• Lacking Media Rights Defenders, Iran Deemed Unsafe for Journalists
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders says Iran has remained one of the world’s most unsafe countries for journalists in part because there is no Iranian association to defend them.
In its annual World Press Freedom Index published on Wednesday, the Paris-based group gave Iran a ranking of 164 out of 180 countries. The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) index ranks countries according to the level of freedom available to journalists. Iran has been stuck near the end of the list since RSF began issuing the rankings more than 20 years ago.
• US Not Seeking To Reopen Iran Nuclear Deal, Envoy Says
The United States is not seeking to reopen or renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal but hopes to stay in it to fix its flaws with a supplementary agreement, U.S. non-proliferation envoy Christopher Ford said on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Tuesday to seek stronger measures to contain Iran’s regime, but Trump refrained from committing to staying in the 2015 nuclear deal and threatened Tehran with retaliation if it restarted its nuclear program.
“We are not aiming to renegotiate the JCPOA (nuclear deal) or reopen it or change its terms,” Ford told reporters on the sidelines of a nuclear non-proliferation conference in Geneva. “We are seeking a supplemental agreement that would in some fashion layer upon it a series of additional rules – restrictions, terms, parameters, whatever you want to call it – that help answer these challenges more effectively.”
“If we were able to meet that challenge of bringing our partners together … President Trump made it clear that his decision not to renew the sanctions waivers would be revised, and that is where I hope we are now today,” Ford said.
• Iran: protest gathering in Rasht, Ilam
Iran, April 25, 2018 – Local workers of the Ilam Petrochemical Company, in western Iran, gathered in protest against a breach in their contract and the layoff of workers by the state-affiliated company.
In Rasht, northern Iran, workers of the Ashimashi Company, staged a protest in front of the Labor Office to show their objection to work conditions.
• Macron: Trump will likely scrap Iran deal
The Hill, 26 April 2018 – French President Emmanuel Macron said he believes President Trump will drop out of the Iran nuclear deal, BuzzFeed News reported.
“My view — I don’t know what your president will decide — is that he will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons,” Macron told reporters on Wednesday.
• Armed man arrested at Iranian interests section in Washington
A man with a weapon was arrested Wednesday afternoon at the Iranian interests section in Washington, the US Secret Service said. The incident took place at Pakistan’s embassy, which houses the Iranian interests section after Iran and the US severed diplomatic relations in 1979.
• Huawei Is Under U.S. Criminal Investigation For Illegal Iran Sales: What’s Next
On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Justice Department is investigating whether Huawei violated U.S. export sanctions related to Iran.
After the U.S. Government imposed a ban on the sale of American technologies to ZTE last week for similar export violations, this latest development feels like deja vu all over again and could cast a serious shadow over the business of the $92.5 billion Chinese company.
• ‘Death to America’ emoji reportedly included in Iran messaging app
Iran’s regime is asking its public to switch to a new mobile messaging app that comes complete with a “Death to America” emoji. The BBC reported Wednesday that the Soroush app features images of traditionally cloaked women holding placards wishing death to Israel and the United States.
Iranians currently prefer to use the Telegram app, but authorities have reportedly blamed its use for anti-establishment protests in the country.
• Iran’s Judiciary Confirms Death And Flogging Sentence For Mohammad Salas
The Head of Tehran’s Judiciary said that the death sentence for Mohammad Salas, a member of Gonabadi Dervish community and the bus driver in the Pasdaran Street incident which led to the deaths of three agents, was confirmed by the Supreme Court, according to the state-run ISNA news agency.
“The case was sent to the Supreme Court and the verdict, which was three counts of retribution for three murders of police officers, one year of prison and 74 lashes for disrupting public order, was confirmed by the Supreme Court,” Gholamhossein Esmaeili said. “Given the certainty of the legal proceedings, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office will soon take legal action to enforce the sentence,” he added.
• Shima Babaii summoned to the Special Court of Evin Prison
Civil rights activist Shima Babaii and her husband, Daryush Zand, were summoned to the Special Security Court of Evin Prison.
Agents of the Intelligence Ministry raided the residences of civil rights and political activists in Tehran, Kermanshah, and Behbahan on February 1, 2018, arresting ten civil activists including Babaii and Zand.
Ms. Babaii was released on bail on March 3, 2018, and her husband shortly afterwards. They have been summoned to make a last defense on April 24, 2018.
