VOA – The United States and rights activists are criticizing Iran for selecting as its new judiciary chief a conservative cleric allegedly involved in mass executions of dissidents in the 1980s. An Iranian judiciary spokesman confirmed in a Sunday news conference that Ebrahim Raisi will succeed another conservative cleric, Sadeq Amoli Larijani, as judiciary chief on Friday. Iranian media had …

VOA – The United States has sanctioned Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, a radical Muslim militia group of about 10,0000 fighters, as well as its leader Akram Kaabi, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday. Active in Iraq and Syria, Nujaba, which is known by various names including the “The Movement of the Noble Ones,” is also loyal to Iran. Reuters reported …

Amnesty – Wildlife conservationists in Iran who have been accused of espionage after using cameras to track endangered species could face the death penalty or more than a decade in prison, said Amnesty International, ahead of a verdict in their case in the coming days. The eight scientists, who are linked to the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, were arrested at …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) -A part of the 11th Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, by Iran Human Rights (IHR), deal with International treaties ratified by Iran, Islamic Penal Code & offences punishable by death, as well as procedures. Legislative Frameworkhttps://iranhr.net/media/files/Rapport_iran_2019-GB-BD.pdf International treaties ratified by Iran Iran has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) …

CHRI – Prominent Human Rights Defender Was Facing Decades in Prison, Sentence Unclear The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) forcefully condemns the conviction of prominent Iranian defense attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh in a court process sorely lacking in international standards of due process. “No amount of spin will be able to conceal the fact that Sotoudeh is being persecuted for …

CHRI – Following is the statement by the United Nations Environment Programme: UN Environment continues to be concerned by the on-going detentions, and reported trials, of eight environmental workers in Iran, and has shared its concerns with the authorities in Tehran. Information we have recently received that some detainees may not have adequate access to legal counsel and representation is deeply …

CHRI – Responding to news of an autistic child being treated inhumanely in a school, Iranian officials blamed the child and the parents for not putting their kids in a learning institute for “special” children. But according to the testimonies of dozens of parents of autistic children in Iran, the “special” schools are poorly equipped to care for and support …

Al-Monitor – China is still Iran’s top trade partner, leading oil customer, a key technology exporter, a major political ally and one of the signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) still committed to the deal. All of this has given Beijing an increasingly central position in Iran’s “Look to the East” doctrine, a key foreign policy strategy actively pursued …

Al-Monitor — A 1970s building on Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) Avenue that ends in Azadi (Liberty) Square has recently been the site for a series of meetings on an unusual subject given Iranian social norms. Every Tuesday, experts and members of the public come together there to talk, sometimes heatedly, about sex. Since Dec. 4, “Forums on Sexual Crisis in Iran” has …

Al-Monitor – The Iranian government has approved a generous plan to facilitate participation in the hajj, offering Saudi-bound travelers the opportunity to pay for the voyage — estimated to cost over $3,000 — in local currency at rates far below the open market. As of March 5, the US dollar cost around 130,000 rials on the open market, over three times the official rate, which has …