Monday Roundup

Warning - graphic material: More reports -- and photographs -- of torture in Iran's prisons, and Karroubi asks Rafsanjani to investigate reports from "senior officials" (and many others) that some protesters were brutally raped, as outrage over the Ahmadinejad crackdown continues to spread. A good analysis here. Karroubi's accusations should come as no surprise. Rape is a tried and true torture technique in Khamenei's Iran, (and too many other places), and is nothing new.

RR has one detainee's story here. Again, this is very graphic and painful.

Photos from Aug 6th ceremony. Kermanshah, for Kianoosh Asa. It looks like there were a lot of people there.

There is again doubt about whether or not Rafsanjani will lead Friday Prayers. Rafsanjani announced he would be, on his website, but that information has since been taken down. Aftab News says No (FA) (EN). Mehdi Karroubi's newspaper, Eternade Melli, says:

“It seems that such a decision [Rafsanjani's withdrawal from Friday prayers in Tehran] has been made because of concerns that the last blatant display of popular support that greeted Rafsanjani last time will be repeated. The question remains that was this decision made [by the Friday Prayers committee] due to governmental pressure or that Rafsanjani himself decided to not lead the prayers”.

@oxfordgirl on twitter notes that there were false reports that Rafsanjani had withdrawn from prayers before the July 17th prayers. Keep that in mind. An announcement is to be made Tuesday.

UPDATE: The Guardian says no Rafsanjani on Friday. Something very fishy about this.

Lots of reports now that Ahmadinejad is running into a lot more trouble in parliament with his cabinet. There's a sense that a lot of hardliners want to be rid of AN without looking like they openly oppose him and the cabinet is a vulnerable area for him.

And U2's latest tribute to the Iranian opposition, in Zagreb:

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