Many of those detained in Iran are held at Tehran's Evin prison. Reuters
Many of those detained in Iran are held at Tehran's Evin prison. Reuters
Many of those detained in Iran are held at Tehran's Evin prison. Reuters
Many of those detained in Iran are held at Tehran's Evin prison. Reuters

Former Iran hostage Barry Rosen goes on hunger strike to campaign for prisoners in Tehran


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

A survivor of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis will embark on a hunger strike in solidarity with those unlawfully detained by the Iranian regime.

Barry Rosen, a senior adviser at the advocacy organisation United Against Nuclear Iran, said he will travel to Vienna on Tuesday to stage his protest. Officials are engaged in long-running talks with Tehran in the Austrian capital over a resurrection of the 2015 nuclear deal Iran agreed to with world powers.

The hunger strike will mark 41 years since Mr Rosen’s release when, as the US press attache in Iran, he was one of 52 Americans held hostage at Washington’s embassy in Tehran for 444 days.

“The hostage crisis hasn’t ended for many others — Americans and Westerners — who are now being held as bargaining chips in Iran. There at least two dozen of them. It’s clear to me that the release of the hostages can only take place if the US and countries like the US pressure Iran,” he said in a video posted on social media.

“Now, my message is simple. No deal with Iran unless the hostages are free.” Mr Rosen said he would deliver that message to the US and Iranian delegations in Vienna.

“I think what I’m doing is the right thing for the hostages and their families,” he said, although he admitted he was worried about his health.

His campaign received support from Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian-British academic who was jailed in Iran from 2018-2020 on alleged espionage charges described by Australia’s government as “baseless and politically motivated".

“Thank you so much for being so selfless and for raising awareness of our cases in this way. Please be careful,” said Elika Ashoori, whose father Anoosheh Ashoori was arrested in 2017 in Tehran while visiting his mother. The retired British-Iranian engineer was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2019 on spying charges that his family says are baseless.

The talks in Vienna began in April 2021 and are currently in the eighth round of negotiations.

In 2018, then-US president Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally from the accord that had offered Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

In response to Washington reimposing those heavy sanctions, Tehran has repeatedly breached the terms of the deal and continued to step up its uranium enrichment.

Mr Trump’s successor Joe Biden has signalled that he wants to agree a new deal but the negotiations in Vienna have been complicated by a new Iranian delegation that has been accused of making maximalist demands.

While diplomats in Vienna have voiced cautious optimism that a deal can yet be reached, European and US officials have warned negotiators repeatedly that time is running out.

Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.

Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021

Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.

Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.

Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.

Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.

Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.

Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.

Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”

Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI. 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
While you're here
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%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Richard Jewell

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley

Two-and-a-half out of five stars 

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The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
HEADLINE HERE
  • I would recommend writing out the text in the body 
  • And then copy into this box
  • It can be as long as you link
  • But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
  • Or try to keep the word count down
  • Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into 
  • That's about it
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Updated: January 17, 2022, 11:58 AM`