Human rights

Iranwire – Islamic Republic officials have cut the telephone access of incarcerated singer Toomaj Salehi after he called for an elections boycott.  “After Toomaj Salehi’s message regarding the election boycott and ongoing harassment, and in continued violation of his rights, his phone calls were abruptly terminated under orders from the Ministry of Intelligence,” Salehi’s social media accounts, managed by his …

iranintl – The screening of Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi’s documentary in Oslo on Wednesday once again underscored the prevalent use of solitary confinement in Iranian prisons. Titled “White Torture,” the documentary, showcased at an event organized by the Nobel Foundation, illuminated the isolation techniques employed in Iranian prisons to break prisoners and highlights the plight of political detainees enduring …

iranintl – The tiny Jewish community in Tehran is facing intense pressure from the clerical regime to mobilize its members to vote on Friday in the parliamentary elections. Iran’s regime launched a high-intensity campaign to stop boycotts of the parliament and Assembly of Experts elections. Tehran-born Ben Sabti, an expert on Iranian Jews from the Israeli National Security and Strategy Institute, told Iran …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Shervin Hajipour, a vocal supporter of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, to three years and eight months in prison. He is charged with “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic” and “inciting people to riot.”  Hajipour announced the verdict in an Instagram post on March 1, also revealing a two-year ban on leaving the country.  …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sent prominent LGBTQ rights activist Elham Choubdar back to prison to serve a three-year sentence, according to a group that tracks human rights violations in Iran. According to Hengaw, Choubdar was arrested “in late February” and transferred to the women’s ward of Urmia Central Prison, in the country’s northwest.  Choubdar, 26, was sentenced to death …

Iranwire – A German-Iranian woman has been sent back to prison in Iran after several weeks of medical leave despite concerns over her health, her daughter says. Nahid Taghavi, 69, was ordered back to Tehran’s Evin prison “arbitrarily and for no clear reason” on the evening of February 28, her daughter Mariam Claren said in a statement on the social …

Iranwire – In the lead-up to Iran’s parliamentary polls on March 1, authorities have intensified their crackdown on supporters of an election boycott. On February 28, the police commander of West Azerbaijan province announced the arrest of 50 “social media page operators” accused of “disrupting public order and inciting non-participation in the elections.”  The police official warned that publishing “tension-inducing …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have arrested Masoud Shekari, the father of a young protester executed in connection with the 2022 uprising.  The Shekari family reportedly said that Shekari “suffers from a mental illness” that has worsened since the execution of his son, Mohsen Shekari, leading to his hospitalization. Journalist Amirhossein Miresmaeili, citing a family member, said that Masoud Shekari was …

Iranwire – An Iranian inmate has taken his own life in a prison near Tehran, a human rights group reported.  A source close to Hossein Jalali’s family said that he had been incarcerated in Ghezelhesar prison, according to the HRANA human rights news agency.  Approximately seven months ago, Jalali began serving a 25-year sentence on drug-related charges.  At least 32 …

Iranwire – Iranian security forces beat a female student on February 26 at Tehran Azad University’s main campus, IranWire has learned.  IranWire obtained a video capturing the cries of the beaten student held inside a room, while individuals in plainclothes appear to stand guard, instructing others to leave.  A female security officer can also be heard dispersing protesting students. Credible …