Cartoon 138: “Explosion of Light,” Not!
The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution as the “Explosion of Light.” But the reality is quite dark…filled with ...
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February 10, 2016
Hardliners Violate Law to Keep Assembly of Experts Loyal to Khamenei
In addition to the massive disqualifications of moderate candidates for upcoming elections in Iran, hardliners have implemented another strategy to prevent challenges to their power: restricting ...
February 9, 2016
New App that Detects Morality Police is Instant Hit in Iran
Authorities Block App within 24 Hours of Its Debut A smartphone application aimed at helping Iranian users avoid the country’s morality police became a smash hit immediately after it ...
February 9, 2016
Hardliners Handpick Candidates to Block Moderates and Rig Elections
3000 reformist applicants (99%) disqualified for Parliament in first vetting. 63% of all applicants disqualified in first vetting, reduced to 40% in second round. Prominent ayatollahs excluded ...
February 9, 2016
Prominent Lawyers Disqualified from Iran’s Bar Association Election
More than two dozen prominent lawyers, including well-known human rights defenders, have been disqualified from running in next month’s election for the Iranian Bar ...
February 9, 2016
Iranian Judicial Officials Suggest Kurdish Prisoner Will Get Temporary Leave if She Agrees to Televised “Confession”
Iran’s judicial authorities have hinted that Kurdish prisoner of conscience Zeinab Jalalian could go on furlough if she agreed ...
February 5, 2016
Cartoon 137: “Remember the Spent Candle! Remember!”
“Tell our friends for us, remember the spent candle! Remember!" Iranian cartoonist Touka Neyestani's ...
February 5, 2016
Iran Elections: The Ten Commandments
Political satire by Ebrahim Nabavi “My opponents should definitely vote in the elections, but there’s no need for them to become candidates,” said Ayatollah ...
February 5, 2016
Iranian Couples Increasingly Living Together Outside of Marriage
First they called it “white marriage,” now it’s “black coupling.” But no matter how Iranian officials choose to denigrate the upward trend of young unmarried ...
February 4, 2016
Arrest of Iranian-British Dual National in Tehran May Be Hardliners’ Ploy to Foil Iran-UK Relations
Updated on January 26, 2017: Bahman Daroshafaei’s one-year prison sentence for “propaganda against the state” has been reduced to a five million toman ($1,545 USD) fine ...
February 3, 2016
Former BBC Reporter, Iranian-British Citizen, Arrested in Iran, Prior to Zarif’s Visit to London
Bahman Daroshafaei, a former journalist and translator, was arrested on February 3, 2016 at his home in Tehran under a warrant issued by ...
February 3, 2016
Iranian Officials Condemn Radical Mob’s Attack On Top Actress
An attack last week on one of Iran’s most famous actresses by hardline vigilantes has been condemned by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic ...
February 2, 2016
Two Dozen Iranian Baha’is Sentenced to Six to Eleven Years for Practicing Their Faith
Courtesy of BBC Persian Twenty-four Baha’is from northeastern Iran have been handed down sentences that ...
February 2, 2016
Dispute between Judicial Officials on the Release of Kurdish Human Rights Activist Keeps Him in Prison
The prominent Kurdish human rights activist, Mohammad Sediq Kaboudvand, has been recommended for conditional release by the chief warden ...
February 2, 2016
Two Reformist Journalists Charged, after Three Months in Detention
Three months after their arrests, journalists Issa Saharkhiz and Ehsan Mazandarani have been ...
February 1, 2016
Call for Prime Minister Trudeau to Secure Release of Imprisoned Iranian-Canadian
February 1, 2016— Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should extend all efforts to obtain the release of Saeed Malekpour, a Canadian resident and web develop imprisoned ...
January 29, 2016
Student of Imprisoned Iranian Spiritual Leader Facing Trial for Supporting Him
The student of a spiritual leader in Iran who has been imprisoned for his alternative beliefs, has been summoned to court for attending a gathering ...
January 29, 2016
Rouhani’s Post-Deal Test Starts in Paris
This op-ed was originally published in French. By Hadi Ghaemi This week, President Hassan Rouhani will visit Europe, including France, his first trip since the implementation of ...
January 28, 2016
Family of Imprisoned Iranian Producer: Canada Must Do More
The family of prisoner of conscience Mostafa Azizi is calling on Canada to exert more pressure on Iran to release him following the ...
January 28, 2016
Cartoon 136: Iran: Elections Without People’s Representatives
Iranian cartoonist Touka Neyestani's look at the widespread arbitrary disqualifications of female and reformist candidates by the Islamic Republic of Iran's Council of ...
January 28, 2016
Iranian Artists Call for Immediate Release of Music Distributors
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 ...
January 28, 2016
Internet Freedom in Iran Will Benefit From Sanctions Relief
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 ...
January 25, 2016
US-Iran Prisoner Swap Raises Hopes for Iranian-Canadian Prisoners of Conscience in Iran
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 ...
January 22, 2016
Nobel Peace Laureate Asks Iranian Government to “Make Peace with Its Own People”
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 ...
January 21, 2016
Faraghdani’s Handshake with Her Lawyer is Not a Crime, Judge Rules
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 ...