THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET
Silent Prisoner Relocation Raises Concerns Over Human Rights Violations
According to reports from inside Iran, the clerical regime has been secretly moving thousands of prisoners from Gohardasht Prison to Qezel-Hesar Prison. The reports suggest the regime is doing this while its security forces are on high alert and prepared for any situation. As of today, prisoners from wards 1 and 3 of Gohardasht Prison have already been transferred to Qezel-Hesar Prison, and the rest will be moved by Thursday.
There is no information available yet about the fate of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison, where serious human rights violations have been alleged. Some people believe that this relocation is an attempt to cover up the evidence of the 1988 massacre, during which an estimated 30,000 political prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons.
Gohardasht Prison, also known as Rajai Shahr, has been linked to tragic events in history. Many state officials, including Ebrahimi Raeisi, were involved in issuing death sentences and carrying out executions during that time.
UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET
Cities in West and East Iran Witness Protests and Clashes Following Water Shortages
On Monday, July 31, following three days of water outages in the city of Divandareh, in the western Kurdistan Province, people gathered in front of the city’s water and sewage department demanding accountability from the authorities. As the protests expanded, the state security forces responded by attacking the crowd with tear gas and other means, resulting in injuries to several citizens. Images posted on social media suggest that clashes have erupted following the crackdown of the locals who asked for their water problem to be solved.
July 31—Divandarreh, western #Iran
Locals hold large rally in protest to the constant water outages that have lasted for several days.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/AWJm0HOfY6— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 1, 2023
More footage of protests in Divandarreh. Protesters are resisting repressive security forces deployed to crack down on their gathering. Water has been cut off for three days in the city.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/fwkFz99oZK
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 1, 2023
Meanwhile, today, August 1, the people of Zabol, in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province held a protest to express their frustration with the severe water crisis and the ineffective governance. The city is facing a shortage of water, while the region has been plagued by intense dust storms for several weeks, making life very difficult for the residents.
More images of today's rally in Zabol in protest to water shortages.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/xAcFHB2W0G
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 1, 2023
Texas Rep. Lance Gooden Introduces Resolution Condemning Iran for Human Rights Abuse
On Thursday, Rep. Gooden (R-TX) introduced a bipartisan resolution “condemning the Iranian government for its gross human rights abuses,” from the 1988 “massacre of political prisoners” to the “recent violent response to uprisings in 2018, 2019, and 2022.”
It proposes “international protection” for Iranian political exiles in Albania, an appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council to incorporate the 1988 slaughter into its ongoing investigations, and collective backing for Iranians striving to form a democratic and secular government. The United States “stands with the people of Iran, who are legitimately defending their rights for freedom against repression, and condemns the brutal killing of Iranian protesters by the Iranian regime,” the resolution declares, charging that current protests in Iran are “rooted in the more than four decades of organized resistance against the Iranian dictatorship, which have been led by women who have endured torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and death.”
Former US Special Envoy for Iran’s Work Was Unknown to Some American Officials, Former Officials Says
In an interview with Khabar Online, Masih Mohajeri, editor-in-chief of the state-run Jomhouri Eslami said on July 30, “According to both domestic and foreign media sources, it appears that the issues related to Robert Malley have been leaked by sanction-benefiting merchants to secure their own interests. Robert Malley had some negotiations with certain Iranian individuals, and these discussions had reached a point where even some American officials might not have been fully aware of them. However, hardliners within the country and those who benefit from sanctions leaked information about the negotiations, possibly to sabotage their progress.”
A Diplomatic Row Between Italy and Iran in the Hot Summer – A Lesson for Policy on Iran
In the history of international diplomacy quite frequently have been moments when the phone rings and an ambassador is immediately summoned to the host country’s foreign ministry. Those calls always convey a clear message: The host country feels there is a pressing issue that requires the top envoy’s immediate attention. In the hot afternoon on July 13, Tehran’s foreign ministry hastily summoned the Italian ambassador over a visit to Rome by Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). A profoundly irate Tehran fumed, screamed, and vowed there would be consequences for the visit. Rajavi, who resides in Paris, was in Rome upon the invitation of cross-party members of the Parliament. She addressed a major meeting in the Chamber of Deputies, and was also a guest of the respected liberal-oriented think-tank “Luigi Einaudi Foundation”.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Maryam Rajavi and Rama Yade, Former French Secretary of Human Rights, Meet
During their meeting, Rama Yade extended her congratulations to Maryam Rajavi for successfully organizing the Free Iran World Summit and the grand rally of Iranians in Paris on July 1, despite the regime’s attempts to cancel these events. She underlined Maryam Rajavi’s decisive role in leading the movement, a fact even acknowledged by her adversaries. That a woman can lead such a complex and extensive resistance is highly significant. It sets a brilliant example for women to take on vital and key responsibilities in today’s world. Noting the regime’s suppressive measures, she said, “They try very hard to quash the society and prevent its movement, but they do not succeed. Their failure indicates the regime’s extreme weakness and progress. The Iranian Revolution will eventually triumph.”
