THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CEST
Sunday Protests from North to South, from East to West
Educational staff throughout Iran were the biggest group to occupy the streets and make their voices heard on Sunday. Many reports from Tehran, Khorramabad, Zarand, Rafsanjan, and Zabol indicate that these hardworking people who have a vital role in building and nurturing the next generation are sick and tired of the systemic violation of their rights and wages.
May 23 – #Iran
Education Department workers in the cities of Tehran, Qazvin and Khorramad holding rallies demanding equal pay and raises based on escalating inflation rates.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/a8ku8pGIv0— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 23, 2021
Also, other reports from inside the country suggest that retirees in Alborz, janitors in Qazvin and Khorramabad, retired communication workers in Shiraz, metro workers in Tehran, water and wastewater workers in Izeh, as well as municipal workers and sweepers in Chabahar, were among the groups that chose to gather and express their anger more openly to condemn the regime’s handling of the socio-economical situation.
May 23 – Lorestan, W #Iran
School janitors and service workers gathered outside the Lorestan Dept. of Education to demand higher wages and express their economic woes. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/m06TetS1XH— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) May 23, 2021
May 23 – Shiraz, SW #Iran
Retired personnel of the Shiraz Telecommunications Co. gathered today to demand the unpaid wages and benefits of 1,300 pensioners. They say the company has had a 15-year delay in paying them. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/8mS4aushkJ— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) May 23, 2021
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
Iran: Coronavirus Fatalities In 542 Cities Is More Than 295,600
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced on Saturday, May 22, 2021, that the Coronavirus death toll in 542 cities had exceeded 295,600. The number of victims in Tehran has reached 68,997, Isfahan 19,650, Khuzestan 18,389, Khorasan Razavi 18,025,East Azerbaijan 12,108, Mazandaran 11,955, West Azerbaijan 11,068, Gilan 10,021, Fars 9,732, Qom 9,555, Alborz 8,223, Sistan and Baluchestan 6,776, Hamedan 6,578, Central Province 6,158, Semnan 5,100, Yazd 5,007, and Zanjan 3,240.
#Iran Coronavirus Update
More than 295,600 people have died of the novel #coronavirus in 542 cities checkered across all of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK.
Full Reporthttps://t.co/Blm3zrLzVE pic.twitter.com/otvrQTinIf
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 22, 2021
The Root of Iran’s Water and Environmental Crisis
The country is fading,” Issa Kalantari, the head of Iran’s Environment Protection Organization, warned on May 17. In his remarks, Kalantari also warned:
Every year, there are 20 billion cubic meters of over-extraction of natural resources and underground water, and other sources are being depleted as well. If this process continues, in 20 years, there will be no trace of agriculture in the areas surrounding the Zagros mountain range because water sources are being plundered.
Iran Without ‘Food Security’
Farmers in Iran are living in an extremely difficult situation with their fields and farms not being supported by the government which is unable to provide independent food security for the country and its people after 40 years. In an article by the state-run website, Shoare Sal published on May 20 and entitled ‘The government refused to buy some of the wheat at imported prices from domestic producers, quoting Mohamad Javad Askari, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Agriculture Commission, who was interviewed at the ‘Salam Tehran’ program on the state TV Channel 5, referred to this problematic and concerning situation of Iran’s agriculture system and pointed Iran’s lack of stable food security.
Iran’s Judiciary Chief Executed Four Youths, Then Announced His Candidacy
In the weeks leading up to the June 18 Presidential election in Iran, Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi silently signed the implementation order for four executions. These executions were implemented while Raisi was registering as a Presidential candidate. “Change” and “youthfulness” are the slogans of Raisi’s campaign for the election. However, Iranian activists say that Raisi showed what he meant by “change” and “youthfulness” with these executions.
Baluch Fuel Carrier Killed by Security Forces in SE Iran
A Baluch fuel carrier was killed by security forces in Zarabad District, southeastern Iran on May 21, while another fuel carrier was injured in the shooting. According to the Baloch Campaign website, the man who was killed was identified as Ayoub Darkale. The other fuel carrier who was with him was identified as Yasser Darkale. He was taken to the hospital due to the severity of his wounds. He is currently in critical condition.
Jailed Protester Says Water Scarce, Drugs Rampant In Tehran Prison
An Iranian protester who is detained in a notorious prison located 30 kilometers south of Tehran detailed the horrible conditions of political prisoners in a letter published yesterday. Hossein Hashemi, arrested for taking part in the nationwide protests in November 2019, wrote that while suitable water was scarce in the Greater Tehran or Fashafuyeh Prison, drugs could easily be acquired in the section where political prisoners were held.
Read more: Iran News in Brief – May 22, 2021
