Iran: Maryam Naghash Zargaran returned to Evin Prison

Christian prisoner Maryam Naghash Zargaran returned to the women’s ward of Evin on June 27, 2016, without completing her medical treatment.

 The Prosecutor's Office refused to extend the medical leave for this severely ill prisoner of conscience and forced her back to prison by threatening to confiscate her bail.

Maryam Naghash Zargaran was granted a medical leave on June 6, 2016, after 11 days of hunger strike when she protested the undetermined state of her case, deprivation from medical treatment, and cancellation of her conditional release.

This new Christian convert was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment on the charge of acting against national security. Her charges have not been officially relayed to her, but she is presently serving the four years in Evin's women's ward.

Originally published here:
http://www.women.ncr-iran.org/index.php/iran-women-news/2822-iran-maryam-naghash-zargaran-returned-to-evin-prison

Iran: Narges Mohammadi in solitary confinement – pain & suffering far beyond prison

Political prisoner Narges Mohammadi – A human rights advocate in solitary confinement

Narges Mohammadi, political prisoner and human rights advocate in Iran, has recently been sentenced by the mullahs’ so-called judiciary system to another 10 years behind bars. Mohammadi has in a letter to the Pen Association unveiled the extremely critical situation of solitary confinement detentions in Iran under the mullahs’ rule.

Iran: 26 oppressive entities mission to stop “mal-veiling”

A real example of a warning in Iran!

Crackdown of women in Iran under pretext of improper veiling

According to remarks made by regime officials in Iran, there are 26 oppressive entities established in Iran missioned to fight against the mullah-fabricated phenomenon of “mal-veiling” in the society. All these entities are parts of a crackdown machine in Iran. One such entity is deviously dubbed, “Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong.” A few days ago, Ali Lotfi, a regime official in this entity in the city council of Mashhad (northeast Iran) said the regime is facing a crisis in this regard. In a ceremony held to inaugurate a building for this repressive organ, Lotfi delivered a speech emphasizing on continuing crackdown measures, adding under orders issued by Mullah Alamalhoda, the representative of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, from May 23^rd onward arrangements have been made for roads leading to the sacred Imam Reza shrine in this city to be placed under more coverage by this unit.

Iran: Hard-Liners Crack Down on Models Not Wearing Head Scarves

Originaly posted in New York Times

TEHRAN — Iran’s judiciary unleashed one of its periodic crackdowns on social media permissiveness on Sunday, announcing the arrest of eight people involved in online modeling without a mandatory head scarf and questioning another woman, a former model, live on state television on Sunday.

A blogger, Mehdi Abutorabi, 53, who managed a publishing tool called Persian Blog, was also detained, the semiofficial student news agency ISNA reported Monday.

The former model, Elham Arab, 26, had been something of an Instagram star, posting pictures of herself in bridal gowns with eye-catching, dyed-blond hair. But on Sunday, months after her Instagram account had been shut down, she wore a pious black scarf and matching gloves as she was questioned by two prosecutors during a live television program.

Iran: Regime is arresting women posing without headscarves online

Iran regime arrests women with loose hijab

Iranian police have arrested eight people in a new crackdown on women who post images of themselves online without their hair covered, state media reported Monday, part of a larger cultural struggle in the Islamic Republic over the country's future.
The arrests are part of a wider crackdown on artists, poets, journalists, bloggers and activists.
The arrests and harsh sentences handed down signal that hard-liners in the police and judiciary, who were unable to stop the accord and fear looser social norms will weaken their power on the public.

Iran: Women workers suffering under mullahs’ rule

Today’s world has witnessed significant developments and changes regarding women’s status and conditions in various aspects of our society. The increasing number of educated women, evolving knowledge and levels of learning have rendered a mounting demand for women’s presence in the job market. This development can be the source of widespread social and cultural changes. In Iran, however, it is an entirely different story.

