Al-Arabia – Schoolgirls in Iran were poisoned in several provinces across the country on Saturday, leading to dozens of hospitalizations and protests in the capital denouncing the attacks amid concerns of a possible government involvement. Since November, dozens of girls’ schools across Iran have been affected by a series of poisonings that have left hundreds of girls feeling unwell. Authorities …

Shabtabnews – In a series of tweets USCIRF Commissioner expressed horror by the egregious assaults on girls and women in Iran and asked the United States and like-minded governments to pressure Iran’s government to take full responsibility for stopping the poisonings and hold perpetrators accountable in a manner . USCIRF Commissioner @Skleinbaum: "USCIRF is horrified by the egregious assaults on …

RFL/RE – A wave of illnesses at girls’ schools under mysterious circumstances has prompted many Iranians to pour into city streets across the country to call for the government to step down as speculation grows that the crisis was brought about by officials who have been slow to react. Protesters in Tehran’s Naziabad neighborhood and others in the capital chanted “Death to …

IRFL/RE – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced violence against women in Iran and Afghanistan in a video message ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. In both countries, “women who stand up for their rights are fought hard. All those who stand up for freedom and justice even risk their lives,” he said in a video message released on March 4. …

RFL/RE – Belgium’s Constitutional Court rejected legal challenges to a prisoner exchange with Iran, setting the stage for the possible swap of a Belgium jailed in Iran for a former Iranian diplomat serving a 20-year sentence in Belgium. The court rejected a challenge by an exiled Iranian opposition group to a treaty allowing the swap. Aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, arrested …

RFL/RE – Iranian journalist Keyvan Samimi, who was recently released from prison, says Iranians are poised to push further in their anti-government protests despite a brutal crackdown after months of unrest over a lack of freedoms and official interference in everyday life. In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, Samimi said Iranians appear to have come to the conclusion that the protest …

Iranwire – Over many months of protests, Iranian demonstrators have been assaulted, arrested, and, in some cases, have lost their lives. Violent crowd control methods have been reported since protests began in September 2022, including the firing of metal pellets, an indiscriminate and brutal practice that does not just injure; it maims. When individuals are shot in the head with …

Iranwire – Family members of victims of a Ukrainian passenger plane shot down over Tehran more than three years ago have withdrawn their complaint from the Tehran Military Prosecutor’s Office, citing the official’s “incompetence” and “biased” court proceedings. On January 8, 2020, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired two missiles at Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after …

Iranwire – Iran’s most prominent Sunni cleric has urged the authorities to act against a wave of poisonings at girls’ schools, suggesting that the incidents could be a retaliation for students participating in ongoing nationwide protests. Molavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of the southeastern city of Zahedan, made the comments in his Friday sermon on March 3, ahead …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Thanks to the Biden Administration’s weak leadership, Iran has been able to make these major nuclear advancements. Unless the Biden Administration quickly emerges from its confusion, Americans may well have the questionable honor of Russia, China and Iran all aiming nuclear weapons at them at once. The Biden Administration’s domestic policies have been alarming enough: runaway inflation, allowing the Chinese …