VOA – An Iranian court has sentenced a man to death after convicting him of killing a powerful cleric in April, the judiciary said Wednesday, but the victim’s family may still spare his life. Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani, a member of the Assembly of Experts that selects the country’s supreme leader, was killed on April 26 inside a bank in …

CHRI – In the wake of the “Woman Life Freedom” movement that ignited nine months ago, a new parliamentary bill has emerged, intensifying discrimination against women who choose not to wear the hijab in Iran, while also undermining fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, belief, religion, and association. “Women in Iran have long endured a status as second-class citizens, …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Alireza Shahcheraghi and Taher Nouri were executed for drug-related charges in Shiraz Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on 11 June. Their identities have been established as Alireza Shahcheraghi and 38-year-old Taher Nouri. They were both sentenced to death for drug-related charges by …

Al-Monitor — Iran and the United States are close to finalizing a deal on the release of Americans held in Tehran, Oman’s foreign minister told Al-Monitor.  Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said in an interview Wednesday he senses “seriousness” on the part of both Washington and Tehran as their negotiators try to salvage what remains of the 2015 nuclear deal under which …

RFL/RE – Officials at Iran’s Art University have temporarily barred 40 female students from attending classes for their alleged “failure to fully observe” the Islamic dress code as the government continues to increase pressure on campuses after unrest over the death of a young woman while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly. The Student Guild Councils …

Iranwire – Pouya Molaei-Rad, 19, a cousin of Kian Pirfalak’s mother, Mahmonir Molaei, met a tragic fate on the evening of June 11.  Pouya was killed by gunfire from Iranian security forces, leaving family and friends devastated by the untimely loss. The incident was made all the worse because June 11 marked the tenth birthday of Kian Pirfalak, a young soul whose …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Hossein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari were executed for drug and murder charges in Hamedan Central Prison. According to HRANA news agency, two men were executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 11 June. Their identities have been reported as Hossein Amaninejad and Hamed Yavari. Hossein was reportedly arrested for drug-related charges around four years ago and …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ebrahim Gomshadzehi, a Baluch man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Kerman Central Prison. According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kerman Central Prison on 11 June. His identity has been reported as 48-year-old Ebrahim Gomshadzehi from Zahedan. Ebrahim was arrested in Kerman for drug-related charges around three years …

Iranwire – Iran’s hardline president Ebrahim Raisi has stopped in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, on the second day of his visit to Latin America, where he met with President Daniel Ortega on Tuesday. The meeting focused on opposition to US sanctions affecting both their countries. Raisi’s visit to Nicaragua follows his initial stop in Venezuela and is part of …

Iranwire – In a powerful statement from behind bars, Bahareh Hedayat, a prominent political prisoner, has addressed recent disagreements within the Iranian opposition through an exclusive letter to IranWire.  The letter strongly criticizes certain political factions, accusing them of fueling “pointless conflicts” with their “reckless” behavior. Hedayat, who was arrested at the beginning of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and …