RFL/RE – With lyrics that criticize Iran’s Islamic establishment — condemning state repression and injustice — rapper Toomaj Salehi has gained fans among Iranians who are angry at the country’s leadership. His lyrics also have upset Iranian authorities, who ordered his arrest earlier this month. Salehi was aware that he could be targeted by the Iranian regime for his lyrics. …

Iranwire – The trial of ex-Gohardasht Prison official Hamid Nouri for his role in Iran’s 1988 prison massacre is ongoing in Sweden. Witnesses have taken to the stand one by one in recent weeks to recount their memories of the defendant sat before them in Stockholm District Court: how he walked them down the corridor to face the death panel, and escorted their cellmates …

Iranwire – Sepideh Gholian, a young journalist and civil rights activist, was recently released from Iran’s Buhshehr Prison. As ever, the 26-year-old wasted no time in speaking out about the abysmal conditions and sexual harassment of female inmates she had observed there in a series of shocking tweets on September 9. On Wednesday, September 22, Sepideh posted a picture of a new court …

Iranwire – Protests against unpaid salaries, unfair dismissal and poor working conditions continue in Khuzestan province after renewed anger erupted in early September. Laborers, telecommunications company employees and city council workers for Kut Abdollah Municipality are among those demanding their rights to be upheld. The Kut Abdollah protests erupted several days ago, with employees gathering outside the council building to express anger that their …

Iran-HRM – Numerous accounts of the horrific torture to force prisoners to confess have been published so far, including the tortures that the Afkari brothers endured and led to the execution of wrestling champion Navid Afkari. Such torture and inhumane treatment have never been portrayed on any camera, even in recent leaked videos from Evin Prison. Pouya Hossein Panahi, one of the relatives of …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – 24 hours after Shahin Naseri’s suspicious death in custody, authorities have contacted his family to collect his body from the Kahrizak Forensic Pathologist without giving a cause of death. Iran Human Rights calls on international and human rights authorities to investigate Shahin Naseri’s suspicious death. IHR Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “As punishment for his courageous …

Iran Human Rights (IHR) – An Afghan citizen has been executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison. At least 75 prisoners, including a woman, have been executed on drug-related charges in Iranian prisons in 2021. According to HRANA news agency, an Afghan man was executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison on September 20. His identity has not been established …

Al-Monitor – Hot Take: Five takes on Biden’s UN speech and the Iran nuclear deal Washington doubles down on diplomacy … In a speech to the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21, President Joe Biden drew a pointed contrast to his predecessor and said the United States will shift to “relentless diplomacy” to deal with the world’s problems. He said the United States …

Al-Monitor – The recent announcement that Iran would start the process of becoming a full member in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was celebrated in the media. On the Iranian side, a heated public debate is taking place on what this development means and whether it was an achievement of the previous or the current administration. There are also debates about the potential economic upside …

Al-Monitor – Iran’s demands for US forces to withdraw from a critical air base in Iraqi Kurdistan coupled with threats to expand operations against “American and Zionist mercenaries” are sending jitters across the Kurdish enclave, with many asking how far Tehran will go and what, if anything, the United States will do to stop it. Mohammed Bagheri, senior commander in …