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

Iranwire – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated threats against Israel during a ceremony marking the Islamic Republic’s annual Army Day celebrating the country’s regular military. Raisi made the comments on April 18 as fighter jets and helicopters flew overhead in Tehran during a ceremony carried live by state television. “Enemies, particularly the Zionist regime, have received the message that any …

Iranwire – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is calling on Iranian authorities to immediately release journalist Saeed Seif-Ali and drop any charges against him. “Authorities must let members of the press do their work without fear that they will be subject to arbitrary arrest and detention,” Sherif Mansour, the New York-based media freedom watchdog’s Middle East and North Africa …

Iranwire – “The devil is in details:” This is an apt description of the mandatory hijab laws of the Islamic Republic, laws that are so remote from modern life, so contrary to human rights and to Islamic Republic’s own constitution that it is difficult to believe that they truly exist. And these laws are enforced by the police, the paramilitary …

Iranwire – Belgium says it has formally asked Iranian authorities to repatriate jailed aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, as a disputed prisoner exchange treaty between Tehran and Brussels formally entered into force on April 18. “I can confirm that Belgium has today submitted to Iran a request for the transfer of Mr. Vandecasteele,” a spokesman for Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib …

Iranwire – A series of chemical attacks against girls’ schools were reported in at least a dozen cities across Iran on Monday. Reports and videos on social media reveal that students were poisoned at schools in Isfahan, Sanandaj, Ravansar, Saqqez, Bukan, Diwandrareh, Urmia, Gilangharb, Tabriz, Dezful, and Mahdasht. Since November 2022, more than 13,000 students have suffered symptoms including nausea, …