Social and Political

Iranwire – The Canadian government says it has sanctioned seven Revolutionary Court judges for their role in “gross and systematic human rights abuses.”  “As an institution closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Courts are notorious for issuing death sentences and harsh prison terms following sham trials and based on evidence …

Al-Monitor – At least five Palestinians were killed and 91 more were injured as fierce gun battles with Israeli forces raged in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank on Monday. The clashes were the latest in more than a year of violence between Palestinians and the Israeli army in the West Bank. Seven Israeli soldiers were also wounded in …

theconversation – The vibrant, brave and unyielding voice of dissent remains strong in Iran despite months of brutal repression by the clerical regime. The “women, life, freedom” movement is an insistent call for change that is meeting the Islamic Republic head-on with resilient defiance. Even as violence curbs the outward signs of protest, the movement is very much alive, boldly …

independent – A group of hackers working against the Iranian government have struck again, this time with a second trove of documents obtained from the highest levels of the authoritarian regime. Credit for the attack was claimed by the group calling itself “Ghiam ta Sarnegoun”, or “Rise to Overthrow”. The attack follows a similar episode in early May, when the group defaced …

RFL/RE – At least 14 people have died in Iran after after drinking bootleg alcohol in the northern Iranian province of Alborz. Another 120 suffering from alcohol poisoning symptoms have been referred to medical centers in the province. Authorities said the industrial alcohol had been sold by a body spray production factory in Alborz. A judiciary official in the province …

RFL/RE – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 18 that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program. Netanyahu spoke after reports in Israeli media said understandings are being reached between Washington and Tehran that would seek to hold back Iran’s nuclear program somewhat, in exchange for some …

Iranwire – The visit of Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister to Tehran attracted international attention on June 17 when he asked to switch the location of his joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart because the room featured a photo of late Iranian general Qassem Suleimani on the wall. Twenty-four hours after the incident, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that …

Iranwire – n the early hours of June 17, special forces and plainclothes security personnel assaulted students protesting mandatory headscarf rules outside the campus of Tehran Art University and detained 10 of them.  The detained students, who included both men and women, were taken away in an unmarked van.  The Iranian Student Union issued a statement on June 18 announcing …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s intelligence and security agencies have stepped up pressure on Kurdish clerics since last year’s death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, a human rights organization reported on June 19.  Amini, whose September 16 death sparked months of nationwide anti-government protests, was a Kurd.  According to Hengaw, a Norway-based group that monitors rights violations in Iran’s …

Iranwire – Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib is facing calls for resignation after approving visa requests for citizens from Iran and Russia under international sanctions. Lahbib is under scrutiny for having granted visas to delegations from Iranian and Russian cities to attend a mayors convention in Brussels last week, only three weeks after Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele was released …