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HRW Calls For Justice For Deadly Crackdown On Iranian Protesters

Footage Shows Crackdown On Iranian Protests
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on members of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to take urgent action to address the "brutal crackdown" by Iranian security forces on anti-government protests that rocked Tehran and more than 100 other cities and towns late last year.

Iranian authorities have failed to hold security forces accountable for "excessive and unlawful use of lethal force" in dealing with the weeklong protests that began on November 15 following a government decision to raise fuel prices. The demonstrations turned political as young and working-class protesters demanded clerical leaders step down.

More than three months later, officials have failed to announce the total number of deaths and arrests during the protests, HRW said in a statement on February 25.

"Iranian authorities have systematically repressed dissent for decades, and they are now confronting popular protests with an astonishing level of violence," said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at the New York-based human rights watchdog.

"Principled international voices should send an unequivocal message that Iran cannot get away with killing protesters," Page added.

HRW said that interviews with victims and witnesses, a review of photos and videos from the demonstrations, and satellite imagery analysis "strongly suggest" that unlawful lethal force was used on at least three occasions while security forces responded to protesters who were blocking roads, or in some cases throwing stones and attempting to take over public buildings.

People interviewed and videos posted on social media indicate that in these three instances people who were fleeing the scene of protests were shot, the group said. One of these cases can be seen in a video posted online on November 17, recorded from a highway overlooking Taleghani Street in Tehran.

Due to a near-total Internet shutdown maintained by the authorities for five days and threats against families of victims, documenting the full extent of the crackdown, including the total number of people killed, has been difficult, according to HRW.

It quoted informed sources as saying that the authorities had banned families from conducting interviews with media and threatened them with retaliation if they do.

Amnesty International has estimated that at least 304 people were killed and thousands wounded as the authorities "crushed protests using lethal force."

Iranian officials have dismissed such figures as "lies."

A member of parliament has put the number at 170, while official media reported the deaths of at least five members of the security forces.

One parliament member said about 7,000 people were detained.

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Iranian Police Chief Sentenced To Death For Killing Protester In 2022

Demonstrations in Iran in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code
Demonstrations in Iran in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code

An Iranian court has sentenced a police chief to death after he was charged with killing a man during mass protests in 2022, local media reported on March 27. Jafar Javanmardi was arrested in December 2022 over the killing of a protester during demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code. Javanmardi was sentenced to death "in accordance with the Islamic law of retribution…on the charge of premeditated murder," the lawyer for the victim's family said.

Poverty Forces Nearly 1 Million Iranians Out Of School

More than half a million school dropouts in the past year were from the 15-17-year age group.
More than half a million school dropouts in the past year were from the 15-17-year age group.

Some 930,000 Iranian children and adolescents were forced to abandon their education in the recent academic year, the Statistical Center of Iran reported, in a potential indication of rising poverty in the Islamic Republic.

According to official data, there are 3,6 million individuals of school age in Iran.

In an analysis of the latest data from the Statistical Center, Tejarat News, a website that covers economic issues, said the majority of school dropouts -- 556,994 -- come from the 15-17-year age group.

The phenomenon has been attributed to deepening poverty in the country, an opinion echoed by educational activists and experts alike.

At the start of the current academic year, the Organization of Iranian Teachers and the Cultural Educators' Assembly issued statements decrying the socio-economic disparities and that plague Iran's educational sector.

The government-affiliated Resalat newspaper acknowledged a surge in the dropout rate of more than 17 percent over the past six years, attributing this escalation to the country's worsening poverty.

Iran's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge in public protests.

Labor Ministry data shows that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

Meanwhile, in September, Iran's Misery Index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center, rose to 60.4 -- its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago. The higher the rating, the worse off people feel.

Several protests have been held by Iranians over the past year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly has added fuel to the unrest, as Iranians have also demonstrated against a lack of freedoms and women's rights.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran Rejects Release Plea By Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi

Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi (file photo)
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi (file photo)

Iranian authorities have once again denied imprisoned rapper and vocal government critic Toomaj Salehi's an early release request, according to an account on X, formerly Twitter, linked to the artist.

Salehi is currently in prison after an Iranian court sentenced him to six years for his involvement in the 2022 protests triggered by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for improperly wearing a mandatory Islamic scarf.

The @OfficialToomaj account said that one of the primary reasons for the rejection of Salehi's request was that one of the charges under which he was convicted was "corruption on earth," an accusation that can carry the death penalty.

Salehi's legal representative had previously said the artist was cleared of the "corruption on earth" charge last year.

Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of the protests, which had erupted the previous month following Amini's death.

He spent much of his pretrial detention in solitary confinement.

He was subsequently sentenced to more than six years in prison but released after the Supreme Court, on appeal, found "flaws in the original sentence." His case was sent back to a lower court for reexamination and possible retrial.

He was temporarily released on bail in November after spending over a year in prison, including 252 days in solitary confinement, but then was rearrested shortly after publicly talking about his alleged torture in prison in a video.

Salehi has gained prominence for lyrics that rail against corruption, widespread poverty, executions, and the killing of protesters in Iran.

His songs also point to a widening gap between ordinary Iranians and the country's leadership, accusing the authorities of "suffocating" the people without regard for their well-being.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran Confirms Death Of IRGC Quds Force Officer In Strikes On Syria

This picture taken on March 26 shows a view of a damaged building following an air strike in Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zor.
This picture taken on March 26 shows a view of a damaged building following an air strike in Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zor.

Iran has confirmed the death of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Syria following air strikes blamed on Israel.

The official IRNA news agency on March 26 said Behruz Vahedi, a member of the IRGC’s expeditionary wing, the Quds Force, had been killed in alleged Israeli air strikes on Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria.

Media close to the Syrian government have accused the United States of carrying out the strikes. Neither the United States nor Israel has commented.

Earlier, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory For Human Rights said 13 people were killed in the attack, including 12 non-Syrian members of the IRGC.

