NEWS))))))

120 death sentences issued by the Iranian regime

The Iranian regime’s supreme court has upheld the death sentences of 120 inmates in Bandar Abbas Prison in southern Iran. According to prisoners of this prison the cases of 120 death row inmates were sent to the Iranian regime’s supreme court in the capital, Tehran,  only to be returned with every single death sentence being confirmed.

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Iranian political prisoners on hunger strike ended when their demands were met.

The hunger strike of political prisoners Shahrokh Zamani, labour rights advocate, and Rasoul Baddaghi, member of the teachers’ union, in the Gohardasht prison which began on Sat. February 15 in protest to torture and their transfer to solitary confinement ended today after their demands were met. They were demanding to return to the public section of the prison. A number of other inmates in the Gohardasht Prison joined in the hunger strike in an act of solidarity. According to reports their demands were met today and the political prisoners ended their hunger strike.

Iran-Khodro workers protest low wages & pensions

Iran Khodro auto manufacturing company workers, in Tehran staged a rally protesting their low wages and pensions, setting ablaze 6 vehicles.
Following these protests the factory owners were forced to pay 5 million rials to the workers. They also paid workers back pay.

UN Security Council unanimously adopts desperately needed Syria aid resolution

The UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a unanimous but non-binding resolution calling for the lifting of the siege on several Syrian cities to allow passage of humanitarian aid convoys in the war-torn country.
Russia, with support from China, had blocked three previous resolutions aimed at pressuring the Damascus regime since the crisis began in March 2011, with an estimated 250,000 people across Syria awaiting help.
But Moscow and Beijing, two of the five permanent Security Council members, did not veto aid to Syrian people this time, sending a strong message to the Assad regime. The resolution was drafted by Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg and had the backing of Britain, France and the United States, the other permanent members. However, some diplomats doubt the effectiveness of the resolution in the absence of automatic sanctions to force Damascus to let aid convoys have access to the hardest-hit areas.

Iran: over 100 people arrested on Int’l Native Language Day Feb. 21

The family members of over 100 people arrested in the cities of Ahar, Ardebil, Urumieh and Tabriz in Iran marking International Native Language Day, rallied outside police stations in these cities and demanded the release of their loved ones.
In this rally that took place last Thursday, fearing the spread of this rally the regime’s repressive forces began indiscriminately arresting the protesters.

  

IAEA seeks to visit Iranian military nuclear site

The UN nuclear watchdog in a report on Thursday repeated its request to visit the Parchin military base, a site southeast of Tehran where it believes - based on Western intelligence information - that Iranian regime may have conducted nuclear weapons-related explosives tests. The IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) has indicated that it suspects Iran has tried to purge the site of any incriminating evidence. Thursday’s report said it had observed via satellite imagery “possible building material and debris” there.

OHCHR: 95 executions in two weeks in Iran

We are deeply concerned about the reported spike in executions in Iran since the beginning of this year(2014) said Ravina Shamdasani spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for human rights. She added:

In just over seven weeks, at least 80 people have been executed. Some reliable sources indicate the figure could be as high as 95.
The majority of these executions were for drug-related offences, which do not meet the threshold in international law of “most serious crimes” for which the death penalty may be applied. A number of individuals were also executed in secret and at least seven people have been executed in public this year. We are especially concerned about the reported execution in secret of Mr Hadi Rashedi and Mr Hashem Sha’bani Amouri, both members of the Ahwaz Arab community. Their executions were reportedly carried out in January. The two men were reportedly sentenced to death on ill-defined charges of “enmity against God” (Moharebeh), corruption on earth (Mofsid fil-arz) and acts against national security. An escalation in executions, including of political prisoners and individuals belonging to ethnic minority groups, was notable in the second half of 2013. At least 500 people are known to have been executed in 2013, including 57 in public. According to some sources, the figure may be as high as 625.
We regret that the new Government has not changed its approach to the death penalty and continues to impose capital punishment for a wide range of offences said Ravina adding; We urge the Government to immediately halt executions and to institute a moratorium.
On a related note, the Secretary-General and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran are due to present their reports to the 25th session of the Human Rights Council in the coming weeks.

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At the behest of the Iranian regime, Government of Iraq has heightened the siege of Camp Liberty. Upon orders of the Prime Ministry, since 10 days ago, Major Ahmed Khozair is preventing food from entering the camp. Therefore, the reserves of many essential eatable items are approaching   and residents are facing serious problems.
On the other hand, it is now close to two weeks that Ahmed Khozair is obstructing Iraqi sewage tankers that have been rented by the residents as in the past two years, from entering the camp. Since black water tanks are not being drained, the sewage inside the tanks has overflowed and polluted the environment. The Iranian residents of Camp Liberty were transferred from Camp Ashraf more than 2 years ago in the promise of relocating to 3rd countries. The Iranians around the world stage gatherings in front of US embassies and consulates in order to pressure Barack Obama to honour his promise towards the Liberty residents. Iranian-Canadians in Ottawa gathered on Thursday and Sat. of this week to support their freedom fighters in Camp Liberty in front of US embassy. 

German firm under fire for selling death cranes to Iran

 
The chairman of a German company whose cranes are reportedly being used for public hangings in Iran lashed out at critics and dismissed calls for his company to end its relationship with Tehran on humanitarian grounds.
German construction company Atlas has come under fire from advocacy groups for purportedly supplying cranes to Iran, which then uses them to publicly hang opposition leaders and others.
Iran is a world leader in executions, killing 529 citizens last year mostly by hanging. Another 40 people were hanged over two weeks in January, and about two Iranians are being executed a day under President Hassan Rouhani.
The name Atlas can be seen on the cranes in several photographs of Iran's public hanging ceremonies.
The photographs prompted the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) to write Atlas Chairman Fil Filipov to demand that his company 'immediately terminate all business activities in Iran.'
Atlas, which appears to be represented in Iran by an affiliate named Hydro Atlas, says it is not doing business with Iran and does not know how its equipment made its way to the country.

 

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The 2014 winter Olympic games in sochi- Russia ended today and the athletes from 26 nations are on their way home. Canada grabbed 26 medals: 10 Gold, 5 silver and 10 Bronze and became the 4th nation with most medals. US grabbed 28 medals, Norway 26 medals and Russia- the host country 33 medals.

Next Olympic winter games will be held in South Korea from Feb. 9-25 2018.