Sunday, November 17, 2024

 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

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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

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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).”

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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

Sunday, November 10, 2024

 IRAN NEWS))))))

The Iranian regime has sentenced Varisha Moradi to death. The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran strongly condemns the death sentence issued for Varisha Moradi by the Iranian regime's judiciary. The NCRI Women’s Committee calls for immediate international action to secure the release of this Kurdish compatriot woman. The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran strongly condemns the death sentence issued for Varisha Moradi by the criminal Iranian judiciary. The NCRI Women’s Committee calls for immediate international action to secure the release of this Kurdish compatriot woman. On November 10, 2024, the notorious Judge Abolqasem Salavati, handed down a death sentence for Varisha on charges of “armed insurgency (Bagh-ye)” during a sham trial in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. https://tinyurl.com/bdhcducc

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Kowsar Dehban-Zadeh has been under pressure from security forces due to her support for her imprisoned brother, Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, following up on his case. Kowsar was arrested in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province in southern Iran, by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on September 27, and placed in solitary confinement. She remains in solitary confinement in Shiraz prison without permission for phone calls. Her family has been threatened by authorities, warning them not to publicize her detention. Previously, Kowsar had been summoned multiple times by the Yasuj Intelligence Department and threatened due to her support for her brother. Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, who is serving his sentence in Ghezel Hesar prison, was recently sentenced to an additional six and a half years in prison on charges related to a new case involving the fire incident at Evin Prison. https://tinyurl.com/mryzbf9n

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Nurses continued their protests on Wednesday, November 6, in different Iranian cities, underscoring the escalating economic and social discontent among healthcare professionals in Iran. The protests which resumed on Saturday, November 2, reflect the deepening frustration with the government’s failure to address the nurses’ longstanding demands. In Yazd, central Iran, nurses persisted in their protests for better wages and working conditions at multiple hospitals, including Sadoughi, Rahnamoun, and Afshar hospitals. https://tinyurl.com/mrxxmr3y

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On Saturday, November 2, Zhina Modarres Gorji was transferred to Sanandaj Prison to begin serving her prison sentence. In October, the Fourth Branch of the Kurdistan Court of Appeals sentenced Zhina to a total of 28 months in prison: 12 months for “propaganda against the regime” and 16 months for “forming an illegal group with the intent to overthrow the regime.” She was acquitted of the charge of “collaborating with a hostile government.” According to Article 134 of the regime’s Penal Code, only the maximum sentence—16 months in prison—will be enforced. Zhina Modarres Gorgi was initially arrested by intelligence officers on April 10, 2023, and was released on bail on July 3, 2023. https://tinyurl.com/yc84dupk

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The health condition of political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian has been reported as poor. She is denied access to medical services and family visits. Zeinab is serving her life sentence in Yazd prison, without observance of the principle of separation of crimes. Despite suffering from gastrointestinal, kidney, and eye conditions, she has been deprived of specialized medical treatment. Furthermore, on the orders of the Ministry of Intelligence, she has been barred from family visits since September 22, 2024. Zeinab Jalalian, a Kurdish woman, has spent 16 years in prison in Iran and is now entering her 17th year of imprisonment. She is the longest-held and only female political prisoner with a life sentence in Iran. During her imprisonment, she was tortured and deprived of her right to leave, even for medical treatment. Zeinab was arrested in Kermanshah on February 26, 2008, and is currently being held in Yazd prison. However, she has been illegally and violently moved between prisons. https://tinyurl.com/xppnreef


Sunday, November 03, 2024

 IRAN NEWS))))))


The execution of Mr. Jamshid Sharmahd by the Iranian regime on Monday Oct. 28, sparked a reaction by the German government. It shut down the Iranian regime's consulate in a few German cities and summoned the regime's ambassador to Germany. Maryam Rajavi the president elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran condemned Mr. Sharmahd's execution and called for the IRGC Islamic Revolutioanry Guard Corp to be put on a terrorist list. Also the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared that Germany would push for European Union-wide sanctions against individuals involved in Sharmahd’s execution and called on the EU to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. https://tinyurl.com/7efzzbvw

