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

RFL/RE – Human rights watchdog Hengaw says Saman Darvishi, a Kurdish prisoner held at Iran’s Evin prison, has died with the cause of death attributed to assault and torture by Iranian security forces. Darvishi’s death, which Hengaw said occurred on May 9, follows a year of reports that he suffered severe beatings and torture while incarcerated for theft and allegedly injuring …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have released two French citizens jailed in separate cases and they are both now returning to France, French officials say. Bernard Phélan , who also holds Irish nationality, and Benjamin Brière were freed from their prison in the northeastern city of Mashhad and are “on their way to France,” Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said. “Finally Freed. Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phélan will …

Iranwire – An Iranian teacher who was arrested this week while on her way to participate in a teachers’ rally has gone on hunger strike to protest her incarceration, the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union said on May 11. Ateke Rajabi was arrested on May 9 after leaving her home to take part in a protest in the north-eastern city of Mashhad. Teachers staged …

Iranwire – Prosecutors in Tehran’s Evin prison summoned a number of human rights lawyers in the past few days without saying which specific accusations they are facing, Shargh newspaper reported on May 11.  The newspaper quoted an unidentified lawyer as saying that at least 20 lawyers were summoned this week to appear before Branch 7 of Evin’s Prosecutor’s Office.  Most of them had protested the unlawful arrests of …

Iranwire – The Iranian judiciary has sentenced social media activist Ramin Alinia Tazehkand to a total of six years in prison, according to reports received by IranWire, as the Islamic Republic is stepping up its clampdown on dissent and the media.  Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Tazehkand to five years and one year in prison on charges of “gathering and …