THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Saturday, April 22, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1
- Days: 219
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 675 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 219th day on Saturday as workers of various oil, gas, and petrochemical sites across the country went on strike for the second consecutive day.
April 22 – Lavan Island, southern #Iran
Workers of the Apadana Shabdiz Sanat Company are on strike protesting their officials' refusal to increase their salaries.#IranProtests #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/8qHhzxP3I1— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 22, 2023
The workers were protesting officials’ refusal to increase their salaries, delaying paychecks, and giving them low-quality food and resting/housing facilities at job sites.
April 22 – Asaluyeh, southern #Iran
Workers of the Omrat Sanat Paybandi Company are on strike protesting their officials' refusal to increase their salaries.#IranProtests #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/PIuXJTZUd0— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 22, 2023
Oil and gas sector strikes were reported in 28 locations, including the following:
- A petrochemical industry site in Gachsaran, southwest Iran
- Apadana petrochemical site in Asaluyeh, southern Iran
- Exir Sanat Company, involved in various projects at a local oil refinery in Abadan, southwest Iran
- Pars Kayhan Company, involved in various oil and gas projects in Isfahan, central Iran
- A local petrochemical site in Dehloran, western Iran
- Persian Gulf Sadaf Petrochemical Company in Asaluyeh, southern Iran
- Panah Industrial Company in Lordegan, southwest Iran
- Ista Sanat Company in southern Iran
- Kian Sazeh Benvar Company in Isfahan, central Iran
- Sadaf Jahan Pars petrochemical complex in southern Iran
- IGC Company in Dehloran, western
- Azar Metal Company at the Hengam petrochemical complex in Shiraz, south-central Iran
- Exir Sanat, Sekaf Oil & Gas and Abadrahan companies in Abadan in southwest Iran
April 21 – Asaluyeh, southern #Iran
Workers of the local oil and gas industry are on strike protesting their officials' refusal to increase their paychecks.#IranProtests #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/WCDMxLDnJT— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2023
- Workers of the Rastak Paya Steel Company were also on strike protesting officials’ refusal to increase their salaries.
April 22 – Yazd, central #Iran
Workers of the Rastak Paya Steel Company are on strike protesting their officials' refusal to increase their salaries.#IranProtests #اعتصابات_سراسریpic.twitter.com/sgezaEyq7D— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 22, 2023
NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi hailed the brave workers of Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industry from across the country that are standing up for their rights and delivering a severe blow to the mullahs’ regime.
Oil and petrochemical workers across cities such as Gachsaran, Asaluyeh, Dehloran, Shiraz, Bushehr, Lordegan, Sirjan, Jask, Kangan, Kerman, and others have initiated a strike. I extend my support to them. Workers and laborers in our country are being deprived of their basic…
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) April 22, 2023
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Iran Cyberespionage Group Taps Simplehelp for Persistence on Victim Devices
Iranian APT hacking group MuddyWater has been observed using SimpleHelp, a legitimate remote device control and management tool, to ensure persistence on victim devices.
SimpleHelp itself, as used by the threat actors, has not been compromised — instead, the group has found a way to download the tool from the official website and use it in their attacks, according to a Group-IB blog post. The researchers have also identified a previously unknown malware command and control infrastructure and a PowerShell script that the group is using.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Bipartisan Us Congressional Caucus Formed To Support Iranian Women’s Fight for Freedom and Democracy
A bipartisan congressional caucus of nearly 20 lawmakers was announced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) on Thursday, April 20. The congressional caucus, called the Iranian Women Congressional Caucus, will serve as a forum for members of the US Congress to discuss issues and developments related to women’s freedom and democracy in Iran. The first move by the committee was a joint resolution condemning the chemical attack on Iranian school girls. The resolution is the latest move by Congress to condemn the current Iranian regime and support the thousands of women and girls protesting for a secular, democratic, and nuclear-free Iran.
Iran’s Regime Continues Crackdown as Congress Condemns Schoolgirls’ Poisonings
The regime ruling Iran is continuing its crackdown against the Iranian people, aiming to place a lid on popular protests that threaten the entirety of its dictatorship apparatus. The new surge in chemical gas attacks by regime operatives targeting mainly schoolgirls across Iran is raising outrage among parents and locals of various cities where these horrific measures are taking place.
Members of the U.S. Congress have responded by establishing a new bipartisan caucus condemning the mullahs’ regime over the recent poisonings, amplifying the growing criticism in Washington against Tehran and the regime’s utter disregard for human rights.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards: Power, Terrorism, and Money Laundering
The request to designate the Iran regime’s Revolutionary Guards as a terror group is rooted in the belief among Iranians and their Resistance that the IRGC poses a threat to regional stability and global security. Iranians view the IRGC as a repressive and oppressive organization that suppresses dissent and supports terrorism abroad. The IRGC sponsors and supports several terrorist groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq. In recent years, the IRGC has also been implicated in the development of Iran’s ballistic missile program and is involved in conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. This has led Iranians to call for the IRGC to be designated as a terror group by the European Union (EU) and other international organizations.
Workers and the Great Catastrophe Based on Statistics and Figures in 2023
The current situation in Iranian society, especially for hardworking workers who have faced severe financial problems, high costs, and inflation in previous years, has become unbearable. Experts say that if a worker saves all their income, it will take about 42 years for them to buy a house. Even more painful is the fact that workers’ income is not enough to cover only the rent. The head of the association of construction workers’ guilds says that from 1395 (2016) to now, during a 7-year period, we have witnessed 1000% inflation in housing. Don’t be surprised; these statistics are just a small part of the catastrophe faced by Iranian workers and people.
Freiburg, Germany—April 19, 2023: Freedom-Loving Iranians and MEK Supporters Rally to Support the Iran Revolution
Freiburg, Germany—April 19, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in support of the nationwide Iranian Revolution. Freedom-loving Iranians came together in Freiburg to show solidarity with the brave protesters on the streets of Iran for a democratic and secular republic.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – April 21, 2023
