Iranwire – A wave of arrests targeting 15 Azeri civil activists began in the summer and continued until November 7.  These activists from various cities across northwestern provinces are being held at the Tabriz Intelligence Department in East Azerbaijan province.  The judiciary has yet to disclose the charges they are facing. Several of these arrests coincided with a surge in …

VOA – Iran’s barring of some of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s most experienced and expert inspectors from the team allowed to operate there is a “very serious blow” to the agency’s work, the watchdog’s chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday. Tehran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency in September that it was taking the step, known as de-designation. The IAEA …

Iran-HRM – Mohammad Mehdi Vossoughian, a 21-year-old student, is facing bogus charges of “propaganda against the system, communication with hostile countries, and membership in opposition groups.” According to the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM), the trial session to examine the charges against Mohammad Mehdi Vossoughian was held today, Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at the Revolutionary Court in Golpayegan County, …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – State media have reported the executions of two men for murder charges at Ghezelhesar Prison. IHRNGO previously reported the executions of two other men that day, bringing the total number to four. There are unverified reports of three other men’s executions at the prison that day. According to Javan Online, two men were executed in …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ebrahim Zamharir, a man sentenced to death for drug-related charges, was executed in Tabriz Central Prison. According to Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Tabriz Central Prison on 22 November. His identity has been established as 48-year-old Ebrahim Zamharir who was sentenced to death for drug-related charges. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Ebrahim …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – At least two men including Moslem Jamshidi and Mohammad Andishkouh were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison. They were on death row for drug-related charges. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, at least two men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj on 22 November. Their identities have been established as Moslem Jamshidi (pictured left) …

iranintl – The massive disqualification of candidates for Iran’s March parliamentary elections was the focus of attention, but few paid attention to those who passed through the net. One notable individual is heavyweight traditional conservative Mohammad Reza Bahonar, whose candidacy in the elections can change Iran’s domestic political landscape, at least for the next four months. While the first round …

iranintl – After weeks of drone and rocket attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria, the United States carried out a series of strikes in Iraq against Iranian-backed militants. Until this week, the United States had been reluctant to retaliate in Iraq because of the delicate political situation there. It retaliated only in Syria launching three strikes in October and …

RFL/RE – Ahmadreza Haeri, a political prisoner in Iran’s Qezelhesar Prison, has backed up claims that fellow inmate dissident rapper Saman Yasin had been tortured, saying the artist was put through a mock execution by prison guards even though his death sentence was quashed and a new trial ordered in his case. Yasin was arrested by security forces during nationwide …

Iranwire – Three young teenagers are among the main suspects in last month’s murder of a renowned artist couple, Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi-Far, the Etemad newspaper reported. In its report on November 22, Etemad quoted an informed source as saying that two suspects named Dawood and Iskandar are aged 14 or 15. A third suspect named Mirweis is no more than 15 years …