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UPDATE: 9:00 PM
Iranian ‘Justice’ Is a Medieval Horror-Show of Public Executions, Amputations and Flogging – Struan Stevenson
When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini hijacked the Iranian revolution in 1979 and declared himself Supreme Leader of the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran, the world heaved a sigh of relief. It was commonly felt that this man of deep religious faith would foster a future of peace and stability for Iran’s people.
Rarely has a profile proved to be so mistaken. Khomeini, as the founding father of fundamentalist Islam, was an elderly, psychotic fanatic, determined to purge anyone who stood in his way or rejected his new credo of “velayat-e faqih” or guardianship of the Islamic jurist.
The implementation of a grossly distorted version of Sharia law, under the diktat of the misogynist mullahs, soon saw women reduced to second-class citizens, while Iran’s judicial system became one of the most brutal in the world. The regime executes more people per capita than any other country.
UPDATE: 7:00 PM
UN Experts Urge Iran To Respect International Law and Stop Horrific Executions of Protesters
GENEVA (23 January 2023) — UN experts* today strongly condemned the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old with a long-term psychosocial disability, and urged Iran to comply with its obligations under international human rights law.
“We are alarmed by reports of unfair trial proceedings in the case of Mr. Ghobadlou, as well as in other cases, which fell far short of due process and fair trial standards required by international human rights law by which Iran is bound,” the UN experts said.
They also expressed serious concern at credible reports that those executed had been denied access to lawyers during their detention and trial.
Record Highs: Iran’s Currency Exchange Rates Soar, Gold Continues Ascension on Thursday
On Thursday, January 24, the exchange rates for the British Pound and Euro reached their highest historical levels in Iran, while gold continued its upward trend. According to reports from gold and currency information websites, the Euro surpassed 60,400 tomans, and the Pound was traded at 70,500 tomans during Thursday’s transactions.
Compared to Wednesday, both the Euro and Pound experienced approximately 1.46% and 1.63% growth, respectively. The exchange rate for the US dollar also reached 55,500 tomans on Thursday, showing a 0.78% increase compared to January 23 when it was at its highest at 54,800 tomans.
Ehsan Khandouzi, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, and Mohammadreza Farzin, the Head of the Central Bank, attributed the recent attacks on Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, as well as Pakistan’s retaliatory strike, to the temporary and transient factors contributing to the rise in currency prices.
US Strikes Targets in Iraq After Forces Wounded
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) – The United States carried out strikes in Iraq against three facilities linked to Iran-backed militia on Tuesday, the Pentagon said, after a weekend attack on an Iraqi air base that wounded U.S. forces. U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked about 150 times by Iran-aligned militants since the Israel-Gaza war started in October, creating pressure on President Joe Biden to respond militarily, despite political sensitivities in Baghdad. On Saturday, four U.S. personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base was hit by multiple ballistic missiles and rockets fired by Iranian-backed militants from inside Iraq.
US Military Strikes Two Houthi Anti-Ship Missiles in Yemen
WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) – The U.S. military carried out more strikes in Yemen early on Wednesday, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch, the U.S. military said in a statement. The U.S. strikes, which took place at roughly 2:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), are the latest against the Iran-backed group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping and followed a larger round of strikes a day earlier. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have said their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. The attacks have disrupted global shipping and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM
Iran’s Regime Executes Kurdish Political Prisoner Farhad Salimi
On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Iranian regime authorities in Ghezel Hesar prison carried out the death sentence of political prisoner Farhad Salimi. On January 20, this Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Saqqez, who had been on hunger strike for three weeks, was transferred to solitary confinement, an indication of his looming execution.
On December 31, 2023, Anwar Khezri, Kamran Sheikhah, Khosrow Besharat, and Farhad Salimi, four prisoners of conscience sentenced to death went on a hunger strike following the transfer of Davood Abdollahi to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution and the grave danger of their own death sentence.
