Radiofarda – A member of Iran’s Expediency Council on Wednesday said the Council’s deadline for endorsing the CFT (Combating the Financing of Terrorism) bill has ended and the bill should be considered as rejected. The endorsement and finalization of the bill would allow Iran to join the UN conventions against money laundering and funding terrorism. The Financial Action Task Force …

Radiofarda – The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has charged two researchers of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) on suspicion of sharing sensitive information with Iran that may contribute to the production of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery. The researchers have been charged with contributing to the data breach when they invited a …

Al-Arabia – Esmail Ghaani, the new Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander, will face the same fate as his slain predecessor Qassem Soleimani if he follows in the same path, said US special representative to Iran Brian Hook to Asharq al-Awsat on Wednesday.He added that the death of Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force killed by …

Al-Arabia – A video surfaced online Wednesday of an official Iranian political strategist suggesting that Iran should take Americans hostage because their lucrative ransoms would make up for sanctions on the country. “Do you want to solve the sanctions problem? Our naval forces should take 10 or 20 Americans as hostage every month. For each one of them, we should …

Al-Arabia – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, commenting on the new Cabinet in Lebanon, said that the US was “prepared to engage, provide support, but only to a government that’s committed to reform. That’s important for America.”“We want a non-corrupt government that reflects the will of the people of Lebanon. If this government in responsive to that and there’s …

Iran-HRM – Jailed social media activist Mehrdad Mohammadnejad, was transferred today from Evin prison to the notorious Fashafuye prison. The 23 year old economy student has been serving a three-year sentence on the charges of “insulting officials and agents” and “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Mehrdad Mohammadnejad was detained due to his activities on social media. According to an informed source, …

Iran-HRM – One month after the arrest of a teachers’ rights activist, Iranian authorities have extended a temporary detention order against him. A member of the teachers association of Tehran, Jafar Ebrahimi was arrested on December 26 while attending a ceremony for the victims of the November protests. He has been held in a solitary confinement in ward 8 of Rajaei Shahr …

Iran-HRM – There is no information on the whereabouts of Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi, an Iranian Christian who was arrested during the recent protests in Tehran. Iranian authorities have not provided any information regarding her whereabouts and well-being since January 12, when she was arrested in Tehran’s Azadi Square. Mohammadi published a series of tweets on the day she was arrested, …

RFL/RE – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says it is “alarmed about threats” to Iranian journalists based outside of the country who are working for Iranian-exile media outlets or the Persian-language services of international broadcasters. In an open letter released on January 22, the Paris-based press-freedom watchdog urged the leaders of the host countries — Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A man was hanged at the Iranian city of Mashhad’s central prison on January 14, 2020.  According to Khorasan Daily, on the morning of Tuesday, January 14, a 50-year-old man was hanged at the Iranian city of Mashhad’s central prison, Khorasan Razavi province.  He was sentenced to death for murdering his cousin five years ago. The …