RFL/RE – Iran has officially outlawed the use of tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) designed to bypass Internet censorship following a directive from the country’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace that was endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The secretary of the council, Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, announced the enforcement of the decree, which was initially approved by Khamenei, signaling a …

VOA – Iran is seeing an uptick in labor protests coinciding with annual deliberations on raising the minimum wage to keep up with increases in living costs, yet the actions have elicited no violent government crackdown such as the one that crushed a women’s rights movement one year ago. One of the Islamic republic’s most sustained labor protests of recent …

gatestoneinstitute.org – Behind these seemingly benign economic [trade] transactions… lies a troubling reality: the funds generated from Europe’s trade with Iran are being funneled into activities that are now prolonging violence and conflict, and posing a direct threat to European, Middle Eastern and North American security interests…. Since 2012, the Iranian regime has allocated more than $13 billion to support …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ahmad Esmaili, a man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Hamedan Central Prison. According to Hrana news agency, a man was executed in Hamedan Central Prison on 21 February. His identity has been reported as Ahmad Esmaili. He was arrested around five years ago and sentenced to death for drug-related charges by …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Ashraf Akramollah, an Afghan national on death row for murder, was executed in Isfahan Central Prison. His father was executed for drug-related charges at the prison 14 years ago. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, an Afghan national was executed in Isfahan Central Prison on 18 February. His identity has been established as …

Iranwire – In the vast tapestry of Mohammed Sadeghi’s life, his earliest threads are intricately woven with the art of dance.  Reflecting on his childhood, Sadeghi reminisces about the profound significance of movement — a gateway through which he sought to understand the complexities of emotion, tension and femininity inherent in the opposite sex. For Sadeghi, dance was more than …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s Guardian Council has qualified social media comedian Iraj Maleki to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections.  Maleki, who rose to prominence through his short films addressing “social harms,” seeks to represent the western province of Kermanshah in the chamber. KhabarOnline news website said Maleki had fulfilled all legal prerequisites, including educational qualifications.  The announcement drew …

Iranwire – The pattern of emigration from Iran has dramatically changed in recent years to become a mass phenomenon not only affecting the most elite and wealthy groups. While media and factions aligned with the Islamic Republic’s government often downplay the scale of emigration, athletes, artists, scholars, healthcare workers, educators, technocrats, farmers are now leaving the country in significant numbers. …

Iranwire – Fifteen Baha’i citizens went on trial in the northern province of Mazandaran on charges of “deviant educational and propaganda activities” deemed contrary to Islamic Sharia law, IranWire reports.  During the trial held between February 6 to 18, the prosecutor accused the defendants of using “mind control methods and psychological inductions” to promote the Baha’i faith.  The Baha’is were …

Iranwire – An Iranian court has sentenced a protester to death on charges of “spying for Israel,” human rights groups reported.  Shahin Wasaf was arrested during nationwide demonstrations in September 2022.  He and his cousin, Nasser Wasaf, were detained by agents of the Urmia Intelligence Department and were later transferred to the city’s central prison.  The Norway-based human rights group …