iranintl – Attacks on US forces in the Middle East resumed Wednesday, after several days of relative calm which coincided with the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. A US defense official told Iran International that American troops in Syria were targeted Wednesday morning, only a day after the Pentagon press secretary spoke of a lull in hostile activities since 23 November. Also …

iranintl – As young radicals are set to dominate Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections, media and politicians express concern about the future of governance in the country. Khabar Online website, which is close to moderate conservatives such as former Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, describes the situation as one in which “Young radicals gallop ahead while the wise elderly are silent.” The website …

iranintl – The German education minister says education is essential for the foundations of women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan, calling for international support. Speaking to Iran International about ways to empower women in Iran and other authoritarian states, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister of Education and Research and the Deputy Leader of the Free Democratic Party, praised the efforts by …

Iranwire – The father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, an Iranian protester executed in January, has now been arbitrarily held in Karaj Central Prison for more than 100 days, with no charges being brought against him. On August 21, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence arrested Mashallah Karami at his home in Karaj, near Tehran. His electronic devices, including his laptop …

Iranwire – Iranian human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been included in the Financial Time’s 2023 list of the 25 most influential women in the world. American music star Beyoncé, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also selected for their “power to persuade, advocate for change and imagine better ways …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have destroyed the homes of members of the Baluch community in the southeastern city of Zahedan, according to a group that monitors rights violations in Sistan and Baluchistan. Haalvsh reported that police and municipal forces raided the homes in Shirabad neighborhood on the morning of November 30, cut off the electricity in the area and evicted …

Iranwire – Branch 37 of the Court of Appeal of Khorasan Razavi province has sentenced Noshin Mesbah, a Baha’i resident of Mashhad, to one year in prison on the charge of being a member of the Baha’i community. Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad, headed by Judge Hadi Mansouri, had previously sentenced Mesbah to three years in prison …

Iranwire – The open expression advocacy group PEN America urges the public to join scores of writers, artists, human rights advocates and civil society organizations from around the globe in calling on the Iranian government to release human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi from prison. The petition FREE NARGES NOW! calls on Iranian authorities to immediately free Mohammadi, …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have established a committee tasked with intimidating and harassing female students at several universities, including Tabriz University in the country’s northwest. On November 29, the Telegram channel of the Student Union Councils reported the creation of the informal parallel institution called “Afad,” an acronym for “Social Cultural Action at University.”  Afad has been sending SMS messages …

Iranwire – Canada’s foreign ministry has expressed deep concern over reports of intimidation of families fighting for truth and justice for the victims of the downing in 2020 of a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran. “We call on Iran to immediately cease its campaign of harassment and intimidation of these families,” it said on the social media platform X, hours …