THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET
Fox News
Iranian resistance leader says regime ‘at its weakest point,’ urges Biden to hold it to account
EXCLUSIVE: The leader of the main Iranian resistance group tells Fox News that the regime in Tehran is at its “weakest point” in its history, and is calling on the Biden administration to hold the regime accountable for its human rights violations.
“The Iranian regime is at its weakest point in its history of the last 42 years. It is economically bankrupt,” National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) President-elect Maryam Rajavi told Fox News in response to written questions. “The national currency is in a free fall, and corruption has penetrated every aspect of the regime.”
Rajavi leads the NCRI, an umbrella group of Iranian resistance groups dedicated to overthrowing the regime. She has offered a 10-point plan to form a secular, democratic Iran — which would be a far cry from the religious dictatorship currently in place.
Iranian resistance leader says regime 'at its weakest point,' urges Biden to hold it to account https://t.co/59GfA4IgOh
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 3, 2021
EU Reporter: Dozens of European lawmakers see Iranian terror case as grounds for major policy changes
Two days ahead of the scheduled announcement of a verdict in the case against a high-ranking Iranian diplomat, 40 members of parliaments from European countries, members of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe (PACE) sent an open leader to the president of the body, commenting upon the case and urging a change in European policy toward Iran. The letter noted that the court case involves a plot that could have been the largest terrorist attack on European soil in many years, and that the orders for that plot can be traced back to the uppermost leadership of the Iranian regime.
EUobserver: Court papers show how Iranian diplomat spied in EU
Asadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat accused of plotting to blow up dissidents in Paris and of espionage, travelled widely across Europe, usually staying in smaller towns to avoid detection, and opting to meet contacts in tourist spots, according to court documents seen by Belgian broadcaster VRT. Assadi was arrested two years ago outside Brussels with a bomb in the boot of his accomplices’ car and faces 20 years’ jail.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET
AL Arabiya: Iran responsible for attempted bomb attack on opposition group in France: Lawyer
Iran is responsible for the attempted bomb attack by a diplomat and several others at an event held by an exiled Iranian opposition group in France in 2018, the civil party’s lawyer Rik Vanreusel told Al Arabiya.
“There was a bomb planted, or almost planted, on a gathering of the opposition of the state of Iran. That the bomb was planted by a diplomat… That this spy has recruited several other agents to perform this heinous attack and this having been done without Iran knowing, to me, is impossible,” Vanreusel said in an interview.
#Iran is responsible for the attempted bomb attack by a diplomat and several others at an event held by an exiled Iranian opposition group in #France in 2018, the civil party’s lawyer Rik Vanreusel says.https://t.co/dfoSpxIJvk pic.twitter.com/SRPrEq9Ew1
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 3, 2021
Iranian diplomat used vacation trip as cover to deliver explosives to terrorist operatives
For many years, the Iranian regime’s propaganda tried to portray the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as “an unpopular group.” But the main question is if the MEK is unpopular, why did the regime use a top diplomat to command a major terrorist operation to blow up a rally of MEK supporters in Villepinte near Paris in 2018.
For the regime in Tehran, the 2018 bomb plot against the ‘Free Iran Rally’ was a comprehensive operation. The regime aimed to blow up the rally, put the blame on the MEK itself by calling it a “false flag operation,” and eliminate its main opposition, at least for a while.
Stock market investors gathered in Tehran
Feb. 3 – Tehran, #Iran
Stock market investors who lost their savings chanted "Down with Rouhani" (Iran's President) in today's #IranProtests in Tehran. Senior regime officials, including Rouhani, misled the public into investing in the stock market. pic.twitter.com/kWyJSYP2Au— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) February 3, 2021
Iran: 6 prisoners transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for execution
At least death row prisoners in Karaj Prison and Qarchak Prison, Varamin, have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their execution, according to reports obtained from inside Iran. One of these prisoners is Zahra Esmaili, incarcerated in Qarchak prison. According to sources, Esmaili was informed of her sentence in one-and-half months ago.
