Human rights

Iranwire – While Iran’s constitution officially recognizes and guarantees rights for religious minorities, discrimination against them persists. There is a stark contrast between official guarantees and the challenging realities they face, including employment barriers, property seizures, and restrictions on religious ceremonies. The Islamic Republic officially recognizes three religious minorities—Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish—granting them freedom to practice their rituals, teachings, and …

Iranwire – A regional Iranian official has warned against “crossing red lines” in the coming weeks as Iranians prepare for the Persian New Year, which falls during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this year. “When organizing concerts, organizers and license holders must adhere to established boundaries, ensuring that no red lines are crossed,” Siavash Muslimi, commander of the Islamic …

VOA – The United States on Monday condemned the sentencing of an Iranian singer who won a Grammy Award in 2023 for a song that became an anthem for mass Iranian protests after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. Singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour said on his Instagram account last week that he …

gatestoneinstitute.org – History is filled with the terrible retribution inflicted on America’s foes when those enemies underestimate the United States. Consider Imperial Japan, which totally underestimated the United States. Hitler thought we could manufacture cars but never have the ability to produce tanks, an air force, a two-ocean navy and the willpower to fight and win. The Soviets told the …

iranhr.net – The 16th Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran, by Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), reveals that the Iranian authorities intensified their use of the death penalty to instil societal fear in the year following the outbreak of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” nationwide protests. The report documents a staggering total of …

Iranwire – Iranian border forces in the western Kurdistan province have fatally shot another Kurdish kolbar amid an escalation of violence against the transborder porters.  The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights identified the victim as 52-year-old Ali Zarghami, a resident of Saqqez. Zarghami was lethally wounded in the stomach on March 3 at the Mishiav border in the Sarshio area …

Iranwire – Authorities in the Islamic Republic have arrested Soleiman Abdi, a teacher and member of the Iranian Teachers’ Union branch in the Kurdish town of Saqqez. The charges against him include “disrupting public order and peace by participating in an illegal gathering in Aichi cemetery,” where Mahsa Amini’s grave is located. Amini emerged as the face of the Woman, …

VOA – Iran’s judiciary has executed a “terrorist” over a drone attack that targeted a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported Sunday. According to state TV, the person “planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad,” Israel’s spy agency. The date of …

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 …