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Iran News in Brief – July 17, 2023

Sedighe Shahrokhi

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 10:30 PM CET

Mario Monti, Joseph Deiss, and Goran Persson Join Historic Statement Backing Iranian People’s Quest for Democracy

Former world leaders Mario Monti, the former Prime Minister of Italy (2011-2013), Joseph Deiss, the former President of the Swiss Confederation (2004) and President of the United Nations General Assembly (2010-2011), and Goran Persson, the former Prime Minister of Sweden (1996-2006), have joined a historic statement alongside 120 other former world leaders that called on world leaders to lend their support for the Iranian people’s uprising and their organized Resistance movement.

They expressed their support for the Iranian people’s uprising, advocating for a democratic republic that upholds the separation of religion and state, rejecting both monarchy and theocracy. The statement also aligns with the Ten-Point Plan put forth by NCRI President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.

Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti serves currently as a member of the Italian Senate.

UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET

Monday Protests in Iran

UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET

Parliamentary Bill Provides Impunity for Security Forces to Kill People

Amid rising socio-economic tensions inside Iran’s society, the clerical regime’s parliament is pushing a bill that provides legal impunity for security forces to use arms and shoot people.

The IRGC-run Fars news agency reported on July 16: “Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior, commented on the government’s position regarding the proposal for the deployment of weapons by security forces, stating: ‘The deployment of weapons is an important issue; the police should have the necessary authority to use weapons in situations where it is needed so that they can use weapons within the framework of regulations without worrying about being questioned later. We hope that this bill will be finalized and implemented as soon as possible.”

Mohammad Hosseini, the parliamentary deputy of the regime’s President Ebrahim Raisi, also emphasized the government’s support for the approval of this bill in the parliament, stating: “The government expects the representatives to collaborate and get the job done.”

Inequality Breeds Unrest, Warns State-affiliated Newspaper

In an article titled ‘Beware of the Division of Poverty among the People’ published on July 16, the state-run newspaper Jomhuri-e-Eslami, warned the regime’s leadership of the increasing socio-economic grievances and their consequences for the regime.

“The practice of Islamic governance is not to distribute the fatty and soft morsels among the powerful elites and tell [ordinary] people to be patient, eat less, and consume plain food,” the paper wrote. “It is not right that a group of people, due to severe economic problems, struggle to make ends meet and cannot afford meat, poultry, dairy products, and fruits, while a small number, due to their proximity to the centers of power, enjoy lavish rewards, astronomical salaries, and resort to excuses such as possessing the merit for having access to endowments.”

“The people are sick and tired of slogans and long for even the slightest action,” the daily wanted. “Do not assume that the patience of the people is endless. Fear the day when the army of the hungry rises against you. If you do not act according to your religious and legal mission, which is serving the deprived and enforcing justice, at least think about your own survival and governance. What the people are not willing to tolerate is discrimination. They do not accept a country with such wealth and resources where some individuals accumulate billions while millions of families have only to distribute poverty among themselves.”

Iran Holds the Title for Most Restricted Internet, Organization Says

Tehran Electronic Commerce Association (TECA) has described the internet situation in Iran as “critical” in a report published on Monday, July 17.

According to the report, more than 33% of the top 100 websites in the world are filtered in Iran, making it the most restricted internet in the world with a filtering rate of 45%. The main problem highlighted by the TECA’s report is the widespread and persistent disruption of internet services in Iran, affecting almost all IP addresses and websites. Based on this, “among 100 countries, only Iran, China, and Turkmenistan have blocked all six popular social networks.”

The report further adds that “Iran ranks third among the top 100 countries in terms of slow internet speed (ranked 97 out of 100) and latency (ranked 96 out of 100). Only Cuba, Cameroon, and Sudan have a worse internet situation than Iran in terms of speed.

