JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in 2023:  July 15 -1--June 30 - 15--June 15-1--May 31 -16-- May 15-1--April--March--Feb--Jan  

And
For all topics below
that may hopefully interest you click on the image:

updated June 23, 2023
CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Iranwire - June 29, 2023- by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<The Dangerous Lives of Iran's Shuti Drivers
Human rights organizations say that increased poverty and unemployment are pushing a growing number of young men in Iran, predominantly from the Lor ethnic minority, into transporting items such as sanitary goods, soft drinks, fruit juice, cloth and satellite receivers from the southern Iranian ports to other areas inside the country in exchange for payment. These individuals, known as Shutis, face many risks, including dying in road accidents or being shot at by police forces.
***
Last week, the news agency Hirman, which reports on rights violations against members of Iran's Lor minority, reported the death of a young member of the community who had been in a coma for 12 days. On June 12, Amin Tahernasb was traveling from southern Iran to Tehran with a load of goods when police officers pursued his car with their lights off. After a few kilometers of chasing, Amin slowed down with the intent to stop the car, but the officers opened fire, causing the vehicle to overturn. Amin fell into a coma while his brother, who was accompanying him, sustained a broken hip.
The incident happened in the western province of Lorestan. Numerous reports document the deaths of drivers delivering cargo that has not undergone customs clearance from southern ports to major cities in central Iran. Iranian media often attribute these deaths to speeding and careless driving. However, news occasionally emerges of dangerous police chases and shootings. While government media hold the Shutis responsible for road insecurity and deaths, rights activists argue that these young individuals, predominantly hailing from Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, one of Iran's most marginalized provinces, have no choice but to engage in this risky business. Others believe that the extensive list of banned imports create high demand for certain consumer goods in major cities. The resulting profits serve as incentives for Iranians to engage in smuggling activities.
<Most of the goods they carry include cloth, non-alcoholic drinks, furniture and household appliances imported through southern ports without paying customs tax,> Arash Nikkho, an environmental activist and a native of Kohkiloye and Boyer Ahmad province, tells IranWire. <Shutis or bar owners purchase these goods at significantly low prices and transport them to central and larger provinces to deliver them to shopkeepers.>
Risking their Lives to Make a Living
According to Nikkho, who personally knows several Shutis, the main motivation for young people to engage in these activities is the higher profit or salary they get. <I don't believe that all Shuti drivers are simply poor and doing it out of necessity because I know many non-poor individuals involved [in this activity]. They do it for the quick profits it brings,> he said. However, he acknowledges that the rising number of Shutis coincides with growing unemployment and widespread poverty. According to Reza Akvanian, a human rights activist from Dehdasht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province, the main reason why young individuals, particularly those from the Lor ethnic community in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province, turn to smuggling activities is economic hardships. Akvanian says some drivers receive small salaries ranging from 1 to 3 million tomans ($20-$60) and that their cars are often modified to reach higher speeds. Shutis do not make any stops during their journeys in order to deliver their cargo promptly, contributing to the elevated number of fatal accidents among Shutis. <Shutis put their lives on the line, and every time they leave their homes to transport goods, they expose themselves to possible accidents,> Akvanian says. <The government failed to address their situation, and with the economic policies of various administrations, the people's situation has deteriorated day by day,> he adds. <Agriculture has been declining year after year due to environmental policies over the past four decades, leaving these drivers with no stable income.>
Ethnic Oppression or Geographical Determinism
Nikkho believes that Shutis do not belong to a specific ethnic group, but their composition rather varies depending on the southern port they collect the cargo from and the central city they deliver it to. They can come from various regions like Lorestan, Fars, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh, Boyer Ahmad, as well as Bushehr and Khuzestan, he says. <The cities near the southern ports are primarily transit points to central cities. Naturally, Shuti drivers are more familiar with the roads and routes in the provinces where they have lived,> Nikkho asserts. Akvanian says that in provinces with a high youth population like Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, job opportunities are limited. Consequently, many young people are driven to risky activities or are pushed to migrate to the outskirts of major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. Last year, the unemployment rate in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad was 9.1 percent, while the national rate stood at 8.2 percent. According to reports from Iran's government media, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad had an annual inflation rate of 51.9 percent, making it one of the provinces with the highest inflation.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/118060-the-dangerous-lives-of-irans-shuti-drivers/

