By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

Tehran, Iran – Iran began the process of suspending high levels of uranium enrichment Monday as part of the interim deal, known as the Joint Plan of Action, made between Iran and Six world powers (The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany and the European Union) which officially went into effect on Monday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran has stopped its most sensitive nuclear activity in compliance with the deal the state struck with World powers last November. The IAEA report to member states said: “The Agency confirms that, as of 20 January 2014, Iran … has ceased enriching uranium above 5 percent U-235 at the two cascades at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) and four cascades at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) previously used for this purpose.” The report referred to actions taken at Iran’s two enrichment plants in Natanz and Fordow.

Iranian State-run media quoted Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization as saying “the suspension of 20 percent enrichment has started at the Natanz plant and the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are going to the Fordow plant.”

As part of the deal Iran stopped the enrichment of uranium to the 20% purity level and disconnected cascades of centrifuges enriching uranium at Natanz. Mohammad Amiri, a director in the Iran’s nuclear agency, said “from now on, the centrifuges which were used for producing 20% enriched uranium will be used for enriching uranium to the 5% purity level.”  Iran has been enriching uranium at 20 percent concentration since early 2010, compliance to the interim deal, reducing the increment of Uranium, signifies a major step away from the nuclear weapons capabilities feared by western powers.

Nuclear power is a common sources of electricity, Nuclear power plants use uranium that is enriched to 5% for the generation of electricity. The Iranian government insists that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, namely the generations of energy for civilian uses, despite the concerns of many members of the international community who fear the program could lead the state towards the development of nuclear weapons capabilities.

According to the United States Department of State the parties involved in the negations with Iran are reviewing a report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.M Watchdog Group which oversees nuclear programs. IAEA inspectors were present in Iran when the deal went into effect and have provided details of the nuclear activities in Iran today in its report.

Tero Varjoranta, deputy director general of the I.A.E.A., told the press at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna that Iran has provided “good cooperation” so far and that “we have a very robust system in place with Iran” to ensure that the Iranians will continue to comply with the agreement.

In response to Iran’s actions the European Union and the United States have suspended some of the restrictions placed on the Iran as part of though sanctions placed on the state. These restrictions include the petrochemicals, automotive and precious metals industries. The EU and the United States also began the release of $4.2 billion in Iranian frozen assets frozen.

The temporary deal will expire on July 20, the interim deal is intended to lead to a permanent accord after the parties once again enter into negotiations later this year.

For more information please see:

The Jerusalem Post – Iran Halts Higher-Grade Uranium Enrichment, IAEA Report Shows – 20 January 2014

CNN International – Iran Says It’s Implementing Interim Nuclear Deal – 20 January 2014

The New York Times – Temporary Nuclear Deal with Iran Takes Effect – 20 January 2014

USA Today – The Clock Starts On Iran Nuclear Deal – 20 January 2014

CNN International – 20 Questions about the Iran Nuclear Deal: What It Says, What’s At Stake, What’s Next – 25 November 2013

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-The White House issued a statement on Monday saying that the U.S. will start easing economic sanctions on Iran as soon as Tehran begins closing tis most sensitive nuclear work.  Jay Carney, White House spokesman, added that Washington will continue to aggressively enforce sanctions that remain in effect.

“These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program and roll it back in key respects,” Carney said.

Carney continued saying, “Iran has also begun to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA.  Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.”

The United Nations nuclear agency confirmed that the higher-level uranium enrichment at a facility located in central Iran has ceased.  As such, the European Union also announced its suspension of sanctions.

The deal that went into effect on Monday was discussed by EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton.  “This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear program,” Ashton added.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would not stop Iran from “realizing its intention to develop nuclear weapons.”

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said, “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”  The IAEA confirmed that Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5% and also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%.

Providing a note of caution, former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said that if Iran decides to default on the deal, it would only need two to three weeks to produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.

The sanctions will be suspended for six months allowing Iran to resume export of its petrochemicals.  Sanctions affecting the trading in gold, other precious metals and the car industry will also be lifted.

The payoff to Iran will result in an influx of billions of dollars over the next six months into the Islamic republic’s unstable economy.

For more information, please see the following: 

ABC News-US to Begin Easing Economic Sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

Al Jazeera-EU and US ease some sanctions against Iran-20 January 2014

BBC News-Iran nuclear: Curbs on uranium enrichment begin-20 January 2014

York Dispatch-U.S., EU lift some sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – A senior Egyptian official claimed that an overwhelming majority of the Egyptians who voted in the country’s constitutional referendum earlier this week voted in favour of the draft constitution supported by the military led government in Cairo. Though the results he cited when talking to the Associated Press were unofficial the official claimed that more than 90% of voters who participated in the election voted in favour of the constitution.

While unofficial results cited by officials show a victory for the military led interim government thousands of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and former President Mohamed Morsi boycotted the elections, dozens of Brotherhood supporters were arrested during the voting process after taking to the streets in demonstrations against the election. The Muslim Brotherhoods and other Islamist supporters felt they were unfairly kept out of the drafting process of the constitution, which is a heavily edited version of the constitution written under Morsi’s regime ratified in December 2012, and that the removal of president Morsi was an illegal coup against the nation’s first democratically elected leader.

Election monitors voiced concerns over serious violations and irregularities in the voting process. There complaints included concerns over reported incidents of voter intimidation, specifically intimidation of the constitution’s opponents. However, monitors have not formally accused authorities of fraud or ballot-stuffing. While state officials claim more than 90% of voters voted yes for the constitution only about 38% of eligible voters turned out to vote this week. However, the voter turnout and percentage of voters supporting the constipation was higher in this round of elections than in the constitutional referendum held under Morsi. The Mediterranean province of Matrouh, an area with high support for Islamists reported the lowest turnout Tuesday and Wednesday with only 20% of eligible voters turning out to vote.

In a statement made Thursday by the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog Transparency International the origination said; “politically motivated violence, intimidation and repression from state and non-state actors limited and conditioned citizens’ political and electoral participation,” a local anti-corruption group called Shayfeencom (“We Are Watching You”) reported that one of its election observers was arrested and tortured by Egyptian security forces in the Suez Canal city of Port Said after an altercation at a polling station Wednesday.

The passage of the draft constitution is a critical milestone for the Egyptian interim government, the next major step for the Egyptian government will be the Presidential and Parliamentary elections expected later this year. The passage of the document may signify that despite claims of corporation, intimidation and human rights violations by the military led government many Egyptians supported the new Constitution in hopes that it will lead Egypt out of a period of instability and turmoil in favour of stability and economic growth.

For more information please see:

CBS News – Egypt’s constitution passing with flying colors: official – 16 January 2014

The New York Times – Egypt’s Crackdown Belies Constitution as It Nears Approval – 16 January 2014

Reuters – Egyptians back constitution, opening way to Sisi presidential run – 16 January 2014

The Washington Post – Egyptians approve new constitution, according to unofficial referendum results – 16 January 2014