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UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET
Norwegian Nobel Committee Awards Narges Mohammadi as 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian activist currently serving a ten-year prison sentence, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. The recognition comes for her advocacy against the oppression of women in Iran and her consistent efforts to promote human rights and freedoms for all.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo revealed this noteworthy decision during a period marked by prominent women-led protests in Iran. These were sparked by the unfortunate death of a 22-year-old while in police custody, triggering widespread demonstrations.
In a statement published in The New York Times on Friday, Narges Mohammadi stated that receiving the Nobel Peace Prize would make her “more resilient and determined” on the path ahead.
“I will never stop striving for the realization of democracy, freedom, and equality,” she said in her statement. “Surely, the Nobel Peace Prize will make me more resilient, determined, hopeful, and enthusiastic on this path, and it will accelerate my pace.”
Beyond the symbolic gestures, the time has come to adopt a decisive policy against the ruling regime and its oppressive measures against women. The world can no longer deny Iranian women’s role in the struggle against the regime. We are facing a generation of combatant and…
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 6, 2023
Iranians May Rise Up Again After ‘Morality Police’ Allegedly Beat 16-Year-Old Armita Garawand Into a Coma Over Hijab – Struan Stevenson
After huge crowds of people chanting “Women, Life, Freedom” took to the streets of Iran over the murder of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, by the so-called ‘morality police’, the mullahs could have decided to respond positively and relax the oppressive laws about the wearing of the hijab. Instead, they decided to impose even tougher restrictions on women.
Now, with striking echoes of what happened to Amini, another young Kurdish girl has been left in a coma, after a confrontation with female morality police officers. Armita Garawand, 16, was left with severe injuries after being apprehended by agents of the notorious force at the Shohada metro station in Tehran, on Sunday.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CET
Friday Protests in Iran
Today, October 6, scammed customers of the Rezayat Khodro Company gathered to protest and express their demands at a mosque in Qazvin.
More footage of today's protest rally by defrauded customers of Rezayat Khodro Taravat Novin in Qazvin.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/TU4gUsmeJj
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 6, 2023
According to reports from inside Iran, security forces have blocked the routes to the Maki Mosque, the site of the Friday prayers for Sunni Muslims in Zahedan.
Sources suggest that streets in Zahedan such as Khayyam, Madani, Madrese, Towhid, Khoramshahr, Razi in the vicinity of the Maki Mosque and other areas in Zahedan, including Kowsar (common), Shiraabad, Karimabad, Keshavarz, and Jamjam, are heavily patrolled by military and security forces and checkpoints have been set up. Many citizens have been detained near the Maki Mosque, allegedly for not having identification documents, and even women are being searched and interrogated.
Following the spread of the news, Mullah Abdulghaffar Naqshbandi, a dissident Sunni cleric, has urgently issued a statement, requesting all Zahedani citizens, both men and women, to make their way to the Maki Mosque in any possible way to thwart the regime’s sinister plan.
More photos of heavy security presence around Makki Mosque as authorities fear anti-regime protests. pic.twitter.com/6ahNZTXJ7a
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 6, 2023
More Than 40 UN Member States Condemn Mysogynist Regime in Iran
During a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, over 40 countries jointly condemned the oppressive actions of the theocratic regime in Iran.
Initiated by Canada, the joint statement expressed serious concern over the recent approval of the “Chastity and Hijab” bill in Iran. It emphasized that women’s and girls’ rights are an integral and undeniable part of global human rights, calling for the eradication of all forms of discrimination against women, whether subtle or overt.
The statement highlighted the severe exacerbation of punishments for women and girls who do not comply with the oppressive mandatory dress code imposed by the veil bill. It pointed out that the bill, by imposing travel bans, denying education and access to healthcare and other public services, and coercing private individuals, including business owners, essentially creates an unprecedented social and economic blockade for women who oppose mandatory hijab.
Additionally, the signatory countries of the statement expressed deep concern about reports regarding the use of artificial intelligence and digital facial recognition technology to monitor, detain, and penalize women.
Republican Senators Move To Bar Biden Admin From Waiving Iran Sanctions
New Senate legislation would codify sanctions on Iran and bar the Biden administration from lifting economic penalties on Tehran until it can certify the hardline regime has ceased all efforts to assassinate current and former American officials. Republican leaders want to block the Biden administration through the PUNISH Act, which was introduced Thursday by Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, from providing Iran’s hardline regime with access to billions of dollars in oil revenue. The bill’s introduction comes on the heels of the administration’s $6 billion ransom payment to Tehran last month as part of a hostage deal.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
The Crushing Cost of Housing in Iran and the Shattered Dreams of the Impoverished
Inflation and the skyrocketing cost of housing in Iran no longer need interpretation or explanation. What happens in the streets and cities of Iran and how people feel with their flesh and blood is more evident than any interpretation or explanation could describe.
