IRAN NEWS))))))

Following the overthrow of Syria’s dictator and the significant blow to Ali Khamenei and the regime of Velayat-e Faqih, an extraordinary session of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) was held on Monday, December 9. The meeting was chaired by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, and she, on behalf of the NCRI, congratulated the people of Syria, the revolutionaries, political prisoners, and the families of hundreds of thousands of martyrs of the Syrian revolution on the overthrow of the Assad family’s 54-year dictatorship. She expressed hope that this victory would mark the beginning of freedom, prosperity, and progress for the Syrian people. She emphasized that the collapse of the Iranian regime’s closest ally signifies the prelude to the complete failure of its aggressive and warmongering policies throughout the region. The religious dictatorship’s “strategic depth” in Iran has crumbled, and the regime will soon be driven out of all regional countries. Mrs. Rajavi underscored that Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow was achieved through the sacrifices of rebellious youth who represented the wrath and outrage of the people. These are the same people who, in recent years, suffered the loss of more than 500,000 lives at the hands of Assad’s regime. Additionally, the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the boycott of the regime’s sham elections for the Assembly of Experts and the presidency in Iran, repeated defeats of Velayat-e Faqih policies in the region, and the disintegration of its forces, proxies, and mercenaries rendered the regime powerless in supporting Assad. The backbone of Assad’s regime—Khamenei’s forces—had fallen apart.

Mrs. Rajavi added that the NCRI is proud to have stood alongside the people and revolutionaries of Syria during the darkest times, championing their defense and consistently emphasizing the necessity of eradicating the regime’s influence from all countries in the region. The Iranian Resistance has, for years, persistently exposed numerous activities and conspiracies of the regime in Syria.

Mrs. Rajavi also stressed that despite successive defeats, the clerical regime will neither cease its internal repression nor its external warmongering and terrorism until its downfall. However, the Iranian people’s struggle to overthrow the regime of Velayat-e Faqih is drawing ever closer to victory. A free and democratic Iran is the key to peace, stability, and freedom for the region and the world.

NCRI members highlighted that Assad’s fall reveals another undeniable truth to the world: regimes like his, contrary to their propaganda, are highly vulnerable and fragile. When faced with the fire of the people’s anger, they collapse rapidly. The members also discussed the necessary actions at this stage, emphasizing that recent developments in Syria and the region qualitatively weaken the ruling religious fascism in Iran, intensify its internal crises, and accelerate its overthrow through uprisings and the freedom army.

******

On Wednesday, December 11, the regime of Ali Khamenei in Iran, hanged at least 13 prisoners in different prisons. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated: “The 13 recorded executions on Wednesday, December 11, and 592 executions since July, including 21 women, are part of the ‘legacy’ of this presidency for the people of Iran! Each day, the line of grieving families and orphaned children grows longer. She added: “Silence and inaction in the face of the godfather of executions and terror constitute a betrayal of universal human rights principles and fuel terrorism and warmongering. This regime must be expelled from the international community, and its leaders must face justice for 45 years of crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes.”

 IRAN NEWS))))))

The Iranian regime hanged Farkhodeh Allah Moradi on Dec. 1 in Isfahan Central prison (Dastgerd). She was 50 years old. Another woman named Farideh Jafarzadeh and Alieh Kavery zadeh- 60 years of age, were hanged in Ilam Central prison on Dec. 2. Fariba Maleki- 36- was also hanged on Nov. 24 in Central prison of Khorramabad. Since the begining of 2024, 31 women have been executed in Iran.

******

On Monday, December 2, the Iranian regime's judiciary and parliament convened a joint session where the Judiciary Chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and the Parliamentary Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stressed the implementation of the “Hijab and Chastity Law.”  (IRNA) Ejei remarked in the session, “All branches and organizations are responsible for addressing the current situation visible on our streets. We must act.” He further noted, “The state of chastity and hijab in our streets today is neither logical nor acceptable. A law has been established, and it must be enforced. If amendments or clarifications are needed, it is the responsibility of parliament to act accordingly.” Ghalibaf reinforced this stance, asserting, “Hijab is undoubtedly a religious and legal obligation. Various branches and organizations must prioritize this issue.” He had previously announced on November 27, 2024, that the law would be formally implemented on December 13. This law also targest girls from the age of 9 to be fined and forced to "educational measures" if they violate it. According to this law, the presence of opponents of compulsory hijab in both real and virtual spaces will result in penalties, including for owners of online and offline businesses, administrators of groups, tours, camps, and platforms for audio or visual content in the virtual space. According to Article 66 of this law, if a 13-year-old child mocks the regime’s compulsory hijab two or more times while using social media, they will be sentenced to imprisonment for 3 months to 1 year in a ‘correctional and training center,’ a fine ranging from approximately $471 to $714, or other preventive and corrective measures. https://tinyurl.com/phk7v6sf

