Don't be sketching satirical cartoons of Iranian lawmakers. Iranian woman sentenced to nearly 13 years in jail over satirical cartoons Atena Farghadani, 28, was accused of “insulting members of parliament through paintings” and “spreading propaganda against the system,” according to Amnesty International https://justthenews.com/world/middl...-nearly-13-years-jail-over-satirical-cartoons
Iran heads to presidential run-off on July 5 amid record low turnout https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/29/iran-poised-for-presidential-run-off-in-tight-race
I didn't realize things were this bad in Iran. I'm surprised they didn't try to retaliate against Israel after their bombing. That made them look pretty weak. Looks like they have focused their attention on killing "subversives." Reminds me of the East German secret police and their "enemies" aka dissidents. Who knew Khomeini & his tyrants was worse than Shah Pahlavi & the CIA? It's very sad, really. Most of my high school friends were pro-Shah Iranians who fled during the coup. One of my friends was the son of a 4 star general under the Shah and he knew exactly when to flee.
Reminds me of the degenerates of the House of Saud who commit crimes & are involved in debauchery in the West but not in the KSA. Just another noble hypocrite.
A "reformer" is elected the President of Iran. Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian elected Iran's president https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx824yl3ln4o Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new president, beating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili. The vote was declared in Dr Pezeshkian's favour after he secured 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted. Mr Jalili polled at 44.3%. The run-off came after no candidate secured a majority in the first round of the election on 28 June, which saw a historically low voter turnout of 40%. The election was called after Iran’s previous president Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May, in which seven others also died. The leaders of China, India and Russia have all congratulated Dr Pezeshkian on his victory. Even before the final results were declared by Iran's interior ministry, Dr Pezeshkian's supporters had taken to the streets in Tehran and a number of other cities to celebrate. Videos posted on social media showed mostly young people dancing and waving the signature green flag of his campaign, while passing cars sounded their horns. Dr Pezeshkian, a 71-year-old heart surgeon and member of the Iranian parliament, is critical of Iran’s notorious morality police and caused a stir after promising “unity and cohesion”, as well as an end to Iran's “isolation” from the world. He has also called for “constructive negotiations” with Western powers over a renewal of the faltering 2015 nuclear deal in which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for an easing of Western sanctions. His rival, Saeed Jalili, favours the status quo. The former nuclear negotiator enjoys strong support amongst Iran’s most religious communities. Mr Jalili is known for his hardline anti-Western stance and opposition to restoring the nuclear deal, which he says crossed Iran’s “red lines". Turnout in the latest round of voting was 50% - higher than the first round last week, when the turnout was the lowest since the Islamic revolution in 1979 amid widespread discontent, but still considerably low. Widespread discontent meant that millions of people boycotted the elections. Lack of choice in the candidates, dominated by Islamic hard liners, and the impossibility of real change as long as the supreme leader tightly controls policies added to their frustration. Some people who did not vote in the first round were persuaded to cast their ballot for Dr Pezeshkian this time round to prevent Mr Jalili from becoming the president. They feared that if he won, Iran would be heading for more confrontation with the outside world and that he would bring Iran more sanctions and further isolation. In order to stand, both candidates had to make it through a vetting process run by the Guardian Council, a body made up of 12 clerics and jurists that hold significant power in Iran. That process saw 74 other candidates removed from the race, including several women. The Guardian Council has previously been criticised by human rights groups for disqualifying candidates who are not loyal enough to the regime. After years of civil unrest - culminating in anti-regime protests that shook the country in 2022-23 - many young and middle-class Iranians deeply mistrust the establishment and have previously refused to vote. On Iranian social media, the Persian hashtag "traitorous minority" went viral, urging people not to vote for either of the candidates and calling anyone who did a "traitor". But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected suggestions that the low turnout represents a rejection of his rule. "There are reasons [behind the low turnout] and politicians and sociologists will examine them, but if anyone thinks that those who did not vote are against the establishment, they are plainly wrong," he said. In a rare move, he acknowledged that some Iranians do not accept the current regime. "We listen to them and we know what they are saying and it is not like they are hidden and not seen," Mr Khamenei said.
Let's catch up with the women the Iranian regime is executing. A country where you will be executed for "membership in the labor organization". 'If you want to execute Mohammadi, dig two graves': Iranian labor activist sentenced to death Sharifeh Mohammadi, who has been imprisoned since December 2023, has not been granted visits and phone calls by family members. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-809166 Iranian labor and social activist Sharifeh Mohammadi has been issued the death sentence by Iran, prompting widespread public condemnation, BBC Persian reported on Thursday. According to unofficial reports, one of the accusations against Mohammadi was her membership in the "Coordination Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations," BBC Persian noted. However, reports emphasized that she has not been a member in years. RadioFreeEurope also reported that Iranian courts charged Mohammadi with "armed rebellion against the state" and that the primary evidence was her membership in the labor organization. Additionally, Iran accused her of being a member of a banned Kurdish separatist party. Mohammadi was arrested in December 2023 as part of Iran's campaign to dispel public dissent, and the regime has notably executed at least 22 women in the past year, Iran International reported. The UN has called for the "horrific wave of executions" to end. As a result of the state's decision, activists have pledged to begin a hunger strike in front of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht until the sentence is revoked, Iran International stated. Activist Farhad Meysami, as quoted by Iran International, stated, "If you want to execute Mohammadi, dig two graves." Concerns over Mohammadi's conditions in prison Rights groups reported that Mohammadi was stripped of several rights while imprisoned, such as not being granted visits and phone calls, including depriving her of visits by her children and other family members. Her husband was also recently arrested, though was released. Mohammadi's family expressed grave concern over her condition. Iran International noted the context of the situation, stating that Mohammadi's arrest occurred amid security and judicial crackdowns on labor activists, teachers, and retirees. The Iranian regime has notably suppressed protests, such as during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" demonstrations that erupted as a backlash to the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Let's see where Iranians flee to for safety. Iranian TV presenter stabbed in London moves abroad for safety Exclusive: Pouria Zeraati ‘no longer felt safe in UK’ as Tehran regime steps up threats and attacks on critics in exile https://www.theguardian.com/global-...-flees-abroad-safety-transnational-repression
Guess the Iranian government officials think men in shorts are gay. After Hijabs, Iran's Morality Police Have A New Target: Men In Shorts https://worldcrunch.com/culture-society/iran-morality-police-shorts-hijab
It's pretty obvious to most governments around the world that Iran has been developing nuclear weapons for quite a while -- even before sanctions were re-imposed. US intelligence abandons claim Iran 'not currently undertaking' nuclear weapons development The intelligence community's update to Congress highlighted 'a notable increase this year in Iranian public statements about nuclear weapons' https://justthenews.com/government/...ran-not-currently-undertaking-nuclear-weapons