At least 11 Iranian members of the IRGC have been killed in suspected Israeli strikes on Syria and Lebanon since the start of the war in Gaza in October.

Israel launched a deadly offensive against the Palestinian enclave in response to a multipronged attack by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. Around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack inside Israel, while more than 250 were taken hostage and brought back to Gaza.

Iran's regional allies -- the so-called axis of resistance -- have been targeting Israeli and U.S. interests in the Middle East following Israel's attack on Gaza. However, armed groups have scaled back their attacks on American bases following a series of U.S. strikes in February.

The strikes on Syria came hours before Hamas’s political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, landed in Tehran for meetings with Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He told a news conference that a March 25 UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza showed that Israel was experiencing "unprecedented political isolation."

The IRGC stepped in to defend President Bashar al-Assad in 2013 when his grip on power was challenged during the Syrian civil war. Hundreds of IRGC commanders and officers, described by Tehran as “military advisers” are believed to be present in Syria. Iran maintains a large network of militias in the Arab country, consisting mostly of Shi’ite Afghan and Pakistani fighters.

With reporting by AFP

Iranian Union Activist Still In Jail After Completing Term

Teacher and union activist Jafar Ebrahimi (file photo)
Teacher and union activist Jafar Ebrahimi (file photo)

Jafar Ebrahimi, a prominent Iranian teacher and union activist, has not been released from prison despite serving the whole jail term he was sentenced to for organizing teachers' protests, the Iranian Teachers' Union's Coordination Council reported on Telegram.

Ebrahimi was arrested in 2022, along with several other union activists, and was handed a two-year jail sentence for illegal assembly, collusion, and propaganda against Iran.

Ebrahimi, along with Rasul Bodaghi, Ali Akbar Baghani, and Mohammad Habibi, all union activists, were accused of coordinating teachers' protests with French teachers' union official Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris.

Iranian officials have accused the French couple of "entering the country to sow chaos and destabilize society."

The arrests of the French nationals were largely seen as an attempt to discredit the Iranian teachers' rallies and increase pressure on the teachers' union to stop the protests.

Ebrahimi completed his term and was expecting to be released on March 20. But Iranian authorities ruled to keep him in prison to compensate for medical leave during his imprisonment, the Council said on Telegram.

Ebrahimi's health has reportedly deteriorated significantly during his imprisonment, with his lawyer, Erfan Karamveisi, saying his client, who suffers from diabetes, risked becoming blind.

Ebrahimi said in a November 2022 letter that after he was transferred from Tehran's infamous Evin prison to hospital due to illness, authorities chained him to the hospital bed for 12 days and denied him access to his lawyer and family.

Ebrahimi is not the only detainee who has been kept behind bars beyond his sentence.

Upon completing a 15-year sentence, political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared discovered that her jail term had been extended by two years due to new charges filed against her.

She has been in prison since December 2009, and sentenced in 2010 to 15 years for her support of an exiled opposition group. She is one of the longest-serving political prisoners in Iran.

Legal pretexts, including fresh charges, are employed by Iranian authorities to keep political and civil activists behind bars for extended periods.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iranian Court Overrules Academic Purge, Reinstates Med School Professors

Iranian medical professor Reza Malekzadeh (file photo)
Iranian medical professor Reza Malekzadeh (file photo)

Iran's Court of Administrative Justice has ordered the reinstatement of nearly 40 faculty members of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences who had been either dismissed or pressured into retirement in recent years, a professor at the university said on March 25.

Reza Malekzadeh told Tehran-based Jamaran News that the academics have successfully contested their removal or enforced retirement -- part of what appears to be a broader clampdown on members of Iranian academia.

Malekzadeh lamented the loss of experienced staff and mentioned a state of "despair among the youth" and a notable decline in the global ranking of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

The clampdown on academia, which began to gain momentum under President Ebrahim Raisi, intensified in the aftermath of the widespread protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody in September 2022.

The precise number of academics affected is not known, but it is believed to be significant. Despite government denials of any political motives, numerous professors have voiced concerns that their dismissals were politically motivated, and part of a "cleansing" of universities.

The clampdown and the subsequent deterioration of the quality of university education appears to have prompted a mass exodus of medical professionals, which Malekzadeh said is being driven by "despair."

Iran has witnessed the departure of approximately 16,000 doctors since 2020, fueled by an economic downturn, challenging working conditions, and constrained social and political freedoms, raising alarm over an impending public health-care crisis.

A report by the Etemad newspaper in September listed 52 professors ousted from Iranian universities since Raisi's tenure began in 2021, highlighting an intensification of faculty dismissals following the Women, Life, Freedom protests.

Mohammad Reiszadeh, the head of Iran's Medical System Organization, has described the departure of thousands of health professionals as a "serious crisis" for Iran's health-care sector.

For decades, Iran's universities have been at the center of the calls for reform.

In 1999, student demonstrations against the closure of a reformist newspaper were met with a violent raid on Tehran University dormitories, resulting in the death of a student.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Updated

Hamas Leader To Travel To Tehran For Meetings With Iranian Officials

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (file photo)
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (file photo)

The political bureau chief of the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group Hamas is slated to visit Tehran on March 26 for high-level meetings with Iranian officials, according to local media.

The official IRNA news agency said Ismail Haniyeh, who is based on Qatar, was scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, among a slew of other officials.

The trip comes a day after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Iranian media cited unnamed political pundits as saying that Haniyeh's visit coming after the resolution was “significant.”

The United States abstained from the March 25 vote, which upset Israel and prompted it to abruptly cancel the visit of a high-level delegation to Washington this week.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani welcomed the adoption of the resolution but said it was “not enough.” He called for “effective measures to implement” the resolution and urged a “complete and permanent cessation” of Israeli attacks against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Israel launched its deadly offensive after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on October 7, taking around 250 hostages and killing more than 1,100 people.

