CHRI – Iranian authorities are blocking Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-born German man who has been detained in Iran since July 2020, a lawyer of his choice. Instead, the Sharmahd family has been informed that they must pay $250,000 to a lawyer that has been approved by judicial authorities. “We are going by news headlines,” his daughter Gazelle Sharmahd told the Center for Human Rights in …

HRW – Activists had seen voting as a way to push for progress, but many are now questioning whether to participate in the upcoming election. Iranian civil society is searching for alternative avenues for change. Twenty days before Iran’s presidential election, the Guardian Council, which vets the candidates, sent shock waves through the political elite and public by disqualifying two prominent figures: …

Al-Monitor – The results of the latest polling ahead of Iran’s key presidential election indicate growing apathy among the Iranian public toward the polls. The survey was conducted by Iran Students Polling Agency (ISPA), which is affiliated with the country’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Covering over 1,500 respondents, the polling estimated the final voter turnout to stand around 38%. ISPA’s results …

Iranwire – Last night spelled one of the most unforgettable nights in recent Iranian footballing history with the national team’s 3-0 victory over Bahrain – the first time Iran has beaten Bahrain at home, paving the way for the country to advance to the World Cup 2022. Two quick-fire goals by Sardar Azmoun in the 51st minute and at the half …

Iranwire – Last summer Iran was rocked by around 20 explosions and other serious incidents at various petrochemical, oil, electricity and other industrial installations. As officials scrambled to mitigate both the physical and PR damage, speculation over the cause was rife. Some of the incidents were specifically attributed to Israel-sponsored sabotage. Others were blamed on opposition groups, through such methods …

time.com – Iranian state actors are intensifying their disinformation campaign on social media to spread discord and anti-Semitic tropes inside the U.S., two U.S. intelligence officials say. Social media accounts tracked to troll farms run by the Iranian government have ramped up disinformation after several major events this year, including Biden’s effort to return the U.S. to the Iran nuclear …

Amnesty – Iranian brothers Vahid Afkari and Habib Afkari are being subjected to renewed torture and other ill-treatment in Adelabad prison in Shiraz. Since September 2020, they have been held in windowless solitary confinement cells and denied access to adequate healthcare, fresh air, telephone calls and face to face family visits. Authorities arbitrarily arrested them in 2018 after their participation …

Iran Human Rights – Civil activist Sasan Niknafas has died in the custody of the Greater Tehran Penitentiary due to the prison and judicial authorities’ negligence. He was unfit to serve his sentence due to multiple illnesses but judicial authorities had refused his release despite numerous requests. His death follows that of Gonabadi dervish, Behnam Mahjoubi, who died under similar …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s so-called breakout time could drop to “a matter of weeks” if the country continues to violate its terms of the landmark nuclear deal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Blinken said it remains to be seen whether the Iranians are “willing and prepared” to resume compliance with the 2015 …

Al-Arabia – It is becoming harder for the UN nuclear watchdog to negotiate extensions to its monitoring deal with Iran that cushioned the blow of Tehran downgrading cooperation with the agency, its Director General Rafael Grossi said on Monday. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult,” …