Iranwire – Iranian-Canadian writer and civil activist Hamed Esmaeilion says Iran’s government has barred his mother from leaving the country in retaliation for his activism. Esmaeilion lost his daughter and wife in the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over Tehran in January 2020. He served as president and spokesperson for the …

Iranwire – An Iranian Revolutionary Court has sentenced Shohreh Salekian, a Baha’i citizen living in Mashhad, to three years and eight months in prison.  Salekian was charged with “membership in a group with the aim of disrupting national security” and “propaganda against the system.”  She was sentenced to three years in prison for the first charge and eight months in …

Iranwire – Iranian border forces have shot and killed a 17-year-old Kurdish porter near the Hengezhal border crossing with Iraq in western Kurdistan province, a human rights organization reported. The teenager, identified as Farooq Alizadeh from the city of Sardasht in West Azerbaijan province, was shot on the morning of November 26, according to Hengaw human rights website.  The incidents …

Iranwire – Iranian political prisoner Zohreh Sarv has been on a hunger strike for four days in protest at the authorities denying adequate medical care. In a letter sent from Tehran’s Evin prison, Sarv says she will consume only “water, sugar and salt,” and holds the judiciary responsible for any consequences to her health and life that may result from …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Afsaneh Zohrevand, the mother of executed protester Milad Zohrevand was detained for hours for “wailing” at his burial. His body was buried in a Christian cemetery by authorities two days after secret execution. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, protester Milad Zohrevand’s body was laid to rest in a Christian (Armenian) cemetery in Hamedan …

iranintl – What if a Sunni imam plays a central role in advocating for freedom in a Shia-majority country ruled by Shiite clerics and gains significant traction. It may seem unlikely, especially in a country like Iran with a hostile regime. While suspicions about Iranian imams being conservative and reactionary are understandable, Mowlavi Abdolhamid (Abd ul-Hamid), a Sunni cleric in …

iranintl – A prominent Iranian lawyer has argued that the dominating role of the hardliner Paydari Party is likely to hinder the legislative system and the Constitution. In a recent commentary, Iranian lawyer Kambiz Nowrouzi referred to a statement made by hardline cleric Morteza Aqa-Tehrani, the chairman of the central council of Paydari Party. Aqa-Tehrani recently quoted the party’s founding father, …

iranintl – In September, Iranian state television shut down its Jam-e Jam channel, designed to convey the Islamic Republic’s message to millions of expats in the diaspora. The closure, largely overlooked by Iranian media and officials, underscored the regime’s struggle to propagate its ideological messaging among Iranians who had emigrated to avoid exposure to such totalitarian and biased content. Saeed …

iranintl – Iran’s draft budget for 2024-2025, presented to the parliament, reveals a significant decline in oil and gas export revenues, and a surge in domestic energy prices. The bill outlines a projection of 1.35 million barrels per day for oil exports at an average price of €65 per barrel (approximately $71) in the upcoming fiscal year (starting March 21), …

iranintl – A jury has found Cameron Jay Ortis, a former intelligence official of RCMP, the Canadian equivalent of FBI, guilty of breaching Canada’s secrets law. The trial, described as “unprecedented” by Canadian outlet Global News, followed Ortis’ arrest in 2019 which “sent a shockwave through the Canadian security and intelligence community”. Jurors declared Ortis guilty of three counts of …