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UPDATE: 9:30 PM CET
Fearful Regime Ramps Up Arrests on Anniversary of Iran’s Uprising
On the anniversary of Iran’s nationwide 2022 uprising, the clerical regime, fearing a revival of the uprising, has resorted to extensive arrests and detentions.
The state-run Bahar News reported on September 21 about the arrest of at least 600 women on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
The source stated, “Today, the committee in charge of the situation of detained protesters reported the arrest of at least 600 women on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death. As of now, 130 of these detained women are held in the quarantine ward of Qarchak Women’s Prison, and their cases have been forwarded to the Judiciary.”
Bahar News, linked to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reported the cancellation of an anniversary ceremony for the slain protester Nika Shahkarami, according to statements from the family. Aida Shahkarami, Nika Shahkarami’s sister, disclosed on her Instagram on Tuesday, September 19, that people trying to visit Nika’s gravesite during the previous week had been summoned and detained by security forces.
Furthermore, security forces have informed the families of individuals killed on September 21, 2022, including Erfan Rezaee, Ghazaleh Chelabi, Hananeh Kiya, and Javad Heydari, among others, that they have no right to hold any ceremonies for the anniversary of their loved ones.
Farzaneh Barzehkar, Erfan’s mother, has been detained since September 3 and is in prison. On the first anniversary of Ghazaleh Chelabi’s martyrdom, authorities threatened Fatemeh Mojtabaee, the victim’s mother over the phone. They stated that if she visits her daughter’s gravesite and conducts an anniversary ceremony on Thursday afternoon, they will arrest this grieving mother, similar to how they handled Erfan Rezaee’s mother.
Regime Forces Attack Home of Martyr Javad Heydari on Uprising Anniversary
On September 21, which marked the anniversary of Javad Heydari’s martyrdom during the nationwide uprising in 2022, security forces launched an attack on Javad Heydari’s residence. These forces, resorting to throwing stones, tear gas, and gunfire, attempted to block the Heydari family from leaving their home and holding an anniversary for their beloved son. Disturbingly, reports revealed that security forces also subjected children and women to violence during these assaults.
Fatemeh Heydari, Javad’s sister, shared harrowing images of their family.
During the sixth day of the nationwide protests following the government’s killing of Mahsa Amini in Qazvin, on September 22, 2022, Javad Heydari was hit by a live bullet fired by the regime’s armed forces. Despite his critical condition, the suppressive forces prevented him from receiving medical treatment, ultimately resulting in his martyrdom.
In an interview, Javad Heydari’s father conveyed, “The agents shot my son and attacked him from behind. I implore the people of Iran to stand by grief-stricken families whose rights have been violated.”
Javad Heydari, a 36-year-old graduate in agricultural studies and an economic activist, was killed solely for participating in protests against the clerical regime.
UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET
Controversial Hijab Bill Sparks Intense Discussion at Majlis Meeting
During a public session on Wednesday, September 20, the Iranian regime’s parliament witnessed a heated debate by passing the “Chastity and Hijab” bill. When this controversial bill was being approved for a trial period of three years, Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi stated that the Judiciary opposed it, predicting challenges in its implementation. However, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Parliament Speaker responded, asserting that the “Chastity and Hijab” bill was approved in parliament in coordination with the Judiciary, and the Judiciary had formally expressed its agreement with the bill in writing.
In the previous month, due to concerns about the bill’s societal impact and its perceived misogynist nature, the regime’s parliament, citing Article 85 of the Constitution, removed it from the Parliament’s agenda during a general session and referred it to a special judiciary commission for review.
UK House of Lords Members Denounce Ransom Payments to Iranian Regime
During the session of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords on September 20, some members of the House rejected any negotiations and ransom payments to the clerical regime in Iran, referring to its long history of terrorism and hostage-taking.
Lord Walney said, “The released hostages and their families will of course cherish their freedom, but are the Government not concerned that the true cost may be much higher than the $6 billion now being made available to Iran? Does this not effectively reward the regime for hostage diplomacy and make it more likely that it will repeat its atrocities? Given Iran’s sophisticated network of front companies, how can there be genuine safeguards to prevent that cash from being used by the IRGC to maintain and expand its regime of terror at home and abroad, where of course it is targeting UK nationals?”
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere also stated: “Is not this the latest example of where the international community has accorded the ayatollahs the dignity of being a sovereign state and been repaid with the export of violence? Iran has continued to sponsor terrorist militias in central Asia, in Lebanon, in Gaza, and in the Balkans, even striking as far afield as Buenos Aires. Would we not find it better policy to say that we never pay anyone Danegeld, no matter how trifling the cost, for the end of that game is oppression and shame, and the nation that plays it is lost?”