Iranwire - June 29, 2023
<<Members of Dissident MEK Group to Be Put on Trial, Attorney-General Says
The attorney-general of the Islamic Republic has announced plans to hold an <international court> to try members of a group of exiled opponents of the Iranian government. Mohammad Jaafar Montazeri said that the judicial system has prepared 700 indictments against members of the People's Mojahedin Organization (MEK), ISNA news agency reported on June 28. Montazeri said the court will be convened soon to prosecute these individuals. He did not provide further details. The announcement came a week after Albanian police on June 20 raided a camp near the capital, Tirana, that houses thousands of MEK members and seized dozens of computers. Local media reported that the group is suspected of orchestrating cyber-attacks against foreign institutions. Authorities said that 36 people, including police officers and members of the MEK, were injured and several police cars were damaged during the raid on the Ashraf 3 camp. MEK representatives claimed that one elderly person died as a result of the use of tear gas by police, but Albanian authorities denied responsibility. Police said the operation was carried out on the orders of the Albanian judiciary due to the <violation of agreements and commitments.> made by the group when they settled in Albania a decade ago. Under a UN and US-backed deal in 2013 that saw them leave Iraq, the MEK settled in Albania and other countries.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/118024-members-of-dissident-mek-group-to-be-put-on-trial-attorney-general-says/

Center for Human Rights in Iran - June 28, 2023
<<Iran: State's <Investigation> of Bar Association Aims to Crush Dissent
June 28, 2023 - Bolstering a state campaign aimed at crushing dissent, the Iranian Parliament has voted to <investigate> the Iranian Bar Association in a bid to further persecute human rights lawyers who serve as the last remaining lifeline for defendants facing politically motivated charges in the judicial system. <Iranian officials commit blatant human rights violations with impunity, while mechanisms to scrutinize publicly funded state institutions don't exist in Iran,> said Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). <Meanwhile the Iranian Bar Association, an independent body that does not receive public funding, is being subjected to a bogus ‘investigation' that also happens to be unlawful,> he added. <This is essentially state-sponsored persecution under the guise of a legal process.> According to the Iranian Parliament's internal regulations, the legislative branch can only investigate government bodies or organizations that receive funding from the national budget.
<This assault on justice in Iran should be strongly condemned by bar associations and international human rights organizations around the world, as well as by government and UN officials,> said Ghaemi. CHRI also urges bar associations to highlight individual cases of imprisoned and detained human rights lawyers, condemn their persecution, especially in international forums such as legal conferences, and call attention to the systematic denial of due process in the Islamic Republic-including in death penalty cases where lives are at stake.
Parliament Grants State Extraordinary Powers Over Legal Profession
A motion titled <The Request to Investigate the Operations of Bar Associations and their Union> was passed in Iran's parliament by 158 votes in favor, 20 against and 3 abstentions on June 27, 2023. The investigation will enable the judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, and state security agencies including the Intelligence Ministry and the intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Crops, to scrutinize bar associations throughout the country as well as their central union in Tehran. The state security apparatus will also be empowered with <reviewing the legal qualification> of lawyers who are members of the bar, which will enable it to pick and choose which lawyers are allowed to officially work in the country.
Bogus <Investigation> Gives Security Agencies Full Access and Control
According to <The Request to Investigate the Operations of Bar Associations and their Union,> members of Parliament and state security agencies will pursue 10 avenues in their inquiry, including by:
Assessing how the bar association determines membership, accepts law interns, conducts entrance exams, and carries out trainee assessments;
Collecting bar association membership lists under the pretense of evaluating the lawyers' legal competence;
- Examining the association’s budget, the income of the bar association and its associated offices around the country, its union, and how its income is spent;
- Examining how elections are held for the board of directors of the bar associations and the union.
These measures are intended to strip the association of its independence, while enabling the state to control its internal affairs.
Since the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, 22, in Iranian state custody days after she was arrested for her allegedly improper hijab in September 2022, which sparked nationwide protests across the country, at least 44 lawyers have been arbitrarily arrested, some violently, and more than 100 have been summoned to court, according to research by CHRI. Independent lawyers who have managed to secure representation for detained activists, protesters, dissidents, and journalists during this time have meanwhile been denied access to case files and the ability to meet their clients to prepare a proper defense.>>
Read more here:
https://iranhumanrights.org/2023/06/iran-states-investigation-of-bar-association-aims-to-crush-dissent/

