Iran: regime paying for missiles in Syria & Yemen from people’s pockets

On Wednesday, February 3^rd an Iranian from the city of Tehran had called and described the conditions of youths in Iran, and how the country’s wealth is spent on anything but the people’s needs.

“People thought the sanctions would be lifted and all the economic problems would be resolved. Today, however, economic recession has engulfed the entire country, crippled the economy; there are no jobs or incomes, everyone is angry at the government. But in the parliament they are disputing about their own factional disputes. 

Iran – half of Tehran has no hygienic swage syste

January 31 – Akbari, chief of the Center for Cancer Research in Rouhani’s government confessed that Tehran’s swage system is the most unhygienic water in the entire world. He declared, “Water from Tehran’s sewage is used for irrigation in the southern suburb areas of Tehran such as Varmin, Pakdasht and Hassan Abad “. Regime’s chief of Center for Cancer Research also added,” For its contamination to human wastes this swage has the most unhygienic water in the world. This heavy contamination does not allow to disinfectant the produced groceries and the stress in the community reverts to this water contamination”.

Air pollution in some Iranian cities is defined as dangerous

Air pollution in Tehran

Sunday, January 31- Air pollution in Tehran reached a critical level. A deputy in Tehran’s environment Dept. said in regard of the contamination density of suspending particles of less than 2.5 microns, that the air quality of Tehran has reached its unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups.

Iran: jamming signals intensifying in Gohardasht Prison, leading to various illnesses

Jamming transmission apparatus

During the past few weeks intelligence and repressive agents in Gohardasht Prison of Karaj, west of Tehran, began transmitting strong jamming signals on the facility. This has led to various illnesses, severe headaches and vomiting amongst the prisoners. Those inmates who were already suffering from severe headaches and/or nerve disorders, are now under even more pressure. After the political prisoners of Gohardasht Prison protested such conditions and demanded an end to the jamming transmissions, Karami, head of the prison’s clinic, has told the inmates it is not related to us and we cannot do anything about it.

Iran: steel mill workers not receiving paychecks for 5 months

More than 370 workers have been laid off and left in limbo following the closure of the Sahand-e Gharb steel mill in the Azerbaijan region of northwest Iran, whereas they have not received their paychecks for the past 5 months.

The Sahand-e Gharb steel mill is one of the factories manufacturing steel bars of East Azerbaijan Province in the Khazarlu region. However, due to the recession of Iran’s steel industry nearly 400 workers have joined those unemployed.

Iran: UN must urgently see into status of jailed prominent cleric

Ayatollah Kazemeini Borujerdi

Tehran – Representatives of Ayatollah Kazemeini Borujerdi, a political prisoner and cleric opposing the religious dictatorship ruling Iran who has been behind bars since October 2006, wrote a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General seeking urgent attention to Mr. Kazemeini Borujerdi’s status in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

The text of this letter reads:

His Excellency Dr. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran

Human rights advocates and organizations

Iran: prison guards raid hall 12 – ward 7 of Gohardasht Prison

 Gohardasht Prison in Karaj

On Tuesday, January 2^nd prison guards of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, stormed into ward 7 of this prison. Most of the inmates in this hall are Sunni political prisoners. The repressive agents entered the hall with dirty boots and the inmates protested and resisted such measures, preventing them from entering their living quarters with shoes and dirty boots. Finally, the repressive agents were forced to take off their boots to enter the inmates’ living quarters. The prison guards entered the hall and prisoners’ living quarters, searching everywhere and inspects everything. These measures raised much anger amongst the inmates. 

Former Tehran University dean attacked in Iran capital

Dr. Mohammad Malaki

Friday, February 5^th, 2016

At 10am on Friday, February 5^th, Dr. Mohammad Malaki and those accompanying him were arrested by Iranian regime security-intelligence agents in Tehran’s Parkway Intersection. This group of men had gathered in this area for a previously planned civil-environment march to clean-up trash, and they were waiting for others to join their ranks when state agents arrived in a Peugeot vehicle and arrested them.

VOFI Week in Review

As we get closer to the elections, power struggle among the regime’s two main fractions gets a pitch. On Feb. 26, Iranian regime will hold so called elections which also determine members of the “Assembly of Experts”. The most important statutory characteristic of this assembly is its power to decide about the fate of the “Supreme Leader”. This has become the principal asset for dogfights between the regime’s two main fractions trying to push each other out of the edge. Khamenei, on one side is trying to keep his most influential position in the regime, while Rafsanjani and Rouhani are trying to make Khamenei share his power.

Iran: regime paying for missiles in Syria & Yemen from people’s pockets

Mullahs missile test

On Wednesday, February 3^rd an Iranian from the city of Tehran had called and described the conditions of youths in Iran, and how the country’s wealth is spent on anything but the people’s needs.

