Iran-HRM – Two men were flogged today for participating nationwide protests in the city of Urmia, northwest Iran. Azerbaijani rights activists Ali Azizi and Eliar Hosseinzadeh, were arrested in November 2019 after participating protests against a hike in petrol prices in November 2019.The Branch 101 of the Criminal Court of Urmia presided over by Judge Hamid Goli Nejad charged sentenced the two …

Iran-HRM- An Iranian man was flogged 55 times after a Friday prayer leader filed a complaint against him.Rouhullah Barzin, a baker, was flogged for writing a post critical of the Friday prayer leader of Cheram, Nourullah Afshar, and  “refusing to apologize” to him. Mr. Barzin was sentenced to 55 lashes after Nourullah Afshar, the local representative of the regime’s Supreme …

RFL/RE – Venezuela has received an air cargo shipment of aid from Iran in another sign that ties between the Islamic republic and the South American country — both targets of U.S. sanctions — are strengthening. The flight carried humanitarian aid for COVID-19 patients, including test kits and medical supplies, Planning Minister Ricardo Menendez said. He also said President Nicolas …

VOA – Iran on Monday urged its citizens to wear masks in public as it announced another 70 deaths from the novel coronavirus and 2,043 new cases of infection. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the latest figures took the overall toll to 8,351 dead out of a total of 173,832 people infected. “Everybody must wear masks when attending places like stores …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Importantly, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has failed on several occasions accurately to detect Iran’s nuclear activities. For instance, in a November 2018 speech to the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke a story stating that Iran had a “secret atomic warehouse for storing massive amounts of equipment and material …

Al-Monitor – The Donald Trump administration sanctioned an Iranian shipping line and its Chinese subsidiary today after a six-month humanitarian deferral period ended. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo first announced sanctions on Mahan Air alongside the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its Shanghai-based subsidiary, E-Sail Shipping Company Ltd (E-Sail), in December. Pompeo noted in a statement today that the …

Radiofarda – After almost a decade of legal scuffles, the Islamic Republic watchdog, the Guardian Council (GC), has endorsed a bill to support the rights of children and teenagers in Iran. The GC spokesman, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, said on Sunday, June 7, the council has finally ruled that “the bill to protect children and adolescents is not inconsistent with Sharia …

Radiofarda – Iranian news agencies on Sunday reported a sit-in by “seminary students and representatives of Armed Forces” in protest to women taking up a men-only ancient sport. In a statement the protesters said that presence of women in zurkhaneh – an ancient gym – environment is “despicable” and “a stain on the record of authorities of the Zurkhaneh Sports …

Radiofrda – During a corruption trial in Iran on Sunday a prosecutor known for the mass arrest of journalists in 2013 was named as the recipient of 500,000 euros in bribes from the defendant. Gholamreza Mansouri issued arrest warrants for 20 journalists in a single day on February 8, 2013. On his orders, security forces raided offices of various newspapers …

Radiofarda -The Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Sunday, June 7, that Iran was ready to swap “other prisoners” with the United States. Iran and the U.S., which were on the verge of a military confrontation in January last year after a U.S. drone killed Qods Force Chief-Commander Qassem Soleimani have exchanged two prisoners in recent days. …