Al-Monitor – There are indications that French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s recent visit to Iran was not very successful in terms of achieving its goals. The trip took place with the aim of paving the way for an upcoming landmark visit by French President Emmanuel Macron as well as softening Iran’s position on engaging in talks on regional issues …

Al-Monitor – Iranian academic and outspoken political analyst Sadegh Zibakalam has been handed a prison sentence. Zibakalam, who is a well-known supporter of reform, stated March 13 that he has been sentenced to 18 months in jail and has also been banned for two years from political and social activities. Elaborating on the Tehran Revolutionary Court’s sentence, Zibakalam added in …

PayvandNews 0 Popular demonstrations in Iran at the end of 2017 reflected economic and other grievances along with a growing frustration and impatience with the Islamic system’s shortcomings. However, the demonstrations also revealed deep cultural cleavages in Iranian society. By Shireen T. Hunter (source: LobeLog) Iranian woman on cell phone with friends (photo by Amir Farshad Ebrahimi via Flickr) Some …

iran-hrm.com – Internet activist Moussa Javadi, who was arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence after recent protests on February 7 on charges of “acting against national security,” was transferred to the Central Ardebil Prison

iran-hrm.com – Labor Minister Ali Rabiei wrote an Instagram post addressing Iranian women. “Yesterday, 80 women’s rights activist were detained in a gathering for International Women’s Day outside the Ministry of Labor and there is still no news on their release,” he wrote on Instagram.

iran-hrm.com – A student gathering at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran turned violent after the student Bassij attacked student protesters. The gathering was held on Sunday March 11 in protest to heavy sentences

iranhumanrights – The Iranian authorities should end their cruel campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of detainees who have died in detention under suspicious circumstances, Amnesty International,

iranhumanrights – Nasrin Sotoudeh: Iran’s Constitution Makes No Mention of the Mandatory Hijab. A woman who was sentenced to prison in Iran for removing her headscarf in public is being used as an example to dissuade others from repeating the peaceful protest against the compulsory hijab, according to prominent human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh.

iranhumanrights – Iranian law is deliberating vague about the hijab to leave room for harsh sentencing against those who refuse to cover themselves according to Islamic tradition, Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi

iranhumanrights – The Iranian government’s top internet policy body is currently debating whether it should lift the state’s nine-year ban on Twitter.