THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 155
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Friday, February 17, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 155
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 647 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s nationwide uprising made its 155th day, today, following an intense night of massive anti-regime protests by people across the country who were marking the 40th day of the executions of two protesters Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini.
Today, also thousands of courageous Baluchis in different cities of Sistan and Baluchistan Province in southeast Iran took to the streets in a continuation of anti-regime protests and chanted: “Death to the oppressor! Be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!”
February 17 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Protesters are chanting: "Death to the oppressor! Be it the Shah or [Khamenei]!"#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/pxoqAVlfy5— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 17, 2023
In Zahedan, southeast Iran, the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, thousands of protesters rallied in today’s anti-regime demonstration. They were chanting “Basij and IRGC, you are our ISIS!”
February 17 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Thousands of protesters are rallying in today's anti-regime demonstration.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/OC2MwtYcIy— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 17, 2023
Also, people at the weekly Friday prayer in Zahedan, held placards, one calling for the release of political prisoners.
Protesters in the city of Khash also in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, began their weekly Friday protests today by taking to the streets and chanting “Death to Khamenei!”
Members of the Baluch community in the city of Galikesh in northeast Iran also rallied and demonstrated today, and continued to protest the regime’s oppression and apprehension of their local religious leaders.
The demonstrators braved all odds for today’s protests, especially as the regime dispatched a large number of security forces missioned to prevent anti-regime protests.
February 17 – Zahedan, southeast #Iran
Regime authorities dispatched a large number of security units and still people have taken to the streets for more anti-regime protests.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/dczDU2Hgac— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 17, 2023
A similar protest rally was held in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province in western Iran on Friday where demonstrators in the streets were chanting “Death to Khamenei!” People are angry as regime security forces have apprehended a number of their local religious leaders.
February 17 – Sanandaj, western #Iran
Protesters are chanting: "Death to the dictator!"#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبرpic.twitter.com/1axgoq6Sfi— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 17, 2023
In Sanandaj, south-central Iran at 1:45 am local time Intense scenes of anti-regime protests was reported. Activists say authorities used bleach and other acidic liquids in the water trucks.
In Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, protesters torched a base of the regime’s IRGC paramilitary Basij units.
Bandar Abbas, southern #Iran
Protesters torched a base of the regime's IRGC paramilitary Basij units.#No2ShahNo2Mullahs #مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/ForAhL7MDP— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 17, 2023
UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET
Admitting to Regime’s Failures, Khamenei’s Senior Advisor Says Tehran is Struggling with Convergence of Wars
Admitting to the Iranian regime’s failure to influence the youth, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former IRGC commander-in-chief and senior advisor to the regime’s Supreme Leader, said today: “We have failed in the media as well as the virtual space wars” and warned that “the target audience of those who seek to oust us are under 40 years old.”
Comparing the regime’s failure to the military defeats the regime suffered during the war with Iraq, Rahim Safavi added: “Not only are we trailing in the media, virtual, and cognitive wars, but we can declare that we have failed in these wars, similar to the operations of Badr and Khaybar during the Sacred Defense era.”
Referring to what he called a “combined war”, the Supreme Leader’s advisor said that during the uprising, the enemy has “spread a lot of information against the state among billions of people in a time span of just a few minutes”, which has “turned into a social and ideological threat.”
He added, “The enemy’s goal is the collapse of the system from within and the imposition of its political will. Hence, cognitive warfare is the main complement to the combined war.”
On February 2, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, also said, “The enemy is ready to destroy our implementation at the slightest defect and question the principle of the system. In their media and on the internet, they highlight the defects and inefficiencies of our system, which is not effective at all… The enemies think they can subdue the system through sedition and division… We must stop this deceitful and very dangerous line of action.”
UPDATE: 4:00 PM CET
UK Counter-terrorism Police Turn Focus to China, Russia and Iran
LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Britain’s counter-terrorism police chief said on Thursday his officers are increasingly dealing with threats from hostile states such as Russia, China, and Iran in a shift in focus away from Islamist extremism.
The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and deadly incidents in Britain made tackling Islamist plots the priority for counter-terrorism police, with resources focused on the threat from home-grown and foreign-based militants.
Iran has made at least 15 attempts to kidnap or even kill British nationals or individuals based in the United Kingdom regarded by Tehran as a threat, Jukes said.
Last year, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly summoned Tehran’s most senior diplomat over alleged threats by Iranian security forces to journalists in Britain.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
131 PMOI Political Prisoners: SAVAK’s Parviz Sabeti, a Brutal Torturer
On the anniversary of the Iranian people’s anti-royalty revolution, February 11, a shocking incident took place at a demonstration in Los Angeles. After an absence of 44 years, Parviz Sabeti, the notorious head of the Third Directorate of Shah’s secret police (SAVAK), suddenly appeared in public to voice his support for Shah’s son. Sabeti had fled Iran in the final months of Shah’s rule in late 1978 and had not been seen since. His Directorate at SAVAK was responsible for internal security, and he directly oversaw hundreds of interrogators and torturers. The sudden emergence of such a criminal figure has sent shockwaves through Iranian society, both inside and outside the country.
Iran’s Cities Are Witnessing More Anti-regime Protests
People in Iran are marking the 40th day of the executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini, two protesters arrested for their roles in the ongoing Iran revolution rallies against the regime. Throughout the country there are calls for protests on Thursday for people to come to the streets and continue voicing their hatred of the mullahs’ dictatorship.
People throughout the country are holding the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei directly responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.
Dismissal of Professors and Student Protesters: Iranian Regime’s Crackdown on Universities
In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of the Iranian regime’s dismissal of professors and suspension or expulsion of protesting students from universities across the country. The regime has been using these tactics to suppress dissent in response to the nationwide protests and uprisings of the Iranian people.
The regime’s actions are a clear violation of human rights and have raised concerns about the state of academic freedom in Iran. Professors who were dismissed were often targeted for exercising their right to free speech and questioning the regime’s policies, including the harsh treatment of protesters, the use of death sentences, and the broadcasting of forced confessions on state television.
Iran’s Democratic Revolution Against Tyranny
Marking the 1979 revolution has shed light on this issue for the new generations of Iran. Despite heavily mobilizing for the event, the Iranian regime claimed that the “passionate and admirable presence of millions of people” would demonstrate their obedience to the rule. However, this still needs to come to fruition. Instead, the regime’s propaganda and the lackluster show resulted in a disaster, adding to its already-existing political instability and turbulence.
Meanwhile, some of the defectors of the Iranian regime’s self-proclaimed reformist faction retain significant connections and cooperation with the administration. They have joined forces with the remnants of the overthrown Pahlavi dynasty to distract and divert people’s protests from their primary goal of establishing a democratic republic. Their actions involve stealing and subverting these protests for their interests.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – February 16, 2023
