THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET
New Caucus in Congress Condemns Poisoning of Iranian Girls
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new bipartisan caucus in Congress is condemning the Iranian government over the recent poisoning of school girls in the country, amplifying the growing criticism in Washington against the Islamic Republic and its disregard for human rights.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, announced the formation of the Iranian Women Congressional Caucus with the support of nearly 20 Republican and Democratic members of the House.
It’s just the latest example of U.S. officials denouncing the treatment of women by the Iranian government since nationwide protests first erupted over the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police. Amini was accused of violating Iran’s strict dress code for women by wearing her headscarf improperly.
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Thursday, April 20, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 217
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 675 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 217th day on Thursday as more schools across the country are being targeted in chemical gas attacks by regime operatives.
Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to at least 282 cities. Security forces have so far killed over 750 people and arrested more than 30,000, according to sources of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The MEK has published the names of 675 killed protesters.
Protesters and brave youths in the city of Kerman, south-central Iran, attacked an IRGC paramilitary Basij base in the early hours after midnight of Thursday local time.
Nurses of Rajaie Hospital in Qazvin, northwest Iran, rallied on Thursday and protested their delayed paychecks and pensions. In other protest reports, drivers of various service vehicles in the city of Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, held protest rallies and blocked the entrance gates of a local company after regime-associated officials refused to respond to their outstanding demands of poor work and living conditions.
Employees of the regime’s judiciary in the provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Gilan held gatherings on Thursday and protesting the country’s devastating economic circumstances.
Investors of the fake online trading platform “King Money” held a protest rally in the Iranian capital on Thursday demanding their stolen money be returned.
In Shiraz, south-central Iran, people were seen waiting in long lines to purchase frozen poultry as the country is facing a severe shortage due to the regime’s destructive economic policies.
Locals in the Iranian capital Tehran chanted anti-regime slogans on Wednesday night, including:
“Down with the dictator!”
“Down with Khamenei!”
FBI Says China, Iran Using New Tactics To Harass Critics on U.S. Soil
WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) – China and Iran are becoming increasingly brazen in their attempts to silence dissidents on American soil and influence U.S. policy, the FBI warned on Wednesday.
In a news briefing with reporters about transnational repression, FBI counterintelligence officials urged victims to come forward, saying the bureau is tracking a growing trend of foreign authoritarian regimes breaching U.S. laws to intimidate certain communities.
The officials said the governments have at times resorted to using private investigators to conduct surveillance on dissidents and that several criminal cases have been brought by federal prosecutors involving their use.
The Civilized World Must Unite Against the Toxic Iranian Regime
The deliberate poisoning of schoolgirls and students with poison gas has continued in Iran, as the theocratic regime attempts to crush the nationwide uprising, largely led by women. Dozens of schoolgirls in towns and cities throughout Iran have been hospitalized, displaying symptoms of anxiety, breathlessness, and headaches. Two girls have died. The mullahs have targeted primary and secondary girls’ schools to teach them a lesson for participating in the insurrection which is now into its seventh month. More than 750, mostly young protesters, have been shot dead and over 30,000 have been arrested. So far 4 young men have been executed for taking part in the protests and hundreds more have been sentenced to death.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM CET
Iran-related Designations and Designation Update
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing Venezuela-related General License 5K, “Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond on or After July 20, 2023.” OFAC is also amending one Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Question (595). Additionally, the following update and additions have been made to OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals:
KHOSHGHADAM, Mehdi (Arabic: مهدی خوش قدم) (a.k.a. KHOSH GHADAM, Mehdi), A-1-5, Cita Damansara, PJU 3/27, Sunway Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 47810, Malaysia; Tehran, Iran; DOB 15 Dec 1983; POB Tehran, Iran; nationality Iran; Additional Sanctions Information – Subject to Secondary Sanctions; Gender Male; Passport T19665422; National ID No. 0072155434 (Iran) (individual) [NPWMD] [IFSR] (Linked To: PARDAZAN SYSTEM NAMAD ARMAN).
Iran Sanctions: US High Court Rejects Turkish Bank’s Immunity Claim
Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court rejected Wednesday the claim of sovereign immunity by a Turkish bank accused of violating Iran sanctions, in a case that has added tensions to ties between Washington and Ankara.
Halkbank was hit with US criminal charges in 2019 that it took part in a yearlong scheme to launder billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil and natural gas proceeds, violating sanctions on Iran.
The funds were used to buy gold and the transactions were disguised as food and medicine purchases in order to fall under a humanitarian exemption to the sanctions, according to court documents.
