http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,12858,1011846,00.html Iran's hardliners step up arrests of activists
Dan De Luce, Tehran Monday August 4, 2003
Iran's hardline clergy has begun arresting and interrogating journalists, students and political activists in a new attempt to intimidate opposition before next year's parliamentary elections.
In the most extensive wave of detentions in recent years, plainclothes security agents have detained hundreds of student activists as well as journalists and reformist commentators.
"This is not a new process," Reza Yousefian, an MP in the reformist movement, told the Guardian. "But it has accelerated. They want to prepare themselves for the next round of parliamentary elections. (excerpt)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3122347.stm UN seeks snap Iran inspections
Talks on inspections without notice of Iran's nuclear facilities have begun in Tehran.
A team of legal experts from the UN's nuclear watchdog is seeking to persuade it to drop opposition to such visits.
Iran said in the past it would only agree to them if it was granted more access to nuclear technology.
(excerpt)