IRAN NEWS))))))

After a week after the catastrophic explosion on Sat. Apri 26, at Bandar Abbas, flames continue to rise from the ruins of Sina Company—a facility linked to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The warehouse reportedly stored hazardous materials, and its explosion has become one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Iran’s history. Firefighters still cannot approach the core of the blast site, and the regime has released no official death toll. Eyewitnesses report that in one neighboring company alone, 50 female employees are missing. Hospitals are overwhelmed with hundreds of severely injured patients. One witness recounts that 23 of 30 women at her workplace were killed—some disfigured beyond recognition, others suffering severe injuries or dismemberment. Independent estimates put the death toll between 600 and 1,000, but the Iranian regime has downplayed the disaster, officially claiming only 70 deaths. The Ministry of Health has reportedly been banned from releasing the true figures. Many bodies remain buried under debris, while extreme heat from the flames prevents rescue operations. https://tinyurl.com/whn6evhk

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On Saturday, April 13, Iranian regime's security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence raided the home of a Christian couple in Tehran. During the operation, they searched the residence, confiscated personal belongings, and arrested Lida Alexani, transferring her to Evin Prison. This arrest comes amid an already difficult situation for the family, as Mrs. Alexani’s husband, Joseph Shahbazian, has been in detention since February 6, 2025. Shahbazian, previously sentenced to one year in prison for his religious activities, is now being detained for a second time by Intelligence Ministry agents and remains held in Evin Prison. https://tinyurl.com/mu8zpbkp

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The death sentence of Marjan Sabzi, a prisoner from Khorramabad, was carried out in Dastgerd Prison of Isfahan on Monday morning, April 28, 2025. Approximately five years ago, Marjan Sabzi was arrested on charges related to drug offenses and subsequently sentenced to death.  With the execution of Marjan Sabzi, the number of women executed in Iran in 2 025 has risen to thirteen. https://tinyurl.com/42v6h2v7

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On Thursday morning May 1, 2025, , the Iranian regime hanged Karim Farrokhvand, 31, and Mahmoud Ostadmamzaei, 35, in Dezful after nine years of imprisonment, according to National Council of Resistance of Iran(NCRI) statement According to Mizan News Agency, quoting the Dezful Prosecutor, “The court sentenced them to death, and after the Supreme Court upheld the verdict, their execution was carried out at dawn on Thursday in Dezful Prison.” Approximately 200 residents of Dezful, along with the families of the two prisoners, held gatherings on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29 and April 30, 2025, in front of the governor’s office, city hall, and Fajr Prison in Dezful to demand the cancellation of their death sentences. On Wednesday afternoon, the police attacked the demonstrators and dispersed them by firing shots into the air. On Wednesday, April 30, the Judiciary executed 14 prisoners by hanging. Since August 2024, when Pezeshkian assumed office, the execution count has reached 1,105, a figure unprecedented in the past three decades in Iran https://tinyurl.com/5bxt4a9s

 IRAN NEWS))))))

Political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared,

who has spent the last 15 years in prison without a single day of leave, is now deprived of specialized care despite suffering from numerous illnesses. In addition to hypothyroidism, Ms. Akbari Monfared suffers from liver problems, chronic back and knee pain, numbness in her legs, and impaired knee function, which, according to doctors, are warning signs of nerve and spinal cord damage. It is worth noting that even Ms. Akbari Monfared’s ability to meet with her lawyer is conditional on presenting an official letter approved by a judge. https://tinyurl.com/nv2jk6te

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Malika Khaleghi remains in detention for more than a month, held in Karaj's Kachoi Prison without an official warrant. She was arrested by security forces in late March 2024. Her charges include "membership in anti-regime groups." https://tinyurl.com/2pxebftd 

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Marzieh Esmaeili, 39, and mother of one daughter, was executed on charges of drug trafficking in Qazvin Central Prison on April 16. It is said that Marzieh Esmaeili lived in absolute poverty and, given her lack of social support, had attempted to transport 600 grams of drugs in exchange for 10 million Tomans. https://tinyurl.com/3x2kj82k

