gatestoneinstitute.org – The visit to Pyongyang was Khamenei’s the Road to Damascus moment. The lesson he learned was simple: Let others idolize you and, if things turn badly, blame those who idolize you. And, if you are in a position of weakness, just appear as a nobody or play village idiot until the tide turns in your favor. [W]hen Khamenei …

Iran-HRM – Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi Fard, an 18-year-old from Nowshahr, was detained and sentenced to death twice by Iran’s Judiciary during the nationwide protests on September 30, 2022. Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadifard (Mehdi Mohammadi Fard) is a tattoo artist born on January 5, 2004. This year, however, he spent his 19th birthday alone behind bars. Charges against him: Iran’s state security …

Al-Monitor – Mounting economic pressure on Iranians has been accompanied by an increase in suicides, especially among the workforce. According to the the Iranian daily Etemad, at least 23 workers have committed suicide in the nine months since the start of the Iranian new year on March 21, 2022.   All the deceased were contractual or daily male workers, says the report, noting that …

Al-Arabia – British foreign minister James Cleverly said on Saturday his country had imposed sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General in response to Tehran’s execution of Iranian-British dual national Alireza Akbari. Sanctioning the Prosecutor General of Iran, Mohammad-Jafar Montazeri, “underlines our disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution,” Cleverly wrote on Twitter. “The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s use of the …

Al-Arabia – French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Paris on Saturday over the execution of a British-Iranian national accused of spying, the ministry said in a statement. “He was also warned that Iran’s repeated violations of international law cannot go unanswered, particularly with regard to the treatment of foreign nationals whom it arbitrarily detains,” the statement added. Iran’s …

Al-Arabia – An Iranian imam has blamed a lack of rainfall across the country on women not wearing hijabs following months of nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police detention. Amini died in September following her arrest by the notorious Tehran morality police for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic’s strict hijab dress code for women– …

Iranwire – Days after Charlie Hebdo published caricatures of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials in Iran continue to fume against the French satirical magazine as well as France’s government itself. The cartoons were published in last week’s issue as part of a competition launched in support of the women-led protests that have rocked Iran for nearly four months. …

Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets across in Sistan and Baluchestan on January 13, as Iran’s Shia clerical rulers have intensified repression on dissent in the restive southeastern province. The anti-government protest movement that has rocked Iran for nearly four months and the accompanying bloody state crackdown on dissent have been particularly intense in western Kurdish areas and Sistan …

Iranwire – Iranians are marking Mother’s Day on January 13, with the Islamic Republic’s propaganda machine praising mothers. This year’s celebrations fall in the midst of a bloody state crackdown on anti-government demonstrations that has left hundreds of mothers heartbroken. The protests were sparked by the September 16 death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody for …

Shabtabnews – In a twitter statement USCRIRF announced the holding of a virtual hearing on religious freedom and women’s rights in Iran on 26th January 2023 . SAVE THE DATE: Join USCIRF for a virtual hearing on religious freedom and women's rights in #Iran. This hearing will also highlight available policy options for the Biden administration & Congress. 📅 Thursday, …