Haniyeh’s trip will mark his second visit to Tehran since the start of the war. His last visit came in early November, when he met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The trip was reported only after Hanyieh met Iranian officials.

Iran is a staunch supporter of Hamas and has praised the October 7 attack, but has insisted that it was not involved in its planning and execution.

Hamas is a member of the so-called axis of resistance, a network of Iran’s allies and proxies in the region. Some members of the network, particularly Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria, have launched attacks on Israel and targeted U.S. troops in the region since the start of the war. Iran maintains that the groups operate independently and rejects the proxy label.

With reporting by Reuters

Iran Mulls Financial Penalties For Hijab Rule Violations

Women working for the government patrol the streets of Tehran looking for head-scarf violations in November 2023.
Women working for the government patrol the streets of Tehran looking for head-scarf violations in November 2023.

An Iranian lawmaker says authorities are discussing introducing financial penalties for the violation of the mandatory hijab rule as a way to depart from physical coercion or criminal action against perceived perpetrators amid growing discontent among Iranians following a wave of repression against protests prompted by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022.

Amirhossein Bankipour told state TV on March 24 that a consensus on such a step had been reached among key governmental and security bodies.

Bakinpour said the move comes after assessments found that morality police patrols and criminal proceedings have not proven effective and triggered protests. The ruling bodies, including the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the Supreme National Security Council, have found fines a less confrontational means of enforcing the dress code, he said.

Bankipour last month hinted at a forthcoming bill dubbed Hijab and Chastity that would fine violators 30 million Iranian rials ($50), directly debiting the fines from their bank accounts, with additional penalties for repeat offenses.

However, a police spokesman said no official notification has been received about the fines so far.

The envisaged legislation empowers three intelligence agencies -- the Intelligence Ministry, the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization, and the Intelligence Organization of the Judiciary -- along with the police and the Basij paramilitary forces to take action against women who break the rules.

The hijab became compulsory for women and girls above the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities. Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.

Amini's death in September 2022 following her arrest over allegedly wearing the hijab improperly sparked a wave of anger that has presented the Islamic regime with one of the biggest challenges since the 1979 revolution.

The Women, Life, Freedom protests and civil disobedience against the compulsory hijab that have swept the country involved tens of thousands of Iranians, many of whom were already upset over the country's deteriorating living standards. Campaigns were also launched against the discriminatory law.

In the face of the unrest, some religious and government figures have repeatedly advocated for a tougher stance by the government against offenders, even going as far as encouraging a "fire-at-will" approach against noncompliant women.

The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee has categorized such actions against women as a crime against humanity.

Jailed Scholar Initiates Sit-In Protest At Iran's Evin Prison

Sedigheh Vasmaghi was arrested at her home by plainclothes officers on March 16 and faces charges of "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and "public appearances without Shari'a-compliant hijab."
Sedigheh Vasmaghi was arrested at her home by plainclothes officers on March 16 and faces charges of "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and "public appearances without Shari'a-compliant hijab."

Prominent Iranian scholar and activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi, charged with appearing in public without a mandatory head scarf, has started a sit-in protest in Tehran's Evin Prison to denounce the authorities' refusal to grant her weekly family visits.

The move was brought to light by the For Narges account on X, formerly twitter, which said that Narges Mohammadi, a fellow detainee and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has joined Vasmaghi's protest in a sign of support, with both women staging the sit-in at the office of the women's prison guards.

Mohammadi has been convicted five times since March 2021, three times for activism carried out while she is imprisoned, and has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison during that period.

The authorities refused to allow Vasmaghi family visitation rights, citing her refusal to adhere to Iran's mandatory hijab regulation. Vasmaghi, arrested at her home by plainclothes officers on March 16, faces charges of "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and "public appearances without Shari'a-compliant hijab."

Though she wore a head scarf for years, Vasmaghi has openly opposed the Islamic republic's hijab law, posting pictures and messages on social media condemning the government's crackdown on offenses related to the hijab and its repression of women, as well as appearing in public without the head scarf.

Vasmaghi also has been highly critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him a dictator and slamming the country's "oppressive" leadership.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported, citing a source close to Vasmaghi's family, that she was denied family visitation for the second time on March 24.

Vasmaghi has reportedly been subjected to harsh conditions of detention despite her deteriorating health. She has been denied access to medical care both on the premises of the prison or at external hospitals.

In her criticism of the compulsory hijab regulation, Vasmaghi said the measure was a political move rather than a Shari'a-compliant one. She has called on women to keep resisting the measure in order to expose it as a tool of political repression. She has also boycotted the Islamic Revolutionary Court, denouncing it as illegitimate.

The case has highlighted the ongoing struggle for human rights and freedom of expression in Iran, particularly concerning women's rights and the mandatory hijab law.

The death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 after her arrest for allegedly improperly wearing her head scarf led to months of nationwide protests that thrust women's rights and public disapproval of the hijab law to the forefront.

Iranian authorities responded by carrying out a violent crackdown that resulted in the deaths of over 500 protesters. They also implemented a stricter hijab law with harsher penalties and longer prison sentences for those who disobey it.

The fact-finding committee of the UN Human Rights Council labeled these government actions against women as a crime against humanity.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Workers Still 'Drowning' Despite Iran's Minimum-Wage Hike

Iranian workers stage a protest rally on March 22.
Iranian workers stage a protest rally on March 22.

The Iranian government’s 35.3 percent hike in the minimum wage for workers, announced at the start of the Persian New Year, has sparked a backlash among labor activists and the country’s labor force, who say it is inadequate in the face of years of economic decline and falling living standards.

The wage hike was sanctioned by the Supreme Labor Council and ratified by representatives of the government and employers but not labor delegates, who showed their disapproval by walking out of the council meeting and refusing to endorse the decree.

"Being underwater economically, whether by a little or a lot, doesn’t change the fact that you are drowning," Alireza Mirghafari, a council member and labor activist, was quoted by the semiofficial ILNA news agency as saying.

