IRAN NEWS))))))

On Wednesday Feb. 26, the US Congressional Caucus on Human Rights and Democracy in Iran held a hearing featuring Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), who joined the session virtually. The hearing, chaired by Representatives Tom McClintock(R-CA) and Brad Sherman (D-CA), brought together bipartisan lawmakers who voiced strong support for Iran’s pro-democracy movement and the NCRI’s plan for regime change. In her testimony, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi declared, “The Iranian people’s desire and the only solution to the Iranian crisis is the regime’s overthrow by the Iranian people.” She underscored the role of the Resistance Units in Iran, emphasizing, “These resistance units are Iran’s freedom fighters and the driving force for change.” The NCRI President-elect also rejected any notion of reform within the clerical regime, stating, “Negotiations are neither wise, nor intelligent, nor honorable,” quoting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s own words to highlight the regime’s intransigence. A key moment in the hearing was the introduction of House Resolution 166, co-sponsored by Congressmen McClintock and Sherman, with backing from over 150 lawmakers. The resolution reaffirms U.S. support for a “democratic, secular, peaceful, and non-nuclear Iran” and acknowledges “the rights of the Iranian people, the protesters, and the Resistance Units to confront the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and repressive forces to bring about change.” https://tinyurl.com/2bnz9smw

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On February 26, news broke about a lawsuit filed in the United States against Parviz Sabeti, the head of the notorious Third Department of SAVAK (the Shah’s secret police) before the 1979 anti-monarchy revolution. The lawsuit, filed by three political prisoners tortured during the Shah’s regime, introduced Sabeti as the architect of institutionalizing torture in Iran and using forced confessions in public, obtained through torture. This practice was developed by Sabeti and has been expanded and used today in the mullahs’ regime. The Independent(English) reported that many sources say the Shah and Mullahs’ regime are “two sides of the same coin.” The legacy of torture was built by the Shah and expanded by the current regime. SAVAK was never dismantled, and was employed by the Iranian regime. The lawsuit, filed by three plaintiffs identified as John Does I, II, and III, details harrowing accounts of torture allegedly carried out under Sabeti’s supervision. Victims describe being: 

- Electrocuted and subjected to excruciating pain

- Hung from the ceiling by their wrists for prolonged periods

- Beaten, whipped, and subjected to sleep deprivation

- Forced into the Apollo, a device likened to an electric chair with a metal mask designed to amplify victims’ own screams.

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Former political prisoner Arghavan Fallahi remains in a state of limbo one month after her arrest on January 25, 2025, in Parand, Tehran Province. Arghavan Fallahi, who had previously been released from Evin Prison in late 2023, was once again detained by security forces and transferred to Ward 209. Despite her family’s persistent inquiries, judicial and security authorities have remained silent regarding the charges against her and the date of her trial. https://tinyurl.com/yycc9ufv

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Nayyereh Behnood, a political prisoner held in the women’s ward of Evin Prison, has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment by the Iranian judiciary. According to the verdict issued by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Behnood was convicted on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “collusion and assembly through membership in opposition groups” and sentenced to five years in prison. https://tinyurl.com/2z7wkm4e

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Sakineh Parvaneh, a political prisoner held in Evin Prison, has been denied the right to make phone calls to her family for nearly six months. Since September of this year, Sakineh Parvaneh’s phone access has been cut off. Despite repeated efforts by both her and her family to restore communication, the restriction remains in place, with no official explanation provided by the authorities. https://tinyurl.com/bdha9ehf

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Massoumeh Asgari, an imprisoned teacher and political activist, has been sentenced to three years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. The charges against her include “collaboration with anti-regime groups” and “membership in opposition groups.” Asgari, who is the sole breadwinner for her family, has been enduring a series of health issues. She suffers from chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney and liver problems, and neurological disorders. These health concerns have been exacerbated by previous injuries, including multiple fractures in her legs, for which she required surgery. Despite the severity of her condition, she has been denied access to necessary medical treatment while imprisoned in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, one of the most notorious facilities for political detainees. https://tinyurl.com/3k7ybujc