IRAN: CRACKDOWNS CONTINUE DISPITE RELEASE OF SOME POLITICAL PRISONERS

The Associated Press reports that on Tuesday, the cartoonist and social activist Atena Farghadani had been released from Evin Prison, in line with an earlier reduction of her sentence from a staggering 12 years to only 18 months.

However, despite the greatly diminished punishment, human rights advocates lament the fact that the appeals court upheld any punishment whatsoever, given that her charges were based on her having drawn and shared a cartoon depicting Iranian officials as animals in order to protest policies that restricted the rights of women and greatly reduced access to birth control.

IRANIAN PRISONER KNOWN AS A LEADING LADY FOR JOURNALIST

In a ceremony in Paris on May 2, Reporters Without Borders declared four journalists to be heroes and heroines of 2016; amongst them was Ms. Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian political prisoner, lawyer, and human rights activist.

During this ceremony, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed her support for all those who work for freedom of expression. She presented City of Paris medals to the chosen journalists and praised their endeavors, saying that the gates of the French capital will always be open to them.

Mohammadi has been arrested many times for her human rights activities. She was last arrested on 5 May 2015 at her home by judicial security agents without prior notice and was transferred to the notorious Evin Prison in northern Tehran. The arrest initiated a six-year prison sentence that had already been handed down in March 2011.

Iran: What did cartoonist say upon release?

“Some people may think that art cannot express protest or it cannot be so important… But I believe, an artist’s responsibility is to challenge and be challenged.

When you are being challenged, the price may be very heavy. It may be prison or many other things… However, we must remember that every artist has a mission,” said Atena Farghdani, the young artist as walked out of jail. 

Ms. Faraghdani spent 18 months in prison for exercising freedom of expression and painting cartoons critical of the government.

Mr. Gérard Deprez, Head of the Friends of a Free Iran at the European Parliament, wrote to EU High representative on Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, before her trip to Iran on April 12, 2016, and asked for Ms. Faraghdani's release.

Iran: “sensible” security threats make “insensible” patrols a necessity

The atrocity of thousands of spies and repressive agents dispatched by the mullahs’ regime in Iran under the pretext of ‘insensible’ patrols, used to impose a climate of fear and crackdown, has reached such an embarrassing height that senior Iranian regime officials are pointing fingers and blaming each other for its dire consequences. As this plan was announced by Tehran police chief Sajedinia, Iran’s judiciary chief came to the scene saying,”Mal-veiling and having no hijab at all is considered a crime”.

Iran: another Tehran woman becomes victim of acid attack

Young woman is victim of acid attack

State media reported another acid attack in Iran on Tuesday, April 26^th targeting a young woman in Tehran’s Vanak Square.

This young woman suffered 3^rd degree burns in her hands, face and back, and is in need of numerous surgeries which have yet to begin, according to the president of Tehran’s Mottahari Hospital chief.

The motive behind this crime remains unknown, yet considering similar cases of acid attacks taking place in various cities against women and girls, the state paramilitary Bassij and plainclothes agents loyal to Khamenei have most definitely committed this crime. These operatives have never faced any judicial action or punishment by the mullahs’ regime in Iran.

Iran: mullahs’ theoretical figure speaks of regime crumbling

Mullah Alamalhoda, a known theorizing figure of the mullahs’ mentality, posted a piece on his Instagram page on Friday, April 8th describing extortion, plundering and theft are considered lesser crimes than not abiding by the mullahs’ strict dress codes imposed on women.

Iranian actress, Thuraya Hekmat, dies in poverty

Iranian actress, Azar Mehdi Gholi-Khani, known as “Thuraya Hekmat”, suffered a brain stroke on Monday, April 4 and died on Friday, April 8. She was 62. Hekmat’s last appearance in Iran’s cinema is said to be the year of 2000.

In the Mullahs rein that have no respect for art and artist Hekmat had to continue her life in poverty and that was how she died. 

In an interview with Iran’s state news agency ISNA, back in August 2014, she said she could not even pay for her mortgage, adding she will be living in a tent soon afterwards. 

