Iran Ban Targets Some 60 'Seditious' Western Groups

Radio Free Europe ^ | 01/05/2010 | By Golnaz Esfandiari

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has issued a list of 60 U.S. and international organizations that it accuses of inciting this summer’s postelection unrest and being involved in a “soft war” against the Islamic Republic.

The Intelligence Ministry named some 60 U.S. and international organizations, including the Open Society Institute of U.S. philanthropist George Soros, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and Yale University.

A number of Farsi-language media, including RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, the BBC, VOA, and Radio Zamaneh, which is based in the Netherlands, were also singled out by the Intelligence Ministry.

A deputy intelligence minister for international affairs, whose name was not given, accused the groups of working against the Iranian regime and said that contacts and cooperation with them were banned.

The unprecedented move appears to be part of the Iranian authorities' efforts to isolate critics and activists inside Iran and prevent them from having any contact with the outside world.

Activists and opposition supporters say Iranian authorities have been intensifying efforts to limit the free flow of information in and out of Iran in the wake of mass protests against June's disputed presidential election.

"Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has always been trying to prevent contacts between Iranians inside the country and international organizations,” says Faraj Sarkuhi, a prominent Iranian exiled writer and journalist. “In the past they accused the publication 'Adineh,' of which I was the chief editor, of espionage over contacts with International PEN [writers' organization] and said it is illegal.”

An extended list of the banned groups on the "gooya" news site includes: National Endowment for Democracy, National Republican Institute, Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Search For Common Ground Organization, New American Foundation, British Center for Democratic Studies, East European Democratic Center, MEMRI, U.S. National Defense University, The Smith Richardson Foundation, and Brookings Institute.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[Cindy]

Oh, now that’s scary.

The government in Iran seems to be drinking funny water these days.

Thanks for the ping.

#

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

[hennie pennie]

*ping*

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks hp.

[AdmSmith]

Here is the list http://news.gooya.com/politics/archives/2010/01/098600.php

But, the list is very strange, they have Yale as # 27 and 52. Why are they afraid of an Institute in Riga # 45?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks AdmSmith.