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UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Memorandum With Iran: Cristina Kirchner Will Also Go On Trial for the Cover-up of the AMIA Attack
Argentina’s Federal Chamber of Appeals has ordered the trial of Vice President Cristina Kirchner, in the case concerning the signing of the Memorandum with Iran. This decision was made simultaneously with the order to open the Hotesur-Los Sauces case. The ruling was signed by judges from the First Chamber of Appeals, Diego Barroetaveña and Daniel Petrone.
“Given the exceptional nature of the solution provided in the aforementioned norm and considering that, once the case is brought to trial, the oral and public debate is the natural forum for discussing issues of fact and evidence, it can be concluded that the appealed decision was based on dogmatic affirmations about verifying the requirements outlined in art. 361 of the CPPN. The intention to exhaust the examination of the criminal responsibility of the accused individuals at this intermediate stage not only contradicts the rules of sound judgment but also the due process, distorting the stage at which the case currently stands,” the ruling, obtained by Infobae, stated.”
Joint Statement on Iran’s De-Designation of Experienced Iaea Inspectors, September 2023
The text of the following statement was released by the permanent representatives to the IAEA of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States in response to the IAEA Director General’s Statement on Verification in Iran.
On Saturday, the IAEA Director General issued a public statement noting that Iran has withdrawn the designation of several experienced Agency inspectors, including its most experienced experts with unique knowledge of uranium enrichment technology. Iran’s actions will undermine the Agency’s ability to carry out its safeguards mandate effectively. As the Director General makes clear in his statement, Iran’s actions are another step in the wrong direction and constitute an unnecessary blow to an “already strained relationship between the IAEA and Iran.
UN Nuclear Chief Urges Iran to Allow Inspectors
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday that Iran had withdrawn accreditation from several inspectors, a move Teheran described as retaliation for “political abuses” by the United States, France, Germany, and Britain.
“We have to ask them to review this decision,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with AFP. “If they do not cooperate with the IAEA, they will not get what they want: the assurances they want to see, the confirmation they want to see, the approval of the international community.”
Grossi also warned that military activity has been increasing around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces since March 2022.
Treasury Sanctions Multinational Network Supporting Iran’s UAV and Military Aircraft Production
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned seven individuals and four entities based in Iran, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, and Türkiye in connection with Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and military aircraft development. This network has facilitated shipments and financial transactions in support of the U.S.-designated Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company’s (HESA’s) UAV and military aircraft production, procurement, and maintenance activities. OFAC is also updating HESA’s entry on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List to include its new alias which it has used to evade sanctions and export control measures.
“Iran’s continued, deliberate proliferation of its UAVs enables Russia, its proxies in the Middle East, and other destabilizing actors to undermine global stability,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to take action against Iran’s UAV procurement networks, and encourages jurisdictions to exercise the due diligence necessary to prevent the export of these components to Iran.”
UPDATE: 4:00 PM CET
Tuesday Protests in Iran
Today, September 19, a group of retired teachers as well as other pensioners gathered in Sanandaj and Kermanshah to protest against the poor economic conditions and the officials’ failure to address their demands.
September 19—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Protest rally by the government retirees, demanding higher pensions and other basic needs.
"We're asking them to implement their own laws, to lie less," one protester says.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/oUa5iXpMRz— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 19, 2023
September 19—Kerman, southern #Iran
Government retirees hold their weekly rally to demand higher pensions and other basic needs.
"Adjustment of pensions is our undeniable right," the protester say#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/522kCOIUEc— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 19, 2023
Europe’s Relationship with Iran Has Never Been Worse
In a debate last week European parliamentarians from across the political spectrum ripped into EU foreign minister Joseph Borrell’s Iran policy. They accused Borrell of having “failed’’ to change the behavior of the Iranian regime and called on him to abandon attempts at rapprochement and instead downgrade ties.
Borrell’s Iran policy has thus far been dominated by his efforts to revive the nuclear deal with Iran at the insistence of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom or the E3, the European partners to the agreement. But as Iran continues to repress people at home despite mass protests calling for change, sell drones to aid Russia against Ukraine, and continue to incarcerate European tourists to extract political and economic concessions in exchange for their release, representatives of the European people say it is time for a rethink.
Nastran, an Iran-based activist of the opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), spoke from Tehran via encrypted communications with FP, through a Europe-based intermediary. Nastran, too, was imprisoned in Evin in solitary confinement and said Floderus’ abduction was a result of Europe’s “appeasement” policy.
