VOA – Iraq denounced Saturday as “unacceptable” a U.S. decision to blacklist the leader of a state umbrella group for mainly Iran-backed Shi’ite militia.  Washington imposed sanctions Friday on Faleh al-Fayyad, head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The U.S. Treasury accused him of leading militia that killed hundreds of protesters with live ammunition during a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in …

Iran-HRM – Political prisoner Ayyub Porker who is serving his term in exile in Shaiban Prison of Ahvaz, started his 13th year in prison this month. He has served his term without one day of furlough. Ayyub Porkar was arrested in January 2009. Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death on the charge of Moharebeh (i.e. waging war …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Mehdi Ali Hosseini, a wrestler on death row for “pre-meditated murder” committed during a fight, is due to be executed in the coming days. According to state-run ISNA, Mehdi Ali Hosseini, a young wrestler on death row, will be executed in the coming days. He was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder during a fight in 2016. …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – Two prisoners on death row for “drug-related” charges, have been executed in Qom Central Prison. A third prisoner sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was returned from the gallows after being granted a delay by the complainants in his case. According to Iran Human Rights, two male prisoners were executed in Qom Central Prison in the early …

Radiofarda – “That plane has crashed into our homes, time and again. It is still falling every night, and we cannot get out of this tragedy. A crime hit us that will never leave anyone alone. I have read a lot of books, I have seen a lot of movies, but I do not remember any book or any movie …

Radiofarda – A group of experts on non-proliferation and diplomacy penned a letter to US President elect Joe Biden and his incoming administration, encouraging their immediate return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The letter, published on January 7th on the National Iranian American Council’s website, carries more than 50 signatures. The signatories believe the Trump administration’s policy towards …

Iranwire -The FBI has released the names of three Iranians who have been placed on its wanted list in connection with hacking and breaching United States national security. On January 6, 2021, the FBI placed the three men on a list already including three other Iranian men wanted for the same or similar crimes. In September 2020, the three men were charged with attempting to …

Iranwire – They wait for their loved ones to arrive. They are looking forward to embracing them soon. They don’t know that their loved ones, passengers on Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, will never come home. It has been a year since Flight PS752, with 167 people onboard, was targeted by Revolutionary Guards, who shot the plane down with two missiles. Families …

Iranwire – When I lived in Iran, I had various experiences dealing with the police and authorities. I remember the day my friends and I were arrested on a street in Rasht and taken to the police station. They were boys, and I wore feminine clothing. I was more scared because I was trans: my legal identity did not match …

VOA – U.S. tech giant Twitter took sharply different actions against the leaders of the U.S. and Iran on Friday, permanently banning President Donald Trump’s personal account while removing one tweet from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s apparent English account and suspending new posts on it. The greater severity of Twitter’s action against the @realdonaldtrump account, compared with the social media company’s …