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

Iranwire – The Iranian judiciary has jailed another convert to Christianity on spurious charges. Fariba Dalir, 51, was sent to Evin Prison on Saturday, April 16 to begin serving a two-year sentence for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an Evangelical Christian church”. A report by Article 18, a London-based campaign for religious freedom in Iran, states that Dalir was …

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – There has been an intensification of the crackdown on civil society in Iran over the last week. Six civil and workers’ rights activists, Amir Amirgholi, Amir Abbasi, Mohammad Irannejad, Sara Asgari, Nasrollah Amirlou and Morteza Seyedi were arrested. Rasoul Bodaghi, a civil activist and member of the Teachers’ Union was sentenced to five years imprisonment, …

Al-Arabia – Iran on Monday said an agreement with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal was still not in sight, blaming the United States for the delay. “More than one issue is still pending between Iran and the United States,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. “Messages (from Washington) sent through (European Union coordinator Enrique) Mora these …

Al-Arabia – Punishing those behind the US killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani is a “basic and definite principle” of Tehran’s foreign policy, Iran’s foreign ministry’s spokesman said on Monday. “It is a definite principle in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran that (those involved in the killing of Soleimani) must be brought to justice,” Iran’s official …

Iranwire – The door for standing as a candidate in the Lebanese parliamentary elections closed in mid-March, with some 1,043 people in the potential running – up by 77 since the last round in 2018. Unlike last time, the vote, which is run in accordance with the proportional law that adopts closed lists, comes after a period of singularly explosive political turmoil: …