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In a move that has sparked outrage among civil society and human rights advocates, Iranian state media reported on April 20, that a new agreement has been signed between Iran’s Chief of Police (The State Security Force), AhmadReza Radan, and the Minister of Education, Alireza Kazemi. The memorandum, grants the SSF new authority within the education system, allowing them to enforce Mandatory hijab regulations in schools. At the signing ceremony, Education Minister Alireza Kazemi openly pledged allegiance to the notorious police chief, referring to himself as a “proud soldier” of Radan. Kazemi described violation of “hijab and chastity” as cultural “threats” that require targeted educational and cultural interventions. Ahmad Reza Radan—who has been sanctioned by the European Union, the United States, and Canada for gross human rights violations—declared that cooperation between the SSF and the Education Ministry was insufficient. “If we assume this collaboration is enough, we will fall into a third negligence—and once again, be caught off guard,” he warned ominously. https://tinyurl.com/c6xfkpms

 IRAN NEWS))))))

Reports from both the state-run Rokna News website (April 5) and Khabar Online (April 7) highlight the alarming growth of the unofficial hair trade in Iran—particularly in the central areas of Tehran. In these parts of the capital, flyers advertising the purchase of women’s natural hair are plastered on shop windows, street signs, and even university entrances. The prices are staggering, ranging from 2 million tomans (around $40) for shorter strands to 100 million tomans (about $2,000) for uncut, untreated locks over 90 centimeters. Inflation, unemployment, and skyrocketing living costs have left families scrambling for income, particularly women-headed households. According to Khabar Online, most sellers are women who are the sole breadwinners of their families or students trying to pay for tuition, food, or rent. https://tinyurl.com/4uw547w5

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Political prisoner Azar Korvandi, who suffers from a cervical disc herniation, heart disease, and a history of cancer, is said to be in a profoundly concerning condition. Her health has deteriorated to the point where she is no longer able to carry out basic personal and daily tasks. Over the past few weeks, she has lost at least five kilograms in weight. Azar Korvandi was arrested in the summer of 2019 on charges of collaborating with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and promoting anti-regime propaganda after holding family counseling sessions in her private garden in Shahriar. She was released on bail then but later convicted in December 2021 by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. https://tinyurl.com/3uya8935

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Parvin Ghadyani, a Christian convert, has been held in detention for over three months and remains in a state of legal uncertainty at Kachouii Prison in Karaj. Her arrest took place in early January of last year, carried out by security forces. After undergoing a period of interrogation at a security detention facility in Karaj, she was transferred to Kachouii Prison. The reason cited for her arrest was her involvement in promoting Christianity. https://tinyurl.com/bdz7vhf6

 IRAN NEWS))))))

3 women were executed in Iran on April 8, among at least 10 inmates in Vakilabad prison in Mashhad in Iran. Five of the victims were Sunni prisoners of conscience, executed after 10 years of imprisonment. Four of the individuals — including two of the women — had been sentenced to death on drug-related charges. Another woman, who had been imprisoned on charges of murder, was also executed on the same day. Since Pezeshkian, Khamenei's president took office in July 2024, at least 995 prisoners have been hanged. https://tinyurl.com/38dj5znp

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On April 8 a group of families of political prisoners on death row staged a peaceful protest outside Tehran's Evin prison in Iran, demanding the immidiate revocation of death penalty issued against thier loved ones. Simultaneously a group of prisoners in 38 prisons in Iran staged their 63rd week of their campaing against the death penalty. Every Tuesday they stage a protest and hunger strike. https://tinyurl.com/2naf5tex

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Parisa Darvish 30 and a homemaker has been missing since late Feb 2025. She was reportedly detained by agents of the Ministry of intelligence and was taken to an undisclosed location. No security or judicial authority in Iran has formally acknowledged her arrest or confirmed her whereabouts. https://tinyurl.com/2juzjzcd

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Iranian regime’s Supreme Court has rejected the second appeal for a retrial by political prisoner Pakhshan Azizi. According to her lawyer, the court’s dismissal of the appeal was issued without reviewing her files or considering the legal arguments presented by her defense team. Ms. Azizi’s first request was rejected on February 2025, by the ninth chamber of the Iranian regime's Supreme Court. Pakhshan was initially sentenced to death on July 23, 2024, on charges of bagh-ye (armed rebellion). Subsequently, she faced a separate case opened by the Evin Prosecutor’s Office, under accusations of “rioting in prison,” for which she received an additional six-month prison sentence. Pakhshan was arrested on Aug. of 2023. https://tinyurl.com/4fme2jh7