Iranwire - June 28, 2023
<<Guard's Brutal Treatment of University Student Triggers Outrage
A security guard at Allameh Tabatabai University's Faculty of Management and Accounting in Tehran was caught on video violently assaulting a student, sparking a wave of public outcry.The footage, which went viral on social media platforms, shows the guard pushing the student while on the stairs, causing his head to hit the handrail. Iran's Student Union Council said the altercation came after security guards harassed two female students over their clothing. After the release of the video, students from Allameh University released a statement vowing their determination to continue their fight for civil rights. <Though our heads may be broken, the ideals of freedom in our minds and the unwavering belief in victory rooted in our hearts cannot be separated,> the statement reads.The authors outlined their vision for a university that transcends gender discrimination and exclusion based on political, religious or ideological grounds. In recent months, the Iranian authorities have intensified pressure on university students through increased disciplinary measures, punishments imposed by the judicial system and heightened security measures in exam halls and dormitories. Many of those who participated in protest rallies have been summoned and subsequently faced severe penalties, including suspension or expulsion from university.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117982-guards-brutal-treatment-of-university-student-triggers-outrage/

NCRI - in Women's News - June 28, 2023
<<Iran Regime Intensifies Arrests and Detentions to Quell Potential Uprisings
Fearing the vast social discontent, the clerical regime in Iran has stepped up its spree of arrests and detentions to prevent another uprising.
Morteza Mahmoudvand, MP from Khorramabad, revealed on June 27, 2023, that hundreds of individuals are being arrested in the capital of Lorestan Province (western Iran). The individuals are under surveillance and interrogation.Mahmoudvand said, <Those who created these episodes (i.e., the chemical attacks on girls' schools) come from a spectrum of opponents and opportunists. They must be punished with maximum punishment.> (The state-run Entekhab.ir, June 27, 2023) A 17-year-old high school student, Setayesh Amiri, has been detained in Adelabad Prison of Shiraz for nearly four months without standing trial.>>
Read more here:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/28/detentions-and-arrests/
and especially more about the arrests and how of:
- Shahla Choopani in Saqqez
- Three members of a family arrested in Piranshahr
- A legal case filed against Marzieh and Ali Adinehzadeh

NCRI - in Solidarity - June 28, 2023
<<Yulia Tymoshenko: Our two nations stand against evil for freedom, happiness, and justice
Remarks by Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, at the <International Initiative for Policy on Iran> conference at the NCRI HQ in Paris
Several former presidents, prime ministers from Europe and Latin America, and other political personalities participated in a conference entitled <International Initiative for Policy on Iran,> announcing a historical statement by 117 former world leaders about a democratic republic in Iran. The event on Thursday, June 21, 2023, at the headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran at Auvers-sur-Oise, Paris, featured the NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi.
Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2007 to 2010 and one of the signatories of the historical statement, attended the conference and made the following remarks.
Dear respected President Rajavi, dear Maryam, dear friends, colleagues, esteemed leaders,
Today, our joint work is of utmost importance. I have come to you from Ukraine, where a real, intense, bloody, and heartbreaking war has been going on for 17 months. Today, I am here with you while ballistic missiles hit Ukraine daily. Our children are being killed under these missiles daily, and my people are fighting with the entire world’s support. And the question arises, how can I leave my country in such a heartbreaking situation and come to you? Why did I do this? I did this because I fully understand that the victory of the Iranian people is as important as the victory of the Ukrainian people for the world and each of us. Today, like Ukrainians, you are standing for the whole world.
I have come because I am witnessing the emergence of a new International of Dictators in the modern world. Some say that the war in Ukraine is a marginalized, local war, but this is an absolute mistake. Therefore, when you and I, our two nations, stand against this evil, we stand for freedom, happiness, and justice worldwide. Today, I want to thank you for your courage.
Yulia Tymoshenko: The truth is on your side
I want to thank all of you who are fighting for a free Iran for your struggle. Because I personally know how difficult it is. In Ukraine, too, we fought against autocratic regimes for decades after gaining independence. We know what imprisonment is, we know what political assassinations are, we know what oppression is. And we know what a popular uprising is because our side has led such an uprising more than once. And therefore, I know how difficult it is for you. But do not stop in any case. Yes, it is good that the world is uniting. It's great that many world leaders are standing beside you. But I want to tell you that without your work, struggle, and victory in your homeland, no one will help you as much as you can help yourselves.
So, unite and be victorious. All the power is in your hands, and the possibility of winning exists. This is what I want you to know. Because they told us Ukrainians that winning is impossible. They said we would somehow reach a compromise. But I tell you that it is possible to defeat the regimes. And you don't need to negotiate with anyone. You only need to move forward because the truth is on your side. Power is in your hands, and we believe in you. We have faith in you.>>
Read more here:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/28/yulia-tymoshenko/
also about:
- Yulia Tymoshenko: Ukraine to sanction the IRGC
- Yulia Tymoshenko: The future is yours