At the same time, five prisoners in Karaj Prison were sent to solitary confinement. Two of the prisoners have been identified as Milad Tajik, 23, and Mohammad Chazani.
Iran’s intelligence agents have summoned and arrested more than 80 Kurd activists in the past few weeks
Iran intelligence agents have summoned and arrested more than 80 Kurd activists in the past few weeks. The detainees are held in intelligence and IRGC detention centers.
The regime systematically violates the rights of ethnic minorities. pic.twitter.com/qORwxXXz4T
— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) February 3, 2021
UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET
Live stream on February 4 – A First by A European Court: Iran Regime Diplomat-terrorist, Conviction of 3 Intelligence Agents
Time for Accountability and Firm Iran Policy
LIVE STREAM
A First by A European Court:
Iran Regime Diplomat-Terrorist to Be Sentenced
Time for Accountability, Firm Policy
February 4, 2021
0900 CEST#EUTime4FirmIranPolicy #Iran#ShutDownIranTerrorEmbassieshttps://t.co/DiQJZAG45f pic.twitter.com/MYV2T4lgea— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 2, 2021
Coronavirus Disaster in Iran: The Number of Victims in 480 Cities Surpasses 210,100
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, that the Coronavirus death toll in 480 cities is more than 210,100. The number of victims in Tehran is 50,706, Khorasan Razavi 14,155, Isfahan 13,375, Mazandaran 8,632, West Azerbaijan 7,743, Gilan 7,501,Alborz 5,368, Hamedan 4,968, Kermanshah 4,324, Yazd 3,862, Kurdistan 3,632, Ardabil 2,607 Qazvin 2,294, Zanjan 2,265, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1,685, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 1,559.
Maryam Rajavi: The astounding rise in the Coronavirus death toll in Iran is due to the clerical regime’s inhuman policies
The astounding rise in the #Coronavirus death toll and the upward trend of the crisis in many provinces in #Iran are due to the clerical regime's inhuman policies. The only thing the mullahs are concerned about is to preserve their disgraceful rule. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/sS8PL0pg2i
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 2, 2021
Terrorism Case Exposes Vulnerabilities to be Removed in the West, Exploited in Iran
On Thursday, a Belgian federal court is expected to issue a sentence in the case of Assadollah Assadi, a high-ranking Iranian diplomat who is being tried alongside three co-defendants for the attempted bombing of an Iranian Resistance gathering in France in 2018. A number of European lawmakers have responded to the pending verdict by issuing public statements that argue for changes in Western policy relating to the underlying threat of Iranian terrorism.
Iran hangs 27 people in January amid incessant use of death penalty
At least 27 prisoners were executed in Iran in January 2021. The executed include four political prisoners, six drug offenders, 16 people convicted of murder and one accused of rape.
At least 10 of those executed are Baluch citizens. This figure does not include prisoners who are secretly executed and whose identities cannot be registered due to the regime’s lack of transparency.
These executions were carried out in Ahvaz, Qom, Zahedan, Ardabil, Sanandaj, Qom, Rasht, Mashhad, Meshkinshahr, Zabol, Tabriz, Yazd, Zanjan and Qazvin prisons.
Statistical Center of Iran: Over 9,000 10–14 year-old girls married in 3 months
According to a new report published by the Statistical Center of Iran on January 31, child marriages recorded in the summer of 2020 amounted to 9,061 cases. From these, three cases belonged to boys under the age of 15, and 9,058 cases belonged to girls between the ages of 10 to 14.
During the same timeframe, 165 boys between the ages of 15 to 19 and 188 girls between the ages of 10 to 14 registered for divorce.
Iranians Continue Protests; at Least Five Rallies and Strikes on February 1
On Monday, February 1, Iranian citizens from different walks of life held at least five rallies in front of government offices, protesting the regime’s failure to resolve people’s dilemmas.
Iran news in brief, February 3, 2021
Read more: Iran News in Brief – February 2, 2021