“People thought the sanctions would be lifted and all the economic problems would be resolved. Today, however, economic recession has engulfed the entire country, crippled the economy; there are no jobs or incomes, everyone is angry at the government. But in the parliament they are disputing about their own factional disputes. Most of my friends and co-workers are in the industries and economic jobs, and they cannot believe it because they thought something would change after all the widespread propaganda the government launched about the nuclear deal and claiming economic development would come afterwards. However, there is no economic development and we have no technologies in Iran.

Iran: college students in Tehran protest repressive measures

A large number of students in Tehran’s Free University Medical School rallied on campus protesting extortion and increasing tuition fees imposed on the students. They were seen chanting against such policies imposed by regime officials. 

Iran: protest rally outside of parliament in Tehran

Around 300 employees of the Agriculture Insurance Bureau from different cities across Iran rallied on Monday, February 1^st outside the parliament in Tehran protesting not having any job security and lack of justice in the laws of employment, reports from the Iranian capital indicate.

The protesters issued a petition with over 1,000 signatories and held placards written, “Impose justice in all bureaus” and “Help the innocent agriculture insurance employees.”

Iran: regime using government employee salaries to massacre Syrians

Regimes advertising to extort the people

A number of government employees said 20,000 to 50,000 rials (around 50 cents to $1.50) of their salaries have been reduced to provide more money for the killings of the Syrian people under the pretext of supporting the “Protectors of Sanctuaries”, according to reports obtained from inside Iran on Monday, February 1 from the city of Ardebil in northwest Iran. These measures by the regime have been protested by employees despite threats made by state officials.

Coal mine workers on strike in northern Iran

400 coal mine workers in the city of Shahroud in northern Iran went on strike on Monday, February 1^st, rallying outside the mine and protesting not receiving any responses to their demands.

The workers said they are on strike protesting the 4½ month delay in receiving their pay and around two months of their insurance not being deposited. The mine workers also protested a decision by the mine management on cancelling Thursday and Friday as working days.

Iran: so-called Islamic clothing store raided in Tehran

At 11 pm on Sunday night, January 31^st around 10 unknown men with covered faces attacked an Islamic clothing store located in Tehran’s Olympic Square in the western part of the city. These individuals reached the site with their motorcycles and used wooden clubs to open the store door, break all the windows and glasses and destroy all the closed circuit cameras. According to locals these individuals shouted vulgar language against the regime’s Bassij, Hezbollah, the entire Islamic republic establishment and Khamenei himself.

Iran: factional rivalries aimed at buying people’s votes

I don’t sell my vote to their vicious politics

In phone calls with a number of Iranians inside the country we came to realize that various factions inside the Iranian regime are planning and engineering different methods of cheating in the February 26^th parliament and Assembly of Experts’ elections through numerous methods. According to a Tehran local, regime officials are taking advantage of poor people in order to increase their votes, paying 500,000 rials (around $15) for an ID card to forge votes.  These measures are intensifying as we inch closer to election day and the price of each ID card has even tripled in some cases. Such actions by regime officials have raised major protests by the people.

Iran election laws needs serious overhaul

Nejatollah Ibrahimian, spokesman of the Guardian Council said in response to the reaction seen from the Rafsanjani-Rouhani faction in relation to their candidates being disqualified from these elections, “How can we expect the credentials of 12,000 candidates be evaluated in 10 days? There was not enough time to evaluate all the documents and this was very painstaking for us.”

“Around 6,000 people have protested the result of their qualification evaluation. Iran’s election law needs a serious overhaul,” he added.

Afghanistan: orders for investigation into IRGC sending Afghans being sent to Syria

Funerals for Afghan fighters killed in Syria

The Afghanistan Presidential Office has issued orders to the Foreign Ministry to investigate on the dispatch of Afghans being sent to Syria by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

“The reason behind these measures is to gain precise intelligence on Afghans being sent to Syria,” said Zafar Hashemi, deputy spokesman of the Afghanistan presidency on Saturday, January 30^th.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry is now missioned to investigate the number of Afghans sent to Syria and how they are dispatched, to make contact with all countries and networks, and finally prepare a detailed report.

Iran: political prisoner Afshin Sohrabzadeh sees conditions deteriorating

Political prisoner Afshin Sohrabzadeh

Political prisoner Afsheen Sohrabzadeh is suffering from intestinal cancer and three months he was transferred from Minab Prison (southern Iran) to Tehran for treatment. However, he was returned without receiving any medical care. Due to his cancer and internal bleeding this political prisoner is facing the threat of losing his life.

“On Tuesday, January 19^th they transferred my son again to the Minab (exile) prison after three months to take his life there,” said Zibe Babasafari, the mother of this political prisoner.

Iran: Ayatollah Kazemeini Borujerdi calls for election boycott

Political prisoner Ayatollah Kazemeini Borujerdi in Evin Prison

On Monday, February 1^st political prisoner Ayatollah Kazemeini Borujerdi sent a message from inside Evin Prison describing any participation in Iran’s current sham elections as haram (forbidden) and called on the people to boycott this event.

His message reads in part:

“I call on all Iranian Muslim men and women to not take part in the selective and sham elections… and by peacefully refusing to obey any such orders they should rise to their religious duties.”