Iranwire - June 28, 2023
<<Khamenei's <Great Amnesty> Joke: <Pardoned> Journalists Are Prosecuted Again....>>
Do read this very revealing article here:
https://iranwire.com/en/journalism-is-not-a-crime/117972-khameneis-great-amnesty-joke-pardoned-journalists-are-prosecuted-again/


NCRI - June 27, 2023 - in Articles - Women's News
<<The Horrifying Surge of Domestic Violence and Honor Killings in Iran
In recent years, there has been a surge of domestic violence against women and honor killings in Iran. On the morning of Monday, June 25, 2023, the mutilated body of a woman, aged between 35 and 40, was found in a freezer next to a garbage dumpster in the Khazaneh district of Tehran. The woman's identity, time, and cause of her death are under investigation by the Criminal Police. One month ago, the blood-drenched body of a woman was found in Azadi Square, Tehran. The body was concealed inside a sports bag. (The state-run Rokna.net, May 24, 2023) The statistics of honor killings in Iran are beyond measure. However, there was a horrifying case involving a 28-year-old woman named Maryam Soltani, who was murdered by her father and two brothers in one of the villages in Khoy. The young woman was a mother of three children. On Friday, April 14, 2023, following the release of a private video from Maryam, her father called her to the house. Along with his two sons, they shaved her head to the scalp. After a severe beating, torture, and abuse, they hanged her. Maryam was one of the victims of forced child marriage, as she was compelled to marry at 15.
An indicator of societal security
One of the indicators of societal security, particularly psychological security, is the rate and proportion of murder and crime, especially domestic crimes. Among domestic crimes, honor killings, whether it is the killing of a sister or brother, the killing of a spouse, the killing of a child, or the killing of a father or mother, hold a special significance. However, women are more often the victims of domestic homicides and honor killings in Iran than men. According to an article in one of the government newspapers, the available evidence indicates domestic violence is at the forefront of social emergency visits nationwide. Approximately 20% of all murders in the country are honor killings, and 40% of the total murders are domestic homicides. The available statistics show a significant increase in honor killings in Iran’s western provinces in 2021-2022. This year, the occurrence of honor killings in the western part of the country has shown a growing trend. The occurrence of approximately 10% of honor killings worldwide in our country, Iran, is a warning sign....> (The state-run Sharghdaily.com, June 25, 2023)
Who is the real criminal?
The clerical laws give parents the right to force their girls to marry as child brides, allow men to abuse women, and give them the green light to torture and even murder women. That's why on average, every year in Iran, at least 450 women are victims of honor-killing and domestic murders by their husbands, fathers, or brothers. The regime's failure to adopt a bill to ensure women’s security and the lack of deterrent laws to address such brutal violence, coupled with the regime's failure to criminalize violence against women, has led to an increase and spread of domestic violence, femicides, and honor killings in Iran. While knives, sickles, or any other weapon in all their forms are in the hands of a father, brother, husband, or another family member, preventing more murders of women requires that misogynist thought to be condemned and destroyed. Under the current regime, the prevailing medieval view is that officially and in all laws, women are second-class citizens and subservient to men. This idea is part of the mullahs' ideological pillar in all its policies. For example, in the case of compulsory veiling, violation of the law of compulsory veiling is considered a matter of national security and carries the heaviest penalties. In a structure like the one in Iran, even if the killer is punished, a state assassination adds to the regime's crimes and spreads the killing. However, the context and form of the issue remain, and the men of this intellectual apparatus are increasingly driven to brutal behavior.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/06/27/honor-killings-in-iran-2/


