Human rights

RFL/RE – A high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned protesters in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan against crossing the regime’s “red lines” in anti-government rallies that have been taking place weekly after Friday Prayers. According to the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, Mohammad Pakpor, the commander of the …

Iranwire – Russia has provided Iran with advanced digital-surveillance capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 27, as the two countries seek to bolster cooperation in the field of security and defense. The US newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has provided Tehran with “communication-surveillance …

RFL/RE – An Iranian parliamentarian says the government’s new strategy to enforce the compulsory wearing of the hijab will eliminate physical punishment for women and instead carry financial and administrative penalties that have been approved by the leader of the Islamic republic. Iranian parliament member Hossein Jalali said on March 27 that the new plan includes a financial penalty of up to …

Iranwire – Prominent Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi has reiterated that she is ready to testify “anytime” about the sexual abuse and acts of torture inflicted to women incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison. Mohammadi, who is serving a long-term sentence in Evin, said in a written message on March 27 that she is “not seeking amnesty” from the Iranian government. Instead, …

Amnesty – This is Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of human rights in Iran during 2022/23, subdivided by key human rights themes. It is part of Amnesty International’s annual 2022/23 report on the state of the world’s human rights. View Report in English DOWNLOAD PDF

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have withdrawn the license of prominent lawyer Nemat Ahmadi, according to the country’s lawyers’ association, amid growing pressure on attorneys who have represented protesters in recent months. More than 50 defense attorneys have been arrested since the September 2022 death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody triggered an ongoing wave of nationwide anti-government …

RFL/RE – Three Iranian women have been arrested after arguing with another woman who was attempting to enforce rules on wearing a head scarf in the central city of Yazd. According to a report published by the Asr Iran news website, the three women were visiting a tourist site in the city of Yazd on March 21, the first day of the …

Iranwire – The Iranian judiciary has confirmed the 18-year prison sentence handed down to a political activist who had signed a letter in 2019 calling for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Fatemeh Sepehri’s lawyer made the announcement on March 23 in a statement published on her brother’s (Asghar Sepehri) Twitter account. The lawyer, Gholamhossein Dostali, said the first …

Iranwire – After the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that the Islamic Republic has had no participation in the war in Ukraine. Khamenei’s remarks during his March 21 address marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, suggest he fears of the consequences of Tehran’s involvement in …

Iranwire – The activist HRANA news agency says around 500 people arrested during nationwide protests are facing poor living conditions in an overcrowded ward of Great Tehran Penitentiary. Inmates in the prison’s Ward 3 suffer from “unhealthy drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient food portions,” it said on March 23. “This ward has about 250 beds, and more than half …