Labor analysts say the hike, made on the eve of the Persian New Year, won’t stop a rise in poverty levels among the workforce given the annual inflation rate for the past five years has been above 40 percent amid stagnant wages, decimating purchasing power for much of the country.

The country's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge of protests. Labor Ministry data shows that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

Meanwhile, in September 2023, Iran's Misery Index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center, rose to 60.4 -- its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago. The higher the rating, the worse off people feel.

The situation surrounding price growth is only going to get worse, according to Hassan Sadeghi, the head of the Veterans' Union of the Labor Community. He says the inflation rate could be on its way to climbing as high as 67 percent.

The wage hike decision has also prompted calls for heightened labor activism, with organizations like the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate labeling the increase "humiliating" for workers. The syndicate, through a Telegram statement, has urged for continuous protests and strikes to fight for fair wages.

Further criticism has come from the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, which said the new wage was still “insufficient” and called for collective action and the establishment of independent labor organizations as a means to defend workers' living standards.

A consortium of labor groups, including the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate and the Retirees' Union, issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of organized, strategic opposition to combat what they perceive as an exploitative system.

Unrest -- including several protests by teachers -- has rattled Iran in recent years in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

Labor laws in Iran do not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran's Currency Hits Record Low Against Dollar

The demand for dollars is currently high in Iran because people travel abroad for Norouz holidays. (file photo)
The demand for dollars is currently high in Iran because people travel abroad for Norouz holidays. (file photo)

Iran’s currency fell to a record low on March 24, plunging to 613,500 rials to the dollar as Iranians celebrated the Persian New Year. Most of the shops in Tehran's main currency exchange hub were closed due to the Norouz holidays. Mohsen, an employee of one of the shops, told the Associated Press that the holiday was contributing to the plunge in the rate, giving only his first name over fear of retribution for speaking about Iran’s economic struggles. The demand for dollars is high because people travel abroad for the holidaysand only a few exchange shops are open.

Acclaimed Iranian Singer Faramarz Aslani Dies After Cancer Diagnosis

Faramarz Aslani
Faramarz Aslani

Faramarz Aslani, the acclaimed Iranian pop and folk singer, died of cancer on March 20, less than three weeks after he announced he had been diagnosed with the illness.

"On the evening of March 20, Faramarz Aslani succumbed to cancer, leaving this world during the dawn of Norouz. His departure, amidst the love of his family, brings a lasting goodbye," his wife, Marjan, said in a post on Instagram.

Aslani was being treated in the U.S. state of Maryland when he died.

On March 3, Aslani shared his cancer diagnosis, saying he was committing his remaining days to "treatment and reflection on his deep ties to Iran's rich cultural heritage."

Born in Tehran in 1954, Aslani studied at London University's College of Journalism before returning home in the early 1970s to start his career.

Even though the 1979 Islamic Revolution prompted him to head back to England and then on to the United States, he remained a pivotal figure in Iranian music for five decades, particularly resonant during times of protest in 2009 and again during Iran's recent Women, Life, Freedom protests.

His music, with flamenco-like guitar work fused with Persian poetry and contemporary sounds, created hits such as If, One Day (Age Ye Rooz).

With Iran's Islamic leadership stifling music and artistic creativity, Aslani and many fellow artists established in Los Angeles a vibrant and influential community of Iranians in exile. This diaspora is widely credited with playing a pivotal role in preserving and perpetuating the legacy of Iranian pop music in the decades since the revolution.

Tributes to Aslani have poured in since his death was announced, with fellow artist Dariush Eghbali describing the late singer as a "noble human" and "kind friend." Another prominent Iranian singer, Nasrollah Moein, remembered Aslani as a "star who can't be duplicated."

Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, imprisoned for his opposition to Iran's regime, praised Aslani for continuing to be an activist for human rights in Iran at a time when some artists have compromised.

Since the 1979 revolution, female vocalists have faced a blanket ban on performing, while music concerts in general have been subjected to significant regulatory hurdles.

Many noted entertainers and cultural figures have been arrested for joining in or supporting protests sparked by the death in September 2022 of Mahsa Amini, who died while in police custody for an alleged head scarf violation.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

In Face Of Record-Low Election Turnout, Iranian Cleric Says Believers Matter, Not Majority

Conservative Iranian cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda (file photo)
Conservative Iranian cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda (file photo)

An influential cleric and the representative of the country's supreme leader in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi has called those who didn't vote in recent elections "inconsequential," even though they comprised almost 60 percent of the electorate as turnout hit a record low.

Ahmad Alamolhoda, who serves as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in the city of Mashhad, a significant Shi'ite center, was quoted by the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as criticizing the 59 percent of voters who did not cast ballots in the elections for not adhering to the "orders and command" of Khamenei.

Senior leaders pleaded with Iranians to show up en masse at the polls as Iran's theocracy is scrambling to restore its legitimacy in the wake of the 2022 repression and amid deteriorating economic conditions.

However, voter apathy, along with general dissatisfaction over living standards and a clampdown on basic human rights in Iran, has been growing for years, while many prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, called for a boycott of the elections, labeling them as superficial and predetermined.

"In Islam, a majority is not inherently acceptable," Alamolhoda said, adding that the "preferred majority" is one that is "devout and committed, as opposed to one that is rebellious and dissenting."

The March 1 elections for a new parliament, or Majlis, and a new Assembly of Experts, which elects Iran's supreme leader, were the first since the deadly nationwide protests erupted following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. She was detained for an alleged violation of the Islamic dress code.

Mostafa Tajzadeh, a prominent political activist currently incarcerated in Tehran's Evin prison, described the vote as a "historic failure" for the country's leaders that was directly attributable Khamenei, whose policies have sparked widespread public discontent with the Islamic republic.