Jinha - June 27, 2023 - editor's pick - by SARYA DENİZ
<<Leyla Qasim: Woman who judged her executioners
News Center- Leyla Qasim, who is known as <Leyla of Kurdistan>, <The hero of her people who love their country>, was executed in Baghdad on May 12, 1987 by the Iraqi Ba'ath regime. Today, she is a symbol of courage and resistance for the Kurdish women chanting the slogan, <Jin, Jiyan, Azadi> by removing their hijab. Leyla Qasim was a Feyli Kurd born in 1952 in the Bamili village of Khanaqin district of Iraq's Diyala province. She was the only daughter of a family of five children. The meaning of Leyla in Arabic is <Night> or <Dark>. She was named Leyla because she was born at night. Her family was a poor Kurdish family. She always moved from one place to another with her family because of their Kurdish identity. In 1958, they moved to Baghdad. After completing her high school education in Baghdad, she studied sociology at the University of Baghdad. When she was 20, she joined the Kurdistan Students’ Union. At the university, she wrote an article on the Kurdophobia of Saddam Hussein. After her article was published, she was targeted by the Iraqi Ba'ath regime. At every opportunity, Leyla, who became an active militant of the struggle for liberation of the Kurds, said, <Slavery is not the fate of the Kurds>.
She was arrested by the Ba'ath regime forces
In 1974, the Iraqi Ba'ath regime intensified its attacks on the Kurds. The Kurdish families were forced to leave Baghdad. The regime forces launched airstrikes on Kurdish town Qalladze. Hundreds of people were killed in the airstrikes. Leyla Qasim and her four comrades planned to hijack a plane to make the Iraqi Ba'ath regime attacks against the Kurdish people heard all around the world. On April 24, 1974, the Ba'ath regime forces arrested her and her comrades. They did not say a single word to the Ba'ath regime forces although they were tortured.
She judged her executioners
During the lengthy show trial, Leyla Qasim and her comrades judged their executioners. They were sentenced to death. On May 12, 1974, Leyla Qasim and her comrades were executed by the order of Saddam Hussein. Before her execution, she said, <My execution will wake up thousands of Kurds from their sleep. I am honored and happy that my death will serve the freedom of Kurdistan.> One day before her execution, the Ba'ath regime allowed her family to see her. <Don't forget to bring scissors and my Kurdish local clothes,> she told her sister during the meeting with her mother and sister. Surprised by her request, her sister asked her, <What are the scissors for?> Leyla Qasim told her, <Cut a lock of my hair. Let my hair blow in the wind when Kurdistan is liberated and keep my local clothes for this day. That day, I will be the bride of Kurdistan.> Leyla Qasim and her comrades are immortal in the Kurdish struggle for freedom struggle and are symbols of courage and resistance for every Kurd. Leyla Qasim is the first woman, who was executed in Iraq. Many Kurdish families named their children Leyla after her. Every year the anniversary of her death is remembered by many Kurds.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/editor-s-pick/leyla-qasim-woman-who-judged-her-executioners-33258
Opinion by Gino d'Artali: A true heroine she was and still is for all people seeking and fighting for freedom.