Canada-led Group Denounces ‘Sham Trials’ of Iranian Troops in Ukraine Jet Downing
Iran’s sentencing of 10 alleged perpetrators in the downing of a Ukrainian airliner was criticized Tuesday by Canada and other countries whose citizens were aboard the flight, saying the “sham trials” lacked impartiality and transparency. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 shortly after its takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board. Most were Iranians and Canadians, including many dual nationals. Tehran on Sunday sentenced 10 members of the armed forces, including a commander, to prison after finding them guilty of involvement in the plane’s downing.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
Anger Escalates in Iran as Regime Continues Chemical Attacks Targeting Schools
Cities across Iran are reporting protests by people from all walks of life as the country is witnessing a growing number of horrific chemical gas attacks targeting mostly schoolgirls and the economy plummeting. People from different strata are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet, and are taking to the streets to voice their continuous protests. As the country marks the 216th day of the nationwide uprising on Wednesday, anti-regime measures targeting the mullahs’ oppressive apparatus are carried out by brave youth and members of the Iranian opposition MEK Resistance Units checkered throughout the country.
April 19 Is a Reminder of the Shah’s Crimes in Iran
On April 19, 1972, the Shah regime executed a group of senior members of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Nasser Sadegh, Mohammad Bazargani, Ali Mihandoost, and Ali Bakeri were among the MEK’s central committee members who were all arrested eight months prior and severely tortured by the Shah’s SAVAK intelligence agency. They were executed by a firing squad following sham trials in Shah’s military courts. Around the same time, SAVAK also murdered Asghar Montazer Haghighi in street clashes.
Iranian Authorities Turn a Blind Eye to Systematic Poisoning of Schoolgirls
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the clerical regime continued the poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran. Ummat Girls’ High School and Yahyavi School in Tehran, Nasiri and Abuzar Girls’ High Schools in Urmia, Chamran Art School in Hamedan, and Pishtazan High School in Dezful were targeted by chemical attacks. The students were poisoned with toxic gas, and many were sent to medical centers for treatment. Since November, the regime’s officials have responded with blatant lies and negligence to the serial chemical attacks, which have targeted primarily female high school students. Despite the regime’s claims of arresting individuals responsible for throwing sprays, no action has been taken to investigate the root cause of the poisoning.
Iran Regime Ramps Up Efforts to Enforce Mandatory Hijab
Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown on women who fail to comply with the mandatory hijab plan in recent days. Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian Minister of Interior, presented a report on implementing the new hijab plan to the parliamentary commission of the councils on Monday, April 17, 2023. He stated that those who do not properly observe the hijab would receive a warning via text message. After SMS notification, if the person insists on not observing the hijab in public service centers, they will not be offered services. And if people insist on not observing hijab after this stage, the matter will be sent to the judiciary for further investigation. The report also stated that businesses, where hijab is not observed, would be sealed. (The state-run Tasnim news agency – April 18, 2023)
Iran’s Economy on the Brink, Experts Warn of Impending Social Explosion
Iran has been facing significant economic challenges in recent years, including high inflation, unemployment, and a plummeting currency. These issues have led to widespread social unrest and dissatisfaction among the Iranian population, who have been protesting the regime’s handling of the economy. In response to this situation, economic experts within Iran have been warning about the critical economic situation and its potential social consequences. These experts have been pointing to various factors contributing to the economic crisis, including mismanagement, corruption, and economic sanctions imposed due to the regime’s persistence in continuing its malign activities, including global terrorism, domestic human rights violations, and the controversial missile and nuclear programs.
Zurich, Switzerland—April 18, 2023: MEK Supporters Held an Exhibition in Support of the Iran Revolution
Zurich, Switzerland—April 18, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held an exhibition of the martyrs of the nationwide protests killed by the mullahs’ regime in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian community in Zurich has expressed its support for their rising compatriots and pledged to continue to call for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Gothenburg, Sweden—April 15, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally to Support the Iran Revolution
Gothenburg, Sweden—April 15, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and expressed solidarity with the nationwide Iran protests. Freedom-loving Iranians came together in Gothenburg to show solidarity with the brave protesters on the streets of Iran for a democratic and secular republic.
Ottawa and Toronto—April 15, 2023: MEK Supporters Rallied to Support the Iran Revolution
Ottawa and Toronto—April 15, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian community in Ottawa and Toronto supported their rising compatriots and pledged to continue to call for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Verzuolo, Italy – April 14, 2023: Conference in Support of the Iran Revolution and Iranian Resistance
Verzuolo, Italy – April 14, 2023: A meeting was held by the partisan association and the Italian branch of Amnesty International to support the Iranian people’s recent uprising. Ms. Anna Bonetto, the representative of the partisan association, referred to the leading role of women in the current uprising and expressed her support for the demands of the protesters for freedom.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – April 19, 2023