Analysts and activists said the elections were “engineered” because only candidates vetted and approved by the Guardians Council were allowed to run. The council is made up of six clerics and six jurists who are all appointed directly and indirectly by Khamenei.

Official statistics released by the Ministry of Interior revealed that voter turnout exceeded 50 percent in only eight of the country's 31 provinces. In the Iranian capital of Tehran, the election faced a lukewarm reception from the public, with the Interior Ministry's statistics indicating that only about 26 percent of eligible voters participated.

Additionally, there were reports of a significant amount of invalid votes in Tehran and other major cities, although the Interior Ministry has withheld specific data related to the ballots.

In a display of dissent against the status quo, many Iranians deliberately spoiled their ballots as a form of anti-government protest.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Jailed Nobel Laureate Mohammadi Urges Extension Of UN Rights Probe In Iran

Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner.
Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner.

Iranian political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has called for the extension of a United Nations investigation into human rights violations in Iran, including gender apartheid and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the government.

In a statement delivered by Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the director of the Iran Human Rights organization, at a UN Human Rights Council meeting, Mohammadi stressed the urgent need for continued international scrutiny.

Mohammadi has been convicted fives times since March 2021 -- three times for activism carried out while she was imprisoned -- and has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison during that period.

She was already serving a sentence of 10 years and nine months on charges of acting against national security and propaganda against the state before the more recent convictions.

Amid unrest within the country, Mohammadi stressed that the Iranian regime's violent suppression tactics were not only intensifying but also broadening in scope, affecting not just political dissidents but women, religious minorities, and ethnic groups indiscriminately.

The call for action coincided with a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, where Javaid Rehman, the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, criticized the Islamic republic for its discrimination against minorities and the enactment of repressive laws targeting women and girls.

Rehman advocated for the creation of an international mechanism to hold the Iranian government accountable, highlighting the long-standing impunity enjoyed by the regime.

Mohammadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, has been campaigning for human rights in Iran for decades and has been in and out of prison for the last 20 years.

Concerns were also raised about the well-being of Mohammadi herself, who is currently imprisoned and facing serious health issues, including heart and lung conditions that pose a significant risk to her life.

In November 2022, the Geneva-based UNHRC formed a fact-finding committee to investigate human rights violations amid a violent crackdown on anti-government protests that erupted over the death of Mahsa Amini.

The resolution provides for an independent investigative mission to document human rights violations in Iran in the context of the crackdown on the protests, which erupted in mid-September after Amini died after being arrested for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly.

In a report presented earlier this month by Sara Hossain, head of the UN's Independent Fact-Finding Committee, the Iranian government was directly implicated in the physical violence leading to Amini's death, with the committee describing such government actions against women as "crimes against humanity."

However, Kazem Gharibabadi, the secretary of the Human Rights Council of Iran, accused the UN's Fact-Finding Committee of bias and a lack of independence.

Despite these accusations, 43 human rights organizations specializing in Iranian and international affairs have issued a joint statement urging the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandates of both Javaid Rehman and the Fact-Finding Committee, emphasizing the critical nature of their missions in safeguarding human rights within Iran.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iranian Women's Rights Activist Vasmaghi Refuses To Appear In 'Illegitimate' Court

Sedigheh Vasmaghi has reportedly refused to wear the mandatory hijab during her transfer to the prison infirmary, prompting prison officials to deny her medical attention.
Sedigheh Vasmaghi has reportedly refused to wear the mandatory hijab during her transfer to the prison infirmary, prompting prison officials to deny her medical attention.

Iranian scholar and activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi, charged with appearing in public without the mandatory head scarf, has said she will not appear in court, calling it "illegitimate."

Vasmaghi, who was arrested at her home by plainclothes officers on March 16, was charged with "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and "appearing in public places without the Shari'a-compliant hijab."

Though she wore a hijab for years, Vasmaghi has openly opposed the Islamic republic's hijab law, posting pictures and messages on social media condemning the government's crackdown on offenses related to the hijab and its repression of women, as well as appearing in public without a head scarf.

She has also been highly critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him a "dictator" and slamming the country's "oppressive" leadership.

Vasmaghi said she will not appear for a hearing at the Islamic Revolutionary Court over the charges because of its "unjust judges" and a system she does not recognize as lawful.

Some sources say Vasmaghi's health has deteriorated significantly while she was detained, as she suffers from heart and blood-pressure issues.

She has reportedly refused to wear the mandatory hijab during her transfer to the prison infirmary, prompting prison officials to deny her medical attention with only a nurse with limited medical supplies attending to her in jail.

Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh, Vasmaghi's husband, has detailed the circumstances of her arrest, noting that agents threatened to "break down the door" before confiscating her personal items, including mobile phone, computer, and medication.

The case has highlighted the ongoing struggle for human rights and freedom of expression in Iran, particularly concerning women's rights and the mandatory hijab law.

The death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 after her arrest for allegedly improperly wearing the hijab led to months of nationwide protests that thrust women's rights and public disapproval of the hijab law to the forefront.

Iranian authorities responded by carrying out a violent crackdown that resulted in the deaths of over 500 protesters. They also implemented a stricter hijab law with harsher penalties and longer prison sentences for those who disobey it.

The fact-finding committee of the UN Human Rights Council labeled these government actions against women as a "crime against humanity."

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Senior Iranian Cleric Accused Of Corruption In Land Deal

Imam Kazem Seddiqi (file photo)
Imam Kazem Seddiqi (file photo)

Kazem Seddiqi, Tehran's temporary Friday Prayers Imam, and his sons have been accused by a local journalist of having acquired several thousand square meters of prime real estate in the Iranian capital's northern districts, which he denies.

According to documents published by Iranian journalist Yashar Soltani, Seddiqi and his children acquired of a lush 4,200 square meter garden in Tehran's Ozgol area.

