THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Klitschko Urges Immediate Action to Save Iranian Boxer Sentenced to Death
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has signed a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, seeking his “immediate intervention” in preventing the execution of Iranian political prisoner, Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani, which is likely to be carried out in the “imminent future.”
Klitschko’s letter noted that Vafaei-Sani was a “sympathizer of the Iranian opposition group, MEK.” Mojahedin e-Khalq, or People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), is the major opposition organization against the Regime in Tehran. During last year’s protests, the activists taking to the streets were often heard chanting “death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or Supreme Leader,” a slogan known to be used by MEK.
UPDATE: 5:00 PM CET
Horrific Fire at Petrochemical Facilities in Doroud City, Lorestan Province
On Wednesday morning, August 2, a devastating fire broke out at the Gahar Petrorefining Company in Doroud City, Lorestan Province, and continued for hours. It is reported that during the fire, one million and two hundred thousand liters of gasoline were lost.
According to the Crisis Management Organization in the city, due to the extensive magnitude of the fire, the possibility of an explosion is not ruled out. Consequently, residents of residential units around the area were forced to evacuate their homes.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM CET
Iran’s Election Turmoil: New Decision Fuels Suspicion of Rigged Pre-Registration Process
While the announcement of a pre-registration phase for the parliamentary elections which is set to begin on August 6, the infighting among rival factions within the regime has intensified.
Threatening those who are jeopardizing the Guardian Council and pushing not to be disqualified from the elections, Tahhan Nazif, the spokesman for the Guardian Council, said, “In assessing qualifications, the Council does not give a blank check to anyone.”
He implicitly acknowledged the council’s increased influence in the new election law and said: “In the new election law, the powers of the Guardian Council have been systematized in relation to its responsibilities and authorities.”
The recent decision has raised concerns among key figures within the regime. Mohammad Mohajeri, a member of the editorial board of the Khabar Online website, expressed his apprehension, stating, “To me, the so-called pre-registration appears more like pre-disqualification. In my view, decision-makers are involved in electoral manipulation even more severe than what we witnessed in 2020.”
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Bring Drones to Deir Ezzor
Deir Ezzor province: The Iranian Revolutionary Guards brought drones to Deir Ezzor City and exercised with them in a centre near the State Security Branch, to train the members to pilot the Kamikaze drones. Yesterday, SOHR activists reported that the Iranian militias are working on preparing the agricultural airports near Al-Mayadin City “the capital of Iranian militias in eastern of Syria.” According to reliable SOHR sources, the militias finished preparing one airport and fortified its vicinity and the headquarters in the region, in fear of any potential attacks.
Ontario Court Awards UIA Flight 752 Victims’ Families $142M in Damages
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has awarded over $142 million to the families of eight passengers aboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 who died when the plane was shot down over Iran more than three years ago. The court sided with the families in their lawsuit against Iran, as well as the country’s supreme leader and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that argued the defendants were responsible for an act of terrorism and the families’ resulting harm and loss. In his decision, Justice David Stinson ruled that the families successfully established the shootdown “constitutes ‘terrorist activity’” under Canadian law and were entitled to damages. The total includes more than $16 million to each family in punitive damages, and an additional $1 million each for pain and suffering.
UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET
The Truth Behind the Iranian Regime’s “Legal Action” Against the MEK
In response to a series of political blows from Iran’s Resistance on the global stage, the theocratic regime has undertaken an unconventional move, threatening legal action against the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Through a public announcement, the regime has summoned more than a hundred individuals to appear before a criminal court in Tehran province, with a one-month deadline for legal representation. Non-compliance may result in legal consequences as per the law, the statement has warned. Although the regime’s threat of using the law against the Resistance may appear dubious, it is not entirely unexpected. Notably, 124 former world leaders and 3,600 lawmakers from 40 countries, including 29 parliamentary majorities and representing 61 parliaments, have jointly called for the prosecution and accountability of the regime’s leadership for their crimes against humanity. These calls are specifically focused on the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
Drying Up of Iran’s Lake Urmia Will Cause an Environmental Explosion
On July 22, Etemad newspaper reported that Lake Urmia, which was once known as the indigo eye of Iran, is in a more critical condition in comparison to previous years. According to environmental experts, the water level of Lake Urmia has reached its lowest record in the last 60 years. The concern regarding the risk of Lake Urmia drying updates back to the beginning of the 2000s. But the leaders of Iran’s regime have continued to plunder the water rights of this lake despite these threats. According to the results of a study by Sharif University of Technology, “The water level of Lake Urmia on June 3 was the lowest recorded since 1964, and now in 2015 the water volume has also substantially decreased.”
The Looming Water Crisis: A Threat to Iran’s Future
The hottest summer in recorded history has descended upon humanity. Scientists had forewarned of a dramatic surge in global warming as we approached 2023. Is modern civilization prepared to confront this unwelcome intruder? Regrettably, the response from people living under Iran’s religious fascism is overwhelmingly bitter and disastrous. An article in The Washington Post sheds light on the consequences of the regime’s 40-year mismanagement of water resources. This outlet wrote that Iran’s water scarcity crisis, largely attributed to decades of mismanagement according to experts, has been exacerbated by the accelerating effects of climate change, leading to increasing discontent among the population.
Severe Shortage of Medical Facilities in Iran’s Baluchestan
Some Iranian regime media outlets report on the severe shortage of medical facilities in the Baluchestan region, the southern part of Sistan and Baluchestan province, and say that some Baluch citizens have to “sleep for eight days in front of the hospital” just to get an appointment for an ultrasound scan. On August 1, the Asr-e Iran website published a video about the shortage of medical facilities in this area, showing an elderly woman from the Kafeh Baluchi village who says she has been waiting for eight days in front of a medical center in the city of Saravan to get an appointment for an ultrasound scan. According to this report, in this vast area, which is more than 400 kilometers from its westernmost point to Zahedan (the provincial capital) and about 700 kilometers from its southernmost point, and where each city is far from another, there are “fewer hospitals than the fingers of one hand.”
Analyzing Internet Limitations and Speed in Iran in 2023: A Critical Report by Tehran Electronic Commerce Association”
Tehran Electronic Commerce Association has recently published an extensive analytical report that delves into the state of the Internet in Iran. This comprehensive study, which received widespread coverage in Tehran’s morning newspapers on July 18, has brought to light concerning findings about the quality and speed of internet services in the country. In this article, we will explore the key revelations of this critical report and shed light on the implications they have for Iran’s digital landscape and its citizens’ access to information. The report’s most startling revelation is the disheartening state of Iran’s internet quality. The findings place Iran in a precarious position, ranking second after Myanmar among the world’s most disturbed and limited internet nations. This ranking underscores the severe challenges faced by Iranian internet users, who encounter significant obstacles in accessing and utilizing online resources. Furthermore, the report indicates that Iran’s internet is among the five slowest in the world, hindering the country’s progress in the digital era.
Political Prisoner Maysam Dehban-Zadeh Resentenced to 6 Years After Being Released
Maysam Dehban-zadeh, a recently released political prisoner, has been sentenced again by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran to six years in prison, a ban on residing in Tehran, a prohibition on leaving the country, and other social deprivations. On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, who had recently been released from Evin Prison, was sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. He was convicted of “assembly and collusion to commit crimes against national security” and “forming a group to disrupt national security.” He received a six-year prison sentence. He was also subjected to additional penalties, including a ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a prohibition on leaving the country, a prohibition on joining political and social organizations or groups, and a monthly report in person to the supervision office for two years.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 2, 2023
