Iranwire – After months of delay, the Islamic Republic has released the final technical report on the plane crash disaster of January 2020, when Revolutionary Guards shot down Ukrainian International Flight PS752 with 176 passengers and crew on board. The report is published in both Persian and English and runs a total of 285 pages. Prior to publication, it was …

CHRI — UN human rights experts* today demanded that Iranian authorities immediately release arbitrarily detained Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalali who is reportedly in a critical condition and near death after months of prolonged solitary confinement. “Djalali’s situation is truly horrific. He has been held in prolonged solitary confinement for over 100 days with the constant risk of his imminent execution laying over …

Al-Monitor – In yet another statement of defiance, Iran expressed dogged resolve to press ahead with its missile program, which its Western adversaries consider as “destabilizing.” “We will continue to seek our utmost goals in our missiles and defenses,” declared Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami as he outlined Iran’s defense strategy in the new Persian year starting March 20. In his …

Al-Monitor – Iran will soon “cold test” its redesigned Arak nuclear reactor before its full commissioning later this year, a spokesperson for the country’s nuclear agency said. One of the requirements of the landmark nuclear deal struck between world powers in 2015 was that Iran dismantle its Arak heavy water reactor. The original reactor, located southwest of the capital, Tehran, …

nationalgeographic – The UN has marked 21 March as International Nowruz Day — a celebration of spring and the connection between humans and nature. Here, we look at the similarities between, and peculiarities across, the nations that commemorate this ancient rite. BY FARIDA ZEYNALOVAPUBLISHED 18 MAR 2021, 08:06 GMT Although ‘Novruz’ was stifled in Azerbaijan under the Soviet regime, families continued to celebrate …

Shabtabnews – More MEPs have joined the call for an investigation into the dire conditions of the prisoners in Iran and the unlawful death of Mahjoubi, who was killed through poisoning while in prison during the last days of his sentence. For full text see below link: More MEP’s have joined to demand the Iranian government to investigate the death …

RFL/RE – As Iranians prepare to celebrate Norouz, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on Iran’s government to grant pardons to the 21 journalists and citizen-journalists it says are “unjustly” imprisoned in the country. The 21 men and women, whose “only crime was to do their duty to report the facts,” are preparing to spend the Persian New Year celebration …

VOA – The Biden administration is contrasting its criticisms of Iran’s poor human rights record from those made by former President Donald Trump, with a senior official saying the U.S. is trying to make its Iran critiques more credible by stressing a need to also solve rights problems at home. “President Joe Biden has made clear … that human rights …

Iranwire – The Persian calendar year 1400 begins on Sunday, March 21. It also marks 15 years since the Supreme Leader unveiled a 20-year strategy that would, supposedly, see Iran become an exemplar to the region and the world just a few years from now. What are the prospects for life in Iran in the year 1400, and do they …

Iranwire – Sweets and nuts are always among the most popular items on the table at Nowruz, Iranian New Year. But this year, skyrocketing prices have meant few Iranians have been able to buy enough. Three days before the dawn of the Persian calendar year 1400, our citizen journalist visited the markets of central Tehran to find out more. *** …