A coalition of Iranian artists have called for the immediate release of three music producers sentenced to six years in prison for promoting underground music in Iran. “This kind of sentencing by the Judiciary is more believable ...
Increased foreign investment and access to foreign companies’ technology products in Iran now that sanctions against Tehran have been lifted will not only aid the country’s ailing economy, it will also give Internet access a vital boost. Long hampered ...
The release of Iranian-Americans in the recent prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States has given hope to the family of prisoner of conscience Saeed Malekpour that he too might also be freed. “When I heard ...
“Why has the Islamic Republic agreed to the release of Iranian-American prisoners but they won’t free our own prisoners who are the children of Iran?” asked Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki, whose son, Hossein Ronaghi ...
While expressing joy at Iran’s recent release of four imprisoned Iranian-Americans, Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi has called on the Iranian government to “make peace with its own people,” now that it has shown ...
Prisoner of conscience Atena Faraghdani and her lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, have been acquitted of “illegitimate relations” for shaking hands during a prison visit. “My daughter was mentally crushed by this accusation but she’s very happy ...
On January 16, 2016, the Islamic Republic of Iran released four prisoners with dual Iranian and American citizenships, in return for the release of several Iranians held in US prisons mostly on crimes related ...
Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran’s powerful Guardian Council, in charge ...
The wife of the prominent lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh, who has been imprisoned since April 2011 for his work defending human rights and political prisoners in Iran, is hoping the appeal for his ...
Imprisoned journalist Saeed Razavi Faghih has been threatened with retribution for writing letters complaining about abuse inside Rajaee Shahr Prison and could be facing new trumped-up charges. “About a month ago one of the prison authorities threatened my brother and some other prisoners that ...
Steps Towards Reconciliation with the West Are Good but Iran Needs National Reconciliation As Well January 16, 2016—The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran welcomes the long-overdue release today of four Iranian Americans, including Jason Rezaian, ...
UPDATE: This post was updated on January 19, 2016, to reflect that additional organizations have signed the letter. A total of 16 organizations have now signed the letter. Human rights organisations Freemuse and the International Campaign for Human ...
The head of Telegram, the most popular social media network in Iran, has again categorically denied making any concessions to Tehran regarding censorship. On January 13, 2016, the Iranian media widely reported ...
No Access to Counsel or Family Visits during 7-Month “Temporary Detention” After nearly seven months of “temporary detention” without access to his lawyer or family visits, Esmail Abdi, Secretary ...
The well-known reformist journalist Reyhaneh Tabatabaie surrendered herself to Evin Prison authorities on January 12, 2016, to serve a one-year prison sentence. Tabatabaie’s imprisonment follows a string of arrests of journalists and ...
Two-Day Ordeal Included Solitary Confinement and Incarceration with Criminals The poet Hila Sedighi, who was arrested and held for two days amidst an intensifying crackdown on independent artistic and cultural figures in ...
After two months of detention, the prominent reformist journalist and political activist Issa Saharkhiz has resumed his hunger strike, in protest against his ongoing detention at Evin Prison. Mehdi Saharkhiz, told the ...
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s near total monopoly on the broadcast of film and television series has effectively ended following the January 7, 2016, decision by Netflix to make its vast archive ...
Hila Sedighi was released on bail on the evening of Saturday, January 9 in Tehran. The authorities did not provide any details regarding the reason for her arrest on January 7, 2016. Further updates regarding her ...
Photo by Reza Baharinejad from Hila Sedighi's Facebook page Freedom of Artistic Expression Under Assault in Iran Update: Hila Sedighi was released on ...
State Filtering Body Refuses to Block the Service An official Iranian state censorship body has resisted calls by hardliners in Iran to block the Telegram messaging service, the most popular social media application ...
Legal Expert Decries Refusal to Release Sosha Makani on Bail till Investigation is Completed Sosha Makani, Persepolis soccer club goalkeeper and member of the Iranian national soccer team at the 2014 World Cup, ...
The mother of a student who has not been heard from since soon after his arrest in Tehran in 1999 has dismissed the Iranian Judiciary’s claim that there was no evidence he was ever arrested. Saeed ...
Christian is Arrested and Taken to Unknown Location Despite President Hassan Rouhani’s pledges during his election campaign in 2013 that “All ethnicities, all religions, even religious minorities, must feel justice,” the targeting of Christian ...
An Appeals Court judge has admonished collaborators of a popular music site for ignoring repeated warnings that they were operating illegally and having ties with Iranian singers abroad opposed to the Islamic Republic. Mehdi Rajabian, musician/founder of ...