Iranwire – In September 2015, the Lebanese-born IT expert Nizar Zakkatravelled to Iran for a conference on the express invitation of the government. But in Tehran he was arrested, accused of “espionage” and ended up spending four miserable and unjustified years in prison.  Zakka and several other ex-hostages of the Islamic Republic have now set up an international organization, Hostage Aid …

Iranwire – Pope Francis, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, has arrived in Iraq ahead of a historic meeting with Ayatollah Ali Sistani, an influential Shia source of emulation. Footage was published earlier today of the Pope being received at Baghdad Airport by the Iraqi prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and escorted through Baghdad by motorcycle police: marking the beginning of his first …

RFL/RE – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claims to have prevented the hijacking of a passenger plane, but has offered few details on what allegedly happened. The elite paramilitary force said on its website on March 5 that the purported hijacking targeted an Iran Air Fokker 100 jet heading from the southwestern city of Ahvaz to the northwestern city …

Iran-HRM – Ali Nouri, a civil activist held in Evin Prison was transferred to Aminabad Psychiatric Hospital on Wednesday, instead of being taken to a hospital. Prison authorities had promised to take him to a regular hospital to receive treatment following his health condition over the last week, but they instead transferred him to Aminabad psychiatric hospital. Doctors in Aminabad …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – An Interior Ministry motion for the dissolution of the Imam Ali Popular Student Relief Society (IAPSRS), one of Iran’s leading and most prominent civil society charities, has been granted by Branch 55 of Shahid Beheshti Judicial Complex in Tehran. Established in 1999 by a group of Sharif University students, the organisation is run entirely by …

Al-Monitor – Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday said that Israel’s military is updating its operational plans for a potential future strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites. Gantz’s comments come as the Biden administration considers its options for resuming negotiations on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. Israeli officials, chief …

screendaily.com – A member of the Competition jury for the online Berlinale, the Iranian filmmaker discusses his ”difficult and very specific” situation, connecting to nature, and the influence of Loach, Haneke and Herzog. SOURCE: COSMOPOL FILM / BERLINALE MOHAMMAD RASOULOF Iranian producer and director Mohammad Rasoulof won the Golden Bear last year for There Is No Evil at the Berlinale. Not that he …

Shabtabnews – In a twitter statement and a full report the UN Human Rights council strongly condemned the Iranian Regime’s recent use of force against unarmed Baluchi fuel couriers. 🇮🇷 #Iran: We condemn use of force violations in recent weeks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and State security forces against unarmed fuel couriers & protesters belonging to the #Baluch …

Al-Arabia – US Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the United States’ “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said. She “underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the US-Israel partnership,” the statement read. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “The …

Al-Arabia – Israel will not wait for the international community to stop Iran’s “nuclear escalation,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Thursday, adding that Tel Aviv was ready to act independently if needed. “Iranians are breaking everything that was agreed with them; they are bluffing in any aspect that one can think,” Gantz said in an interview with Fox News. For all the …