U.S. Department of State/Iran: Death Sentence of Mohammad Ali Taheri
 Mark C. Toner
Deputy Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 7, 2015
We are deeply concerned by reports that a Revolutionary Court in Iran has sentenced to death Mohammad Ali Taheri, the Iranian founder of a spiritual movement, on the charge of “corruption on earth.” We also are disturbed that a number of the movement’s followers reportedly have been sentenced to prison terms for similarly vague so-called crimes. The ability of citizens to exercise their rights of freedom of religion and expression are fundamental principles of universally-recognized human rights enshrined in international law.It is our understanding that Taheri, who has been held in Evin Prison in solitary confinement since his October 2011 conviction on charges of “insulting Islamic sanctities,” received this sentence in response to his peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression. To sentence a citizen to death for exercising these freedoms represents an extreme violation of his rights. We call on the Iranian Government to rescind Taheri’s death sentence and accord him full due process and to uphold freedom of expression and belief for its citizens [This is a mobile copy of Iran: Death Sentence of Mohammad Ali Taheri]
Short URL: http://m.state.gov/md245826.htm


Exclusive: Hebrew University chemistry professor accepts academic invitation from Tehran
JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH/J.Post/08/09/2015/Although hostility between Israel and Iran -- over the US-Iranian nuclear control agreement -- has never been worse, an Israeli academic has received a warm invitation. Hebrew University of Jerusalem Chemistry Prof. Renata Reisfeld has been invited to become a member of the editorial board of the Tehran-based International Journal of Environment, Energy and Waste.
Reisfeld happily accepted the offer. Reisfeld, the Enrique Berman Professor of Solar Energy at HU’s Institute of Chemistry, told The Jerusalem Post that Maryam Pazoki, assistant professor at the Faculty of Environment at the University of Tehran, sent her the official invitation. “The Iran Solid Waste Association (ISWA) is eager to promote academic, practical and simultaneous interdisciplinary research regarding technical, social, and cultural aspects of environment, energy, and waste.” Therefore, “it has decided to set up a peer-reviewed, open-access International Journal of Environment, Energy and Waste (www.ijeew.com) available both in printed and electronic versions. On behalf of Prof. Omid Bozorg Haddad (the chief editor of the journal), I would like to invite you to join our elite group of managing editors and editorial board. It is my honor to have your name and support for participating in selection of editors occasionally. I am sure that with your support, we can make our ambitious goal a reality,” the Iranian academic wrote