THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET
Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 124
Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran
Tuesday, January 17, 2022 – 8 PM GMT+1
- Days: 124
- Protests: 282 cities
- Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 637 identified by MEK
- Detentions: 30,000
Iran’s nationwide uprising marked its 124th day on Tuesday following a day of unrest and protests sparked by the regime’s inability and incompetence in providing cooking and heating gas for the nation.
Locals in the capital’s Narmak district took to the streets on Tuesday evening in protest and chanted: “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to Khamenei!”
On Tuesday morning, official workers of southwestern Iran’s Aghajari oil and gas company held a protest rallying demanding better pay based on the regime’s own laws, an end to additional taxes on their paychecks, an increase in pay and retirement pensions, and improved recreational services and hygiene standards.
January 17 – #Iran
Official workers of the Aghajari and Cheshme Khosh oil & gas companies held rallies demanding better pay based on the regime's own laws, ending additional taxes on their paychecks, pay raises, improved recreational facilities & hygiene standards.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/MBbo75oLRo— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 17, 2023
A similar protest was held by official workers of the Cheshme Khosh oil and gas company. Activists in other cities reported that employees of the country’s oil and gas sites, and refineries were protesting and making similar demands. At least 11 such protest rallies were reported today, including workers of the Sarkhas oil and gas sites in Abadan, southwest Iran, who went on strike today.
January 17 – #Iran
Official workers of oil/gas sites are protesting for better pay, ending additional taxes on their paychecks, pay raises, improved recreational facilities & hygiene standards.
Asaluyeh – Bushehr Province – Bandar Lengeh#IranProtests2023 #IranRevolution pic.twitter.com/OOYgkcwWpH— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 17, 2023
In Tehran, locals gathered on Tuesday to honor the memory of Mohsen Shekari, a young man arrested for his involvement in the recent Iranian revolution protests, to prevent and if necessary quell any possible anti-regime protests. Authorities dispatched numerous security units to the scene
January 17 – Tehran, #Iran
Locals honoring the 40th day of Mohsen Shekari's murder by regime security forces saw authorities dispatch many security units to the site to prevent anti-regime protests.#IranRevolution2023#مرگ_بر_ستمگر_چه_شاه_باشه_چه_رهبر pic.twitter.com/UW9lFKjOir— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 17, 2023
In Isfahan south-central Iran, local farmers held a protest march on Tuesday regarding the regime’s corrupt policies and demanded answers to their problems that have been raised with officials for years and yet left unanswered and in limbo. They marched and chanted: “Death to this deceptive government!” and “Raisi, you liar! What happened to the Zayandehrud River?!” It is noteworthy that this river is the largest river of the Iranian Plateau in central Iran which is drying out due to the regime’s destructive policies, including the diversion of its water to IRGC-controlled steel factories in the province.
January 17 – Isfahan, central #Iran
Local farmers protesting the regime's policies and demanding answers to their long-raised issues.
"Death to this deceptive government!"
"Raisi, you liar! What happened to the Zayandehrud River?!"#IranRevolution2023pic.twitter.com/a4OYJWCVC8— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 17, 2023
Davos 2023: Eu’s von Der Leyen Backs Listing Iran’s Guards as Terrorist Group
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday she backed listing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation to respond to the “trampling” of “fundamental human rights” in the country.
Ties between the EU member states and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. Tehran has detained several European nationals and the bloc has become increasingly critical of a continuing violent crackdown on protesters, including executions.
Iran Sought a Surveillance Project With ‘Unprecedented’ Reach
Iran has sought to develop an “unprecedented” mobile surveillance system, and discussed setting up the program with a pair of Western companies, according to research out Monday from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab.
Based on hacked documents that Citizen Lab verified were authentic, Iran’s ambitions focused on deeply integrating into mobile business systems. “The surveillance and censorship capabilities resulting from this level of integration with mobile service providers cannot be understated,” the report states.
UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET
Tony Blair Institute Sets Out Case for Proscribing Iran’s IRGC
The UK should proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with immediate effect, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has said in a report.
In the paper Making the Case for the UK to Proscribe Iran’s IRGC, the institute outlines a number of compelling reasons to proscribe the IRGC.
For more than 43 years, the IRGC has been responsible for plotting global terrorist attacks, hostage-taking and other offences on foreign soil — including in Europe and the UK — as well as human rights violations in Iran, the TBI report says.
UPDATE: 10:30 AM CET
Report: Concern About Canadian Firm’s Links to Iran
Global News published this video item, entitled “Report: Concern about Canadian firm’s links to Iran” – below is their description.
PortaOne, a small telecom company based in Port Coquitlam, B.C., is being accused of allowing Iran to use its software to spy on civilians.
Digital and human rights watch group Citizen Lab says the company was involved in conversations about setting up mobile services in Iran in 2019. The contract was canceled.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM CET
Iran’s Protests Continue Despite Gas Shortage Bringing the Country to a Halt
Iran’s protests are continuing as more people are taking to night rallies to voice their hatred of the mullahs’ regime and intent to overthrow their rule. These measures include increasing reports of people burning propaganda billboards and posters of regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, writing anti-regime slogans in graffiti, and launching attacks using Molotov cocktails targeting various regime-affiliated sites, mostly bases of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) paramilitary Basij units. Statues and posters of former IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani have also been constantly targeted in these attacks.
Bita Haqqani Nasimi Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison
The first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sari sentenced Bita Haqqani Nasimi to 18 years of imprisonment, two years of ban on leaving the country, and confiscation of the “tools of committing crimes” in favor of the government and notified her lawyer.
Sari is the capital of Mazandaran Province in northern Iran, along the Caspian Sea. Majid Kaveh, Bita Haqqani Nasimi’s lawyer, published a post announcing that the verdict is objectionable.
Iran’s Universities, Victims of Regime Atrocity
Along with the inhuman sentences and the execution of the protestors, the Iranian regime has resorted to firing several university professors who had been identified to have participated in protests during the nationwide uprising. Hardly a day or week goes by without no news about the dismissal of professors or students from all corners of the country.
In the years following the 1979 revolution, one of the strongholds in society that were considered a threat against the new regime, founded by Ruhollah Khomeini, was Iran’s universities. With the newly formed regime feeling threatened by these establishments, in a coup-like action, a so-called ‘cultural revolution’ began in the universities.
Saleh Mirhashemi, Accused in the “Khane Esfahan” Case Under the Shadow False Accusations
Saleh Mirhashemi Baltaghi, a 36-year-old karate champion and bodybuilding instructor from Isfahan, was arrested during nationwide protests on November 16, 2022. The Iranian Judiciary sentenced him to Moharebeh (War on God) and death.
Saleh Mirhashemi was born in 1986 and has a 4th Degree Black Belt in Karate. Saleh Mirhashemi had just begun his joint life with his wife for three months. According to those close to him, Saleh was a calm, kind, and caring person. Contrary to the accusations made against him on state-run media, Saleh was not in contact with any particular group, including the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (PMOI/MEK).
Iranian Resistance Supporters Demonstrated in Gothenburg, Oslo, and Sydney in Support of the Iran Revolution
January 14, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies in Gothenburg, Sweden, Oslo, Norway, and Sydney, Australia and expressed solidarity with the nationwide Iran protests.
Iranian Resistance Supporters in The Hague and Toronto Expressed Their Support for Simay Azadi INTV, Demanding to Participate in #FreeIranTelethon
January 14-15, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in The Hague, the Netherlands, and Toronto, Canada, expressed their support for Simay Azadi INTV (@simayazaditv), an independent TV that reflects people’s protests and their struggle against the mullahs’ regime.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – January 16, 2023