Jinha - June 27, 2023 - by JUAN KERAMI
<<'Men and women have equal rights in the Yarsan community'
Iranian sociologist S.B. says the Yarsan people are subjected to various discriminations and their identity is denied. <This community has been recognizing women's rights more in the last dozen years following the development in science and culture.>
Kuzaran- Yarsanism is an inherited, syncretic religion founded in the late 14th century in western Iran. Some sources say the population of Yarsan is about two million, living mostly in the west of Iran spread over several cities like Kermanshah, Hamedan, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Kelardasht and several other towns across Iran. Although they are the second religious ethnic group after Muslims in Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan, their identity is denied, and they are often called as <Shia Muslims>. The regions where the followers of Yarsanism, who are subjected to various discriminations, are the least developed regions. NuJINHA spoke to Iranian sociologist S.B., who does research on the rituals of Yarsanism and the status of women in the Yarsan community across Eastern Kurdistan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iran and Iraq.
'Women and men have equal rights'
Speaking about the rights of women in Yarsanism, S.B. said, <The philosophy of Yarsanism always emphasizes that men and women have equal rights. According to the ancient texts, there is no difference between men and women and men and women take an equal sum of inheritance. The texts say that there is no difference between men and women and that they have equal rights.>
'Their identity is always denied'
Commenting on the current situation of the Yarsan people, she said, “All ethnic groups are affected by the policies of the countries they live in. The Yarsan community is one of these ethnic groups. We can say that they live in the poorest regions in Bashur Kurdistan (Southern Kurdistan). Although they are the second religious ethnic group after Muslims in Iran and Rojhilat Kurdistan, their identity is denied, and they are often called as <Shia Muslims>. They are not employed in government offices and they are subjected to humiliation in Muslim schools and offices. Yarsan soldiers are humiliated in barracks, the regions where they live in the least developed regions and most Yarsan men and women are not employed due to their religion.>
'Many Yarsan families hide their identity'
In her research, S.B. found out that many Yarsan families hide their identity and force their children to hide their religion in society due to oppression on them. <Speaking about the role of women in Yarsanism, she said, <This community has been recognizing women's rights more in the last dozen years following the development in science and culture. Yarsan women go to universities and participate in the labor force more now.> Some observers believe that the <Jin, Jiyan, Azadi> uprising could lead to serious cultural and social changes. Speaking about how this uprising can affect Yarsan families and community, S.B. said, <Yarsan women give particular importance to their local clothing and they always have a comfortable and acceptable clothing style. In my opinion, this uprising has affected Yarsan women, who want to have their rights.> At the end of her speech, S.B. called on Yarsan and Kurdish women to make more efforts to develop themselves both in culture and politics. <If women develop themselves in culture and politics, they will have the place that they deserve in society.> >>
Source incl. video:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/community-life/men-and-women-have-equal-rights-in-the-yarsan-community-33444?page=1
Opinion by Gino d'Artali: Lo and behold, this is the first time I read about somebody speaking about Shia-muslims in a positive way but then again it are after all the women of the women-led revolution who are open to anybody/anyway of thinking as long as freedom is the keyword.

Iranwire - June 27, 2023
<<Khamenei: Judiciary Should Deal with Dissent with <Consistency>
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has urged the Iranian judiciary to have a <systematic approach> toward individuals who are using both virtual and physical spaces to <disturb people's mental security and create fear.> Addressing a group of judiciary employees on June 27, he called on the judiciary to deal with such individuals with <careful planning, discipline and consistency.> The leader of the Islamic Republic also lamented that <media and advertisements are not effectively utilized to showcase and inform the public about the extensive work> carried out by the judiciary. Khamenei's remarks come amid a fierce clampdown on dissent and the media in the country. Security forces have arrested users of the Clubhouse virtual network, while the authorities have summoned media activists and journalists to appear before revolutionary courts. Iranian media outlets have also warned against increased government censorship of domestically produced TV series.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117952-khamenei-judiciary-should-deal-with-dissent-with-consistency/

