THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET
BRICS Summit Participation by Iranian President Stirs Debate
Following the Iranian regime’s President Ebrahim Raisi’s trip to Johannesburg for the BRICS summit, government-affiliated state media has been trumpeting it as a major achievement. However, both media and members of rival factions are pointing out that it’s much ado about nothing.
The state-run newspaper Hammihan wrote today, “In the last 15 years, BRICS has not been able to establish sustainable economic, financial, and commercial relations among its members. BRICS is more of a political international club than an economic organization or union. BRICS will only be a temporary political achievement and its inefficiency will quickly become evident.”
Meanwhile, Abdorreza Farji-Rad, the former ambassador of the regime in Hungary, commented, “We are the only BRICS member state that has not had foreign investment in recent years. China, despite a 25-year agreement with Iran, does not invest in our country.”
Hashmatollah Falahatpisheh, the former chairman of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, also stated, “It is unrealistic to expect the BRICS group to cooperate against sanctions, as BRICS seeks to expand its relations and will rather ask the Iranian state to address its international challenges.”
More Reports on Saturday Protests in Iran
The residents of Pardis Town gathered in front of the Kermanshah Governorate today, August 26, protesting the lack of construction permits for their lands.
Isfahan, central #Iran
Staff of hospitals hold protest rally in front of the provincial governorate.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/aJ9P8AVbiF— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 26, 2023
August 26—#Iran
Retirees of the state-backed carmaker Saipa hold rally, protesting the policies of the retirement fund that is having a negative impact on their livelihoods.#Iran pic.twitter.com/8L7momI09c— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 26, 2023
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
State-affiliated Economist Warns Against Regime’s Downfall
Terrified of the inevitable social revolt on the horizon, a state-affiliated economist, expressed concerns about a potential uprising, warning that the regime is heading toward a dangerous path.
On August 25, the state-run Jamaran news, affiliated with Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the regime’s former Supreme Leader, quoted Farshad Momeni as saying: “The social system is moving towards a confrontational and exclusionary pattern; the state needs to be awakened, as it’s neglecting even its own survival essentials.
“When unjust inequalities surpass a certain limit, the foundation of the social order becomes based on exclusionary and antagonistic behaviors,” Momeni said. “Typically, when these inequalities lead to instability and strong societal reactions, states respond with bitterness and narrow-mindedness, particularly in areas like healthcare and education, while being overly generous in terms of suppression costs. This very issue leads states, so to speak, to dig their own grave, and societies become confronted with severe political instabilities.”
Emphasizing the need to avoid the use of shock therapy, he warned, “The predominant behaviors of the government in Iran have fallen into a state of anomie, and they often fail to observe even their own survival necessities in decision-making and resource allocation processes, sometimes disregarding them altogether.”
Iran Cracks Down on Activists Ahead of Anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s Death
Iranian authorities are arresting activists and pressuring citizens not to resume antigovernment protests, seeking to head off a new outbreak of civil disobedience around the anniversary of last year’s nationwide demonstrations.
The tactics signaled deepening concerns among Iran’s clerical leadership that the grievances that sparked protests last year haven’t abated, and that a resumption of clashes that brought parts of the country to a near standstill remains possible, even though calm has reigned for months.
Last year’s protests began in mid-September, set off by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict Islamic dress code. Demands for greater freedom quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the clerical leadership, in one of the biggest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its founding four decades ago.
Saturday Protests in Iran
On Saturday, August 26, holding banners in protest against recent decisions of the Expediency Council, managers of the nationwide associations of lawyers and Skoda gathered in front of the Expediency Council building in Tehran.
Following the gathering of lawyers and Skoda managers on the pedestrian walkway in front of the Expediency Council building, security personnel of the building, under the pretext that photography is prohibited in the area, confiscated the mobile phones of some attendees and took their owners inside the building.
August 26—Tehran, #Iran
Managers of bar associations hold protest rally in front of the building of the Guardian Council, demanding the rejection of a Majlis bill that destroy what little is left of independence in the judicial system.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/mFbF8Nzykf— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 26, 2023
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Iran: Protests Resume in Sistan and Baluchestan, Citizens Demand Release of Political Prisoners
The people of Sistan and Baluchestan returned to the streets on Friday following the weekly Friday prayers to voice their outrage at the regime’s repressive policies, including the arrest of Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naghshbandi, a religious figure. Protest rallies were reported in Zahedan, Khash, and Rask despite the heavy security presence of security forces and security measures by the regime. In Zahedan, a large crowd rallied after the Friday prayers and chanted slogans against the regime and in support of political prisoners. The protesters chanted “Death to the dictator!” and “Naghshbandi must be released!”
They also expressed their determination to continue their protests. “Our silence is our death!” they were chanting in their protest rally.
Iran’s Education System in 2023: The Impact of Government Policies on Academia and Migration of Elites”
Global education systems play a fundamental role in shaping the future. Whether it’s reinforcing technology in teaching methods or focusing on comprehensive curriculums, governments worldwide acknowledge the importance of investing in their education infrastructure to ensure the next generations can take the wheel of the nations in the future properly.
However, the education landscape in Iran paints a different picture. Despite UNESCO’s recommendation for governments to allocate four to six percent of their GDP and fifteen to twenty percent of their public budget to the education system, Iran assigns only 1.5 to 2 percent of its GDP and 10 percent of its budget to the education system. These figures underline a glaring discrepancy and reflect the country’s disregard for the importance of a robust education system.
Details of Torture and Execution of Detained Protesters in Iran’s Last Year Nationwide Protest
The “Committee for following up the condition of detainees” (FollowupIran) citing an informed source, has published a report on severe torture inflicted upon the detainees of last year’s protests in the city of Karaj, followed by the execution of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini. Prior to their execution, the two prisoners were told that they would be pardoned. FollowupIran released a detailed report on X (formerly Twitter) about the torture and execution of detainees involved in nationwide protests in Iran, related to the case of the Rouhollah Ajamian, a member of the Basij who was killed while engaging in suppressing protesters on the Karaj highway.
According to this report, alongside the confirmation of sentences for eight individuals charged in the Rouhollah Ajamian case by the Supreme Court, FollowupIran has obtained new details about what the detainees, in this case, have experienced.
Copenhagen, Denmark—August 24, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally and Exhibition in Support of the Iran Revolution
Copenhagen, Denmark—August 24, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and photo exhibition of the Iranian uprising martyrs in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. They also expressed strong support for the MEK leadership.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 25, 2023
