RFL/RE – Almost 300 political, social, and cultural figures in Iran have publicly denounced the forthcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, calling for people to follow suit and not participate in the “engineered” and “staged” balloting. “The half-hearted position and status of the institution of elections” in Iran has “reached a more deplorable situation, even compared to the previous …

Iranwire – Saman Yasin, a well-known Iranian rapper imprisoned since the 2022 nationwide uprising, has asked the judiciary to decide about his fate after enduring more than a year of torture.  In a letter published on Yasin’s Instagram account, Yasin painted a picture of despair and frustration. “You’ve staged mock executions, hospitalized me… What’s left? Take my life too and …

Iranwire – A coalition of Iranian student organizations and activists has announced that they will boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections, saying they want fundamental changes in the country. In a statement on February 26, they declared that they would only vote for “the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and the victory of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution.” “We have spoken …

Iranwire – Twelve Iranian women’s rights activists from the northern province of Gilan are to appear in court on February 29 to face charges, according to the Bidarzani legal group. The trial will be held in the Third Branch of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mehdi Rasekhi, the group said on February 26.  The activists were arrested …

Iranwire – Iranian border forces in western Kurdistan province have shot and killed a Kurdish transborder porter, or kolbar. Jaafar Faraji, a father of two from the village of Dovlat Qaleh in Saqqez, was among a group of kolbars targeted by border forces on February 26. Several months ago, he had already been injured in a shooting by border troops, …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have handed prison sentences to prominent women journalists Saba Azarpeik and Kimia Fathizadeh. The Hamshahri newspaper reported on February 26 that Azarpeik was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and barred from using social media platforms on charges of “publishing lies, slander, defamation, threats.” A series of complaints had been lodged against Azarpeik in recent months, including …

Iranwire – Located 12 kilometers from the Ahvaz road to Masjed Soleyman city, next to to Shiban village, Shiban’s local prison stands as a grim symbol of Iran’s penal system.  Housing over 5,000 inmates, well past its designed capacity of 3,500, it has gained notoriety as one of the country’s most perilous prisons. Now an investigations by IranWire has unearthed …

Iranwire – Islamic Republic border forces injured at least 20 Kurdish porters, or kolbars, on the evening of February 24 in western Kermanshah province. The porters sustained injuries to their stomachs, backs, heads, arms and legs, after border forces targeted them with shotguns.  They were transferred to medical centers in Paveh city for treatment, according to the Hengaw human rights …

VOA – An Iranian court has changed the sentence against a pop singer who criticized the mandatory headscarf for women to home confinement instead of jail time, due to health issues, his lawyer said. Mehdi Yarrahi, 42, was arrested in August for releasing an “illegal song” that challenged “the morals and customs of Islamic society.” He was released on bail …

gatestoneinstitute.org – A short, temporary ceasefire might be achievable, so long as it requires Hamas to release all of the remaining Israeli hostages it is holding. The Israeli people, irrespective of their political differences, will never accept any long-term deal that allows the terrorist masterminds of Hamas to remain in control of Gaza. The Israeli people, irrespective of their political …