THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM
Iran Resurrects Controversial Internet Bill Putting VPN Usage At Risk
Iran has just resurrected a controversial Internet bill aimed at tightening authorities’ control over the Internet. Previously halted in 2022, the proposed Cyberspace Protection Bill seeks to significantly change what content Iranians can access online. Although the details of the provisions aren’t clear at the time of writing, it’s believed that the bill could ultimately make it even “harder” for Iranians to use the best VPN services to bypass further restrictions.
If it becomes law, she told me, the proposed Cyberspace Protection Bill will considerably extend the government’s ability to restrict the national digital space. It could disrupt access to international services, ultimately affecting citizens’ ability to connect to the global internet. Worse still, she went on to explain, it also threatens net neutrality by allowing authorities to control online content.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM
New Zealand Announces New Sanctions Over Russia’s War Against Ukraine
New Zealand announced on May 16 a new package of sanctions against 28 individuals and 14 entities over their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The restrictions target actors purportedly involved in the transfer of North Korean arms to Russia for use against Ukraine and Iranian actors providing military assistance to Moscow.
“Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM
Iran’s Regime Executed Political Prisoner Khosrow Besharat
Iranian regime authorities in Ghezel Hesar prison executed Sunni political prisoner Khosrow Besharat on May 15, after 15 years of prison and torture in Iran’s prisons. He had been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for execution two weeks ago. He was hanged despite warnings and calls. Khosrow Besharat was arrested in Urmia in December 2009 along with six other people. They were transferred to the Urmia Intelligence Department, where they were subjected to brutal torture to extract forced confessions.
In March 2016, Mohammad Moghiseh, a criminal judge renowned for his human rights abuses, sentenced him to death. In June 2018, Abolghassem Salavati, another notorious judge, confirmed their death sentence. Both Moghiseh and Salavati have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for their human rights abuses and their role in executing dissidents.
Political Prisoner Massoumeh Nassaji, 62, Refuses Food and Medicine
On Saturday, May 11, political prisoner Massoumeh Nassaji (Farah), started a hunger strike, refusing food, water, and medicine, to draw attention to the authorities’ failure to address her demands. Her situation has become increasingly dire, prompting concern from human rights advocates and legal experts. Massoumeh Nassaji, 62 years old, suffers from asthma and depends on an oxygen machine. She has been incarcerated despite receiving a certificate of intolerance for imprisonment. The judicial and security authorities have consistently rejected her request for release.
Mohammad Moghimi, a lawyer, expressed alarm over Ms. Nassaji’s condition. He emphasized that her life is at risk due to the refusal to release her. Despite the forensics’ approval of her plea to avoid further punishment, Nassaji remains in Evin prison. In protest, she has embarked on a dry food and medicine strike.
The Mullahs’ Repression: Fueling Iran’s Mass Exodus
One of the major social and cultural crises in Iran is the impact of ideological totalitarianism and political repression under the mullahs’ regime, leading to a significant increase in immigration and brain drain.
This issue has become so severe in recent years that some experts warn of “the danger of Iran becoming empty of elites, specialists, and doctors.” This crisis extends beyond professionals and affects various segments of the population.
The economic, social, and cultural burdens resulting from this situation are products of the ruling class’s policies. This class prioritizes religious-political interests, maintaining dominance, power, and wealth over the well-being of the Iranian people, even the most deprived classes. To uphold this preference and dominance, the regime has committed military crimes, political repression, and perpetuated poverty.
Iran: Social Security Organization Cuts Insurance for Hundreds of Thousands of Construction Workers
Abbas Shiri, an inspector from the Construction Workers Union, dismissed the claim of insuring 70,000 construction workers as false and criticized the Social Security Organization, saying that if the insurance of workers is true, they should “provide us with documents and evidence!”
According to the state-run ILNA news agency, in response to the recent denial by the Social Security Organization regarding the termination of government-paid insurance for “300,000 to 400,000 construction workers,” Shiri said that since this organization inspects construction workers twice a year, how come “despite these inspections, there were 300,000 to 400,000 fictitious workers whose insurance should be terminated?!”
Iran Facing Infant Formula Scarcity Again
Iranian media have reported a new increase in the price of infant formula and announced that this trend has led to an increase in the price of infant formula in the market and its scarcity.
In a report, the state-run Eghtesadonline website quoted a citizen as saying, “In March, I bought two packages of infant formula for 830,000 rials (approximately $1.38), but now I have to pay almost this amount for one infant formula.”
The state TV news agency, IRIB News, also wrote in a report that from time to time we witness an increase in the price of infant formula or its scarcity in the market, which “contradicts the population’s youth plan.”
Rising Tensions: Jordan Seizes Iranian-Supplied Weapons Destined for Hamas
The plot aimed to destabilize Jordan, a country strategically important due to its borders with Israel, Syria, and Iraq, and its hosting of a US military base. Most smuggled arms were destined for the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but some were meant for use within Jordan by the Brotherhood cell allied with Hamas. The smugglers employed a method of hiding weapons in pits, documented via GPS and photographs.
Geneva—May 13, 2024: Iranian Resistance Supporters Rally Against Policy of Appeasing Iran’s Regime
Geneva, Switzerland—May 13, 2024: Coinciding with the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNODA) session, supporters of the Iranian Resistance (NCRI and MEK) rallied in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva. They protested against policies of appeasing Iran’s regime.
Toronto, Canada—May 11, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution
Toronto, Canada—May 11, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Vancouver, Canada—May 11, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution
Vancouver, Canada—May 11, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 15, 2024