There is no doubt that the housing market in Iran is under the control of powerful and wealthy mafia-like groups.
Large economic conglomerates and government-affiliated and private banks in Iran are indeed involved in diverting their resources from traditional banking activities towards investment in the construction sector, reaping substantial profits in the process.
Iran’s Struggle With Repression and Economic Exploitation
The account of the year-long uprising by the oppressed people of Iran paints a grim picture of repression, where a staggering number of protesters, including many young individuals and even teenagers, have lost their lives. Over the past year, at least 500 demonstrators were killed, adding to the thousands who have been incarcerated or injured, with hundreds suffering grievous injuries. Shockingly, statistics indicate that Iranians constitute a disproportionate two-thirds (66%) of the fatalities in global protests.
Digging deeper into Iran’s open database reveals a troubling pattern. Over the past year, a total of 179 demonstrations have unfolded in 84 countries, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 817 lives. Iran, unfortunately, accounts for a staggering 537 of these fatalities. According to data from the Iran Human Rights Organization, 58 of the victims were women, and a heartbreaking 68 were children below the age of 18.
Two Eyewitnesses Reveal Details of Armita Gravand Falling into Coma
Five days after Armita Goravand fell into a coma on October 4, Shahin Ahmadi, Armita Goravand’s mother, was detained by the security forces of the Iranian regime on Wednesday afternoon, October 4, 2023. She was taken to an undisclosed location after her arrest in the vicinity of Fajr Hospital in Tehran. Based on reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor(IranHRM), Shahin Ahmadi, the mother of Armita Goravand, was detained by security forces of the Iranian regime on Wednesday afternoon. This occurred after she was prevented from entering the room where her daughter was hospitalized, leading her to raise her voice in protest. The arrest of Mrs. Ahmadi was accompanied by acts of violence. At the time of preparing this news, there is no information available regarding her fate and place of detention. Armita Gravand’s parents were last able to see her behind glass in the presence of security forces on Wednesday afternoon, October 4.
The Mother of Armita Geravand Has Been Arrested
The clerical regime’s security services have violently arrested Shahin Ahmadi, the mother of Armita Geravand, on the evening of Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at the Fajr Hospital, social media reports and human rights groups say. The state-run Tasnim news agency has denied the arrest of the mother of Amita Geravand. Armita Geravand, 16, was allegedly attacked by guidance patrols in a Tehran metro station on Sunday, October 1, shoving her so badly that she suffered head trauma and fell into a coma. Her friends said her head was bleeding when a nurse or doctor at the metro station gave her CPR before she was transferred to the Air Force’s Fajr Hospital in an ambulance. Armita Geravand is presently in a coma and hospitalized in the ICU of the Fajr Hospital.
Iran: Oil Sector Workers on Strike in Several Cities as Economic Conditions Deteriorate
Socioeconomic protests in Iran continue by various sections and classes, including strikes by workers in Abadan Petrochemical and Razi Petrochemical, temporary contract employees of the Ministry of Oil, and farmers in Parsabad.
According to social media reports, the employees and workers of Abadan Petrochemical went on strike on October 4, protesting officials’ failure to pay their delayed salaries and benefits. On October 1st, they also gathered in front of the central office of Abadan Petrochemical Company, demanding “clarification from the CEO regarding bankruptcy” of this industrial unit. According to a report by Aftab News on Monday, September 30th, Abadan Petrochemical Company has declared bankruptcy with a reported debt of “29,460 billion rials,” (approximately $60 million) which is approximately “three times its capital.”
Paris, France—September 30, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally in Commemoration of the Martyrs of Zahedan Bloody Friday
Paris, France—September 30, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in commemoration of the martyrs of Zahedan Bloody Friday. They also expressed solidarity with the Iran Revolution.
Copenhagen, Denmark—October 4, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Copenhagen, Denmark—October 4, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in solidarity with the Iran Revolution. They also commemorated the martyrs of the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, especially the martyrs of Zahedan’s bloody Friday.
Zurich, Switzerland—October 3, 2023: MEK Supporters Held a Photo Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution
Zurich, Switzerland—October 3, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a photo exhibition in solidarity with the Iran Revolution and supporting Maryam Rajavi‘s Ten-point plan for a free Iran. They also commemorated the martyrs of the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people, especially the martyrs of Zahedan’s Bloody Friday.
Salzburg, Austria—September 30, 2023: MEK Supporters Rally in Commemoration of the Martyrs of Zahedan Bloody Friday
Salzburg, Austria—September 30, 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in commemoration of the martyrs of Zahedan Bloody Friday. They also expressed solidarity with the Iran Revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – October 5, 2023