Iran's Green movement
All topics-
Saudi Arabia and Iran
Defeat Islamic State - or become it
The dawn of 2016 has brought a new round of doomsday predictions that Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family cannot sustain its autocratic grip on power. The kingdom, pessimists argue, is caught in a perfect storm with economic problems, social challenges and foreign policy crises all converging at the same time. By James M. Dorsey
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The women of Iran - 120 years ago
Antoin Sevruguin, the father of Iranian society photography, captured portraits of Iranian women in the early 20th century, from well-known ladies at the court to women from various tribes around the country.
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Iran and its authors
The perils of writing
The history of modern Iranian literature has been shaped by censorship. Nonetheless, Iran is hoping to be guest of honour at the world′s leading book fair in Frankfurt in 2018. Amir Hassan Cheheltan, one of Iran′s best-known contemporary authors, describes how he copes with the situation
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Social justice and political reforms in Iran
A ticking time bomb
While the nuclear agreement with Iran may have opened the gates for oil exports and the import of European goods, the door to greater human rights, a pluralistic political party system and social justice in Iran remains firmly closed. Nevertheless, these central demands, which are made by large swathes of Iranian society, could soon come to the fore again. An analysis by Faraj Sarkohi
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Interview with Shirin Ebadi
Time for a human rights deal in Iran
Following the recent nuclear agreement, Iranians are hoping not only for a boost to their country's economy, but also for improved rights. In this interview, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi explains why the time has come for the West to focus on the human rights situation in Iran. By Sharam Ahadi and Mitra Shodjaie
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How the West views Iran's leaders
A sober and critical eye is needed
Has Iran really undergone fundamental change since President Hassan Rouhani took office? Observers shouldn't allow themselves to be deceived by the current trend towards rosy political analyses, warns Ali Fathollah-Nejad, a German–Iranian political scientist, who points out that developments in the Islamic Republic are characterised by continuity
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Interview with filmmaker Arash T. Riahi
"Non-violent revolutions are not a hippie fantasy"
With "Everyday Rebellion", Iranian-born filmmakers Arash and Arman T. Riahi have created a multimedia project that celebrates civil disobedience and connects peaceful forms of protest in Islamic countries and around the globe. Nahid Fallahi spoke to Arash T. Riahi about the film
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Book review: Ramin Jahanbegloo's "Time Will Say Nothing"
"The last stop before hell"
In May 2006, the leading Iranian intellectual and philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo was arrested at Tehran Airport and accused of spying and trying to undermine the government in Iran. Following an international campaign, he was released in August of the same year. After his release, he wrote a book about his experiences. By Fabrizio Petri
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Interview with the Iranian theatre director Amir Reza Kohestani
"In Iran, art fills a void"
Amir Reza Kohestani is currently the most sought-after theatre director in Iran. David Siebert talked to him about censorship, the enthusiasm for theatre among young Iranians and the new cultural freedom under President Rouhani
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Film review: "Desert Dancer"
Dancing around clichés
The film "Desert Dancer" tells the story of an Iranian dancer in a land where dancing is not permitted. Audiences are once again presented with a biased picture of a complex country. Marian Brehmer watched the film and questions the tendency of filmmakers to portray Iran in an exclusively negative light
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Five years after Iran's "Green Movement"
Past and present
On 12 June 2009, millions of Iranians began protesting against President Ahmadinejad's re-election. Five years after these protests were violently crushed and the "Green Movement" failed, this chapter of modern Iranian history is still not closed. By Faraj Sarkohi
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One year on from Rouhani's election victory
Surprise and disenchantment
A year on from his election victory, the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has a success story to show for himself that barely anyone would have expected him to pull off: the breakthrough in the nuclear talks with the West. However, Iran's economic situation remains difficult and there have been few improvements in terms of freedom of speech and human rights. By Ulrich von Schwerin