Iran arrested more than a dozen journalists, bloggers, opposition supporters and rights activists in recent weeks, intensifying a crackdown on freedom of expression ahead of parliamentary elections in March.
Three website developers were also sentenced to death earlier this month "for spreading corruption on earth". Each had languished in jail for at least four years, so the timing of their sentences, just weeks before the polls, was not seen as coincidental.
That those held seem particularly unthreatening is aimed at fostering a climate of fear and stifling the free flow of information before the election, analysts said.
It will be the first nationwide vote since June 2009 when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election was challenged by hundreds of thousands of Iranians taking to the streets.
The wave of arrests and draconian sentences also highlights the regime's paranoia as it grapples with internal divisions and unprecedented western pressure over its nuclear programme. Human-rights groups have said Iran is already the world's leading jailer of journalists and its most prolific executioner.
Parastou Dokouhaki, an award-winning blogger and women's- rights activist in her 30s, has been held in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin prison since January 15 when security agents stormed her home. Because of harsh restrictions on the media, she had not been involved in journalism in recent years and was not politically active.
Ms Dokouhaki was also crippled by depression over her father's death a few months earlier and receiving treatment for a serious illness. On December 31, in her last posting on her blog, Zan Nevesht (Woman Writer), she wrote that time was not easing her grief for her father. Exposure to the "painful process" of his "long sickness and death" has "left me vulnerable", she wrote. "I am dying bit by bit … I am sick … I am deeply depressed … I don't have any motivation for creating even small goals."
Ms Dokouhaki has been charged with "acting against national security" and "propaganda against the regime".
Two days after her arrest, Marzieh Rasouli, an award-winning music and literary critic for reformist newspapers, was hauled off to Evin in similar circumstances on the same charges. She was never politically active. Within hours, a photojournalist, Sahamoddin Bourghani, the son of a prominent reformist former parliamentarian, was also detained.
Among others arrested this month were Simin Nematollahi, who wrote for a website covering news about Sufis; Mohammad Soleimaninya, the head of a social networking site; and Said Madani, a civil rights activist.
Human-rights groups have also highlighted the plight of three website developers on death row, the most prominent of whom is Saeed Malekpour, an Iranian-born resident of Canada. He was arrested in 2008 while visiting his dying father. Held for a year in solitary confinement without access to lawyers, he was found guilty of promoting adult websites and "agitation against the regime".
Mr Malekpour, 36, has denied the charges and said he was subjected to "physical and psychological torture" in detention. After an international campaign, his death sentence was overturned last summer but reconfirmed by Iran's Supreme Court this month when he lost his final appeal.
Amnesty International said that by confirming Malekpour's sentence "after an unfair trial, the Iranian authorities are sending a message to Iranians not to freely express their views, or even to help others to do so, including on the internet".
Iran this month announced plans to launch a "halal", or pure, national intranet, which the country's online community fears is intended to replace the global internet, cutting off cyber access to the outside world.
Before previous elections, the authorities eased up on the media to encourage high voter participation, which they claim is popular endorsement of the regime's legitimacy. Not so this time.
The regime is still jittery after the mass unrest ignited by Mr Ahmadinejad's "stolen" election in 2009 shook the clerical establishment to its core.
"This is the first election in three decades that the regime is actually increasing suppression before the vote," said Sadeq Sabaa, head of the BBC's Persian service.
Iran has forbidden the channel to have staff in Tehran, but tries to intimidate its reporters abroad by harassing family members in Iran, Mr Sabaa added in an interview from London.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi, the reformist leaders who ran against Mr Ahmadinejad in 2009, have been under house arrest since last February. Most reformists are boycotting the March 2 polls. Mr Karrubi last month accused the regime of intending to hold a "rubber stamp" election.
The vote will instead be a contest between rival ruling hardline factions that were united against the opposition Green Movement three years ago but who are now at each other's throats.
Supporters of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accuse the president of trying to sideline Iran's clergy and Revolutionary Guards who enjoy immense power, privilege and wealth.
It is unlikely that either hardline faction can stage a large show of people power on the streets like the reformist Green Movement did in 2009. But any confrontation between them could be more destabilising.
Unlike the reformists they "have access to different levers of power - economic, political and military", Hadi Ghaemi, the New York based co-ordinator of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, said.
As in 2009, the regime is trying to blame its internecine problems on foreign enemies. Iran's intelligence minister, Heidar Moslehi, announced the arrest of several unnamed "spies" this month.
Iran is second only to China in the number it executes. By last November, Iran had executed at least 600 people in 2011, 81 per cent of them for drug-related offences, Amnesty International said last month.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, meanwhile, described Iran as "the world's worst jailer" of journalists, with 42 behind bars in December.
A well-informed Iran analyst, who requested anonymity, said others were detained this month whose cases have not come to light because the authorities threatened their families not to make them public. He expected more arrests as the election nears.
mtheodoulou@thenational.ae
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vault%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBilal%20Abou-Diab%20and%20Sami%20Abdul%20Hadi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EInvestment%20and%20wealth%20advisory%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutliers%20VC%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 592bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Price: Dh980,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The%20Boy%20and%20the%20Heron
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayao%20Miyazaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Soma%20Santoki%2C%20Masaki%20Suda%2C%20Ko%20Shibasaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5