THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 8:30 PM CET
Tuesday Protests in Iran
Today, on Tuesday, September 12, the third protest gathering of the Yazd Bar Association was held against the recent decisions of the parliament. This gathering, like other recent gatherings of members of the Bar Association across the country, was in protest of the parliament’s decisions against the legal profession.
Also today, retirees from various cities of Iran took to the streets to protest their living conditions and the authorities’ refusal to address their grievances.
September 12—Sanandaj, western #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions and other basic needs.
"High prices and inflation have destroyed people's lives!" protesters chant.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/nZm77qNItx— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2023
More footage of today's protest rally by retirees of Kermanshah.
"Today, lying, swindling, betraying, have become the values [of regime officials]," one of the protesters says.pic.twitter.com/schucZG3nF— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2023
September 12—Rasht, northern #Iran
Retired government employees hold protest rally in front of the offices of the government retirement fund, demanding higher pensions and other basic needs.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/XWETsiXIlB— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 12, 2023
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul on Iran’s Continued Nuclear Violations
Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the following statement regarding the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi’s comments at the IAEA Board of Governor’s (BoG) meeting. In his opening remarks, the director general highlighted Iran’s continued non-compliance with the NPT-required Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA.
“The IAEA Director General’s statement today further emphasizes the need for drastic action, including at the IAEA, to ensure Iran is held to its treaty obligations. The international community’s failure to hold Iran accountable for its continued nuclear violations undermines non-proliferation efforts around the world. The Biden administration must seek a finding of non-compliance and refer Iran’s nuclear violations to the U.N. Security Council, as I called for back in March. We cannot let Iran’s continued nuclear escalation go unpunished.”
UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET
Resistance Units: “PMOI Is the Hope for the Future of Iran”
As the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) marked the 58th anniversary of its founding on Wednesday, Resistance Units, the network of PMOI activists inside Iran, celebrated the event with their activities across the country.
A member of the Resistance Units in Rasht said, “The PMOI has fought against the mullahs’ and shah dictatorship for more than 58 years, and will continue its struggle until the overthrow of this evil regime. I congratulate Massoud Rajavi and Maryam Rajavi and the people of Iran on the founding anniversary of the PMOI.”
In Tehran, members of the Resistance Units recorded videos of themselves holding banners with the emblem of the PMOI and the images of PMOI founders.
University Purge in Iran: Crisis in Higher Education
This situation is both timely and alarming. The expulsion of students began several months ago, and now, in August, professors are also facing termination. These actions coincide with the approaching first anniversary of the nationwide uprising in 2022 and are driven by the regime’s fear of another revolt. Their goal? To quash last year’s leaders—the students—and stifle the university, which served as a focal point for protests. During last year’s nationwide movement, universities played a vital role in the protests. Today, numerous university students and professors have been arrested, summoned, banned, suspended, or terminated. In August, the pace of professor dismissals increased significantly. They were let go for various reasons, including retirement and academic performance. So far, we have verified the names of over 60 dismissed professors, including a dozen women.
Ebrahim Raisi’s Claim About Resolving Iran’s $9.6 Billion Budget Deficit
Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi has stated that since his inauguration, the country’s budget deficit of 4,800 trillion rials (approximately $9.6 billion) has been resolved without printing money or borrowing from the central bank. However, the Majlis (parliament) Research Center has announced in its latest report on the government’s debt situation that the amount of these debts has grown by 61 percent in one year. The Majlis Research Center‘s report explicitly states that the ratio of government and state-owned companies’ debts to gross domestic product (GDP) reached 30.6 percent at the end of autumn 2023.
This ratio is significant because the larger the gap between debt and GDP, the more severe the recession becomes, and the government resorts to printing money to compensate for its debts. The most significant consequence of printing unbacked banknotes is an increase in the inflation rate, a method that the regime has used in various periods when facing budget deficits.
Copenhagen and Aarhus: MEK Supporters Held Rallies Supported the Iran Revolution, and Celebrated the Anniversary of the Foundation of the PMOI/MEK Iran
Copenhagen and Aarhus—September 7-9 2023: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held rallies, and celebrated the anniversary of the foundation of the PMOI/MEK. They also supported the Iran Revolution against the religious dictatorship ruling Iran.
If the West Wants To Support Iranian Women, It Must Cut Diplomatic Ties With Tehran
The notorious morality police vans have returned to the streets of Iran—despite supposedly being suspended by Iranian authorities and being sanctioned by almost all Western countries—weeks before the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s murder. On September 16, 2022, news broke of the death of a twenty-two-year-old Kurdish woman who had been forcibly taken to one of those vans and fallen into a coma a few hours later. Her death—as a result of what happened to her at the hands of the morality police during those hours—triggered nationwide anti-regime protests. While many eagerly await another wave of protests in and around Amini’s death anniversary, it is time to evaluate the West’s response to the brutal crackdown on the ongoing protests known to many as the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 11, 2023
