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

RFL/RE – The United States has declared the leader of the Iran-backed Kataib Hizbullah (KH) militant group in Iraq a terrorist following a number of recent rocket attacks on bases hosting U.S. and other foreign troops in Iraq. A State Department official on February 26 said the United States had listed Ahmad al-Hamidawi, head of the armed faction of the group, as …

Iran Human Right (IHR) – At least four people were hanged in Zahedan city, capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province, on February 4 and 5, 2020. According to a news piece published by HRANA and confirmed by IHR sources, at least four prisoners were hanged on Tuesday, February 4, and Wednesday, February 5, 2020, at Zahedan prison. They were reportedly …

CHRI – Grave Concerns Mounting Amid Rising Death Toll, Fears of Regional Outbreak Amid a rising death toll in Iran from the COVID-19 coronavirus strain, public health experts are suggesting that the number of infections in the country is significantly higher than those officially reported by the Iranian government. “[Iranian authorities] don’t want to admit that they’re facing a major outbreak,” said public …

CHRI – Reza Khandan, a women’s rights activist and the husband of prominent imprisoned human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh, has called on Iranian authorities to release his wife and other prisoners to the extent possible to protect them from contracting the potentially deadly COVID-19 coronavirus in overcrowded prisons and detention centers. “After my detention last year, I was incarcerated with 60 people inside …

gatestoneinstitute.org – The Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip seem to have endorsed the banner of Netanyahu’s political rivals in Israel: “Anyone but Bibi (Netanyahu’s nickname).” The two Palestinian groups ‘ perceive Netanyahu as a major threat to their dream of destroying Israel and as someone who has further strengthened Israel’s standing in …