Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.

Iranwire – Two Iranian institutions overseen by influential politician Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel receive more funding than most universities and research institutes, according to a new report by data analysis group Iran Open Data. The Academy of Persian Language and Literature and the Saadi Foundation, both governed by Haddad Adel, receive around $8 million from Iran’s national budget each year.  Haddad …

Iranwire – Iranian families honored the memory of those lost in recent protests by visiting their graves on the last Thursday of the Persian year. In a longstanding tradition, Iranians pay respects to departed loved ones on the final Thursday of the Persian calendar year. On March 14, numerous people and families mourning those lost in recent protests gathered at …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s authorities have not allowed incarcerated journalist Mehdi Afsharnik, lodged in Tehran’s Evin prison, to meet with his lawyer or family. The Defending the Free Flow of Information organization, citing a reliable source, reported, “Despite the journalist’s wife and lawyer making repeated visits to the Evin Prosecutor Office, judicial authorities have refused to provide a clear explanation …

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s judiciary has executed another prisoner amid a significant rise in death penalties in the country. According to Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization, 42-year-old Behzad Bidrang, a father of two from Ajab Shir in East Azerbaijan province, was executed in Qazvin Central Prison on March 14. Bidrang was arrested for drug-related charges two years ago and …

iranintl – In what appears to be a coincidence, politicians representing opposite ends of the Islamic Republic’s political spectrum have recently brought up the issue of shadow governments. Iran stands out as one of the few countries, if not the only one, where shadow governments are established by allies of the ruling government rather than by its political adversaries. The …