Iranwire - June 27, 2023
<<Acute Water Shortages in Kerman as Iran Enters Summer Heat
Residents of Kerman are facing severe water shortages as temperatures in the southern city are already exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. Despite efforts to address the issue, including the construction of new wells to provide drinking water to the Kerman residents, areas inside and outside the city have suffered either complete water cutoffs or a significant drop in water pressure in recent days. While water scarcity has been a recurring problem in Kerman over the past years, the crisis has reached an unprecedented scale. <Last year, officials promised that the water problem would be resolved by next year, but no concrete actions have been taken thus far. This issue demands immediate attention and follow-up by the governor of Kerman,> the head of the Civil and Urban Planning Commission of the Kerman City Council said. During the peak consumption period, statistics reveal a staggering water shortage of at least 1,200 liters per second. In an effort to alleviate the problem, at least five out of eight newly drilled wells have been put into operation this year, according to local media. However, following protests in the outskirts of Kerman demanding adequate water supplies, a portion of the water from the new wells has been directed to peripheral areas. The situation mirrors that in Tehran and many other cities across Iran, where water shortages and protests over the crisis are becoming more commonplace. Poor water management, drought, and corruption-ridden infrastructure projects have contributed to water scarcity. The Iranian Meteorological Organization has estimated that 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree. Last week, Iran's Migration Observatory revealed that 10,000 families have been forced to migrate from Zabol in Sistan and Baluchistan province over the past year due to harsh climate conditions and water shortages.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117951-acute-water-shortages-in-kerman-as-iran-enters-summer-heat/
Opinion by Gino d'Artali: Water shortage; environmental pollution (and/or nuclear); shelling of Kurdisch territories, especially mountains; or let's put our finger to the right direction: the regime's failure to provide the Iranian people with healhy and sufficient water and last but not least corruption is another call to the regime to go away!
Read related articles at:
www.cryfreedom.net/ZAA-JMA-2023june-wk4-part2.htm 

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 27, 2023
<<Stayesh Amiri released on bail
News Center- Stayesh Amiri, a 17-year-old student from Laristan was arbitrarily detained along with her father Ebrahim Amiri for protesting the poisoning of schoolgirls. She and her father have been released on bail after nearly four months detention in Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz. Two other students named Erfaneh Honar, 19, and Setayesh Darougheh, 16, were also arrested along with Stayesh Amiri but were later released on bail.
According to the human rights organizations, Setayesh Amiri and her father were tortured to accept false allegations of having ties with <foreign media> and being involved in the <poisoning of students.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/stayesh-amiri-released-on-bail-33482

Iranwire - June 27, 2023
<<Teachers' Union Denounces <Unjust> Sentencing of Protesting Educators
The Teachers' Union of Iran urged the Iranian authorities to immediately stop summoning and imposing heavy sentences on its members, after eight protesting teachers were sentenced to a total of 34 years behind bars amid a government crackdown on dissent. The Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced Abdolrazaq Amiri and Zahra Esfandiari to two years in prison each. Iraj Rahnama, Afshin Razmjoui, Mozhgan Bagheri, Gholamreza Gholami, Mohammad Ali Zahmtkesh, and Asghar Amirzadegan each face five years of imprisonment.
They are all members of the Fars Union of Teachers.
Calling the verdicts <unjust,> the Teachers’ Union said in a June 26 statement that the eight teachers were punished solely for demanding teachers’ rights be respected. The statement calls on the judicial officials and security forces of the Islamic Republic to refrain from fabricating cases against teachers and issuing unfair verdicts. Over the past few days, at least 11 teachers in Khuzestan province and five others in Yazd province have been summoned to revolutionary courts for trials.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117940-teachers-union-denounces-unjust-sentencing-of-protesting-educators/

Iranwire - June 27, 2023
Jailed Activist Sepehri Accuses Islamic Republic of Exploiting <Martyrs>
Fatemeh Sepehri, a prominent political activist imprisoned in Iran, accused the Islamic Republic of <capitalizing on the blood> of the victims of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Sepehri, who lost her husband during the conflict, made the comments in a message posted on her brother's Twitter account on June 26 after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei met with families of <martyrs.> <I wanted to scream when he spoke about the martyrs, but I realized it would negatively impact other prisoners,> she wrote, denouncing what she called the Islamic Republic's exploitation of martyrs' families over the past 45 years. Using her own situation as an example of the deep-rooted injustice inflicted upon martyrs' relatives, the activist questioned the justification of her incarceration.<What crime have I committed to be here?> Sepehri asked. The activist, who is facing severe health issues, is held captive in Mashhad's Vakil Abad Prison. The activist was arrested in the north-eastern city on September 12, 2022, and was sentenced in February this year to a total of 18 years in prison on charges including <propaganda against the regime,> <cooperating with hostile countries> and <insulting> Khamenei and his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini. She is one of the 14 signatories of a 2019 letter requesting Khamenei's resignation, the abolition of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a secular government.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/117939-jailed-activist-sepehri-accuses-islamic-republic-of-exploiting-martyrs/
 
copyright Womens' Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2023