THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Tehran Wants to Exploit the Bloodshed in Ukraine
As Russian forces continue to bomb civilians in Ukraine, the Iranian regime is waging a propaganda war at home, trying to boost morale for a marginalized, weakened follower base.
According to Hawzanews.com, the supreme leader’s representatives in different cities read the same talking points about the war in Eastern Europe.
Yousef Tabatabainejad, the supreme leader’s representative and Friday Prayer leader of Isfahan said: “I saw someone commenting on the internet, objecting to the Supreme Leader and saying that his analysis that the Ukrainian people have abandoned their president is not correct. They don’t understand what his Excellency is saying. He wasn’t talking about votes during the election. There’s a big difference between supporting someone than to vote for him. If the people of Ukraine would have backed their president, by God, they wouldn’t evacuate or retreat so easily.”
Mohammad Javad Bagheri, Friday Prayer leader of Astara, said: “America is a regime ruled by the mafia which is trying to rule the world, and today Ukraine has fallen victim to US mafia-style policies.”
Conducting his speech at the Friday Prayer sermon in Tehran, Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari said today: “Behind Ukraine’s crisis is the United States’ adventurism. These are the main culprits who sacrificed Ukraine with their political and military seditions.”
“Ukraine is a victim of the crisis created by the West, and the United States is endangering Russia’s security as NATO expands eastward,” said Mohammad Bagher Mohammadi Laini, the Friday prayer leader and Khamenei’s representative in Sari.
Rasul Falahati, the Friday prayer leader and Khamenei’s representative in Rasht, said: “If the Ukrainian people had mobilized themselves, we wouldn’t be witnessing the situation in that country. But the Ukrainian people did not support their government.”
On March 2, a state-affiliated analyst told the official website of Khamenei’s Office: “The Ukraine crisis reflects the very fact that the United States has lost the game it wanted to play as an international hegemonic power. Intervention and expansion is a key feature of US foreign policy. The expansion of NATO to the east is the main pillar of the US foreign policy that has set the stage for the Ukraine crisis.”
During a phone conversation with his Irish counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the regime’s foreign minister claimed to be against the war in Ukraine as “the solution to the Russia-West conflict”, adding that NATO’s efforts to expand militarism in the region should not be overlooked.
Iranian, Venezuelan Users Abruptly Dropped From Major Crypto Platforms as Russian Sanctions Grow
As pressure continues to mount for prominent crypto exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance to restrict access to their platforms for all Russian users, rather than just sanctioned individuals, other major players in the crypto industry are taking notice and plugging potential leaks in their sanctions compliance programs.
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
Un Human Rights Experts Warn About Internet Censorship in Iran
In a letter, three United Nations human rights experts warned about the implications of the Iranian regime’s internet censorship bill. The signatories, Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, warned that the new law would effectively isolate the country from the global internet.
“This bill represents a worrying step towards the consolidation of a digital wall in Iran. It will further restrict information in an environment where the freedom of expression and other fundamental rights are already heavily curtailed. It also interferes with the right of individuals to participate in cultural life and have access to cultural resources,” the experts said.
Iran Regime Official Fumes Over PMOI/MEK During Un Human Rights Council Session
This week the United Nations Human Rights Council is holding its 49th annual session, during which a resolution was approved to extend the mandate of Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran. In response, Kazem Gharib Abadi, the regime’s judiciary deputy of international affairs and secretary of the mullahs’ so-called “Human Rights Department,” met with Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to voice his complaints about the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), their actions and revelations that have proven to be costly for the mullahs’ regime.
US White House: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran
On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran. On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959, imposing more comprehensive sanctions on Iran to further respond to this threat.
Child Bride Self Immolates in Southwest Iran
A 17-year-old child bride self-immolated and passed away in Sistan and Baluchestan, southeast Iran. On Wednesday, the teenager who was a victim of domestic violence set himself on fire in the city of Bampur. The campaign of Baluch activists identified the 17-year-old as “F- Marandgani” and wrote: “This Baluch girl has set herself on fire due to violence and lack of support from her family.” The child’s husband is said to have beaten and tortured her mentally and physically.
Banishing Into Prison Exile, Additional Punishment for Peaceful Activism in Iran
The Iranian regime’s judiciary has a documented history of banishing into prison exile those held for politically motivated reasons. By sending prisoners to exile, judicial authorities seek to isolate prisoners, and escalated pressure on them as a form of additional punishment. The practice of sending prisoners into prison exile is also unlawful and could be challenged in the Supreme Administrative Court, as it violates Note 3 of Article 513 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which states that prisoners should serve their terms in prisons close to where they live.
Conditions of Female Political Prisoners Under the Clerical Regime in Iran
Charges: Waging war on God (Moharebeh) through membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)
Sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran in June 2010
Imprisoned since 2009, without a single day of leave
Maryam was abruptly moved from the women’s ward of Evin to the Prison of Semnan on March 9, 2021
Read more: Iran News in Brief – March 3, 2022
