NEWS))))))

James Bezan, Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party issued a statement on Jan. 13 regarding rumours by the Iranian regime that a Canadian Parliamentary delegation is to visit Iran. Bezan's statement reads: “Reports coming out of Iran claiming that an Iranian-Canadian Parliamentary Friendship Group has requested permission for a group of Canadian MPs to visit Tehran are completely false. This report was even perpetuated by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham. “These reports are entirely fabricated. There is no existence of a Canada-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group here in the Parliament of Canada. There is also no request from Parliament for an official visit to Tehran,  he said adding “As a matter of fact and contrary to this Iranian news report, the only parliamentary group that exists in Canada is the Canadian Parliamentarians for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran, of which I am a proud co-chair. I, along with the members of this parliamentary group, would never entertain the idea of legitimizing the current Iranian regime with a visit to Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues their attack on human rights violations, persecute political activists, sponsors of terrorism, refuse to recognize the State of Israel and continue to aspirate to create nuclear weapons.

Political prisoners continue hunger strike in Iranian jail

Four Kurdish political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, have passed the 77th day of their hunger strike today.
Meanwhile the family members of these four inmates have been on hunger strike for the past 22 days. They are all demanding the death sentences issued against the 4 Kurdish political prisoners to be lifted.

**Reports indicate that the hunger strike by the 4 Kurdish political prisoners has ended. The head of Ghezel Hesar prison has promised them to look into their case.

 
Student protests in Iranian cities

On Thursday, January 16th, while the regime’s officials in the Ahvaz Payam Nour University prevented the participation of various students in exam sessions, other students responded by holding protest gatherings. The students opposed this measure and broke the windows of the exam room in the university. A method used by the Iranian regime to place pressure on various students active in human rights is preventing their participation in exam sessions. In another news a group of Kashan Free University students staged a gathering outside the Education Management office of this university protesting low quality education.

Workers, popular protests in numerous Iranian cities

- A large number of company and factory representatives in the Semnan industrial complex staged a gathering on Saturday, January 18th, outside the regime’s employment department in this city calling for their delayed demands.
- Municipality workers in Behbahan have been on strike for over a week protesting their delayed pay checks. These workers have refused to round up the city’s garbage now piling up on the streets.
- Workers of the Ahvaz Pipe Manufacturing Company staged a gathering on Thursday, January 16th, in an international exhibition held in Kian Pars district outside the regime’s oil company booth, accusing the oil company selling their homes.
- 1,200 employed workers of the Gachsaran Digging Company staged a rally on Thursday, January 16th, protesting the digging companies terminating their contracts that have left them unemployed.
- A group of Shadegan residents protested inaction by the regime’s municipality in this city and sewage water overfilling onto the streets.

- A number of people living in the town of Qods near Qom staged a gathering on Thursday, January 16th, protesting the lack of public transportation vehicles.
- The residents of the town of Hure in Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiari Province staged a protest rally on Friday, January 17th, opposing the digging of a rosewater tunnel and rerouting the water of Zayande River. The Iranian regime’s policies on rerouting and selling Iran’s important river waters, leading to water shortages and droughts, have raised protests in Khuzestan, Isfahahn and Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiari.

1,800 Tehran residents became ill due to water contamination

According to reports published by the state media outlets in Iran, contaminated water in Tehran’s Pardis region made 1,800 residents ill and they all had to be transferred to hospitals. 

40 Executions by Iranian regime, only in first weeks of 2014

 ‘The spike in the number of executions carried out so far this month in Iran is alarming’ - Hassiba Hadj Sahraou, Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director said. Iran has carried out a total of 40 executions since the beginning of 2014, with at least 33 carried out in the past week alone, Amnesty International has said.
Since the beginning of the year, Amnesty has recorded 21 executions which were officially acknowledged by the Iranian authorities, as well as 19 additional executions reported through reliable sources. Hadj Sahraou said: “The spike in the number of executions carried out so far this month in Iran is alarming. “The Iranian authorities’ attempts to change their international image are meaningless if at the same time executions continue to increase. “The reality in Iran is that people are being ruthlessly sentenced to death after unfair trials, and this is unacceptable.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brett McGurk visited Camp Hurriya (Liberty) 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brett McGurk visited Camp Hurriya (Liberty)in Baghdad on January 10, accompanied by Gyorgy Busztin, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and officials from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). McGurk met with senior representatives from the Mujahedine-e-Khalq (MEK) as well as survivors of the Sept. 1 attack on Camp Ashraf and reiterated the importance the U.S. Government places on the safety and security of Camp Hurriya. He noted that in meetings with senior Iraqi officials the U.S. will continue to press the Government of Iraq (GOI) to buttress security inside the camp, and welcomed the commitment to install additional t-walls following the next Camp Management meeting among camp residents, UNAMI and the GOI. McGurk stressed the urgency of relocating the residents of Camp Hurriya to third countries as soon as possible.

In the meantime the sit-ins and demonstrations in front of the US embassies around the world continue for the safety of Liberty residents. In Ottawa on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Iranian-Canadians gathered in front of the US embassy and reminded the US president of his obligations of the safety of the Iranian refugees at Camp Liberty in Iraq. 

Jordan accuses Iran of meddling in its internal affairs

As the meddling in Iraq and Syria continues by the Iranian regime, Mohamed al-Momeni, Jordanian Assistant Minister of Advertisement and officials spokesman of the Jordanian government, warned of Iran’s meddling remarks.
“al-Momeni denied claims made by an Iranian military commander saying Bassij forces have spread throughout Jordan,” the Jordanian Addustoor daily wrote.
“These claims lack any truth and the Jordanian government will never allow any party or government to interfere in its internal affairs,” he added.

Iranian regime officially supports Hezbollah

Iranian regime's parliament speaker Ali Larijani openly expressed support for the terrorist group Lebanese Hezbollah. “The Islamic republic gives its life for Hezbollah, he said. "If Western officials use harsh language against Hezbollah and the resistance, they will most definitely receive a blow in the face. Of course, Iran will back Hezbollah if it is attacked,” he added.