The prison term for Serajeddin Mirdamadi, the Iranian journalist who returned to Iran last year, has been reduced to three years by the appellate court, down from the six years given him in preliminary court. Giti Pourfazel, Mirdamadi’s lawyer, told ISNA that the three-year sentence was issued on Friday November 28. Mirdamadi, who had […]
Category: Sufi news
Extended nuclear talks undermine currency confidence
The Iranian currency market has seen a steep rise in the price of the dollar, with each dollar being traded at 3,400 toumans, which is the highest it has traded in the current year. The exchange rate peaked two years ago at the height of the sanctions and the impasse in the nuclear negotiations, […]
Sanctions still hamper import of pharmaceuticals
Iran’s health minister says some medications continue to be scarce, despite assertions by the U.S. and the European Union that international sanctions do not affect Iran’s access to the pharmaceutical and medical equipment market. Hassan Ghazizadeh said: “Our problems persist. Those who have laid sanctions claim they have not sanctioned pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, […]
Changes to health insurance spur protest
Scores of workers and retirees gathered in front of Parliament to protest the amalgamation of the Social Security Fund and their Health Insurance. A number of MPs reportedly appeared among the protesters to hear their demands. ILNA reports the amalgamation has been temporarily suspended to allow further investigation and consideration of the demands of […]
Journalist to be tried for award speech
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin editor in chief of a number of banned reformist Iranian newspapers reported in his Facebook page that he has been given a trial date for the charge of “propaganda against the regime.” He writes that his charges are linked to a speech he delivered in Cape Town, South Africa for receiving the […]
Iranian musician turns down Order of France
Hossein Alizadeh, the prominent Iranian musician and classical Iranian music expert, has refused the Order of France, called l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Chevalier, which acknowledges contributions to the arts and literature in France and all across the world. ISNA reports that in an open letter, he expressed his appreciation for the gesture […]
Iran’s nurse shortage worsened by emigration
While Iran faces a shortage of 80,000 nurses, statistical reports indicate that 1,000 nurses emigrate from Iran each year. Iran’s College of Nurses has criticized the failure to value the role of nurses and the lack of appropriate government policies to address the country’s nurse shortage. Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, a spokesman for the College […]
Former president describes pressures facing Rohani
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami says current president Hassan Rohani is under serious pressure from his political opponents as he deals with political and cultural issues. The Etemad daily writes that according to Khatami, President Rohani’s opponents are trying to tell him: “we are still here and have power and will not let things […]
Illegal Addition of New Charges Makes Death Sentence for Soheil Arabi More Likely
New Charges Seem Aimed at Avoiding Commutation of Sentence In an arbitrary and illegal act, new charges that carry a death sentence and which do not allow a pardon were added and the death sentence of Facebook user Soheil Arabi was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Iran. “In a surprising act, the charge […]
Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Vows to Continue Protest
Well-known Iranian human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh says she’s determined to continue protesting a decision to ban her from practicing law. Sotoudeh started picketing outside the offices of the Iranian Bar Association in Tehran a month ago, holding signs reading “right to work” and “rights of dissenters,” after the association, reportedly under official pressure, […]