 IRAN NEWS))))))

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors issued a resolution on Thursday Nov. 21, condemning the Iranian regime for failing to fully cooperate with the agency. This marks the second condemnation within five months, reflecting heightened international alarm over Tehran’s nuclear advancements and lack of transparency. During the IAEA’s closed-door session on November 21, 19 members supported, 3 opposed and 12 members abstained the redolution. The resolution criticized Iran for its insufficient cooperation in addressing long-standing concerns, particularly regarding uranium particles discovered at undeclared sites. The IAEA called on the regime to answer questions about the origins of uranium particles found at two undisclosed locations and demanded immediate transparency. A confidential report earlier in the week revealed that Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. The IAEA warned that Tehran’s actions have severely undermined its ability to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. https://tinyurl.com/2vrvw362

******

On Wednesday, November 20, Friends of a Free Iran held a significant conference at the European Parliament to discuss the pressing situation in Iran. The keynote speaker was Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The event drew participation from dozens of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) across the political spectrum, many of whom addressed the gathering during the two-hour session. They called on the European Union to reassess its policies on Iran, urging an approach that aligns with the aspirations of the Iranian people and recognizes the crucial role of the organized resistance. In her address, Mrs. Rajavi presented the NCRI’s comprehensive roadmap for dismantling Iran’s theocratic regime and facilitating a peaceful transfer of power to democratically elected representatives. Her Ten-Point Plan, which underscores commitments to democracy, human rights, and gender equality, has already received endorsements from more than 125 former heads of state as well as 4,000 parliamentarians worldwide. https://tinyurl.com/2ueehrv4

******

On Wednesday Nov. 20, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted with a majority (77 in favor and 28 against) a resolution condemning the Iranian regime’s egregious and systematic human rights violations. This is the 71st UN resolution censuring human rights abuses in Iran. The resolution “condemns in the strongest terms the alarming increase in the application of death penalty,” including “the continued execution of women, which has reached the highest number of reported executions of women since 2013; the continued imposition of the death penalty…. against minors, and the use of the death penalty….as a tool of political repression.” The resolution also “condemns the measures used to repress protests, including the protests in….2022, notably the use of mass arrests and arbitrary detention…., including the use of force resulting in the death, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during arrest, physical violence and psychological abuse in detention, including sexual and gender-based violence” to extract forced confessions, and “the imposition and administration of the death penalty against those connected to the protests.” https://tinyurl.com/pr68vc8u

******

On Wednesday, November 20, nearly 7,000 retired teachers, including thousands of women, converged from all across the country in front of the Iranian regime’s parliament in Tehran and staged a powerful protest. Their rally spotlighted the unfair implementation of the Teacher Ranking Plan and the exclusion of 90% of ranking benefits from retirement pensions. https://tinyurl.com/mv2zje2e

******

On Saturday, November 16, Zahra Rezaei, a political activist, was detained after appearing at the Enforcement Branch of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office to begin serving her 14-month prison sentence. Following her arrest, she was transferred to the infamous Qarchak Prison in Varamin. Rezaei was recently sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Her charges included “propaganda against the regime,” “insulting [the mullahs’ Supreme Leader] Khamenei,” violating the mandatory dress code, and “spreading public anxiety.” In addition to the 14-month prison term, she was fined 30 million tomans. https://tinyurl.com/yxky9nvw

******

For over 400 days, Nasimeh Eslam Zehi has been held in detention without formal charges, sharing a cramped space in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison with her seven-month-old daughter, Tasnim. Her case highlights the Iranian regime’s ongoing human rights abuses, targeting women, children, and religious minorities with impunity.

