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

Political prisoner writes to UN about abuses in Iran

Iranian political prisoner, Hassan Sadeqi, who is currently behind bars in Gohardasht (Rajai Shahr) Prison in Karaj, north-west of the Iranian capital, has written an open letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council protesting the authorities’ refusal to allow him to visit his wife imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

Iran: regime officials terrified of consequences of public lashes

Iran: Inhumane lashing in public

Exposing regime crimes more important than ever before

Lashing by the repressive apparatus is nothing new in Iran, existing from day one of the mullahs’ regime. The question is why has the lashing of Ghazvin University students, and the deprived Agh Darre miners of Takkab, gained so much attention and sparked such domestic abhorrence and international condemnation?

The truth is that oppression, including lashing, has been one of the main pillars of the mullahs’ regime in Iran seen across the country ever since this regime rose to power. However, in these recent measures, the mullahs have expanded lashing against other walks of life as a systematic method. This includes lashing hardworking miners, continuously arresting and lashing youths, college students and women.

Iran: mullahs terrified of expanding social media websites

 Iranian regime terrified of growing use of social media

Mullahs in the city of Qom, central Iran, have expressed serious concerns regarding the expanding use of social websites, especially by youths in Iran, and calling for firm measures by the regime’s judiciary.

“Each day hundreds of websites and networks are busy spreading rumors against religious issues, and providing blasphemy to our youths...,” said Mullah Mesbah Yazdi, a known member of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s inner circle. “Therefore, we must constantly identify the intellectual dangers threatening our youths, and/or at least hold intimate talks with them to understand their questions and/or provide convincing answers for them.”

Mullah Makarem Shirazi also expressed his concerns over the expansion of social media networks.

Iranian students threw a graduation dance party. It cost them 99 lashes each.

Iran: 99 lashes, cost of graduation party

See the complete story in Washington Post

It happens behind closed doors in Iran all the time: Young people get together to play music, flirt and generally relax, hidden away from hard-liners who definitely would not approve. Mostly, the parties wrap up without incident: the guys cleaning up any incriminating clues, the girls putting their headscarves back on. Then they all go their separate ways.

This time, however, someone tipped off authorities that a group of students was throwing a bash to celebrate graduation. More than 30 were taken into custody. Their punishment: 99 lashes each.

The report by Iran’s Mizan News Agency gave no details about the students, their ages, their school, or when the arrests took place. But it noted that lashings were carried out with almost unprecedented swiftness: within less than 24 hours after officials raided the villa on the outskirts of Qazvin, a small city about 80 miles northwest of Tehran.

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: juvenile executions must be stopped

Fear of imminent mass executions of juvenile offenders

Seven juvenile offenders are planned to be executed by Iranian regime

The Iranian regime in yet another brutal measure has transferred 7 

juvenile offender to the solitary confinement for imminent execution.

As a step prior to carrying out executions, the fundamentalist regime of Iran moves the death row inmates to the solitary confinement a day or days before the sentence is carried out. The 7 are in what is called by Iranian people as Gohardasht prison or as it is called by the regime the Rajaie-shahr prison located some 20 miles northwest of Tehran in the city of Karaj. 

Iran: youths released from prison face enormous difficulties

Sho’le Pakravan, the mother of Reyhane Jabbari in Iran

By: Mrs. Sho’le Pakravan

Fereshte Asanlu hosted a gathering of mothers in Iran. We were all worried about a young man recently released of prison and engulfed with heavy debts. For a few days after returning home they see their friends and relatives. Then, real life kicks in. Unemployment, living problems… Let me explain more.

Omid Alishenas, the son of Simin, is a construction engineer. He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for his activities for labor children! It has been a few months since he has been released from prison under a very heavy bail. However, he remains unemployed.

Months ago when Arash Sadeghi and my dear Golrokh came to my home I asked him what is your job? He said I am unemployed. I said it is obvious there will be no government jobs for you. But what about opening a store to sell goods? He said for such a permit he would have to work for many months to finally earn a profit. I said yes. He also said how do I know how long I will remain out of prison? At any moment they may issue a new verdict and force me to return to prison.

Iran: regime agents round up satellite dishes in eastern Tehran

Repressive police rounding up, destroying satellite dishes

Repressive police in Iran are continuing their crackdown campaign in eastern Tehran by rounding up satellite dishes from people’s homes. These agents raided people’s residences and climbed their walls to round up satellite dishes and confiscating the LNBs.

These repressive measures of rounding up satellite dishes is a clear sign of the mullahs’ utter fear of the general public being informed of the news. This campaign has been repeated time and again by the mullahs’ crackdown entities in various cities across the country. However, not only have satellite TV viewers increased in Iran, according to the regime’s sate media, more and more people are referring to satellite TV networks for their news and entertainment.