Political prisoner Seyed Hossein Kazemeini Borujerdi a very well-known cleric in Tehran and an opponent of the theory of the absolute rule of the clergy and also against the involvement of religion in politics. He is a support of the separation of the church and state and a return to the true traditional religion.

Kazemeini Borujerdi was arrested in September 2006 under an arrest warrant issued by the special clerics court in Iran, along with many of his supporters after clashes with the police that lasted many hours. He was taken to prison and sentenced to 11 years behind bars.

It is said that his father, Seyed Mohammad Ali Kazemeini Borujerdi, was murdered by Iran’s security agents back in 2002.

Iran: Letter by political prisoner Mohammad Ali Mansouri from Gohardasht Prison

  

Gohardasht prison in Karaj 

Providing any help to prisoners is considered a measure against national security in the government of Rouhani and the Larijanis.

My name is Mohammad Ali Mansouri, and I have been in prison for 9 years. All those who have been in prison for some time know the horrible conditions inside the jails in Iran, how prisons have turned into very profitable institutions, and only those able to come up with the expenses of food, clothing, medicine, medication and … can survive.

Iran: people literally selling body parts due to poverty during Rouhani’s tenure

Bone marrow – Eye cornea – Liver – B+ - Urgent – For sale

In recent years in Iran under the mullahs’ rule people have been forced to sell their kidneys, blood and even eye cornea to make ends meet and provide for their children’s education fees. Most recently such signs are becoming very common on the walls of cities across Iran.

Iran: people to boycott upcoming elections

Stockholders of the Padide Company in Mashhad in northeast Iran, whose property has been plundered recently by the regime, wrote a letter to Iranian regime officials threatening if their labor demands are not me they will boycott the upcoming elections.

These employees have to this day not once received any response to their demands, and also not received their paychecks. They are saying no one has resolved the stockholders’ problems to receive their votes.

Iran: rally protesting presence of repressive agents outside Tehran amphitheater

At 9:30 am in the morning of Sunday, January 31^st, near Tehran’s Vahdat Amphitheater units of the so-called “Guidance” police, along with women officers and plainclothes agents were seen around this site and in the streets of Shahriar, Nofel Lushatu, Enghelab and Vaezi, harassing those seeking to the enter the hall.

Female police officers distressing two ladies at the amphitheater entrance caused an outrage and protests by artists and other people at the site.

Iran: political crime defined by parliament in Tehran

Mahmoud Beheshti, a teacher and political prisoner currently detained in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, has written a letter to the outside world describing the definition of a political prisoner from the perspective of Iran’s parliament:

“Coup de grace shot by Iran’s 9^th parliament to Article 168 of the Constitution”

Finally the 9^th Islamic Council provided a definition and various examples of a political crime, bringing an end to the limbo status of Article 168 in the Constitution. Despite warnings issued by high-profile jurists, the MPs rushed to approve a bill defining political crimes in this regard. This now leaves a very wide window to repress all dissidents in Iran.

Iran: another young woman commits suicide

A 12-year-old girl by the name of Rahedane in a village named Naghade committed suicide on Sunday, January 24^th, bringing an end to her very young life.

“Right now the situation is so bad that a 12-year-old girl becomes depressed and commits suicide. We are talking about a village girl,” a citizen of this village said.

It is worth noting that an 11-year-old boy committed suicide last month in the town of Ashnawiye.

Iran: expecting birthday at the gallows

Reports issued by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, indicate juveniles arrested for alleged crimes committed while under the age of 18 have to wait until they reach the age of 18 to be executed.

The conscience of humanity has to wake up and take action. Like many other juveniles they are waiting to turn 18; the age of adulthood, freedom and maturity. However, this is a bitter wait, and the maturity, a very wicked maturity, with the sense of death in the air. They await in prison to grow older and reach the age 18, in order to be sent to the gallows.

Iran: 24 Baha’i religious minority members sentenced to long prison terms

24 Baha’i citizens from the cities of Gorgan, Minudasht and Gonbad Kavoos were sentenced to a total of 193 years behind bars, recent reports from Iran indicate.

Shahnam Jazbani and Sheida Ghodusi from Gorgan were both sentenced to 11 years behind bars.

Farah Tabianian, Pune Thanaie, Mona Amri Hesari, Behnam Hassani, Parisa Shahidi, Mojhde Zohuri, Pariush Shojaie, Tina Mohebati and Hana Aghighiyan, all from Gorgan; Bita Hedayati, Vathagh Sinaie and Hana Kushak-Baghi from Gonbad Kavoos and Navid Moalemi from Minudasht were all sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Iran: unemployment crisis

unemployment crisis in Iran

356,000 men and women lost their jobs in the fall of 2015 in comparison to the summer, the state-run Mehr news agency wired on Friday, January 29^th, citing official numbers.

“The numbers show major economic tremors continue to take their victims from the job market, leading to an unemployment crisis, whereas 253,000 employed men lost their jobs from summer to fall,” the report added.