The Iranian Social Media Mosaic: Instagram Shines, Domestic Messengers in the Shadows
Based on an internal survey, it has been revealed that Instagram stands out as the most favored social network among Iranians, while domestic messengers lag behind in popularity among citizens.
According to the recent ISPA survey, conducted by the Iranian Students’ Opinion Center and released on January 22, a noteworthy 46.5% of Iranians utilize Instagram, 35.3% opt for WhatsApp, and 34.6% choose Telegram for messaging.
The findings indicate a notable disparity in popularity between domestic and international messengers, despite extensive promotional efforts for local platforms. The survey discloses that a mere 25% of respondents use the internal messenger ‘Eitaa,’ approximately 24% prefer ‘Rubika,’ and merely 8% opt for ‘Bale.’ Other messengers and social networks collectively garner less than 7% usage.
3,500 Clerics Enter Iranian Classrooms Without Quotas
The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Education revealed that 3,500 clerics and seminary scholars have been incorporated into the teaching profession “post-exam” and “without any specified quota.”
Ali Farhadi, in an interview with the state news agency IRNA on January 22, stated, “Following the examination, it was determined that these individuals were accepted as teachers.”
Farhadi clarified the basis for allowing these individuals to participate in the teacher recruitment exam, citing Article 28 of the Charter of Teachers, which permits education and training to enlist “graduates of other universities, higher institutions, and seminaries” in “emergency situations.” However, he did not elaborate on the perceived “emergency” within the educational employment landscape.
Is Iran’s Regime Losing Its Clout in The Middle East?
In the span of less than 24 hours, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) of the Iranian regime launched a series of missile strikes on the territories of Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan. The regime justified these operations as a ‘revenge and severe response’ and a ‘show of authority.’
However, these actions have elicited strong regional and international reactions, including counter-military measures by Pakistan. The consequences for the regime may surpass the current level in the short term.
A critical question emerges in this context: Why did the Iranian regime undertake such operations when the Middle East is already on the brink of escalation with tensions rising daily?
Bayan Farajollahi Receives a One-Year Jail Sentence
The first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced Bayan Farajollahi to one year of imprisonment. Sanandaj is the capital of Kurdistan province in western Iran.
Ms. Farajollahi is charged with “collaboration with opposition parties,” “expressing sympathy with the families of slain protesters,” and disseminating “propaganda against the state.”
Bayan Farajollahi said she had defended herself without the presence of her lawyer. Security forces arrested the 34-year-old Bayan Farajollahi at her home in Sanandaj on July 17, 2023, and took her to the detention center of the Department of Intelligence for interrogation.
Government Killing of Anahita Amirpour by Plainclothes Officers’ Gunfire
On the evening of Friday, January 19, 2024, a 20-year-old woman named Anahita Amirpour was killed in the Nezamabad area of Borujerd as a result of direct gunfire by plainclothes officers of the Borujerd Intelligence Department.
According to reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM), Anahita Amirpour, a first-semester student of Physical Education at the Islamic Azad University in Borujerd, along with Mohammad Jalayi Far, who is also a student of Physical Education, were driving in a Peugeot 206 that was ambushed by plainclothes officers on Friday night, January 19.
Anahita Amirpour lost her life instantly, while Mohammad Jalayi Far was severely injured and is currently being treated and hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Chamran Hospital.
MEK Supporters Rally in Gothenburg Marks Anniversary of Massoud Rajavi’s 1979 Release and Supports the Iranian Revolution
Gothenburg, Sweden—January 20, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express support for the Iranian Revolution. Iranians celebrated the anniversary of Massoud Rajavi‘s release from the Shah regime’s prison in 1979, marking the liberation of the last group of political prisoners.
Hanover, Germany—January 20, 2024: MEK Supporters Celebrate Anniversary of Massoud Rajavi’s Release from Shah’s Prison in 1979
Hanover, Germany—January 20, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) celebrated the anniversary of Massoud Rajavi‘s release from the Shah regime’s prison in 1979, marking the liberation of the last group of political prisoners.