Radiozamaneh – The UN Human Rights Special Procedures, a group of UN experts, have appealed to de facto authorities in Yemen to accelerate the unconditional release of Baha’i prisoners. Earlier in March, Mahdi al-Mashat, leader of the Huthi authorities in Yemen, pardoned Hamed bin Haydara who had been sentenced to death by a Houthi-run court. Al-Mashat also dropped all charges …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Mary Mohammadi, a civil rights activist, has been sentenced to three months and one day in prison and 10 suspended lashes for “disturbing public order by participating in an illegal gathering.” Mary has told IHR that she will not be appealing. The sentence has been suspended for a year. Mary Mohammadi’s trial was held on …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A prisoner was hanged for murder charges at Shiraz prison this morning.  According to Iran Human Rights (IHR) sources, death-row prisoner Mohammad Haghighatnejad (39) was hanged on April 23, 2020, at Shiraz prison. “Mohammad was a welder. Five years ago, amid a fight over financial matters, he pushed a man and he fell down. The …

CHRI – Infected Wildlife Conservationist Sam Rajabi Refused Hospitalization, Cellmates Untested American Citizen Siamak Namazi Held in Same “Cell and Bunk Bed Row” as RajabiPrisoners Held on Politically Motivated Charges Excluded from Reported Prisoner Releases April 23, 2020 – Iranian authorities should immediately provide hospital treatment for an arbitrarily imprisoned conservationist who reportedly has COVID-19 as well as test and ensure treatment …

observers.france24.com – Iran, like many other countries hit by the Covid-19 outbreak, has closed schools and universities and prioritised online learning. But in a country where there is widespread poverty and some regions have no internet coverage at all, some students are locked out of virtual classrooms. A teacher who works in a poor neighbourhood in Iran told the FRANCE …

Radiofarda – The Commander of Tehran Coronavirus Combat Taskforce on Thursday warned that adopting a more relaxed approach to social distancing and movement restrictions is sending the wrong message to people, making them believe that COVID-19 has come under control while fatalities are on the increase again. More than 6,300 people visited hospitals and about 400 were hospitalized in Tehran …

Radiofarda – Imprisoned environmental activist Sam Rajabi’s sister says her brother contracted the novel coronavirus at Tehran’s notorious prison, Evin. Speaking to Radio Farda on Wednesday, April 22, Katayoun Rajabi disclosed that the result of a CT scan of her brother showed that he became ill with the deadly COVID-19 in recent weeks. In early March, there were reports about …

Radiofarda – Amid a steep fall in global oil prices, the Islamic Republic President Hassan Rouhani claimed on Wednesday that Iran’s losses would be “much less” than other producers. Given that Iran’s daily oil exports have dropped from 2.5 million barrels a day before the U.S. sanctions to about 140,000 barrels a day, Rouhani’s remarks may be convincing at first …

Radiofarda – Tensions between Washington and Tehran flared anew Wednesday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducted a space launch that could advance the country’s long-range missile program and President Donald Trump threatened to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats that harass Navy ships. The launch was a first for the Guard, revealing what experts described as a secret military space …

Radiofarda – IRGC Commander Hossein Salami says the launch of Iran’s first military satellite on Wednesday April 22 marks the “beginning of the formation of a world power.” In a handwritten message displayed on the IRGC’s Tasnim news agency, Salami said: “Now we look at the earth from the Sky.” Addressing IRGC personnel, Salami wrote: “My brothers! The road has been opened. …