Social and Political

VOA – Iran’s prolonged economic recession and increasing regional isolation as its Islamist rulers mark 42 years in power is largely a result of those rulers maintaining ideological adherence to their 1979 revolution through a discordant power structure, according to some Iranian analysts. Iranian authorities celebrated the anniversary of the revolution by mobilizing government supporters to stage a series of …

Amnesty – Three death row prisoners from Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority, Ali Khasraji, Hossein Silawi and Jasem Heidary, have sewn their lips together and been on hunger strike since 23 January 2021 in Sheiban prison in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, in protest at their prison conditions, denial of family visits, and the ongoing threat of execution. A fourth Ahwazi Arab prisoner, …

CHRI – Two imprisoned student activists continue to be persecuted for peacefully protesting unjust policies and practices in Iran, including so-called “virginity tests.” Charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” for peacefully participating in protests, Saha Mortezaei must now serve six years in prison after her sentence was upheld by Branch 54 of the Appeals Court in Tehran. “For a …

Al-Monitor According to an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker, Amir Hussein Abdollahian, Iran’s supreme leader sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the need to strengthen ties and the status of the nuclear deal. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a personal note about the nuclear deal and strengthening ties. Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf …

Shabtabnews – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned Houthi authorities for summoning 19 members of Yemen’s Baha’i community to stand trial on spurious charges and risk lengthy prison sentences. The Houthis have persecuted Baha’is and other religious minorities in Yemen for years solely because of their beliefs. “We unequivocally condemn the Houthis’ latest targeting of Yemen’s Baha’i …

Al-Arabia – The United States will continue to put pressure on the Iran-backed Houthi militia in an effort to end the group’s “heinous” attacks in the region, a State Department spokesperson told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat. The Biden administration is determined to reach a deal that puts an end to the war in Yemen, the spokesperson added.US President Joe …

RFL/RE – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched ground forces drills in the southwest of the country near the Iraqi border.IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said on February 11 that drones, helicopters, and artillery are to be used in the drills, dubbed Great Prophet 16, according to Press TV.It was not clear how long the …

RFL/RE – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has called on Iran to “show restraint” after UN inspectors confirmed the country has started producing small amounts of uranium metal in the latest breach of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.“We understand the logic of their actions and the reasons prompting Iran. Despite this, it is necessary to show restraint …

Iranwire – On Monday, February 8, 2021, Taghi Rostamvandi, the deputy interior minister and head of the Social Security Organization, announced shocking statistics on child marriage, using the euphemism “early marriages” to refer to the practice. In his announcement, Rostamvandi did not explain the difference between the phrases “child marriage” and “early marriage,” but simply said: “Of the 25,000 marriages of people …

CHRI – The U.S. government has a long history of pursuing multiple policy goals with adversaries and demanding respect for human rights will not derail nuclear negotiations. By Hadi Ghaemi Less than a month into President Joe Biden’s first term, Iran is already in the headlines, most recently with the news that another dual national, identified as Iranian-American businessman Emad Sharghi, …