Iran: Telecom Retirees Call Out Regime Officials for Corruption
Retirees and pensioners of the Iranian regime’s telecommunications industry held their weekly protest rallies in several cities across the country on Monday, as their living conditions continue to deteriorate and the ruling mullahs refuse to address their needs. Rallies were reported in Tehran, Ardabil, Isfahan, Shahrekord, Rasht, Shiraz, Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Ahvaz. The protesters are demanding basic needs that they have raised for more than 13 years and the regime has constantly ignored. This includes a law that was passed in 2010 and requires the state-run telecom company to raise the pensions of retirees and provide them with their basic needs.
A Plan for Unity
During the Free Iran 2023 World Summit, Mr. Peter Altmaier, the head of the German Chancellery, Federal Minister for Special Affairs, and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, described the Ten-Point Plan of the National Council of Resistance of Iran as “a universal declaration of the basic value of individual freedom and democracy.” Mr. Altmaier expressed hope that Iran will be liberated soon and called upon the Iranian Resistance to be prepared for better days ahead. One of the prominent features of the NCRI’s plan is that more than 20 years ago, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the elected president of this council, introduced a program for a free and democratic republic of Iran based on the basic principle of “no to Shah, no to mullahs,” which rejects any form of dictatorship. This progressive program, known as the Ten-Point Plan, has been supported by many parliaments, elected representatives of the people in different countries, former heads of state, and prestigious political figures. Many recognize the Ten-Point Plan as a guarantee to overthrow the ruling regime and build a free and democratic Iran. In the Free Iran 2023 World Summit, the support of Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan reached a new peak.
Iranian People Struggle Amid Economic Hardships and Government Neglect
It is no secret that the Iranian people are enduring extremely harsh conditions and suffering from rampant poverty. Moreover, they face severe water scarcity. The responsible party for this ongoing and escalating crisis is the regime, which is plundering the country’s resources to provide a comfortable life for its supporters in foreign countries. The regime’s mismanagement has significantly contributed to the deterioration of living conditions. High unemployment rates and increasing levels of poverty afflict the population, leaving many struggling to fulfill their basic needs. Furthermore, the economic constraints and political dynamics of the regime have worsened these challenges, creating a cycle of hardship for the Iranian people.
State Forces Open Fire on Protesters in Aq Darreh Gold Mine
Three protesting citizens from Takab, named Nasser Bahramian, Hojjat Momenzadeh, and Armin Nikzad, were severely injured when security forces opened fire on them. The shooting took place following a protest rally against the lack of employment opportunities for the local people in the Aq Darreh mine. On Monday, July 31, 2023, following the protest of the people of Aq Darreh village over the lack of employment opportunities for the local youth in the Aq Darreh gold mine, government troops raided and clamped down on them. In a raid at 3 a.m. today, the security forces demolished people’s vehicles, homes, and properties, and arrested 42 villagers. Three of the detained individuals were among the injured in yesterday’s clash. After popular protests, state forces were deployed from Mahabad to Takab to crack down on the people. Security forces clashed with the people.
Azar Karvandi Musazadeh To Serve 5 Years in Evin Prison
Azar Karvandi Musazadeh reported to Evin Prison on Sunday, July 30, 2023, to serve her five years. The 24th branch of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced Azar Karvandi Musazadeh, 60, to five years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the state” and “assembly and collusion aimed against national security” through collaboration with People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The trial was held on January 6, 2022. Azar Karvandi is a former political prisoner of the 1980s who spent long years in the clerical regime’s dungeons. Her husband was executed during the 1988 massacre. Ms. Karvandi Musazadeh was also arrested in the 2010s and spent some years in jail.
Iran’s Poverty Line Soars, Sending More People Into Misery
The latest statistics on poverty in Iran indicate that one of every three Iranians is below the poverty line. According to reports, Mehdi Bagheri, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament), has stated that the poverty line in Tehran has reached 300 million rials (approximately $600), while some of the regime’s economists have said it is 320 million rials (approximately $640). On June 19, the state-run newspaper Setareh Sobh quoted a labor activist as saying that the rent for a small 60-square-meter apartment in central Tehran is less than 15 million tomans (approximately $300) per month. A family with two employed individuals is unable to provide for basic needs such as food, housing, and education, and cannot sustain their life on normal wages alone. The regime’s parliamentary research center has announced that “the poverty line has increased from 19 percent to over 30 percent in a decade, and in fact, more than 30 percent of the population is below the poverty line.”
Rallies in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution by Freedom-Loving Iranians and MEK Supporters in European Cities—July 29, 2023
July 29, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in European cities, including, Paris, Berlin, Bremen, London, Gothenburg, Hamburg, and Heidelberg in solidarity with the Iran Revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – July 31, 2023