Soltani's research appears to show that around two decades ago, Seddiqi laid the foundations for the Ozgol Seminary on an expansive 20,000 square meter site near Tajrish, a significant portion of which was under the stewardship of the Endowments Organization and Tehran Municipality, a semigovernmental body in Iran responsible for overseeing all endowments that do not have a designated guardian.

The documents appear to further show that in 2022, a section of the land measuring 4,200 square meters was transferred to a company allegedly owned by Seddiqi and his two sons, Mohammad Mehdi and Mohammad Hossein.

Seddiqi has rejected the accusations claiming signatures on the documentation are forged and that a trusted associate had fraudulently registered the institution under his name without his consent.

In his most recent public appearance during Friday Prayers on March 16, Seddiqi lauded the "financial discipline" of President Ebrahim Raisi's administration while chastising “the wealthy” for their electoral apathy with record-low turnout in elections on March 1 for a new parliament, or Majlis, and a new Assembly of Experts.

Seddiqi has come under fire from political figures, media personalities aligned with reformers, and even some government allies who are skeptical of his insistence that the land was appropriated unbeknownst to him.

The delay in Seddiqi's rebuttal to the forgery allegations has fueled further speculation and demands for his resignation or dismissal on grounds of either malfeasance or incompetence. Additionally, there are calls for a thorough investigation of the matter.

Friday Prayer leaders across all Iranian cities are appointed by the supreme leader of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and hold substantial influence.

In recent years, numerous figures closely linked to the supreme leader have been embroiled in scandals involving financial corruption. Though some have faced trials, the effectiveness of these legal proceedings and the subsequent enforcement of their sentences have been met with skepticism.


In one high-profile case, Akbar Tabari, a former senior official within Iran's judiciary, was released from prison in June 2023 after serving less than three years of a 58-year sentence for financial corruption.

Iran is among the world's most corrupt nations, according to Transparency International, which ranked it 149 out of 180 countries in its 2023 Corruption Perception Index.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran Fears Loss Of Clout In The Caucasus

The Iranian and Azerbaijani flags fly on opposite ends of the Khodafarin Bridge on the border of the two countries.
The Iranian and Azerbaijani flags fly on opposite ends of the Khodafarin Bridge on the border of the two countries.

An emboldened Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, has changed the balance of power in the South Caucasus in recent years.

Baku reclaimed full control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that for three decades had been under ethnic-Armenian control, last year.

A weakened Armenia, meanwhile, has distanced itself from its traditional ally, Russia, and looked to move closer to the West.

The geopolitical changes in the region have raised concerns in Iran, which neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tehran fears it could lose its clout in a region that has long been dominated by Moscow, an ally.

The Islamic republic strongly opposes the proposed east-west Zangezur Corridor that would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Naxcivan exclave through Armenian territory and open a long-sought trade route to Tehran's rival, Turkey, and beyond.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) listens to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a joint news conference following their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on January 24.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) listens to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a joint news conference following their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on January 24.

Iran is also concerned Baku could forcibly seize territory in southern Armenia to create territorial continuity with Naxcivan, which would cut off Tehran from Yerevan, an ally.

Iran also opposes normalization between Armenia and Turkey, a scenario that could reduce Yerevan's dependence on Tehran and pave the way for greater Western influence in the volatile region.

"The changing dynamics in the region and the decline of Russia's relative influence pose potential challenges to Iran's long-term geopolitical and security goals in the region," said Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

Cutting Iran Out

The top diplomats of Armenia and Turkey met on March 1 in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya and reiterated their nations' intention to fully normalize relations.

That meeting was viewed with apprehension by some pundits inside Iran who suggested such a move would cut Tehran out of the region.

"If Ankara's efforts to normalize relations with Yerevan are successful, leading to the establishment of the Zangezur Corridor, it could indeed marginalize Iran geopolitically," Azizi said.

The 45-kilometer-long proposed corridor, Azizi said, would "not only enhance Turkish and Azerbaijani influence by providing a direct link between the two but also bypass Iran, diminishing its role as a potential regional transit hub."

Eldar Mamedov, a Brussels-based expert on the South Caucasus, said the corridor would effectively leave Iran "excessively dependent on the goodwill of Ankara and Baku for the security of its northern borders and also for accessing transit routes [to Russia]."

Azerbaijan's increasingly cozy relations with Iran's archfoe, Israel, have fueled tensions with Tehran.

Iran is also wary that Baku's growing influence in the region could fuel "irredentist tendencies" among Iran's large ethnic Azeri population, separated from Azerbaijan by the Aras River and located primarily in Iran's East and West Azerbaijan provinces, Mamedov said.

For Armenia and Turkey to normalize relations, Yerevan and Baku first need to sign a peace agreement, according to Benyamin Poghosyan, a senior research fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia.

Poghosyan said Azerbaijan would only sign the deal if Armenia conceded to all of Baku's demands, including the establishment of the Zangezur Corridor.

"But I don't believe Armenia will agree to provide Azerbaijan [with an] extraterritorial corridor," he said.

Poghosyan added that Azerbaijan is unlikely to forcibly seize Armenian territory to establish the corridor given the presence of a "hard-power deterrent" like Iran.

Wary of The West?

In February, Armenia suspended its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

The government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has long criticized the CSTO for its "failure to respond to the security challenges" facing Armenia.

In 2020, Baku recaptured parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly ethnic-Armenian-populated region inside Azerbaijan, following a six-week war that ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire.

Armenian defense officials met with their Iranian counterparts in Tehran on March 6.
Armenian defense officials met with their Iranian counterparts in Tehran on March 6.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan retook the rest of the territory after a lightning offensive that resulted in the full capitulation of the de facto Karabakh government.

Armenian authorities have accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh after the 2020 war of failing to stop Azerbaijan's offensive last year, a claim rejected by Moscow.

Armenia on March 6 said it had requested Moscow to remove Russian border troops from the international airport in Yerevan, the latest sign of souring relations.

The moves have fueled concerns in Iran that Armenia could turn to the West to guarantee its security.

