VOA — Iran’s president submitted next year’s budget to parliament on Tuesday, the first since the United States restored sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal.

HRANA – The following is an overview of human rights violations in Iran on December 25th, 2018 based on the information compiled and verified by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A prisoner was hanged at Isfahan Central Prison on murder charges.

Al-Monitor – Iran’s next elections are to be held in 2020 and 2021, but it has already preoccupied Reformists’ minds about whether to participate or boycott the ballot box as they are facing an unprecedented threat of losing their political capital.

Radiofarda – While some media outlets in Iran reported that Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroodi who was earlier said to be in intensive care has passed away, the official government news agency IRNA and state -controlled ISNA say he is in coma.

Radiofarda – A parliamentary motion banning child marriage in Iran has been rejected by Majles (parliament), an MP reported.

Radiofarda – While the price of a whole chicken is $1.3 per pound in the United States, the cost in Iran has gone up to almost $1.15. But the income of an average Iranian is many times less than a middle class American.

Radiofarda – During a speech at the Iranian parliament on December 18, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, a mid-ranking cleric, said various opposition groups are attempting to unite under the U.S. supportive umbrella.

Al-Arabia – Iraq’s second city, Basra, is burning again. Driven by a lack of city services and enormous, growing unemployment, Basra’s populace is rioting and burning. This iteration of unrest is as bad as it was two months ago when the Iranian Consulate was burned and the United States’ Consulate was closed.

Iran-HRM – On Friday December 21, a 11 year-old boy took his own life due to extreme poverty in Izeh, Khuzestan province.