contractors for the SGC, the service said in a statement.

It said it has not yet been able to reestablish communication with the kidnap victims.

The geologists “apparently were approached by the ELN (National Liberation Army),” which has a strong presence in the area, the National Police commander for Norte de Santander, Col. John Jairo Aroca, told reporters.

They were abducted Thursday in the rural district of Santa Ines, part of the municipality of El Carmen, while conducting a water study, Aroca added.

Although the SGC did not provide the names of the four victims, local media identified them as Henry Botero, John Rios, Hernan Ayala and Karina Banquez.

The geologists’ work was essential for planning development and human activities in that area of the country, the service said.

The Colombian government and the ELN are currently involved in “exploratory dialogues” intended to lead to the opening of peace negotiations like the ones Bogota has held for more than two years in Cuba with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, Latin America’s largest insurgency.

Former First Lady of Virginia Sentenced to Prison


Wife of Former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison in Public Corruption Case

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — The former First Lady of Virginia, Maureen G. McDonnell, 60, of Glen Allen, Virginia, was sentenced Friday to one year and one day in prison, for soliciting and obtaining payments, loans, gifts and other items from Star Scientific, a Virginia-based corporation, and Jonnie R. Williams Sr., Star Scientific’s then chief executive officer, in violation of federal public corruption laws.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Leslie R. Caldwell, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Richard Weber, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer.

Former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell and his wife, Maureen McDonnell, were convicted on Sept. 4, 2014, following a jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right. Maureen McDonnell also was convicted of two counts of honest-services wire fraud and four counts of obtaining property under color of official right, while Robert McDonnell was convicted of three counts of honest-services wire fraud and six counts of obtaining property under color of official right. In total, Maureen McDonnell was convicted of eight of 13 counts and Robert McDonnell was convicted of 11 of 13 counts.

According to the evidence presented at trial, from April 2011 through March 2013, the McDonnell’s participated in a scheme to use the former governor’s official position to enrich themselves and their family members by soliciting and obtaining payments, loans, gifts and other things of value from Star Scientific and Jonnie R. Williams Sr. The McDonnell’s obtained these items in exchange for the former governor performing official actions to legitimize, promote and obtain research studies for Star’s products, including the dietary supplement Anatabloc.

According to evidence presented at trial, the McDonnell’s obtained from Williams more than $170,000 in direct payments as gifts and loans, thousands of dollars in golf outings, and numerous items. As part of the scheme, Robert McDonnell arranged meetings for Williams with Virginia government officials, hosted and attended events at the Governor’s Mansion designed to encourage Virginia university researchers to initiate studies of Star’s products and to promote Star’s products to doctors, contacted other Virginia government officials to encourage Virginia state research universities to initiate studies of Star’s products, and promoted Star’s products and facilitated its relationships with Virginia government officials.

The evidence further showed that the McDonnell’s attempted to conceal the things of value received from Williams and Star to hide the nature and scope of their dealings with Williams from the citizens of Virginia by, for example, routing gifts and loans through family members and corporate entities controlled by the former governor to avoid annual disclosure requirements.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. Dry, Jessica D. Aber, and Ryan S. Faulconer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Deputy Chief David V. Harbach II of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Division, IRS-CI, and the Virginia State Police.

Gunmen kidnap at least 89 boys in South Sudan

Dubai: Hundreds forced to flee fire at ‘The Torch’ skyscraper

Iran news in brief, 20 February 2015