Last month the US succumbed to Iran’s hostage diplomacy. In exchange for five Americans held hostage in Iran the US not only released five Iranian prisoners but waived restrictions on international banks to transfer $6 billion in withheld oil revenues from South Korea, through Qatar, to the Islamic Republic. A few months ago the Belgian government gave in and released Iranian diplomat Assadullah Assadi who had been convicted of plotting a terror strike in France on a rally of MEK to secure the release of a Belgian aid worker.
Maryam Rajavi Meets With Natalia Gavrilita, the Former Prime Minister of Moldova (2021 – April 2023), One of the World’s Four Female Leaders in 2023
During her trip to Brussels to participate in the Iran Uprising Summit, Maryam Rajavi held a separate meeting with Ms. Natalia Gavrilița, the former Prime Minister of Moldova, who was a speaker at the summit. Ms. Gavrilița served as the Prime Minister of Moldova from 2021 until April 2023, and in the same year, she was honored as one of the world’s four female leaders, receiving a special award for her achievements. During the meeting, Ms. Gavrilița expressed her strong belief in the leadership of women and their significant role in politics. She noted, “In Iran, years of suppression have cultivated a remarkable potential among women, who have played a vital role in the ongoing struggle against the regime. The struggle has been organized in your movement and has a long history.
Over 160 Leaders, Groups Demand CFR ‘Immediately’ Cancel Event With ‘Butcher’ Iranian President Raisi
A group of over 160 distinguished international human rights and legal experts, Nobel Prize laureates, and various organizations are demanding the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) “immediately” cancel a planned meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, dubbed the “Butcher of Tehran” for his role in the torture and murder of tens of thousands of political prisoners. In a collective letter addressed to CFR President Michael Froman on Thursday, the esteemed human rights advocates referred to an invitation extended by the independent think tank for Raisi to attend an event at its offices despite his “sinister role” in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners:
According to human rights groups, on Ayatollah Khomeini’s orders, as many as 30,000 political prisoners were executed in the 1988 massacre for refusing to renounce their beliefs. At the time, Raisi was Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran and sat on the Tehran Death Commission that sent thousands of steadfast political prisoners to their deaths. According to Amnesty International, “Across the country, the victims were primarily supporters of the PMOI” opposition group.
Iran’s Regime Fails to Quell Protests on the Anniversary of the 2022 Nationwide Uprising
Ahead of the anniversary of Iran’s 2022 nationwide uprising, which began after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police, the regime had taken great pains to prevent any form of protest from taking place. Some of these measures included an uptick in executions, mass arrests of dissidents and families of murdered protesters, and the deployment of large contingencies of security forces in cities. Many cities had come under undeclared martial law.
However, despite the regime’s efforts, the people marked the anniversary of their uprising with protests in many cities. On September 15, the people of Zahedan held a large protest rally after Friday prayers, where they chanted slogans against regime leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). On the eve of September 16, nightly protests were held in several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad, where people chanted, “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to Khamenei!”
The Vanishing Middle Class in Iran
The mafia-style policies implemented across various facets of the Iranian government have created a stark division within society. It’s a divide between the impoverished and the affluent, effectively decimating the middle class. Class distinctions have plagued human societies since their inception.
Since the first human societies that bear a resemblance to today’s world, which has transformed into a global village due to extensive communication and technological advancement, class structures have consistently persisted.
While economic laws are no longer confined within national borders and international laws govern economies and politics worldwide, each country retains its unique governance structure. This leads to the formation of distinct social classes within societies, where various parameters come into play.
Detention of 12 Citizens in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
On Saturday, September 16, 2023, coinciding with the first anniversary of the passing of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, twelve individuals were separately detained by security forces in the cities of Yasuj, Dehdasht, and Bahmaei, located in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. They were subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location. The identities of the detained individuals during the protests marking the anniversary of Jina Amini’s murder have been confirmed as follows: Mohammad Hosseini, Benyamin Afraa, Alireza Foruhar, Samad Pourshah, Sam Bijan Nejad, Reza Moradi Nejad, Amir Nategh, Farzaneh Moeini, Mohammad Moeini, Farhad Cheramin, Daryoush Parisayi, and Davood Haddadi. This information has been verified by the Iran Human Rights Monitor.
Protests Resurge In Iran Despite Crackdown
Stockholm, Sweden—September 17, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Stockholm, Sweden—September 17, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in solidarity with the Iran Revolution against the religious dictatorship ruling Iran.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 18, 2023
