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

CHRI – Bolstering a state campaign aimed at crushing dissent, the Iranian Parliament has voted to “investigate” the Iranian Bar Association in a bid to further persecute human rights lawyers who serve as the last remaining lifeline for defendants facing politically motivated charges in the judicial system. “Iranian officials commit blatant human rights violations with impunity, while mechanisms to scrutinize publicly funded state institutions …

Al-Monitor — Asked whether the United States is pursuing an informal arrangement with Iran, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday there is “no agreement in the offing.”  “We continue to be willing to explore diplomatic paths,” Blinken told a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York. “Whether Iran chooses itself to take actions — or maybe better put — not to take …

Iranwire – A security guard at Allameh Tabatabai University’s Faculty of Management and Accounting in Tehran was caught on video violently assaulting a student, sparking a wave of public outcry. The footage, which went viral on social media platforms, shows the guard pushing the student while on the stairs, causing his head to hit the handrail. Iran’s Student Union Council …

Iranwire – On February 4, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued a “great amnesty” and agreed with a request by the head of the judiciary to pardon “tens of thousands” of prisoners, including some arrested in nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police. At the time, this amnesty …

Iranwire – One out of every 52 Iranians sought treatment – voluntarily or involuntarily – at an addiction rehabilitation center during the Persian year that ended in March 2022, according to Iran Open Data. According to data from the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, more than 1.6 million people in Iran sought treatment for their addiction, the collaborative initiative said in a recent …