Social and Political

RFL/RE – The families of those killed by authorities in Iran — including people who have died in recent mass protests over the death of a young woman while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly — have launched a campaign on Twitter asking foreign diplomats not to participate in a government ceremony for the anniversary of the 1979 …

Iranwire – The Iranian foreign minister has rejected widespread evidence that tens of thousands of people had been arrested during the anti-government protests that have swept Iran for more than four months, and that “no journalists” had been sent behind bars for doing their job. Contrary to what Hossein Amir-Abdollahian suggested in an interview published by U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) on …

Iranwire – As the Iranian authorities are trying to whitewash the illegal arrest of thousands of protesters with an “amnesty,” the security forces are intensifying detentions of activists who are taking to the streets in remote cities, IranWire reports. IranWire spoke with a resident of Dashti, a predominantly Sunni city in the southern province of Hormuzgan. He said he was …

Iranwire – As IranWire has reported, hundreds of Iranians have sustained severe eye injuries after being hit by pellets, tear gas cannisters, paintball bullets or other projectiles used by security forces amid a bloody crackdown on mainly peaceful demonstrations. The report concluded that such actions by the security forces could constitute a “crime against humanity,” as defined by Article 7 of the …

VOA – Iranian protester Armita Abbasi, who media reports said was tortured and raped while in detention after being identified as a “leader” of protests sparked by the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head scarf violation, has been released from prison. “We experienced a very difficult time, but now I am extremely happy,” …

CHRI – The announced pardons and sentence reductions for tens of thousands of people charged or prosecuted for taking part in the protests that have swept Iran over the last four months, issued at the behest of the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 4, 2023, are a political ploy aimed at covering up vast and blatant violations of human …

Al-Monitor — The Iranian government presented to parliament this month a swollen budget bill for the next Persian year, starting in March 2023. While the draft plan envisages huge boosts of up to 50% in security, intelligence and media spending, the share of tackling air pollution is reduced to half from roughly $8 million to $4 million.   The cut specifically targets the …

Al-Arabia – Opponents of Iran’s regime are urging foreign ambassadors to boycott an annual celebration of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, with a hashtag campaign led by individuals who have lost family members to the regime. The event, reportedly taking place on Thursday, involves meeting with Iranian officials, including the president, to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 revolution …

ecfr – A revolution is under way in Iran. A revolution started by women who have managed to win over almost the entire nation to their cause. They fight fearlessly for freedom and against the terror of the Islamic regime, which has oppressed the largely secular population for 44 years now. Freedom or terror – this is what the Iranian revolution is about. The …

RFL/RE – Opposition figure Mir Hossein Musavi has called for the “fundamental transformation” of Iran’s theocratic political system as anti-regime protests continue to rage across the country. In a statement on February 4, the 80-year-old called for a “free” referendum and the drafting of a new constitution. Musavi, a former prime minister who has been under house arrest since 2011, added that …