In an apparent warning, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Ashtiani on March 6 told his Armenian counterpart in Tehran that "looking for security outside the region will have the opposite effect."

"We believe that the security architecture of the region should be designed in the region; therefore, any approach by countries in the region against this policy would be in no way acceptable," Ashtiani warned Suren Papikyan.

Poghosyan said Armenia seeks to "diversify its foreign and security policy" but that it was too soon to tell whether it wants to completely pivot to the West or just strengthen relations with Western powers without abandoning Russia.

He added that Iran has made it clear to Armenia that it "would not tolerate geopolitical changes in the South Caucasus, which means not only changes [to] borders, but also changes [to the] balance of power in the region."

For all their differences, Iranian and Western interests converge on their support for Armenian sovereignty.

As such, Mamedov argued, Iran's opposition to a Western presence "may not be as rigid as it appears to be in the official rhetoric."

But it is unclear if that will lead to any collaboration.

"The overarching anti-Western stance in Iranian foreign policy and Tehran's presumed desire not to upset Moscow in the South Caucasus make such cooperation very unlikely," Azizi said.

Iranians Visit Slain Protesters' Graves As New Year Approaches

A traditional Haft-Sin table in Iran pays remembrance to those who died during the Women, Life, Freedom protests.
A traditional Haft-Sin table in Iran pays remembrance to those who died during the Women, Life, Freedom protests.

Iranian families have visited the graves of relatives who lost their lives in protests despite a heavy police presence and heightened tensions over government restrictions on freedoms.

In the western Iranian city of Sanandaj, despite a heavy security presence, many families of those who died in the Women, Life, Freedom protests made their way to the graves of their loved ones as the Persian New Year, which in 2024 coincides with the onset of spring on March 20, approaches.

Pictures and video on social media showed visitors at the resting places of notable figures, including Mahsa Mogouei, a taekwondo champion from Isfahan who was killed in 2022; Aylar Haqi, a doctor from Tabriz; Mohsen Mousavi from Tehran's bazaar area; and Abolfazl Mahdipour, among others.

In one expression of grief and remembrance, the family of Sina Naderi from Kermanshah could be seen arranging a traditional Norouz Haft-Sin table on his grave, blending the celebration of the new year with the mourning of their loss.

Kamellia Sajadian, grieving for her son Mohammad Hasan Turkman and in honor of Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who was executed during the protests, took to Instagram to urge Iranians to remember all of those "waiting for their kind-hearted and those imprisoned, whose hearts remain with their children buried in the soil."

Many Iranians took to the streets in 2022 to protest against declining living standards and a lack of freedoms. The unrest grew after the death of Mahsa Amini in September of that year. The 22-year-old died under mysterious circumstances while she was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.

The clampdown resulted in the deaths of approximately 600 demonstrators, as reported by human rights groups, and thousands of arrests. The Iranian judiciary has also executed several protesters, further inflaming public outcry against the regime's harsh tactics.

The government has been accused of stepping up the pressure on the victims' families through collective arrests and the summoning of grieving families by security agencies with the aim of keeping them from commemorating the lives of their loved ones, which the government fears will trigger further unrest.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Baku Said To Be Preparing To Reopen Tehran Embassy After Attack

The Azerbaijani Embassy was the scene of an armed assault in January 2023 that resulted in the death of one embassy employee and left two others injured. 
The Azerbaijani Embassy was the scene of an armed assault in January 2023 that resulted in the death of one embassy employee and left two others injured. 

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran is preparing to resume operations, according to Iran's ambassador to Baku, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two countries.

In a statement to Baku TV, Iranian Ambassador Abbas Musavi said preparations for the reopening are under way, with an Azerbaijani delegation already having made the journey to Tehran. He did not give a specific date for the reopening.

The announcement comes a year after the Azerbaijani Embassy was the scene of an armed assault in January 2023 that resulted in the death of one embassy employee and left two others injured.

The attack, which Baku has called an "act of terrorism," led to a significant downturn in diplomatic relations, prompting Azerbaijan to remove its embassy staff from Tehran. Azerbaijan left open its consulate in Tabriz.

Musavi addressed the incident, saying that investigations by both nations concluded the attack was an isolated act driven by personal motives. The assailant, identified as Yasin Husseinzadeh, has been apprehended and tried. Details of the sentence were not released, but in Iran murder is punishable by a maximum penalty of death.

The trial of Husseinzadeh, marking a year since the attack, has been a focal point in discussions between the two countries, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirming on March 16 that a delegation from Azerbaijan would soon visit Tehran to facilitate the embassy's reopening.

Baku had said that the identification and prosecution of anyone involved in the attack were prerequisites for the normalization of relations and the reopening of its embassy in Tehran.

Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan also have been complicated by Azerbaijan's ties with Israel and Iran's support for Shiite groups in Azerbaijan. Such disputes have led to mutual accusations and arrests over alleged espionage and efforts to establish a theocratic state in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has also accused Iran of backing Armenia in a long-standing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Iran also has long accused Azerbaijan of fueling separatist sentiments among its sizeable ethnic Azeri minority.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Persia From Above, A Century Ago

In the winter of 1924, inhabitants of a small village near Tehran looked up as a metal-bodied airplane swooped in to land, bumped along a field, then collapsed in a cloud of dust after its landing gear broke.

Women in burqas watch as Walter Mittelholzer’s plane is repaired outside a settlement 40 kilometers from Tehran in December 1924.
Women in burqas watch as Walter Mittelholzer’s plane is repaired outside a settlement 40 kilometers from Tehran in December 1924.

The pilot of the plane was Swiss aviator Walter Mittelholzer, who had received an invitation from the Persian government to deliver a new Junkers aircraft to the country, which would be renamed Iran in 1935.

