Human rights

CHRI – The European Union’s External Action Committee, which manages the EU’s diplomatic relations with other countries and conducts EU foreign and security policy for the 28-country bloc, released a statement today, November 21, calling on the Iran’s security forces to exercise “maximum restraint” in handling the protests throughout the country, noting that “any violence is unacceptable.” Protests broke out across Iran on November …

Al-Monitor – After four days of a near complete internet blackout, Iranian authorities have begun to restore internet connectivity to the country. According to Fars News Agency, the resumption of internet access is being done “gradually” and “province by province.” According to the Fars report, Hormozgan, Arak, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Qom, Tabriz, Hamedan, Bushehr and parts of Tehran are being reconnected. Public acces to the internet was …

Radiofarda – Iran’s Writers’ Association has issued a statement on Thursday, November 21, condemning “violent confrontation” with people’s right to free speech and calling on the Islamic Republic authorities to end the presence of security forces in the streets. Iranian writers and poet gathering in annual general assembly of Iran’s association of writers on February 2018. The statement sent to …

Radiofarda – Once again, Iranians have taken to the streets. Spurred initially by cuts in gas subsidies and an increase in petrol prices, up to 100 cities experienced protests, and over 100 people have been killed. Like demonstrations in 2017 –‘18, the outpouring began with an economic spark, but quickly morphed into a full-bore venting of political grievances. What makes …

RFL/RE – Iranian authorities have begun restoring Internet access in Tehran and a number of provinces, reports say, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said calm had returned after days of unrest over fuel-price hikes.In a statement on November 21, the IRGC praised the armed forces for taking “timely” action against the “rioters,” adding that the arrest of their …

Radiozamaneh – The protests that have erupted across Iran since 15 Nov 2019 are the second round of nationwide protests in Iran in the past two years. This time, Iranian people have come to the streets after the decision by the authorities in Iran to significantly increase gasoline prices. What connects these two waves of widespread protests in 2018 and …

CHRI – Preliminary Sentences Range Between 6 and 10 Years, Two Still Awaiting Ruling No Evidence of Wrongdoing Ever Found November 20, 2019 – Six of the eight wildlife conservationists who have been detained in Iran since their arrest in January 2018 have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to ten years for espionage, a lawyer with knowledge of the …

CHRI – Begun in 1954 by the UN, Universal Children’s Day, (now called World Children’s Day) is observed each year on November 20 to promote the welfare of the world’s children. The UN’s Declaration of the Rights of the Child states, “The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, …

Al-Monitor – “Let all friends and foes know that we pushed back the enemy in the recent security war,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared in a speech Nov. 19. Khamenei was referring to a wave of deadly demonstrations that has gripped the Islamic Republic since last Friday after an overnight announcement of higher gasoline prices and a contentious rationing scheme. The protests, according to Khamenei, …

Radiofarda – Reports received from Radio Farda listeners in Iran and a government news agency indicate protests continued Monday and Tuesday in several cities and towns in Iran, with armed clashes reported. A listener from Mashhad, northeast Iran says Monday night protesters tried to attack the offices of Ayatollah Ahamd Alamolhoda, an influential hardliner cleric representing Iran’s Supreme Leader in …