NCRI

Iran News in Brief – August 25, 2023

Sedighe Shahrokhi

iranian resistance activism 24082023

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 10:00 PM CET

Defected Cleric Admits to the Massacre of 30,000 Political Prisoners in 1988

As a result of extensive calls from international experts, political figures, and elected representatives from around the world for the trial of regime leaders in international courts on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide related to the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, a defected cleric named Shahab al-Din Ha’iri Shirazi has come forward to acknowledge and protested against the mass killing of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988.

He stated, “In 1988, they took away 30,000 prisoners who were serving their sentences and executed them. This crime doesn’t conform to any religious jurisprudence; they claim these were terrorists, insurgents, or insurrectionists. Even if they were insurgents, let a judge issue a verdict against them. All of them had undergone the most severe judicial process because the revolutionary courts were strict. Those who were deemed eligible for execution were executed already. The rest just had read a newspaper or something like that. They had spent three or two years in prison. What right did you have to take them away and interrogate them? They argue those who were executed remained loyal to their beliefs. So, what’s wrong with being loyal to a belief? A belief is a matter of the heart; it’s not a crime at all. It’s a matter of the heart; it’s not a crime.”

Following the 2022 uprising, Shahab al-Din Haeri Shirazi removed his clerical attire and put it aside, stating that he fears wearing these robes due to people’s anger.

UPDATE: 2:30 PM CET

Protests Erupt as Communities Fight Back Against Mining Interests in Central Iran

On Friday, August 25, the residents of Tarqarud Village came together for a protest demonstration aimed at halting the commencement of a new mining project in the Aab Chik Chik mine. The residents from various villages situated in the foothills of Karkas Mountain, spanning from Kashan to Natanz, which include places like Marq, Oureh, Kamo, Choqan, Joshqan, Sadian, Es-haqabad, Barz, Kamjan, among others, have endured years of suffering due to the influence of powerful lobbies that dominate the mining industry that bring nothing for the locals but the destruction of the environment.

UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET

Friday Protests in Iran

Today, August 25, the people of Rask, Sistan and Baluchestan province, took to the streets in protest against the arrest of Molana Fathi Naqshbandi after the Friday prayers, holding demonstrations and marches.

Additionally, the Baluch youth blocked the Suran Paskuh road in protest against the detention of Molana Fathi Naqshbandi and chanted slogans against Khamenei, calling for regime change.

On Friday, scammed customers who had lost fortunes by trying to purchase vehicles from Rezayat Khodro Company held a protest gathering at a mosque in Qazvin, expressing outrage at the authorities’ failure to investigate the crime.

UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET

Defiant Response to Threats: Sunni Cleric Vows to Continue Fight for Justice in Iran

Responding firmly to threats from the Iranian regime, which recently arrested Molana Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi, the father of an outspoken Sunni cleric, he reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to combat the corrupt and murderous regime.

As outlined in a report by the Telegram channel “Dadkhahans and Azadegans” [Persian for those who seek freedom and justice] on August 24, a representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conveyed a threatening message through a phone call to Molavi Abdulghaffar Naghshbandi’s Public Relations Director, stating, “Either remain silent and cease your activities, or we will burn down your father to ashes.”

In response to these threats, Molavi Abdulghaffar Naghshbandi declared, “Should any harm befall Molana, we will ignite the fire beneath your roots.”

Continuing, Molavi Naghshbandi emphasized, “Even the smallest harm to my father, Molana Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi, will hold the IRGC accountable. These threats cannot divert us from the path of seeking justice for our martyrs’ blood or silence us. Only death has the power to silence us.”

By Raising the Price of Gasoline, Iran’s Regime Is Playing With a Dynamite

The creeping increase in the price of gasoline is very disturbing news for Iran’s society, especially for the low-income classes and marginalized people. According to the state media, the government last year earned 300.8 trillion rials from rationed gasoline, 336.01 trillion rials from free-market gasoline, and 31.5 trillion rials from premium gasoline.

On August 16, Hammihan newspaper wrote, “Taking into account the expenses that are predicted against the sources of Note 14, i.e. the revenues from the sale of petroleum products, according to the estimates of research centers, there is a deficit of between 390 to 640 trillion rials only in this Note. In total, the expenditure and income of the budget and the deficit figures reach over four quadrillion rials. ”

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The Truth about IRGC’s Weakness

Over the course of the past four decades, the people of Iran have grown accustomed to deciphering the contradictory rhetoric employed by the mullahs who have usurped their sovereignty. Through this bitter experience, they have come to understand that in order to discern the truth or even a fraction of it, they must reverse the promises and declarations made by the regime’s representatives by one hundred and eighty degrees. For example, if the authorities claim that bread and flour prices will not increase, the public understands that this might lead to a situation where there is not enough food to go around. This is interpreted as the regime’s clandestine plan to siphon sustenance from people’s tables. Similarly, when the regime’s leaders deny the surge in gasoline prices, citizens anticipate fuel shortages and brace themselves for extended queues.

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Over 500 Executions Carried Out in Iran Since January 2023

In the early hours of Monday, August 21, 2023, security forces in Iran, using ropes, took the lives of 11 individuals in various prisons across the country. Among these 11 individuals whose right to life was taken away, seven of them were Baluch.
Continuing this state-sponsored murder, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 23, 2023, the government in Iran claimed the lives of three more individuals, again using ropes as the method of execution. Therefore, on August 24, 2023, the number of executions by the Iranian regime surpassed 500. More than 500 individuals have been deprived of their right to life. The number of political executions in Iranian prisons has reached 13. Additionally, one juvenile has been executed.

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The Ordeal of 3 Political Prisoners in the Central Prison of Mashhad

Marzieh Nasseri (aka Sara) and Azam Gholami were arrested during the nationwide Iran uprising in 2022-2023. The 3 political prisoners are detained in Ward 5 of the Central Prison of Mashhad (aka Vakilabad Prison) among ordinary prisoners and violent criminals, in violation of the principle of separation of crimes. They are constantly mistreated, harassed, and pressured by prison authorities and the guards. According to reliable reports, the 3 political prisoners are deprived of access to medical treatment. They are detained in an unsanitary environment and deprived of medical facilities. A reliable source in the Central Prison of Mashhad reported that on the night of August 20, Sakineh Parvaneh had a nervous shock due to the intense pressure put on her. She has been detained for over five months in uncertain conditions.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 24, 2023

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