Iran hangs Iranian-Dutch woman Sahra Bahrami

Iran hangs Iranian-Dutch woman Sahra Bahrami

A Dutch-Iranian woman, arrested after taking part in anti-government protests in Iran, has been hanged for drug smuggling, Iranian officials have said.

Sahra Bahrami, 46, was jailed for a year after being arrested after joining a protest in 2009, while visiting relatives.

Dutch officials had said they were extremely concerned about her case.

Her execution brings the total number hanged in the country so far this year to 66, according to media reports.

During a search of her house, authorities found 450g of cocaine and 420g of opium, the Tehran prosecutor's office said.

"A drug trafficker named Sahra Bahrami, daughter of Ali, was hanged early on Saturday morning after she was convicted of selling and possessing drugs," the office said, according to AFP.

Shock

It added that Ms Bahrami was a member of an international drug gang who smuggled cocaine into the country using her Dutch connections.

But Ms Bahrami's daughter has been quoted as telling the New York-based rights group International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the drug charges were fabricated.

"She doesn't even smoke cigarettes, let alone possessing drugs. How could someone who participates in [post-]election gatherings and endangers her life, engage in such actions against her country?" she is quoted as saying.

Ms Bahrami's lawyer has expressed shock at the news.

"I am bewildered as to how my client's death sentence was issued while her security charges had not yet been reviewed," Jinoos Sharif is quoted as telling the group.

Dutch officials were denied access to her because Tehran does not recognise her dual nationality.

A Dutch foreign ministry spokesman has said that they could not yet confirm her death as they had yet to be approached by the Iranian authorities.




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12314886

Government begins demolishing Oklahoma town, lone resident refuses to leave

Government begins demolishing Oklahoma town, lone resident refuses to leave

With just about every resident gone, schools closed and city government dismantled, federal officials have begun demolishing the town of Picher, Okla., officals said Friday, Jan. 28.

The federal government has ordered the demolition because of years of lead contamination.

However, there is one business owner standing in the way of some of the wrecking balls.

Gary Linderman, owner of Old Miner’s Pharmacy, said he has an obligation to the people who are left, even though there are only a small number of customers still come to his store.

"It's not time for me to leave yet," Linderman said."We are all creatures of habit and closing might throw (the people) off."

Linderman said some customers still come in to buy snacks, over-the-counter medications and beverages.

The federal government offered to buy Linderman’s business, but he refused several offers. Since the government declared Picher, located in the northeast corner of the state, a hazardous waste site in 1981, it is has successfully bought-out all of the town's 900 homes and commercial properties.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 24, crews tore down a thrift store, apartment complex, restaurant and a building used as a funeral home.

Officials said three historic building will remain for now. A former museum, auction house and church will still stand near Linderman’s property, although the pharmacy will be the only building in use.

Between 1917 and 1947, Picher was a lead- and zinc-mining hotbed. The town remained economically vibrant until the late 1960s. Today, it is part of the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Once a town of more than 14,000, Picher saw steady population declines as mining operations ceased. As of Novemeber 2010, only six occupied homes remained.

Much of the area is littered with mining sinkholes, which have caused significant dangers over the years.

The town was ordered to be closed in 2006. Citizens have been relocated to nearby communities.




http://www.examiner.com/cultural-oddities-in-national/government-begins-demolishing-oklahoma-town-one-resident-refuses-to-leave

Larry Wilcox Sentenced to 3-Year Probation for Stock Fraud Case

Larry Wilcox Sentenced to 3-Year Probation for Stock Fraud Case

Former "Chips" star Larry Wilcox has been sentenced to three years probation for securities fraud. The former TV cop, who starred alongside Erik Estrada in the 1970s U.S. TV series, pleaded guilty to securities fraud conspiracy back in November.

The Securities and Exchange Commission accused the actor of being involved in a bogus company created to generate fake stock sales. The organizers of the scheme were caught in a sting operation conducted by America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Wilcox, 63, was handed his punishment during a court hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, January 28, when federal judge ordered him to complete 500 hours of community service. He faced a maximum of five years in prison for the crime.




http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0010003.html

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