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Sulmaz Hassanzadeh, the justice-seeking sister of Mohammad Hassanzadeh, has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment by Branch 101 of the Criminal Court of Bukan on charges of “propaganda against the state.” On July 30, 2024, during a ceremony commemorating Mohammad Hassanzadeh, a victim of the 2022 nationwide Iran uprising, on his birthday, security forces launched an attack on his family home in Bukan. They violently arrested his father and sister, Ahmad and Sulmaz Hassanzadeh. The situation escalated as they physically assaulted his mother and two neighbor women. The incident occurred while the Hassanzadeh family prepared to commemorate their late son’s birthday. https://tinyurl.com/y4bxfst5

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Political Prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared Transferred to Notorious Qarchak Prison after Completing her 15-Year Sentence. After extending the prison sentence of Maryam for another two years, the Iranian Judiciary committed another inhuman act on October 22, 2024, by ordering her transfer to the notorious Qarchak Prison for women in Varamin, where she has been held in solitary confinement as this report is being published. Her younger daughter was only 3 years old when Maryam was arrested. https://tinyurl.com/423kknsz

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The Families of Death Row Prisoners Protested Against Executions in Iran by chanting Don't execute on the streets of Tehran-Iran on the 40th week of No to execution Tuesdays campaign. Last week, on the 39th week of the “Tuesdays Against Execution” campaign, families of death row prisoners also held a similer demonstration in front of the parliament in Tehran.

Monday, October 28, 2024

 IRAN NEWS))))))


At around 5 AM on Oct. 22, security agents stormed the home of Hoda Mehreganfar and her father in Zarqan, a town in Fars Province in Iran, and took the 35-year-old Hoda and her 66-year-old father into custody without providing any reason for the arrest. Their current whereabouts remain unknown. Efforts by the family to get information about Hoda and Mohammad Ali’s situation have so far been unsuccessful. Adding to the family’s distress, Hoda Mehreganfar had recently undergone a major surgery and was still in the recovery phase when she was arrested. This has intensified their worries about her condition while in detention. https://tinyurl.com/y8mjuwfx

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On Tuesday, October 22, families of death row inmates gathered in front of the Iranian regime's Parliament in Tehran to protest during the 39th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign. Chanting “Stop the executions,” they voiced their opposition to the death sentences and the imminent execution of their children. It is noteworthy that similar protests were held in Tehran and Karaj in October and November 2023, but security forces violently suppressed them. This protest marks another step in expanding the “No to Executions” campaign beyond the prison walls. https://tinyurl.com/ywhtxt54

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A week after the Iranian judiciary’s spokesperson announced the imminent implementation of the sentences for journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, the formal notifications for their prison terms were sent to them on Saturday, October 19, 2024, instructing them to report within five days. The two journalists were released from Evin Prison on January 14, 2024, each on a temporary bail of 10 billion Tomans, after spending 16 months in prison. Niloufar Hamedi, a photojournalist for Shargh newspaper, took and published the first photo of Mahsa Amini in a coma at the hospital. Elaheh Mohammadi, a journalist for Ham-Mihan newspaper, published a report on Mahsa’s funeral and an interview with her father. https://tinyurl.com/4hj8tn2c

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Ten Baha’i women residing in Isfahan_Iran—Shana Shoghi-Far, Negin Khademi, Neda Emadi, Neda Badakhsh, Arezou Sobhanian, Yeganeh Rouhbakhs, Mojgan Shahrezaei, Parastoo Hakim, Yeganeh Agahi, and Bahareh Lotfi—have been collectively sentenced to 90 years of prison and additional punishments by the Iranian Judiciary. The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) strongly condemns the prison sentences and confiscation of assets imposed on Baha’i women by the brutal judiciary of the Iranian regime. https://tinyurl.com/3jrju5zn