NCRI

Iran News in Brief – May 29, 2023

Sedighe Shahrokhi

iranian resistance activism 28052023

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET

Iran Protests at a Glance

Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran

Monday, May 29, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1

According to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Retirees and pensioners of the regime’s telecom industry in numerous cities across the country rallied on Monday to protest their low pensions and poor economic conditions. These gatherings, following a similar weekly trend, were reported in Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Sari, Urmia, Marivan, Yasuj, Khorramabad, Shahrekord, Bandar Abbas, Arak, Kermanshah, Ilam, and Marivan, among others. This continues previous gatherings held during the past few weeks and months in Tehran and other cities nationwide.

Workers of the Kaleybar Nepheline Syenite Complex in northwest Iran are holding a gathering on Monday, protesting not having official employment contracts and not receiving their paychecks and pensions.

Official oil and gas workers in Ilam, western Iran, held a gathering on Monday and were protesting for their rights that regime officials refuse to acknowledge.

Workers of the Makush Steel Company in Bandar Abbas, the provincial capital of Hormozgan in southern Iran, rallied outside the provincial governor’s office on Monday, demanding their rights, including delayed paychecks and pensions.

Locals in the Shahrak-e Bagheri district of Tehran began chanting anti-regime slogans on Sunday night, including “Down with Khamenei!” specifically targeting regime dictator Ali Khamenei.

UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET

Zelenskyy Proposes Bill Slapping Iran With Half a Century of Sanctions

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has put forward a bill that would see Ukraine impose sanctions on Russian ally Iran for 50 years, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Sunday, May 28, a response to what Kyiv says is Tehran’s weapons supplies to Moscow.

Kyiv and its allies say Iran has been supplying Russia with arms, including hundreds of drones, since Moscow invaded Ukraine last year. Tehran rejects the allegations. If passed by Ukraine’s parliament, the bill would stop the transit of Iranian goods through Ukraine and the use of its airspace, as well as impose trade, financial and technology sanctions against Iran and its citizens.

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Exiled Iranian Opposition Group Decries Tehran-Brussels Prisoner Swap

An exiled Iranian opposition group on Friday accused Belgium of paying a “shameful ransom” after an Omani-mediated prisoner swap between Tehran and Brussels. The Mujahideen e Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group headquartered in Albania, released a statement decrying the release of an Iranian diplomat for a Belgian aid worker earlier in the day.

In January, Iran’s judiciary sentenced Vandecasteele to 40 years in prison on four charges, including espionage and financial offenses. The two sides took months to hammer out the swap deal. In March, Belgium’s Constitutional Court upheld the agreement but legal challenges mounted by MEK delayed it.

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CET

Protests Continue in Iran as Diaspora Rallies Against Appeasement Policy

Activists in various cities of Iran reported different protests as people are finding it all the more difficult to make ends meet. Workers of different industries in several cities were protesting for their delayed paychecks and pensions on Saturday, as their families can barely put food on the table with rising inflation and skyrocketing prices. In cities checkered Europe freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the Iranian opposition MEK have been rallying and protesting the appeasement policy vis-à-vis Tehran, as seen recently in the prisoner swap between Belgium and the Iranian regime that led to the release of the mullahs’ convicted diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi on Friday.

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What To Make of the Release of Assadollah Assadi, Tehran’s Diplomat-Terrorist

On Friday, the Omani government announced brokering a prisoner exchange between Belgium and Iran’s regime. The Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), condemned the release of Assadollah Assadi, Tehran’s convicted terrorist diplomat. Prior to this, the Belgian Constitutional Court had mandated that Brussels inform the victims before extraditing the convict to Iran, allowing them to pursue legal action. However, in violation of the court order, Assadi was released without notifying the victims, thereby disregarding their rights.

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Fahimeh Soltani Sentenced to a 2.5-Term Academic Suspension

Fahimeh Soltani, a student at Isfahan University, has been sentenced to a 2.5-term academic suspension by the university’s disciplinary committee, considering academic years. Based on the preliminary ruling of the disciplinary committee at Isfahan University, Fahimeh Soltani has been temporarily banned from studying for 2.5 terms due to charges of “disrupting university programs,” “insulting rituals and sanctities,” “participating in protests and unrest,” failure to adhere to mandatory hijab, and “disregarding students’ dignity.”

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Is Nonviolent Resistance Feasible in Iran? Part 6

Introduction: In a repressive regime where the suppression of free thought is rampant, the idea of nonviolent resistance serves as a refuge for those seeking to escape oppression. However, can the battle against violence be achieved in Iran? In this article, we explore the possibilities and challenges of nonviolent resistance within the Iranian context. The government’s primary objective, particularly after enduring months of tension, has been to restrict the people’s demands regarding compulsory hijab, which is one of the fundamental rights of society. By diverting attention from the core demand of negating the entire basis of the theocratic rule, the regime aims to diminish the energy of the movement and eventually suppress it.

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Unmasking the Looting: The Impact of Resource Depletion on the Iranian People

On May 12, Mehdi Ghazanfari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund of Iran, revealed a concerning update regarding Iran’s National Development Fund. Out of the initial $150 billion, a mere $10 billion remains intact.

Following a decline in oil prices, the establishment of Iran’s national development fund aimed to transform a portion of the revenue generated from oil and oil derivatives into substantial capital. This strategy sought to create productive wealth, ensuring the availability of essential resources for the country’s economic growth while also serving as a significant storage of financial reserves for future generations. By capitalizing on this fund, Iran sought to secure a prosperous future and fortify its economy against potential challenges.

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May 27, 2023: MEK Supporters Held Protest Rallies Against the Appeasement Policy & the Release of Iran’s Regime Diplomat-Terrorist in European Cities—Part 2

May 27, 2023: Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and freedom-loving Iranians held protest rallies against the appeasement policy and the release of Iran’s regime diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi, in Bonn, Munich, Bochum, London, Geneva, Berlin, The Hague, Vienna, and Aarhus. They also express their solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 28, 2023

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