Nasimeh Eslam Zehi, approximately 40 years old, is also the mother of a two-year-old girl named Ayesha, who was separated from her during her arrest in September 2023. Authorities claimed the child was placed in the care of Iran’s Welfare Organization, but despite repeated inquiries, Nasimeh has not been allowed to see her. https://tinyurl.com/4v2rr3km

 IRAN NEWS))))))

After over forty years of the Iranian regime’s relentless efforts to enforce mandatory hijab on Iranian women, which in recent years have led to the tragic deaths of several young women, the paralysis of another, and even the suicides of several high school girls, a new development has emerged: the inauguration of a clinic in Tehran to “quit Hijab removal”. This clinic is supposedly a rehab for girls and women to keep their hijabs on. The Iranian state media Etemad Daily Nov. 12, reported on a statement by Mehri Talebi Darestani, head of the Women and Family Office in Tehran’s Headquarters for Promoting Virtue. She announced the upcoming launch of the first Clinic in Tehran for quitting Hijab removal, which aims to provide a “scientific and psychological treatment for removing Hijab.” Darestani explained that this center intends, through counseling and support, to assist young women who wear attire outside the mandatory dress code to return to a preferred form of attire according to the organization. However, when the government spokesperson was asked about this development, she claimed no knowledge of the clinic. On Wednesday, November 13, Fatemeh Mohajerani responded to a journalist’s inquiry about whether the Headquarters for Promoting Virtue had coordinated this move with the government, saying, “I am not informed on this matter.” Mohajerani’s lack of awareness is notable, given that many cabinet members, including the Ministers of Interior, Intelligence, Culture, Education, Science and Research, and Industry, are all members of the Headquarters for Promoting Virtue. https://tinyurl.com/mwd6k9mb

******

On Wednesday morning, November 13, a woman, along with six men, were executed by hanging at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. The woman’s identity has yet to been confirmed but She had been sentenced to death for "premeditated murder". In the past five days, at least three women have been executed by hanging in various prisons across Iran, including Tabriz Central Prison, Lakan Prison in Rasht, and Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. https://tinyurl.com/3ryuux8j

******

Last Sunday, November 10, after political prisoner Varisha Moradi was issued a death sentence, the women political prisoners in Evin staged a protest in the prison yard, chanting anti-government slogans. The women political prisoners gathered twice, at 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., during their outdoor break to voice their outrage against the execution order for Varisha Moradi. Their chants included: “Death to the dictator,” “The women of Evin stand united to overturn the death sentence,” “Freedom, freedom, freedom,” “Our lives may go, but our quest for freedom will never die,” “The death sentence is the regime’s revenge on Kurdish women and all corners of Iran,” “The executioner’s noose has no power over Mount Damavand,” and “Political prisoners must be freed.” The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) strongly condemned the execution sentence for Varisha Moradi by the regime’s criminal judiciary on November 10, 2024, calling for urgent international action to secure the immediate release of this Kurdish compatriot. On the same day, Judge Abolqasem Salavati, notorious for his brutal rulings, sentenced Varisha to death in Tehran’s sham court on charges of “armed insurgency (Bagh-ye).”

******

Iran's education system, overseen by the Ministry of Education under the clerical regime, faces an acute teacher shortage while also imposing strict, ideologically driven requirements on teacher candidates. Reports highlight the Iranian regime’s medieval-style selection criteria, which exclude candidates based on lifestyle choices, social media activity, and ideological compliance rather than educational qualifications. As a result, many qualified individuals are barred from teaching roles, exacerbating the staffing crisis in public schools, where over 85% of Iran’s students are educated. This report provides an overview of these restrictive practices and their impact on Iran’s educational landscape. On October 27, student teachers and prospective employees protested the Education Ministry’s recruitment process, alleging discrimination and invasive questioning. Candidates reported that screening went beyond professional assessments, instead delving into personal and ideological aspects of their lives. Many were disqualified for actions considered inappropriate under the regime’s standards, such as reading philosophy books, wearing nail polish, sporting mustaches, or failing to attend regime-sanctioned gatherings like Friday prayers. Other criteria for disqualification included personal social media activity, with candidates disqualified for “liking” certain posts. For women, failing to wear the traditional chador during exams or allowing hair to show under a scarf was enough to exclude them from consideration. Male candidates were reportedly judged for physical appearance, such as having tattoos or unconventional hairstyles, grouped under the infamous “Code 19,” a category within the Ministry’s guidelines targeting behaviors and appearances that deviate from regime expectations. https://tinyurl.com/t42mavnd