Lord Polak said, “As President Raisi shamefully got to his feet to address the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, the world sat silently… Where is our moral compass? While the US handing billions of dollars to the regime is concerning, as the noble Lord, Lord Walney, said, at least the US has correctly proscribed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. We proscribed Hezbollah, which is a state actor in Lebanon, so will my noble friend go back to the department and urge it to act immediately?”
Speaking on behalf of the UK government, Lord Mott stated, “By seeking to use foreign nationals as bargaining chips, the regime’s leaders are fatally undermining Iran’s credibility on the world stage. It remains in Iran’s gift to release any foreign nationals who have been unfairly detained; we will continue to urge Iran and any country that arbitrarily detains people to release them immediately.”
Protesters Slam Biden’s $6 Billion Deal With Iran, Demand Justice for Victims Killed by Regime
UNITED NATIONS – While Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was addressing the United Nations General Assembly inside the elegant chamber on Tuesday, thousands of protesters outside were calling him and his regime terrorist murderers who must face justice.
“Down with the terrorist regime in Iran,” chanted a large crowd of protesters within earshot of the diplomats gathering for the international session.
“Raisi is a murderer! Down with Raisi!” the crowd repeatedly chanted. “Prosecute Raisi, now, now, now! Regime change in Iran by the people of Iran!”
“Several thousand of you have come from all over the United States, from over 40 states to come and deliver a strong message to those at the United Nations, that Ebrahim Raisi does not belong to the United Nations. He is a mass murderer, and he must be put on trial for crimes against humanity and genocide,” Alireza Jafarzadeh, the Deputy Director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s U.S. office told the gathering.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CET
Iranian Resistance Rally at Un Headquarters Calls for the Prosecution of Raisi
While Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi prepared to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 19, thousands of freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the PMOI rallied in front of the UN headquarters in New York to deliver a different message: Raisi is not the representative of the people of Iran, he does not deserve to speak at the UN, he is a murderer, and he must be prosecuted. The demonstrators held placards with pictures of the regime’s numerous victims and a large banner that read, “Iran has an alternative,” referring to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the ten-point plan of NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi.
Why Iran’s Regime Has Revoked the License of Nuclear Inspectors
After the quarterly meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Director-General of the Agency announced on Saturday, September 16th, that the Iranian regime had revoked the licenses of several nuclear inspectors from the agency. This move has raised questions about the intentions of Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, behind this decision. The regime’s propaganda machine has attempted to portray the verbal understanding and agreement between the United States and this regime regarding the release of frozen assets and the exchange of prisoners as a strategic and ongoing understanding. They claim that the future of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran will evolve within the framework of this understanding.
Psychological and Mental Torture of Female Prisoners in Qarchak Prison by Inhumane Sentences
Mohammad Reza Amouzad, a young judge known for issuing inhumane sentences and imposing heavy bail, has been stationed in Qarchak Prison since Tuesday, September 19, 2023, for prosecuting female prisoners in Qarchak involved in the uprising. On the anniversary of the tragic death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the beginning of nationwide protests in Iran on September 16, 2023, female prisoners in Qarchak Prison staged an uprising, setting some objects on fire and engaging in protests. A significant number of security forces were deployed to suppress the women.
One Year After Mahsa Amini’s Tragic Murder in 2022: The Ongoing Struggle for Freedom in Iran”
Exactly one year ago, on Saturday, September 16th, the world witnessed the tragic murder of Mahsa Amini, a moment that marked the beginning of a nationwide revolution in Iran. This fateful day sent shockwaves through the entire regime in Tehran, causing discomfort for figures like Khamenei, the IRGC, and the government itself. In their efforts to suppress potential uprisings and demonstrations, the regime utilized all its anti-people resources, ranging from military might to propaganda machinery, religious manipulation, and even enlisting external terrorist groups. Despite all these attempts, it remains clear that the Tehran regime is struggling and deeply unpopular.
Fatemeh Ziaii and Azar Karvandi in Dire Health Conditions in Evin Prison
Political prisoners Fatemeh Ziaii and Azar Karvandi are detained in dire health conditions in Evin Prison without being allowed medical leave.
Political prisoner Fatemeh Ziaii suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Her illness has advanced under stress in prison and she hardly has any mobility. In the meantime, Azar Karvandi was taken to a civic hospital last week after experiencing intense pain in the chest. Angiography revealed that two of her arteries had been blocked.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – September 20, 2023