Iran: When a street talks

Iran: abandoned children left in street

Poverty in Iran

An abandoned new born baby was placed in a trash bag on April 4th and left in front of a hospital in the city of Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province, southern Iran. 

Perhaps one would say the phenomenon of abandoned children is nothing new and happens every day in the four corners of the this cruel world. Poverty or even family problems are usually the main cause of this heartrending story.

Although poverty is also one of the main factors behind unwanted children in the mullahs’ ruled Iran, but there is another frightening reason behind leaving the most vulnerable and innocent human life at the mercy of the chance in the winter cold or summer heat.

Iran – Kurdish Woman summoned for observing Nowruz celebrations

Nowruz celebration in Iranian Kurdistan

Security forces in the Kurdish city of Sannadaj called on the home of Soheila Mohammadi on Thursday March 31st to call her to appear before a court in Sannadaj for “distorting public order”

Mohammadi sponsored the Nowruz – Iranian New Year – celebration in Ghasrian, in the suburb of Sannadaj. Some other participants in the celebration have also been arrested.

Iran: acceptable women’s unveiling

 Suppressive forces attack protesting Iranian women

Khamenei’s representative:

 "Graft and theft are more acceptable than women’s unveiling"

Mullahs in Iran are experts in graft and financial fraud as the news about theft and extortion by Iranian officials come out once every few days. Alamolhoda, Khamenei’s representative in the north eastern province of Khorassan wrote in his Instagram, on Friday April 8^th, that extortion and plunder of people’s wealth is much better than unveiling.

“Anybody who steals from people or makes unlawful speeches that sin refers only to himself, but a woman showing her   hair forces others to commit sin”. Wrote Alamolhoda.

Air France Flight attendants protest conditions set on Iran-bound flights

flight attendants must wear pants and wide suits

A number of Air France flight attendants raised protests over a law passed in Iran for flights entering this country. According to this new bill these flight attendants must wear pants and wide suits, and if they seek to exit the plane they have to cover their hair with scarfs.

A number of flight attendant labor unions are supporting those protesting these laws and hope the minister of women’s affairs in Iran will intervene in this regard. (Radio Zamaneh – April 3, 2016)

Iran: Tehran moral patrol, police attacking women under “mal-veiling” pretext

Moral patrols and police in Tehran’s Vanak Square conducted a huge raid to arrest women under the pretext of improper clothing and veils. This new campaign was launched on Sunday, April 3.

“Repressive forces in Vanak Square raided restaurants and public facilities in this area, arresting any man or woman under the pretext of ‘public virtue’ and improper veiling. Those arrested were transferred to unknown locations with vans already parked in the area,” said one restaurant employee.

A heavy security climate was cemented in Vanak Square and its adjacent streets until noon on Monday.

Iran: mullahs’ misogynist ideology promoted in public

“A woman is not a vase that may break, don’t be afraid to hit it.”

“Good Woman, Dead Woman”

This is an Iranian regime element who has written misogynist remarks on his vehicle promoting sexual discrimination in public.

It is worth noting that the so-called police of this regime showed no reaction in this regard, allowing such issues to be fanned day by day. Of course, the reason behind such measures is obvious for us. The mullahs’ regime itself is behind the misogyny phenomenon in Iran, acid attacks and beating women in public under various pretexts, including not abiding by strict clothing regulations. This social corruption has roots in the mullahs’ reactionary ideology.

We wish everyone around the world a happy and joyous Spring

The Spring Equinox marks Norooz, the start of the Persian New Year. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran takes this opportunity to wish everyone around the world a happy and joyous Spring, and a world free of pain, suffering, abuse, persecution, torture, and execution; a world in which no one is prosecuted and imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their basic rights to freedom of thought, expression, religion, assembly, and association. Iranian cartoonist Touka Neyestani remembers Iranian political prisoners on the occasion of Norooz on this Year of the Monkey.

https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2016/03/cartoon-143/