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.

Aleppo burning in flames, where is our humane conscience?

Unprecedented inaction seen from Western countries in the face of crimes in Syria

Vicious airstrikes targeting Aleppo and the barbaric massacre of civilians, especially women and children, by Bashar Assad, the inhumane mullahs in Iran and their allies and proxies, are without a doubt an unprecedented war crime and the great tragedy of this century. This has truly outraged the conscience of modern day humanity.

The rise and expansion of Daesh (the Arabic acronym of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS) in the region, the wave of terrorism engulfing Europe and the never-ending lines of refugees seeking shelter in Europe are all the immediate results of leaving these crimes unanswered. This trend by the Syrian dictator, Iranian regime and its proxies in the region has continued for over five years.

Iran- Denial of Adequate Medical Treatment to Political Prisoners Unacceptable

GENEVA– A group of United Nations human rights experts today warned that over a dozen political prisoners in Iran , including some prominent human rights defenders, lawyers and political activists, are at risk of death in detention due to their worsening health conditions and the continued refusal by the Iranian authorities to provide them with medical treatment.

Human Rights Groups Condemn Journalists Prison Sentences in Iran

CAIRO—U.S. human rights groups are condemning the sentences imposed by an Iranian court on four journalists who were arrested late last year. The four were accused of “paving the way for U.S. infiltration of the country.”

The Iranian judiciary has handed down sentences of five to 10 years in prison to the journalists who were arrested last November in the period leading up to parliamentary elections.

Mullahs’ using religious beliefs to send teenage boys to Syria war

This is an old, deceitful measure resorted to by the rulers of Iran to lure the general public – taking advantage of their religious beliefs – to provide the soldiers they need in their ongoing wars.

30 years ago these same mullahs faced a major troop shortage and were in desperate need of cannon fodders for their war against neighboring Iraq. Back then they also resorted to such a filthy tactic to dispatch under-aged teenage boys to the frontlines of that horrific war. Boys mostly below the ages of 12 to 14 were essentially used in the frontlines to pave the path through minefields. Revolutionary Guards commanders would wrap these youths in blankets and force them, in large groups, to run through minefields and literally “open” a path for their advancing military columns.

Iran: mullahs cast dark shadow over lives of deprived children

Very limited, yet vivid images of poverty and depravity in Iran, including its schools, reflect a tip of the iceberg of this horrific catastrophe. Schools in these areas are suffering from the lack of any teachers, no classrooms and other necessary supplies.

Images of elementary schools in Sistan & Baluchistan Province (southeast Iran) reveal how the regime’s senior officials are plundering the people of their God-given wealth. This regime, bent on plundering the Iranian people of all their assets, resorts to cementing a climate of fear through oppression, torture and daily executions.

Freedom House annual freedom of press report ranks Iran amongst last 10 states

Freedom House published its 2015 report on the status of freedom of press in 199 countries across the globe, including Iran.

The Freedom House report classifies all countries based on the ranking they receive in three general classes of free, relatively free and not free.

Iran has been ranked amongst the 10 worst countries regarding press freedoms in the year 2015.

In a part of freedom house annual report under the subtitle of “Other Major Developments in 2015” we read:

Iran: conditions of political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi Malaki become dire on 30th day of hunger strike

 Political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi Malaki surpassed his 30^th day of hunger strike in dire conditions. This political prisoner, on hunger strike since March 26^th, is suffering from kidney and stomach problems, his internal stomach and kidney bleeding has intensified.

Iran: labor unions, associations make call for Labor Day gatherings

During the past few days and following a series of labor strikes, protests and sit-ins, a number of labor unions and associations made calls for gatherings to mark International Labor Day.

Tehran – Struggling Youth Union – West Tehran issue statement in support of PMOI/MEK call for Labor Day gatherings

We commemorate International Labor Day

Dear workers, fellow countrymen

This year more than ever before we commemorate International Labor Day with the utmost might. On a daily basis we are witness to rallies held by workers, bazaar merchants, teachers and other walks of life. People who have risen for their rights. Therefore, we rise in support of a call made by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MeK) to commemorate International Labor Day better than ever before.

Locals commemorate Labor Day western Iran to prevent any government bans

 Labor Day commemoration in Sanandaj, western Iran

Workers and labor rights advocates in Sanandaj, western Iran, held a ceremony commemorating International Labor Day. This ceremony was held earlier this year to prevent any measures by the Iranian regime aimed at banning such gatherings.

On Friday, April 22^nd a group of workers and labor advocates in Sanandaj commemorated International Labor Day and held a ceremony on this occasion.

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.