Ostanwire Regional News Round-up

What's going on around Iran this month? A regional blogger writes to the new president, architects panic that historic parts of Yazd will be razed to make parking lots, a Qom official reports a rise in suicides, and the Revolutionary Guards crackdown on websites in the province of Markazi.  

Student Architect Protest Destruction of Historic Yazd District
Two hundred and sixty students of architecture and urban planning in Iran have submitted a protest letter to the governor of Yazd in response to his plans to destroy four hectares of the city's historical district, Yazdan News reports. The historical and ancient religious edifices are to be torn down to build parking lots and open spaces.  In their letter, the students referred to Bill 558 that was passed in 2005 prohibiting the destruction of historical buildings and landmarks.  The students cautioned the governor that the preservation of the historical buildings is an important responsibility of the government and the destruction of these landmarks can be punished by up to ten years in prison. 

Regional Blogger Beseeches Rouhani
A blogger in the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad,  Sadeq Dopaykar, province wrote to President-elect Hassan Rouhani and posted his letter on his blog, writing: “Mr. Rouhani, the people of Iran are fed up of being beaten and oppressed.  Please return honor and integrity to the nation and the Iranian people. Harsh and unjust sanctions have bent the weary backs of the Iranian people.  You yourself have said that the Iranian people have not done anything to deserve the repercussions of these sanctions.  With transparency, mutual respect and cooperation with other countries, remove the dark cloud cast by these sanctions. Mr. Rouhani, our people are struggling to survive.  Inflation is high and unemployment is distressing.  Set the grounds for an economic recovery and put the wheels of production in motion...Our people are deserving.  Please do not allow their pride to be destroyed by being forced to receive welfare and charity in order to exist.” Dopaykar also asked for the release of the Green Movement leaders Mousavi and Khatami.

Counting Votes By Hand, Not So Easy
Candidates running for City Council of Tabriz located in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan submitted a letter to the supervisory board of elections requesting the recount of votes, Anaj News reports.  In the letter, the candidates allege that the large number of candidates running for city offices, along with the simultaneous event of the presidential elections may have caused those who were tallying the votes to become fatigued, thereby increasing the margin of human error.  

Suicides, Brawling Spike in Qom
The Chief Medical Examiner of Qom  announced an increase in the suicide rate in 2012 from the previous year and a decrease in the murder rate in the region, according to Fordonews.  Sedighi Akha said he could not provide the actual number of suicides for the year 2012 nor could he address why suicides have spiked. He reported that 90% of the suicide victims were male,  61% of the suicides involved death by hanging, and 31% were caused by consumption of poisonous material.  The majority of the cases brought to the medical examiner's office involve men who have been involved in a physical assault or brawl.  Such cases increased five percent in 2012.

Website Crackdown in Markazi
Revolutionary Guards have shut down 44 websites and blogs since the beginning of March 2013 in the Provence of Markazi, Mehr News reported. Major Mostafa Noorozi has said that as a result of the growing number of internet sites and blogs focusing on politics and news, the need for surveillance of existing and upcoming websites and blogs is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of the Islamic Republic and the values of the people in the region.  The owners and operators of the 44 websites and blogs have been CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.