Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Iran 1. Last week, more than 160 human rights defenders around the world, in a letter addressed to Sadegh Larijani requested the release of Bahareh Hedayat, Maryam shafiepour, and the other women who were human rights defenders and are imprisoned in Iran. 2. On 11th of March, Shahrokh […]
Category: Sufi news
Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Summoned to Intelligence Ministry
A few days after a video was posted on YouTube, showing a short speech by human rights lawyer and former prisoner of conscience Nasrin Sotoudeh, she was summoned to the Intelligence Ministry while on a family holiday, according to her husband Reza Khandan’s Facebook page. Also according to Khandan’s next status update on Facebook, Sotoudeh decided […]
Rouhani: We Have no Alternative but to Implement the Plan
2nd Phase of the Subsidies Law Heralds 25% Hike in Energy Prices Despite the public criticism of the implementation of the second phase of Iran’s lifting of some subsidies, president Hassan Rouhani recently emphasized that “There was no choice but to implement this second phase.” His first deputy echoed his message and announced that […]
Iran dismisses UN stance on human rights in Iran
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the latest UN human rights vote against the Islamic Republic is “politically motivated” and “counterproductive.” On March 28, the UN Human Rights Council renewed the mission of its human rights rapporteur for Iran, Ahmad Shaheed, with 21 votes in favour, nine against and 16 abstentions. This is the fourth year […]
U.N. Extends Term of Human Rights Monitor, Angering Iran
The Iran government’s effort to portray a kinder and gentler image was frustrated on Friday by the United Nations Human Rights Council, which voted to extend the term of a monitor scorned by Tehran. The Council, concluding its annual meeting in Geneva, renewed the mandate of the monitor, Ahmed Shaheed, for another year in […]
Internet a popular distraction for pilgrims in Mecca
Web-surfing pilgrims in Mecca have become of topic of concern for their travel organizers in Iran. The Supreme Leader’s Pilgrimage Affairs website reports that cultural organizers of the trips say that internet surfing is wasting pilgrims’ time and causing a decline in attendance to worship and prayer rituals. The report indicates that pilgrims, especially […]
Fire near Hamadan museum destroys crafts, booths
A Norooz handcraft exhibition set up next to Hegmataneh Museum in Hamadan caught fire on March 30 due to an unattended heater left on all night. Ten of the exhibition’s 70 stalls reportedly have been completely destroyed. The museum was not affected by the fire, but the handcrafts set up for sale were completely […]
Border police official reveals frequency of attacks
The Deputy Commander of Iran’s border police reports that in the past year, on average, his forces have had to handle at least one armed conflict per day in the country’s border regions. In conversation with the Mehr News Agency, Ahmad Geravand said the conflicts have led to the death of several border officials […]
Iranian Jewish Community Leader Dies
The former chief rabbi of Iran’s tiny Jewish community has died. Yousef Hamadani Cohen was said to have been 98 years old. Iranian reports said he had been ill for several years. He was buried on Sunday in Tehran. Cohen was the spiritual leader of Iran’s Jews from around 1994 to 2007 and remained […]
Second captive border guard could be targeted
The Khabar television network reported on Thursday March 27 that Jeysh-ol-Adl has issued another threat. The Sunni militant group that abducted five Iranian border officials last February and killed one of them last Sunday has now announced that it will kill another Iranian hostage in five days it its demands are not met. The […]