Sandstorms in Sistan and Baluchestan Send Over 1,000 People to Hospitals

Sistan and Baluchestan province in Iran has been hit by a severe sandstorm, resulting in more than 1,000 individuals being admitted to hospitals. Majid Mohabi, the Director-General of Crisis Management in the province, acknowledged that as a result of sandstorms, 1,047 people have been hospitalized so far. The wave of hospitalizations is attributed to the intensity of the sandstorm and the accompanying dust, primarily affecting the cities of Zabol, Zahedan, Iranshahr, and Nimruz. The individuals affected are experiencing respiratory, cardiac, and vision problems.

UPDATE: 9:30 AM CET

Reinstating the Guidance Patrols To Suppress, Terrorize, and Kill, Only Reflect the Regime’s Profound Fear of the Outbreak of Yet Another Uprising

Reinstating the guidance patrols to suppress, terrorize, and kill, only reflect the regime’s profound fear of the outbreak of yet another uprising led by Iranian women. The criminals ruling Iran must know that no patrol or repressive measure can extinguish the flames of the Iranian people’s uprising and resistance. A nation that has been fighting the regime for 42 years, will soon overthrow its disgraceful rule of crimes and coercion. No one can send Iran’s brave women and girls back home, when thousands of them have laid down their lives for freedom over the past 40 year.

Source

 

Iran: Guidance Patrols (Moral Police) Make a Comeback

Guidance patrols are back on the beat in Iran to crack down on women who defy the mandatory Hijab or veil. The State Security Force (SSF) spokesperson announced that foot and mobile patrols would be stationed all across Iran to carry out missions and deal with individuals who insist on breaking social norms, the state-run Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday, July 16, 2023. Saeed Montazerol-Mahdi, the SSF spokesman, said: Mobile and foot patrols will be stationed across the country to deal with those groups of people who insist on breaking the norms, unfortunately, without paying attention to the consequences of wearing dresses outside the norm. They will be dealt with legally and reported to the Judiciary starting today if they do not conform to the orders of the police.

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Retirees, Disabled People Hold Protest Rallies in Multiple Cities Across Iran

Retirees and pensioners of the Iranian regime’s Social Security Organization held protest rallies in several cities across the country on Sunday as their living conditions continue to deteriorate under the corrupt rule of the mullahs. Rallies were reported in Tehran, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and Shush among others. In the past few years, retirees across Iran have been protesting their deteriorating living conditions, especially as the government refuses to adjust their pensions based on the inflation rate and fluctuations in the price of the rial, Iran’s national currency. The price of most basic goods has spiked severalfold while pensioners continue to receive the same stipends as before. In Ahvaz, the protesters were chanting, “Our enemy is right here, they are lying that it is the US!” making it clear that the root of all their miseries is the regime itself.

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Tehran Outraged After Italian Parliament Supports Iranian Opposition Group Seeking ‘Free’ Iran

Iranian opposition MEK (Mujahadin-e Khalq) political leader and President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Maryam Rajavi was met with cheers from supporters as she attended a Wednesday session of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Italian Parliament dedicated to discussing the latest developments in Iran, including the nationwide uprising. The session, chaired by Mr. Giangiacomo Calovini, a representative from the Fratelli d’Italia (the Brothers of Italy) ruling party, was followed by her addressing a joint meeting of representatives from the Italian Parliament and Senate, along with members from both chambers of the Italian legislature.

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Senior Political Figures Urge UK Government To Get Tough on Iran

A letter to the UK government from senior political figures, including two former defence ministers, a former leader of the Liberal Democrat party and the current chair of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, is urging that Britain devise a new plan to take a tougher stance on Iran. “Iran is the Middle East’s largest, most aggressive power, with an obvious commitment to revising the global order, with a growing alliance with Russia and a desire to deepen it,” the letter to Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Cleverly said. The letter was signed by Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Michael Fallon, former secretary of state for defence, Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, General David Richards, former chief of defence staff, George Robertson, former Nato secretary general and former secretary of state for defence, and Mark Sedwill, former national security adviser and former cabinet secretary.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – July 16, 2023

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