Iran-HRM – Human rights lawyer Soheila Hejab was violently taken to the notorious Qarchak Prison after an appeals court session on Sunday, May 23, 2020. Soheila Hejab had been summoned to the Court of Appeals scheduled for May 23, 2020. She was arrested and beaten by IRGC intelligence agents after the court session. Reports indicate that the agents dragged her …

Iran-HRM – In a new wave of crackdown in Iran, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the IRGC Intelligence Organization have begun arresting and summoning large numbers of young activists, especially the families and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Many have been sent to prisons, and some have been temporarily released on bail while …

VOA – Cyberattacks have been flying fast and furious around the world during these days of global uncertainty because of the coronavirus. Countries accuse each other of engaging in cyber warfare, and each of the accused also claims to be a cyber victim. International organizations dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have also been targeted. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from …

gatestoneinstitute.org – It is mystifying that Twitter, which wantonly censors so much, continues to allow… Iranian leaders to spread Nazi-inspired language and anti-Semitic sentiments on its platform. In general, “Big Tech” — Google, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter — have long since ceased being “neutral” transmitters of information as if they were “utilities”. Instead, they have become America’s Thought Police. They …

Al-Monitor – Prearranged contact with Israelis has become a criminal offense in Iran in a harsh blow to remaining Jews in the country and tens of thousands of Iranian-Israelis, populations already traumatized by loss and disconnection.  This handout picture provided by the Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA) on Jan. 7, 2020 shows Iranian lawmakers raising their hands to vote …

middleeasteye.net – For better or for worse, the social network has become an outlet for young Iranians to discuss sexuality out of the reach of the state’s moral restrictions Instagram livestreams by celebrities such as Sasha Sobhani (above) and users like Raha (below) have drawn hundreds of thousands of viewers (MEE/Illustrated by Mohamad Elaasar)By Saeid Jafari in TehranPublished date: 25 May 2020 15:21 UTC | Last …

PayvandNews – Archaeologists have found prehistoric rock drawings near Natanz in central Iran which give clues about the rise of human presence that is rooted in 14,000 years of history.  Existing findings prove that human life goes back to 6,000 years in the region. “A 14,000-year-old evidence of human social life has been identified by experts who examining rock carvings being found …

Radiofarda – Iran’s Revolutionary Guard deputy in political affairs, Brigadier General Yadollah Javani has dismissed U.S. military drills in the Persian Gulf saying these will not intimidate the Islamic Republic. The United States military conducted training exercises with live ammunition in the Persian Gulf between May 19 and 21 and integrated Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters with the U.S. Air Force AC-130W …

Radiofarda – Amid a worsening economy in Iran a new wave of worker protests have sprang up in the country in recent weeks, as government coffers empty out and many employers are unable to pay wages. Municipal workers have been taking part in protest gatherings during the past week in at least two cities in Iran’s Khuzestan Province, one of …

Radiofarda – The chief of police in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province says security forces arrested “a large number” of people who danced in a promenade on eve of religiously sensitive date. The night before 21st of Ramadan is called Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Glory) , which in Islamic belief is when the Quran was first sent from Heaven to the …