Over 496،300 people have died of the novel coronavirus in 547 cities across Iran, according to reports tallied daily by the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as of Sunday Jan 9.

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An Ontario court has awarded $107 million, plus interest, to the families of six people who died in the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 two years ago. The decision was issued publicly on Jan. 3 after Justice Edward Belobaba of Ontario's Superior Court of Justice ruled in May that the destruction of the commercial plane shortly after takeoff in Tehran was an intentional act of terrorism. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) shot down the plane on Jan. 8, 2020, killing all 176 people onboard, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents. The six family members awarded compensation by the court lost spouses, siblings, children, nieces and nephews aboard Flight 752, according to a statement from their lawyer Mark Arnold. They had filed a civil lawsuit against Iran and other officials they believe were to blame for the catastrophe.

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Shadi Gilak, a civil activist living in Tehran, was sent to Evin Prison on Saturday, January 8, 2022, to serve a one-year sentence. Shadi Gilak was tried by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran and sentenced to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” Shadi Gilak’s husband, Arash Johari, also serves his sentence in Evin Prison. Arash Johari is a labor activist. The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced him to 16 years in prison. https://tinyurl.com/2p8b998n

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Agents of the Iranian regime's IRGC Intelligence (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp) arrested Khadijeh Mehdipour three months ago, on October 10, 2021. Two days later, they transferred Ms. Mehdipour, 34 and a resident of Ivan-e Gharb, to the women’s ward of the Central Prison of Ilam. She has been detained there since in violation of the principle of separation of crimes. Political prisoner Khadijeh Mehdipour had been arrested once before on October 3, 2020, for her activities on social media. Her sentence was to pay 3 million Tomans in cash. The Revolutionary Court of Ilam tried her on charges of “propaganda against the state” and insulting Khomeini and Khamenei, the regime’s previous and incumbent supreme leaders. The court handed down a 20-month sentence to her. A source said that political prisoner Khadijeh Mehdizadeh is not eligible for parole or early release because she has refused to express remorse. https://tinyurl.com/3ffxde4w

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Three female civil activists have reported to prison to serve their sentences. The three female activists are Bahareh Soleimani and Nazanin Mohammad-Nejad in Tehran, and Zahra Mohammadi in Sanandaj, the capital of Iranian Kurdistan Province. Kurdish civil activist Kajal Nasri has been detained for three weeks with undetermined status in the detention center of the Intelligence Department of Sanandaj. https://tinyurl.com/yey55f4n