THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM
Swedish Security Service Says Iran Uses Criminal Networks in Sweden
STOCKHOLM, May 30 (Reuters) – Sweden’s security service said on Thursday that the Iranian government had been using criminal networks within Sweden to carry out violent acts against other states, groups and individuals.
The Security Service said that Iran had targeted the interests of other states in Sweden, and specifically Israel, and had also sought to act against Iranian dissident groups and individuals from the Iranian diaspora.
“The Security Service can now confirm that criminal networks in Sweden are proxies that Iran uses,” Daniel Stenling, head of Counter-Intelligence at the service, told a news conference.
UPDATE: 12:30 PM
US to Boycott UN Tribute to Iran Leader Killed in Helicopter Crash
UNITED NATIONS, May 29 (Reuters) – The United States will boycott a United Nations tribute on Thursday to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed earlier this month in a helicopter crash, a U.S. official said.
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly traditionally meets to pay tribute to any world leader who was a sitting head of state at the time of their death. The tribute will feature speeches about Raisi.
“We won’t attend this event in any capacity,” a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. The U.S. boycott has not previously been reported.
“The United Nations should be standing with the people of Iran, not memorializing their decades-long oppressor,” said the U.S. official. “Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
Iran’s Regime Reappoints Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Parliament Speaker
In fear of escalating crises, especially on the eve of the sham election to replace the now-dead Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei reappointed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as the Speaker of the Majlis (parliament) for another year. In the staged voting session of the Majlis held on Tuesday, presided over by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Ghalibaf was elected with 198 votes as the Speaker of the Majlis.
The other candidates were Mojtaba Zonnour and Manouchehr Motaki, who received 60 and 5 votes, respectively. According to state media, 24 votes were invalid.
The farce of the 24 invalid votes, which is nearly five times the votes of Motaki, indicates the hidden infighting that Khamenei had warned the newly elected parliament members about in his message yesterday.
Khamenei Struggles After Raisi’s Demise
These days, Iranian regime officials and media are fast busy writing essays about the benefits of Ebrahim Raisi, the former regime president who died in a helicopter crash on May 19. These statements are often nonsense; however, in this context, Mojtaba Zonnour, the Deputy Speaker of the reactionary parliament, has said things that are worth hearing.
Zonnur said, “During the three years that Raisi was president, [Iranian regime supreme leader Ali] Khamenei could breathe easily; because the previous concerns, the lack of coordination among the branches, the conflicts, disputes, circumventions, and deviations did not occur, and the leader’s concerns were reduced; because Raisi was committed to adhering to the views and orders of the leader, which is the right thing to do.”
The Exodus of Skilled Workers: A Growing Crisis in Iran’s Oil Industry
The alarming trend of skilled workers leaving Iran’s oil industry has reached a critical point, with officials expressing deep concern over the potential long-term consequences. On Sunday, several energy sector officials in Iran highlighted the accelerated migration of oil specialists and workers, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue.
Arash Najafi, a member of the Energy Commission of the Chamber of Commerce, conveyed his apprehensions to ILNA, a state-run news agency. “Unfortunately, we are losing skilled and specialized personnel at an alarming rate. Without serious intervention, we could face a significant shortage in the oil industry’s workforce,” he warned.
Amnesty Report Highlights Soaring Executions in Iran Amidst Broader Human Rights Violations
Amnesty International’s recently released report, DEATH PENALTY 2023, reveals a dramatic surge in executions in Iran, reflecting a grim reality of intensified state repression and human rights abuses. The report indicates that at least 853 people were executed in 2023, marking a staggering 48% increase from the 576 executions recorded in 2022. This alarming rise in executions appears to be a calculated effort by Iranian authorities to instill fear among the population and reinforce their grip on power. The impact of this brutal crackdown has been particularly severe on Iran’s Baluchi ethnic minority, who accounted for 20% of the recorded executions despite comprising only about 5% of the nation’s population. Additionally, the report notes that at least 24 women and five individuals who were minors at the time of their alleged crimes were among those executed.
45 Years of Human Rights Violations—Raisi’s Track Record
A look at Ebrahim Raisi’s performance shows that from the time the current Iranian regime came to power until his death in the northwestern heights of Iran, he violated people’s rights in various ways and is recognized as one of the most significant violators of human rights in Iran.
“Execution Ayatollah,” “Massacre Ayatollah,” “Butcher of Tehran,” “1988 Executioner,” “Death Judge,” and “Member of the Death Committee” are some of the titles given to Ebrahim Raisi because of his actions.
After the 1979 revolution and following protests by opposition groups, Hadi Marvi, a representative of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Iranian regime, took the 18-year-old Ebrahim Raisi to Masjed Soleyman to take his first steps in violating people’s rights.
A Report On Gross Human Rights Violations Under Ebrahim Raisi’s Government
Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) has presented its report on the human rights situation during Raisi’s government based on the registered statistics at the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iran HRM) center.
The statistics presented in this report are based on extensive research. The details of the executed prisoners are kept confidential by the Iran HRM (Iran Human Rights Monitor) center. However, it should be emphasized that the actual number is significantly higher, as over 90% of executions in Iran are carried out covertly.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 29, 2024