Iranwire – A court in the Islamic Republic has declined the parole request of four incarcerated environmental activists, their lawyer said.  Lawyer Hojjat Kermani, representing Homan Jokar, Sepideh Kashani, Niloofar Bayani, and Taher Qadirian, said the request was rejected within a day.  Commenting on the decision, Kermani said, “After years of waiting, the case had finally reached court for parole …

VOA – U.S. Republican Senator Ted Cruz has called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of an Iranian German dissident sentenced to death in Iran and called his treatment by authorities there “audacious and barbaric.” Cruz spoke with VOA’s Persian Service about the case of Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian German dual citizen and opposition figure accused of masterminding a deadly …

Iranhr.net – This is an extract from the 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran. To read the full report, please click here. Juvenile executions: Trends and legislative reforms Iran is one of the last remaining countries to sentence juvenile offenders to death and executes more juvenile offenders than any other country in the world. In violation of the …

iranintl – Iran has increased arms exports four to five times in the past two years, Minister of Defense Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani was quoted as saying by media in Tehran on Wednesday. “Certainly, in the future, these exports will increase even more, considering the innovations being made and the new armaments we are pursuing and unveiling,” Ashtiani was quoted as saying by …

iranintl – Less than two weeks after the lackluster elections in Iran, hardliners who have claimed victory find themselves embroiled in a contentious battle over the speakership of the parliament. The struggle for this coveted position commenced months prior to the next parliament’s convening. Meanwhile, due to the remarkably low turnout in the capital, more than half of the lawmakers …

iranintl – The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could “challenge” the Islamic Republic, the US intelligence community has suggested in its annual Threat Assessment. Published Monday, the report says the state in Iran has undergone only a single supreme leader transition in its 45-year history and is mired by “elite factionalism.” Khamenei –who will be 85 next month– has held …

Iranwire – “The violation of the Hijab and Chastity law carries a fine of three million tomans [$50]. This legislation is set to be ratified by the Guardian Council within three days and will be enforced after the [Persian] New Year.” These comments, made on Friday, March 8, during a state TV show, mark Amir Hossein Bankipour’s first reply to …

Iranwire – Iran’s police announced on Wednesday the arrest of five key individuals linked to a company that scammed people out of tens of millions of dollars by promising cheap iPhones. Authorities are still searching for Kourosh Company’s owner, Amirhossein Sharifian, who has been flagged by Interpol with a red notice, according to Tasnim news agency.  Sharifian vanished in late …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s deputy head of the judiciary, Mohammad Mosadegh Kahnamoei, has resigned from his position following the arrest of his two sons on corruption charges in September 2023. The news of the sons’ arrest was first revealed by a Telegram channel last year, but the channel became inaccessible shortly thereafter.  A news agency with ties to the …

Iranwire – The United States on March 12 imposed sanctions on four individuals in Iran for supporting the terrorist group al-Ashtar Brigades, based in Bahrain. The sanctions were imposed in collaboration with Bahrain’s government. The targeted individuals are accused of providing significant support to the al-Ashtar Brigades, including financial, material, or technological assistance.  The US action, “taken in coordination with …