Arseh Sevom — Student leader, Majid Tavakoli, locked up in prison in Iran, will be awarded the International Student Peace Prize in a ceremony in Norway on February 15. Authorities announce new categories of criminalized speech in advance of the upcoming presidential elections. Mehdi Karroubi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mir Hossein Mousavi remain under house arrest [...]
{ 3 comments }
Arseh Sevom — Prison furloughs have been given to a number of prisoners of conscience even as Sakharov Prize winner Nasrin Sotoudeh was called back to prison after just three days. Public executions spark debate. Iranian State Television airs an “exposé” of CIA spying. Parliament debates restricting foreign travel for all women under 40 while [...]
{ 1 comment }
January 22, 2013: The undersigned human rights organizations strongly oppose the death sentences issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) against five civil and cultural activists who are members of the Ahwazi Arab ethnic minority in Iran. We urge the IRI authorities to halt the implementation of the death sentences against these five men pending [...]
{ 1 comment }
Questions remain unresolved concerning the death of blogger Sattar Beheshti, while authorities deny that any hunger strikes have taken place among women in prison. Iran’s Health Minister faces parliamentary scrutiny for the depletion of medical supplies, public executions continue, and international airfares double. A single exchange rate is announced and parliament considers a bill that would require single women under 40 to get permission in order to obtain a passport. Read more…
{ 1 comment }
Economic instability continues to rock Iran while executions for drug offenses continue despite international protest. The work of children’s activists is recognized internationally, and gender segregation becomes more widespread. Sanctions against the banking center have left many in Iran without access to needed medication and imprisoned lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh begins a hunger strike. Extreme Couponing [...]
{ 3 comments }
Arseh Sevom — The Islamic Republic of Iran is often praised for its efforts to control drug trafficking on its borders. With the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, it has managed to professionalize its border control. In a recent article in the New York Times, journalist Thomas Erdbrink points out [...]
{ 0 comments }
Statement Against the Execution of Four Ahwazi Arabs and the Death Penalty in Iran Concurrent with the execution of four Iranians in Saudi Arabia, and despite warnings by human rights activists and institutions, four Ahwazi Arab prisoners — Taha Heidarian, Abdolrahman Heidarian, Abbas Heidarian, and Ali Sharifi — were secretly executed by the Iranian [...]
{ 3 comments }
Arseh Sevom — In the US, April 1st is marked with practical jokes. In Iran the first of April is celebrated as Nature’s Day with millions taking to parks all over the country. Iranians around the world mark the end of the celebrations marking the new year with picnics, family, and friends. This year during [...]
{ 1 comment }
FIDH (International Federation of Human Rights) has posted a piece in Persian on the announcement by Iran’s Attorney General that hundreds of executions will take place in Tehran. Most of those executions are said to be for drug-related crimes. In crimes of murder, the family is given the option to receive blood money or to [...]
{ 0 comments }
United4Iran is calling on people to send letters to protest the planned execution of the Iranian-Kurdish student Habibah Latifi. Click here to participate in the campaign.
Habibollah Latifi is a 29-year-old university student from Kurdistan who has been sentenced to death on charge of Moharebeh (enmity with God). He is currently imprisoned at the Sanandaj Prison. Several sources have reported that Latifi has suffered from various illnesses, including an intestinal infection, heart problems, and kidney failure. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has also noted that it believes the same intelligence-security forces are moving towards large scale politically motivated executions. Another young Kurdish man, Shirkoo Moarefi, also faces the risk of execution. In the past week, some 18 people have been executed. The frequency and number of executions in Iran has become increasingly of grave concern for activists.
{ 0 comments }
United4Iran has launched a new campaign, Keep Iran’s Hearts Beating, to call an end to executions in Iran. To participate click here.
{ 0 comments }
To join the conversation on facebook click here. Read the latest issue of the Civil Society Zine here.
