Al-Arabia – Dozens of women gathered in front of the Iranian Ministry of Labor on Thursday, which coincided with Women’s Day, to call for more rights, while security forces closed roads around the ministry and deployed troops in the area, according to local media outlets. A week ahead of the demonstrations, several social media campaigns were launched by activists in …

Al-Monitor -Upon arriving in Vancouver, Canada, on March 8, 2018, the sons of Kavous Seyed-Emami–the Iranian-Canadian academic who died in Tehran’s Evin Prison last month–issued a statement about the “chaotic ordeal” they have suffered at the hands of the Iranian Judiciary and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since their father was pronounced dead on February 9. In addition to harassing the …

Radiofarda – Several women who had attempted to gather in Tehran to mark International Women’s Day have been detained, reports said.

Radiofarda – Without directly using the term “house arrest,” the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes says he has been confined to his residence. In a video message, the 91-year-old Nour Ali Tabandeh said he hoped the restrictions imposed on him and other Gonabadi dervishes would soon be lifted. Calling his followers the “faghir” (poor) and “soulmates,” Tabendeh assured them he …

Radiofarda – Former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticized “the closed circle of Iranian leadership,” in a strongly worded commentary on his website Dolat-e Bahar on March 7. Ahmadinejad says that the closed circle has reached “the last act of the show,” and “the powerful hand of the nation will break this rigid circle.” This is the harshest tone and …

Radiofarda – Iran’s prosecutor-general has officially called for those responsible for a ceremony celebrating Women’s Day in Iran to be prosecuted. Reportedly, the ceremony, during which a group of small girls jovially danced in front of a mixed-gender audience in Tehran, has deeply angered conservatives all over the country.

Radiofarda – As the fresh deadline set by US President Donald Trump to amend the Iran nuclear deal is approaching, three European allies, France, United Kingdom and Germany are eager to salvage the agreement. In doing so the Europeans have engaged in direct talks with the US; 3rd round of such talks is set to take place in Berlin Mid-March.

Iran-HRM – Iran’s top legal attorney general seeks to take action against organisers of a Women’s Day event in Tehran, after young girls were shown dancing on stage at the mixed gender festival held on March 7, according to the state-run ISNA news agency.

Iran-HRM – On Tuesday, March 6, Najibeh Salehzadeh, a Kurd civil rights activist in Saqez, was tried by the 1st Branch of the Saqez Revolutionary Court on charges of spreading propaganda against the regime through interviews with foreign media.

Iran-HRM – Leila Hosseinnejad, an anthropologist student at Tehran University, was sentenced to six years of prison and was banned from leaving the country. She was arrested during the recent December\January protest demonstrations and was taken to an unknown location.