Iran Updates: Journalists Who Reported Mahsa Amini’s Death Are Freed From Prison
UPDATE 1250 GMT:
The Tehran Court of Appeal has upheld the 5-year prison sentence of human rights advocate Asadollah Fakhimi and the 3-year term imposed on his wife and fellow activist Hoorieh Khanpour.
The couple were seized after a raid on their home last July. They were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic”, and released on bail in November.
UPDATE 1541 GMT:
Professor Ahmad Shekarchi of Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University is the latest academic dismissed amid the nationwide “Woman. Life. Freedom” protests.
Shekarchi announced his dismissal on Instagram on Monday.
Fifty students in the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences protested the firing in a statement on Telegram. They praised Shekarchi’s commitment to academics and ethics, and denounced the “repression” campaign dismissing scores of academics and expelling students.
Shekarchi co-signed a statement by 200 professors protesting the widespread arrests of students.
The Iranian outlet KhabarOnline reported on Wednesday that 25 professors at Tehran University have been dismissed or barred from teaching over the past two years.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Iranian comedian Zeinab Mousavi (pictured) has been summoned to serve a two-year prison sentence, following her statements in comic videos against compulsory hijab.
Mousavi shared a photo of the summons from the Iranian judiciary on her Instagram page on Monday. She has been instructed to hand herself over to authorities within five days.
She referred to celebrations of the fall of the Shah on February 11, 1979, “I will be in prison on the anniversary of the Spring of Freedom, and those of us born after that glorious era have not truly experienced freedom. We have been deprived of our rightful share of everything.”
Mousavi, 34, has been a featured stand-up comedian on State TV. She has more than half a million followers on Instagram. One of her comic characters is the “Empress of Kuzcoo” – an old villager who wears a hijab that reveals only her nose.
Mousavi was arrested amid the “Woman. Life. Freedom” protests in October 2022l. She was released on bail the following month after spending 25 days in solitary confinement.
She was handed the two-year sentence on unknown charges in December 2022.
[Editor’s Note: This claim is from the Iran regime’s State news agency.]
Reformists admit lying about approval of candidates: https://www.irna.ir/news/85384908
“Marashi stated: “In the elections of the 11th parliament, we had a stronger list of Tehran than the 10th parliament, but we decided to lie to the people that we did not have a candidate….. All our target candidates in Kerman have been approved and we can proceed with a wise decree to keep the field open for the benefit of the people.”
Iran Hardliners Call For Hijab Prosecution Of Football Star’s Daughter
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402123551
Radio Farda compares the situation before and after the 1979 Revolution: https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-s-main-social-economic-indicators-before-and-after-1979-revolution/32812698.html
It claims that Iran’s GNP per capita and oil production has declined in relative terms since 1979. The latter is definitely true, but that is in part because of the need to preserve oil reserves and observe the OPEC quota, as well as because of sanctions and damage to oil installations in the war with Saddam. Iran’s GNP pre-1979 was based largely on oil wealth rather than general economic production. It is also an inaccurate metric because the economy is difficult to estimate (being partly underground) and the currency exchange is confusing. A much better indicator is the Human development index. In 1975 it was 0.571 and now it is 0.774. Radio Farda accepts that literacy and life expectancy are much higher than before the Revolution. Other economic indicators that could have been used are electricity production (15x greater than in 1979), steel production (20x greater),car production (10x greater) and cereal production (3x greater).
Says a regime propagandist….
Compare iran’s economy of 45 years ago with the region and beyond at the time, and then look at catastrophic economy of iran today. Turkeye’s GDP was a fraction of that of iran in 1979, today it is nearly THREE times the GDP of iran. South Korea’s that was one third of iran’s economy at the time of revolution and look at them now.
baraaye kodoom goosaleh ahmaghi in kosesherha ro migi???(which herd of cattle you are you targeting)
Gamaan (an opposition “polling” agency) predicts only 15% of Iranians will vote on March 1st: https://www.iranintl.com/202402112346
2 of the 6 Reformist MPs disqualified have been reinstated:https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1220788
1. Ahmad Donyamali (representative for Bandar Anzali)
2. Abbas Jahangirzadeh (representative for Parsabad)
However, Jalal Mahmoudzadeh (representative of Mahabad), who criticised the government’s “crackdown” in the Kurdish regions, has been disqualified: https://www.khabaronline.ir/live/1870971
The status of the other three is not known. The appeals process continues with direct petitions to the Guardians Council itself (not provincial committees) due to be completed by Feb 22nd
Iranian Ex-Official Facing Canada Deportation Says He Knew Nothing About Abuses
https://iranwire.com/en/news/125207-iranian-ex-official-facing-canada-deportation-says-he-knew-nothing-about-abuses/
“….and was not aware that the Islamic Republic was engaged in arbitrary arrests, torture and killings.”
More appeals could be coming before the official start of the campaign: https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14021120000394
“if some people were approved in the previous stages for any reason and at this stage their disapproval has been announced, the law has provided a deadline for them to defend and listen to them.”
14,912 candidates approved to run for Majlis: https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14021120000394
The Guardians Council reinstated 41% of the 9500 candidates (3893) who appealed their disqualification for running for the Majlis to add to 11,019 initially approved. But just 5% of those who appealed their disqualification to the Assembly of Experts were reinstated. The latter election is less open because “scholastic aptitude” is required when determining the qualifications of the Leadership. 144 candidates have been cleared to run for the 88 seats.
Guardians Council allows candidates to continue appeals if they were initially qualified and then disqualified: https://www.isna.ir/news/1402112014791
Iran Compels Jews And Minorities To Honor Islamic Revolution
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402086054