Radiofarda – The official website of President Hassan Rouhani’s administration has deleted a controversial video describing the implications of Rouhani’s meeting with Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani. The video posted on Tuesday March 12 said Rouhani’s meeting with Sistani, scheduled for Wednesday, has three powerful messages for three major audiences. The video quoted “analysts” as saying that the …

Radiofarda – Hardliner turned critic, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) has given a rare interview to the pro-reform daily Sharq. Below is a summary of his comments on a variety of issues facing the Islamic Republic. Money Laundering and Terrorism A referendum should be held on the question of whether or not Iran should join the international conventions against money …

Al-Arabia – Iran will respond firmly to any Israeli naval action against its oil shipments, Iran’s defense minister said on Wednesday, in comments that came a week after Israel’s prime minister said its navy could act against Iranian oil “smuggling” to evade US sanctions.US President Donald Trump last year quit a nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposed some sanctions, aiming …

Iran-HRM – Four prisoners were hanged in the cities of Urmia, northern Iran, and in Zahedan, west of the country. Three of the prisoners, identified as Naji Omarzadeh, Khalil Salehi and Hossein Ebrahimi, were hanged on Monday, March 11, in Urmia Central Prison. The prisoners were transferred to solitary on Sunday to be executed the next day. On Sunday, the …

RFL/E – The United States has condemned the new prison sentences reportedly imposed on Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh “in the strongest possible terms.” “We are outraged to hear reports that the Iranian regime sentenced…Sotoudeh to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes,” State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on March 12.“This sentence is beyond barbaric,” he added. Meanwhile, …

VOA – A group of Iranian lawyers has added its voice to international criticism of Tehran for sentencing a female colleague to additional years in prison in relation to her work in defending Iranian rights activists. In an open letter to the Iranian people dated Tuesday and sent by one of the authors to VOA Persian, the group of 16 …

VOA — U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, blasted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Iraq and accused his government of trying to control Iraq by fueling sectarian conflict in the country. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook speaks to VOA Persian, Dec. 18, 2018. In an interview with Alhurrha TV, Hook said Rouhani’s visit is not in …

Amnesty – Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent Iranian human rights lawyer, has been sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes because of her work defending women’s rights & protesting against Iran’s forced hijab laws. The new sentence of 33 years in prison brings Nasrin’s total sentence – after two grossly unfair trials – to 38 years in prison. Nasrin …

PayvandNews – The Iranian government has long accused some of its neighboring states of using terrorism and insurgency to destabilize the country. There may be some truth to these accusations. But Iran’s treatment of minority groups has also contributed to the rise of militancy. By Fatemeh Aman (source: LobeLog) Photos: A Village Living In The Past CenturyVillage of Jovanidap in the …

Shabtabnews – Zeinab Taheri the recognized as human rights lawyer was rearrested on the first day of Ibrahim Raisi as the head of the Iranian judiciary! This morning, the security forces of the Revolutionary Guards attacked the house of Ms. Zainab Taheri and arrested her. Ms Taheri was the lawyer of , Martyred Sufi Mohammad Salas , and is the …