• Protesting Villagers Set Fire to Conex Containers in Gerdik, Iran
On Wednesday, April 25, residents of the village of Gerdik, from the district of in Margavar, in north-west Iran, set fire and burned down the Conex containers of the village’s white mine in an act of protest.
The villagers were protesting against the extraction of dolomite white soil from the Gerdik village mine by a person protected by the military agencies of Iran’s regime.
A resident of the village said, “A citizen from Naqadeh named Sayyid Taha Hosseini has signed a contract with a Turkish investor named Mohammad Denizli in recent months to extract a white soil mine and the military agencies of the Iranian government is supporting them.”
After the mine’s Conex containers were set on fire, intelligence forces attacked the village and arrested 17 locals.
• Fuel Truck Drivers Strike in Yazd Against Low Fares And High Expenses
On Wednesday, April 25, fuel truck drivers in Yazd, central Iran, stopped working and staged a strike in protest of lower fares and high expenses.
Also, on Monday, April 23, truck drivers in Isfahan province and cities of Bandar-e Mahshahr and Bandar-e Khomeyni in Khuzestan province, went on strike for a few days in protest to lower fares, lowering the tonnage of trucks and high expenses.
• Plundered Depositors of Arman Institute (Alborz Iranians) in Tehran Demand Return Of Investments
On Wednesday, April 25, in addition to the protesters of Arman Credit Institution in Khuzestan, the plundered depositors of the Arman Credit Institution (Alborz Iranians) in Tehran, gathered in front of the office of the Commerce Bank (Tejarat Bank), and staged a protest to demand the return of their looted money, by the state-affiliated investment fund.
The protesters gathering in front of Tejarat Bank in Tehran had a banner which read: “The work and future of my child has been ruined by the Arman Credit Institute (Alborz Iranians) under the supervision of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Is there anyone who can help?”
• Workers Of Qazvin Foolad (Steel) Company Stage Protest Against Lack Of Rights
On Wednesday, April 25, after neglecting the rights and demands of Qazvin Foolad (Steel) Company workers from Takestan, laborers took their protests and gatherings to Qazvin and the workers gathered in front of Qazvin governorate.
Approximately 100 of the 200 employees of the Qazvin steel factory, after meeting in front of the Qazvin Governorate building, went to the Qazvin Judiciary and expressed their protests and demands there.
The workers of the company have not received their wages since last year, and their insurance has also not been paid.
About 200 workers working in the factory, before the Qazvin Foolad Company was transferred to a new employer, were supposed to receive about 60-70 million Rials in dept. According to the workers, the employer will not accept to pay these delayed wages, and the employer is allegedly due to pay wage arrears from March. Other demands such as insurance premiums, and benefits have also not been paid to these workers.
• Health Development Plan Personnel Protest In Bandar Abbas
On Wednesday, April 25, the Health Development Plan personnel in the Bandar Abbas Healthcare Network held a protest.
The gathering was in protest to the non-raising of salaries, in line with the rise in inflation of 2018 that had increased 50 percent since the past year, and the lack of accountability of the authorities in this regard.
The protesters held up a banner which read: “The increase in inflation is equal to a 50 percent reduction in salaries.”
• Protest By Plundered Depositors Of Arman Credit Institution In Khuzestan
On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, a group of looted and plundered depositors of the Arman Credit Institution in Khuzestan province, south-west Iran, gathered in front of the building of the Melal Institute branch in Ahvaz and demanded the return of their assets and money.
In June 2017, the state-affiliated Arman Credit Institution was announced liquidated due to unauthorized activities. The responsibility of managing assets, debts and liabilities was transferred to the Melal Institution in August.
Despite months of follow ups and protests to receive their stolen deposits, depositors of these financial institutions have not yet received any responses.
• Merchants In Baneh Start Eleventh Day Of Strike
On Wednesday, April 25, the bazaar shopkeepers and merchants in Baneh, western Iran, entered their 11th day of a strike to protest the closure of the borders and increase in customs rates.
The Iranian regime has completely closed the border crossings of Baneh, Marivan, Piranhasar and Sardasht in recent months. The closure of the borders, and especially the porters’ pathway borders, has led to a sharp rise in unemployment.
According to the representative of the city of Marivan, 8,000 people have been unemployed in the city, causing a sharp recession among merchants and businesses.
