Social and Political

Radiofarda – Dr. Alireza Zali, the head of the Tehran Coronavirus Combat Taskforce, has admitted for the first time that the escalation of the COVID-19 in Iran over recent months was caused by a “strategic mistake” on the parts of the government and health authorities. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Dr. Zali said that holding the people solely responsible for …

The arbitrary murder of a young boy outraged the people of Hamadan who attacked the SSF station, demanding the SSF to account for his murder. The State Security forces shot dead a 13-year-old boy in a village in Hamadan. This arbitrary murder took place in Shirinabad village in Ghahavand county at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. The victim, …

Iran-HRM – Based on the Judiciary documents, five inmates were killed during the prison riots last March in the Sheiban Prison of Ahvaz. Some sources say the number of deaths of inmates is higher. Dozens of inmates have been accused of inciting the riots, including 30 who face more serious charges including providing the grounds to cause murders. The charges …

Al-Monitor – The United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly rejected a US-sponsored resolution today that aimed to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran.  “The Security Council’s failure to act decisively in defense of international peace is inexcusable,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement late today. “We will work to ensure that the theocratic terror regime does not …

france24.com – A campaign on a rare scale uniting activists and personalities inside Iran and out is pressing Tehran not to execute men detained over anti-government protests, but faces an uphill struggle. In the face of a furious outcry, symbolised by the viral hashtag #Don’t_Execute (#Edam_Nakon in Persian), Iran’s judiciary last month halted the executions of three young men arrested …

atlanticcouncil.org – “I think Iran and [Donald] Trump are close to a win-win agreement,” veteran Iranian journalist and BBC Persian correspondent Masoud Behnoud recently tweeted on August 8. “Trump has a failed record on foreign policy and will give concessions on the eve of the election. Iran also wants rewards for its patience, especially its patience in the face of the recent explosions.” Behnoud’s striking …

atlanticcouncil.org – In late April, a 10-year-old boy landed in an emergency room with severe eye injuries caused by a violent outburst from his father. Arash had refused to help his family with “waste picking”—an activity undertaken by slum-dwellers to salvage recyclable materials for resale or personal use—out of fear of contracting COVID-19. “The child was beaten for hours before …

AP — The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. Last month, federal prosecutors in Washington filed a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the sale was arranged by a businessman, Mahmoud Madanipour, …

Radiofarda -Brian Hook, the outgoing U.S. State Department Special Representative for Iran, said in a video press conference on Thursday that the United States is going to ensure that the arms embargo on Iran is extended “one way or the other”. The U.S. sent a revised version of the Iran arms embargo to the members of the U.N. Security Council …

Radiofarda – Three journalists and a lawmaker who have publicly discussed bribery allegations against the newly elected Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf are being sued by the Iranian Parliament for “libel,” an Iranian Parliament official said on Wednesday. Alireza Sharifi, Director-General of the Parliament’s Public Relations, wrote in a tweet that lawsuits have been filed “against those who assault [the Parliament …