Human rights

Iranwire – On February 4, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued a “great amnesty” and agreed with a request by the head of the judiciary to pardon “tens of thousands” of prisoners, including some arrested in nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police. At the time, this amnesty …

Iranwire – Security forces of the Islamic Republic have arrested the grandson of Molavi Abdolhamid amid mounting pressure on the outspoken Sunni cleric. Haalvsh, which covers developments in the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, said on June 27 that Abdolnasir Shahbakhsh was “violently” arrested on the street Zahedan, the provincial capital, and taken to an unknown location. Previously, Shahbaksh …

Iranwire – Mahvash Seidali, an activist who was arrested a week ago for her activities on the social networking platform Clubhouse, has launched a hunger strike, her sister says. During a phone call, the 45-year-old activist told her family that she initiated a hunger strike while in solitary confinement to protest her “illegal” detention, her sister Narges Seidali said. “If …

Iranwire – The Teachers’ Union of Iran urged the Iranian authorities to immediately stop summoning and imposing heavy sentences on its members, after eight protesting teachers were sentenced to a total of 34 years behind bars amid a government crackdown on dissent. The Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced Abdolrazaq Amiri and Zahra Esfandiari to two years in prison each. Iraj Rahnama, …

Iranwire – Security forces have disrupted the end-of-semester exam sessions in Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, subjecting the students to invasive physical searches and threatening women who did not strictly abide by compulsory headscarf rules.  Iran’s Student Union Council said on its Telegram channel that the university’s security officers “repeatedly disrupted the order” by taking pictures of students and ordering strict …

iranintl – Iran’s regime has taken one more step to tighten its control over entertainment content in line with its policy of enforcing religious restrictions on the population. The state broadcaster last week gained full control over content shown by privately-owned streaming services based on a decision taken by Iran’s Supreme Cultural Revolution Council.  Some filmmakers and actors have warned …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – State media have reported the execution of an unidentified man for murder in Gorgan. According to Iran Online, a man was executed in Gorgan. The report which was published on 20 June, does not specify the date or exact location of the execution. The man only named as Hamed, is alleged to have committed murder …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Danesh Salari, a Baluch man sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, was executed in Kahnuj Prison. According to Hal Vash, a Baluch man was executed in Kahnuj Prison on 19 June. His identity has been reported as 24-year-old Danesh Salari from Koulgan village in Roudbar. He was arrested for murder around three years ago in …

RFL/RE – A number of Iranian activists and rights group have come out in support of protesting students at Tehran’s University of Art, warning them against increasing enforcement of dress codes, especially head scarves for women, across the country. The activists said in a statement titled “The voice of society’s majority to the entire system of the Islamic republic” that …

RFL/RE – The trial of Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during nationwide anti-government protests in November, has been conducted behind closed doors, his legal representatives have disclosed. Representatives from the parliaments of Germany, Austria, New Zealand, and Italy, who have become Salehi’s political sponsors, announced on June 22 that the court proceedings concerning the singer’s charges were held …