Iranwire – On Saturday, February 5, hours after horrific images of the so-called “honor killing” of runaway teenage bride Mona Heydari sickened Iran, judicial authorities announced the arrest of her spouse, Sajjad Heydari. Sajjad had taken to the streets of Ahvaz shortly after the killing, with a smile on his face and his wife’s severed head in his hand. The …

Iranwire – Valentine’s Day is a relatively new addition to the Iranian calendar, but a popular one. In the last few years, stalls selling pink and red heart-shaped cushions and teddy bears, chocolates and flowers have become commonplace in the run-up to February 14, as have declarations of love in cards and messages, in person and online. The day has …

Iran-HRM – Political prisoner Ebrahim Seddiq Hamedani has been on hunger strike in Marivan Prison since February 12. He has been on a medication strike since Monday, January 24, and now faces physical problems such as hyperglycemia. Mr. Ebrahim Seddiq Hamedani’s strike is to protest prison officials’ failure to fulfill their promises that he and his son would be transferred to Sanandaj …

Iran-HRM – Imprisoned Iranian rights activist Arsham Rezaei, has been on a hunger strike and refused to take medication since February 7, to protest being deprived of access to medical care and sick leave. In a recent audio message released from prison, Mr. Rezaei announced that in Iranian prisons, “pain is diagnosed and relieved with expired drugs.” He said in …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Mokhtar Valizadeh, who was sentenced to qisas for murder, was executed in Shiraz Central Prison on February 13. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Shiraz Central Prison on the morning of February 13. His identity has been established as Mokhtar Valizadeh who was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder. An informed source …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Having spent over 19 years on death row for a murder he did not commit at 15, juvenile offender Mohammadreza Hadadi’s conviction has been overturned following a judicial review. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, the murder conviction of juvenile offender Mohammadreza Hadadi, who is on death row in Shiraz Central Prison has been …

Al-Monitor – Iran called for the quick resurrection of the landmark nuclear deal in Vienna, accusing the United States and other Western powers of “playing with time” and failing to make necessary concessions.  “If an agreement is reached in Vienna today and sanctions are lifted, it would be better for Iran if this happens tomorrow,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in …

Al-Monitor -Ramazan Sharif, the spokesperson for the media department of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), addressed the leak of an audio file that includes the force’s former commander speaking about corruption.  The audio was published by US-funded Radio Farda. In the nearly hour-long audio file, former head of the IRGC Mohammad Ali Jaffari can be heard speaking with IRGC economic affairs deputy Sadegh …

Shabtabnews – The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) responds to the threats made against Dr. Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh and his colleagues in Europe. The USCIRF has responded on Twitter to the threats posed to the life of Dr. Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh, the director of the IOPHR and his colleagues, by stating that: “We are closely monitoring reports that …

Al-Arabia – The conservatives, in a bid to thwart these leanings and the vision that the new movement is propagating, have rekindled the proposal to hold a referendum to transform the country’s presidential system to a parliamentary one. In recent weeks, the Iranian political scene has been witnessing remarkable political ado and multiple intricate and complex meetings aimed at crystallizing …