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

Iranwire – This week the Islamic Republic of Iran observed the second anniversary of the US killing of Ghasem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC’s expeditionary Quds Force. A reported 10,000 events have taken place across the country, with tributes paid in the media, on state TV, in commemorative films and publications, and in cyberspace. Those who had known the general in seemingly …

Iranwire – In Iran, internet speeds have dropped dramatically over the past month, while access to Virtual Proxy Networks (VPNs) and open social networks including Twitter and Telegram has become more difficult –  prompting criticism and protest campaigns, shared extensively on social media. It follows alarm over the “User Protection Bill”, due to be tabled before Iranian parliament in March 2022. Proponents of the bill argue …

Iranwire – This week it emerged that in her first week at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, senior official Maryam Kazemipour has blocked women’s participation in “bodybuilding-related activities”. Previously the decision was attributed to Mohammad Tabatabaei, director-general of sports for Isfahan province, but a newly-published document showed otherwise. The directive from Kazemipour ordered the activities of all Iranian women …

IRAN-HRM – More than 365 prisoners have been executed in 2021 in Iran, raising concern over the abysmal human rights condition which has worsened since Ebrahim Raisi became the regime’s president. This number does not include those prisoners who are secretly executed, and it is not possible to ascertain their names and places of execution. The actual number of executions …

CHRI – While commemorating the second anniversary of the killing of 176 people aboard Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) calls on the Iranian government to allow people to mourn their lost loved ones and to demand justice without interference. The passenger plane was shot down …