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

Iran-HRM – “Removing the veil in the cyberspace is considered a crime,” the Deputy Chief of the Iranian Cyber Police announced, adding, “Anyone who does not abide by the law on Hijab in the cyberspace would be recognized as a criminal.” Col. Pashaii reiterated, “There is no difference between crimes committed in the cyberspace and those committed in real life. …

VOA – Iran’s government is facing a crisis of legitimacy over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to critics. Iran has recorded more than 120,000 cases and 7,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to scientists’ estimates. There are also concerns over gross human rights abuses during the outbreak, as Henry Ridgwell reports. Producers: HenryRidgwell, Jonathan Spier

CHRI – Civil rights activist Shora Fekri was taken to prison in Amol, Mazandaran Province, on May 18, 2020, to begin serving a five-month prison sentence for protesting Iran’s downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned. After three days of denials, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) admitted to “accidently” shooting down the plane on …

Al-Monitor – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is seeking to reorganize the Popular Mobilization Units under the framework of the PMU law.  Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (in center, to right of flags) meets with the head of the Popular Mobilization Units, Faleh al-Fayadh, and other PMU leaders in Baghdad, May 16, 2020.  Photo by Iraqi prime minister’s media office/via …

PayvandNews – The Caspian Sea water level has reached its lowest level since 1995, mainly because of a recent drop in the water level of the Volga River, which supplies most of the sea’s water, by about 22 percent. In 2019, the average water level stood at -27.18 meters, showing 13 centimeters decrease compared to the year before, ISNA reported.  Caspian Sea …