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RFL/RE – Iran’s “decades-long systematic repression” of the Baha’i community “amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution,” Human Rights Watch said in a new report issued on April 1. “Iranian authorities have intentionally and severely deprived Baha’is of their fundamental rights. Authorities have denied Baha’is their rights to freedom of religion and political representation. They have arbitrarily arrested and …

Iranwire – An interview of Abbas Mousavi, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic to Azerbaijan with a woman journalist without hijab in Baku, sparked controversy and ultimately led to his dismissal. The media inside Iran perceived the journalist’s attire as an affront to the values of the Islamic Republic and viewed the interaction as an instance of the Iranian ambassador …

Iranwire – Every spring, as temperatures rise, the Islamic Republic tightens its repressive laws on women’s attire.  However, during Nowruz of 2024, religious and political figures used the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as a pretext to demand harsher measures against women and girls not wearing the mandatory hijab. Citing pronouncements by Friday prayer leaders in various cities, authorities targeted …

Iranwire – Raheleh Rahemipour, a civil rights activist imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin prison, is in critical condition after being denied access to specialized medical care for a brain tumor and other serious illnesses, an activist group reported.  According to a close family source who spoke to the HRANA human rights news agency, the reason for the medical care denial is …

Iranwire – Azerbaijani police and border guards launched a series of operations and confiscated hundreds of kilograms of drugs smuggled from Iran and apprehended numerous individuals, including an Iranian citizen. The Ministry of Interior of Azerbaijan reported over ten drug shipment seizures from Iran in the past ten days. On Sunday, a clash erupted between Azerbaijani border guards and drug …