Iranwire – The Islamic Republic of Iran was born in 1979 following a wave of popular uprisings against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah’s policies were modernizing yet his regime was repressive; many Iranians felt his reforms were failing to reach them or were disrupting life for the worse. The Revolution was led by Muslim clerics and the founder of …

Iranwire – An old building sits in Mostafa Khomeini Street, near the Sirus crossroads. Outside, a large sign indicates a medical center is housed there. Several cars are parked in the yard and a guard and several men talk to each other, standing next to one of the cars. Often in the past, the old building has attracted the attention of …

Radiofarda – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s website has published a series of exclusive interviews with seven top-ranking officials in Iran. Published from January 11 to January 18, and titled “Decisive Word,” the interviews reflect attitudes of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and two of his predecessors, Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharrazi; the speaker of Iran’s Majlis parliament, …

VOA – Senior leaders of Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency traveled to Iran Tuesday to “exchange views” on U.S.-brokered peace negotiations between warring Afghan parties. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the insurgent team had been formally invited to Tehran for bilateral meetings “to review (the) Afghan peace process.” Iran’s official media quoted Khatibzadeh as saying that the Taliban’s visit was “part of …

VOA – Two Americans and a U.S. permanent resident whom Washington says were held hostage by Iran for years until it freed them during the term of former President Donald Trump have urged his successor Joe Biden not to make gestures toward Tehran until it frees other U.S. hostages.  In messages to VOA Persian in recent days, U.S. Navy veteran …

Iran-HRM – Five Arab political prisoners have started a hunger strike in Shaiban Prison of Ahvaz, capital of southwestern Iranian Province of Khuzestan. Jasem Heydari, Ali Khasraji, Hossein Seilavi, Ali Motiri, and Ali Mojaddam sewed their lips and started a hunger strike on Saturday, January 23, 2021. The Arab political prisoners are refusing food to protest mistreatment of inmates by …

Iran-HRM – Political prisoner Akbar Bagheri is detained in the Great Tehran Penitentiary (GTP). He is in dire health condition and needs to be treated at a civic hospital, but the GTP warden, Asghar Fat’hi, has prevented his hospitalization. The life and health of this prisoner is in danger. Akbar Bagheri has a gastrointestinal illness and his physical condition is …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – A prisoner sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution in Qom Central Prison. According to Iran Human Rights, a male prisoner was transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution this afternoon in Qom Central Prison. The prisoner who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder) has been …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – There has been a dramatic rise in the execution of Baluch citizens over the last five weeks, with 19 Baluch prisoners being executed in Mashhad and Zahedan Central Prisons. Of those, four were executed on political and security charges. The arbitrary arrests of Kurdish activists which began on January 9 has also continued. Around 70 …

Al-Monitor – An Iranian American man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges, even though his family says his trial took place without him. The family said Emad Shargi was cleared of the charges in December 2019, but then was informed he was guilty by a court in November, The Associated Press reported. A judicial official told the news agency …