RFL/RE – Iran has shut down mobile Internet access to overseas sites in several provinces, a day before possible protests.Iran’s semi-official news agency, ILNA, reported that the shutdown on December 25 was ordered by “security authorities,” quoting a source at the country’s Communications and Information Technology Ministry.According to the source, the shutdown covered the Alborz, Kurdestan, and Zanjan provinces in …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A man was hanged at the prison of the Iranian city of Sirjan, Kerman province, this morning.  According to the Iranian website of Rokna, on the morning of Wednesday, December 25, a man was hanged at Sirjan prison for murder charges. The prisoner was arrested four years ago. His name has not yet been disclosed …

Al-Monitor – Afghanistan was the main focus of the second Regional Security Dialogue, held Dec. 18 in Tehran and attended by national security officials from Russia, China, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Many issues in Afghanistan pose threats to the entire region and therefore are of common concern to all the participating countries, including drug and arms trafficking, illegal immigration, …

Radiofarda – The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has strongly denounced the arrest of parents of a young protester shot dead by security forces in Iran’s November protests. Pouya Bakhtiari, 27, died of a bullet wound to the head in his mother’s arms on November 16 in the Mehrshahr district of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran. His parents …

Radiofarda – Amid the talk of reduction in Iran’s nuclear commitments, the slaughtering of protesters, and sanctions, an important political development has gone underreported. The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Larijani, won’t be running for reelection during the upcoming contests in February 2020. Larijani has been the longest-serving head of the legislative chamber since 1979—with a tenure that spans over …

Radiofarda – Nearing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) deadline of February, Iranian president’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi warned about the consequences of being blacklisted by the international watchdog. Being blacklisted by the FATF will “deal a heavy blow” to Iran’s economy, Vaezi who was speaking at an official meeting in Ardabil Province on Tuesday said and underlined that …

Radiofarda – An outspoken lawmaker in Iran has announced that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected the impeachment of the interior minister who is accused of triggering widespread protests in November that killed at least a few hundred people. Ali Motahari, who had demanded the impeachment, told ILNA news website in Iran that “Parliament presidium says the Leader is against [impeachment] …

Iran-HRM – At least 4,000 protesters were wounded during Iran’s nationwide protests that erupted in November over gasoline prices. There have been several reports that security and Intelligence Ministry agents have arrested wounded protesters, some with life threatening injuries.Hospitals are the main ambushes for the regime to identify and capture protesters. Therefore, the wounded are practically denied enjoying any treatments …

RFL/RE – An Iranian military aircraft has crashed into a mountain range, near the inactive Sabalan volcano, in the country’s northwestern Ardabil Province, state media reported on December 25. Rescue teams have been dispatched to the area of the crash to search for survivors and debris, the IRNA news agency reported, quoting local officials. Due to poor weather, a rescue …

RFL/RE – Iran has arrested the family of a young man killed during last month’s protests, which were triggered by a significant rise in the price of gasoline and spread to more than 100 cities and towns. The family of Pouya Bakhtiari had been invited for talks with the authorities, the semiofficial Mehr news agency said on December 24, citing …