Radiofarda – Praise for prominent jailed Iranian lawyer and human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh by France’s representative to the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) last Tuesday turned into a war of words between Tehran and Paris. France – Marlene Schiappa, Secretary of Equality between women and men in the French government. CSW, launched in 1946, is the …

Radiofarda – Institute for Science, a Washington-based think tank focused on nuclear non-proliferation has published evidence on its Twitter page, that might prove Iran’s famous nuclear site Fordow had been set up years before the Islamic Republic admitted its existence. Students form a human chain during a protest to defend Iran’s nuclear program outside the Fordow Uranium Conversion Facility in …

CHRI – Sentences Range from Six to 26 Years Including Lashes March 15, 2019 – The mass conviction of 23 dervishes of the Sufi Gonabadi Order to prison terms of up to 26 years as well as lashings further curbs religious freedom rights in Iran. “It’s a clear assault on a religious minority,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of …

RFL/RE – Belarusian authorities have ordered the expulsion of an Iranian man who has converted to Christianity and is wanted by Tehran for apostasy and alleged murder, despite warnings by international human rights organizations that he would be at risk of torture and the death penalty if sent back. Mehrdad Jamshidian’s health is deteriorating after he suffered a heart attack …

Radiozamaneh – As the director of Zamaneh Media, I was asked to speak at an event about independent media and why it matters for the future of Iran. In the 7 minutes I was given, here is what I said: There is a city in Southern Iran close to the Iraqi border called Ahvaz. That city is close to the …

gatestoneinstitute.org – As Iran’s theocratic establishment believes that the Supreme Leader is Allah’s representative on earth, whatever words or desires the Supreme Leader utters are considered Allah’s wishes, which must be brought to life by Allah’s true believers. Iran has built, or is in the process of building, more than 10 military bases in Syria, some of which are near …

CHRI – A coalition of diverse human rights organizations have signed an open letter supporting the renewal of the UN special rapporteur’s (SR’s) mandate on Iran. Javaid Rehman, a Pakistani-born British legal scholar, was appointed to the position in July 2018 after former SR Asma Jahangir passed away in February 2018. Read the full letter below. TO: Member states of …

CHRI – UN, GENEVA– Worrying patterns of intimidation, arrest, prosecution, and ill-treatment of human rights defenders, lawyers, and labour rights activists in Iran signal an increasingly severe State response to protests and strikes in the country, a UN expert said today. Javaid Rehman, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said rising inflation, difficult working conditions, late or unpaid …

Al-Monitor – In an unusual development, a judge in Tehran has sentenced prominent — and aging — political activist Abolfazl Ghadyani to copy three books by hand while serving his prison term. The 74-year-old Ghadyani, who has been tortured and imprisoned both under the former shah and after the 1979 Revolution for his political activism, had been charged with insulting Supreme …

Al-Monitor – President Hassan Rouhani became the first sitting Iranian president to meet with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most senior Iraqi Shiite leader, when he visited the holy city of Najaf on March 14. The meeting took place on the final day of his three-day tour of Iraq. The historic meeting received widespread coverage by Iranian newspapers and was …