Thursday , 28 March 2024

Monthly Archives: December 2017

Political Prisoners in Rajaee Shahr Prison Denied Basic Rights Including Heat in Cold Winter Months

CHRI – “All they want to do is harass the political prisoners.” The authorities of Rajaee Shahr Prison are keeping political prisoners in unbearably cold conditions without providing protection, a source with contacts inside the facility told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). “Blankets, warm clothes, and vitamins brought for the prisoners by their relatives have also been …

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Khamenei’s foreign policy adviser turns to the right

Al-Monitor -Ever since the passing of prominent Iranian politician Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in January, Ali Akbar Velayati has been attempting to earn the approval of radical Principlists in hopes of presenting himself as the Principlist option. Velayati is a veteran politician — he held the longest tenure as foreign minister in the history of the Islamic Republic, serving in …

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Iran willing to normalize ties with KRG, but not without change

AL-Monitor – Iran appears to be preparing to normalize its relations with Iraqi Kurdistan after two tumultuous months in which it helped Baghdad bring the Kurds to their knees following their ill-fated Sept. 25 independence referendum. Iran has expanded its influence in Iraq by delivering on its promises to Baghdad, and in particular assisting the Popular Mobilization Units in retaking …

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Southeastern Iran Hit By Another Moderate Earthquake; 23 Reported Injured

RFL/RE – An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 rocked Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman on December 21 and at least 23 people were injured, state TV said, only a day after two people were killed by a similar tremor near Tehran. Rescue teams were dispatched to the town of Kuhbanan, the epicenter of the latest quake, officials said. No deaths were …

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UN Overwhelmingly Rejects US Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

VOA – The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution rejecting the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy there. “The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation,” …

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Two Journalists Held for Months Without Charge Released on Bail

CHRI – After four months in arbitrary detention, Iranian journalists Sasan Aghaei and Yaghma Fashkhami have been released on bail. The semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency (ISNA) reported that Aghaei was freed on December 20, 2017, and Fashkhami on December 21. Aghaei, the deputy editor-in-chief of the reformist Etemad newspaper, was arrested on August 12, 2017, and held in Evin …

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Students Challenge Minister’s Claim That No One in Iran is Banned From University for Political Reasons

CHRI – A student who was banned from pursuing a university education in Iran because he engaged in peaceful activism has spoken out against the science minister’s claim that “few” such cases exist. “None of the starred students have political issues because politics is not criteria for accepting students,” said Science Minister Mansour Gholami at a technology exhibition on December …

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Baha’is Still Misunderstood in Iran, Says Former Leader After Serving 10 Years in Prison

AL-Monitor – Baha’i leader Behrouz Tavakkoli has spoken out about the Iranian government’s “misunderstandings” about his minority faith. Tavakkoli spoke to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on December 15, 2017, 11 days after his release from Rajaee Shahr Prison where he served a 10-year-prison sentence for his religious beliefs. “Those in charge of the country knew how …

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Rouhani: No one above the law, not even Prophet Muhammad

AL-Monitor – One year ago, President Hassan Rouhani unveiled an Iranian bill of rights, called the Citizens’ Rights Charter, that would offer Iranians more personal freedoms. On Dec. 19, Rouhani, along with his advisers and Cabinet and parliamentary officials, marked the one-year anniversary of his citizens’ rights charter at a gathering called the National Conference Report on the Progress and …

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Turkey Seeks To Arrest Family Of Key Witness In U.S. Iran-Sanctions Case

RFL/RE – An Istanbul prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for the family of a former police investigator who recently provided crucial testimony for U.S. prosecutors in a high-profile Iran-sanctions case, according to Turkish state media. Media reported on December 20 that the order to arrest Huseyin Korkmaz’s parents came after he testified that he gave his mother documents related to …

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