Swiss aviator and photographer Walter Mittelholzer (left) and mechanic Ernst Bissegger before their 1924 flight to Persia
Swiss aviator and photographer Walter Mittelholzer (left) and mechanic Ernst Bissegger before their 1924 flight to Persia

Kaspar Surber, a Swiss journalist who wrote a book on Mittelholzer, told RFE/RL the aviator was chosen for the flight to Persia in part to "popularize flying" through aerial images he would take there.

Mittelholzer was famous at the time for becoming the first person to extensively photograph Switzerland's mountains from an airplane.

Tehran photographed from an altitude of 400 meters with the Alborz mountain range in the background
Tehran photographed from an altitude of 400 meters with the Alborz mountain range in the background

In the 1920s, Surber says there was something of a "race" between German and British aviation companies to begin air services in Persia, making Mittelholzer's photography skills a key promotional advantage.

A Swiss newspaper wrote of the aviator, "The Swiss people know what to expect from their Mr. Mittelholzer, who can not only pilot a plane across unknown countries but also photograph and film in flight."

The Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in northern Iran
The Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in northern Iran

After their ignominious landing 40 kilometers outside of Tehran, Mittelholzer and mechanic Ernst Bissegger had a tense confrontation with villagers before help eventually arrived from the Persian capital and their aircraft was repaired.

Locals pull Mittelholzer’s plane into position at an airfield in Persia.
Locals pull Mittelholzer’s plane into position at an airfield in Persia.

Mittelholzer and Bissegger's flight of more than 3,000 kilometers from Switzerland to Persia included a standoff with Turkish authorities who confiscated their plane, troubles with poor-quality gasoline purchased in Baghdad, and erroneous maps that forced them into the ill-fated landing during which their plane's landing gear collapsed.

A river cuts through an unidentified Persian mountain range.
A river cuts through an unidentified Persian mountain range.

Mittelholzer’s initial impressions of the territory of Persia from above were of "areas that lie desolate and empty and wander past the observing eye for hours. Huge alluvial fans, piles of rubble, and deltas of saline rivers [that] characterize the country."

A small village in Persia
A small village in Persia

Isolated settlements occasionally came into view as the pair flew over Persian territory.

"Here and there a green patch shines," Mittelholzer wrote, "a space in the center of which features residents' mud huts rising on narrow and winding streets. Silver bands mark the irrigation channels at the edges of the gardens."

Bushehr, a town on the Persian Gulf, is seen from an altitude of 300 meters.
Bushehr, a town on the Persian Gulf, is seen from an altitude of 300 meters.

Mittelholzer seized the opportunity to photograph Persia extensively from above in photographs that are now held by the ETH Zurich library.

The port in Bushehr
The port in Bushehr

The Swiss aviator and photographer also made use of his camera on the ground to capture a country on the cusp of dramatic change under Reza Shah Pahlavi, a ruler who would become known as Persia's "modernizing strongman."

A walled village in Persia photographed from Mittelholzer’s plane
A walled village in Persia photographed from Mittelholzer’s plane

At the time of Mittelholzer's visit to Persia, the country was without major rail or road networks, and camel caravans were still in use as a means of foreign trade, making air transport an enticing possibility for the country's rulers.

Isfahan, in the center of today's Iran, as seen in 1924
Isfahan, in the center of today's Iran, as seen in 1924

With the aviation industry still in its infancy in Persia, Mittelholzer and Bissegger had the sky virtually to themselves as they swept low over urban centers to snap images that would soon stun European audiences.

A Junkers airplane photographed by Mittelholzer flying over Tehran
A Junkers airplane photographed by Mittelholzer flying over Tehran

Mittelholzer predicted that aerial photography would play a significant role in documentary imagery of the future.

"Another hitherto unseen world opens up before us. It is as if the Earth has thereby gained a new face, and man a new, unflawed eye," he wrote in 1928.

A fishing vessel under construction in Bushehr
A fishing vessel under construction in Bushehr

After spending several weeks inside Iran, the two Swiss aviators eventually made the long trek back to Central Europe by car. Mittelholzer would later co-found a company that became Swissair, Switzerland's national carrier until 2002. He died in a mountaineering accident in 1937 aged 43.

Kashan, in today’s Isfahan Province of Iran
Kashan, in today’s Isfahan Province of Iran

In a newspaper obituary, a friend noted that Mittelholzer's death in the mountains that he loved, and that had sparked his extraordinary career, had a certain tragic poetry: "They have embraced him 0n his last wanderings and claimed him, and perhaps he would not have wished for a better end, but alas it came all too soon, there was so much more for him to do."

Iran's Medical Council Warns Of Doctor Shortage Due To Emigration

The report cited the ongoing economic crisis in Iran as a key reason for medical personnel choosing to leave. (file photo)
The report cited the ongoing economic crisis in Iran as a key reason for medical personnel choosing to leave. (file photo)

Iran's Medical Council in a March 16 report warned that the country is facing a shortage of doctors, especially pediatric surgeons, because of the increasing number of physicians emigrating from the country. The nongovernmental organization's report cited the ongoing economic crisis in Iran as a key reason for medical personnel choosing to leave. Mohammad Raiszadeh, head of the council, previously called the "emptying of physicians" a "serious" crisis and warned about the future of Iran's health sector. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Iranian Religious Scholar, Women's Rights Activist Arrested

Sedigheh Vasmaghi (file photo)
Sedigheh Vasmaghi (file photo)

Sedigheh Vasmaghi, a prominent Iranian religious scholar and political activist, has been arrested by plainclothes security agents, her husband, Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh, said on March 16. Vasmaghi was arrested at her home by four agents -- three men and a woman – with what they said was a court order. They seized her laptop, medications, and her cane, her husband said. Vasmaghi had been summoned by the authorities in the past and is an outspoken critic of the clerical establishment and the compulsory hijab. She had worn a head scarf for years, but in recent months she appeared without a head scarf to protest the repression of women, she told RFE/RL. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

The Azadi Briefing: Taliban's Investment In Iranian Port Signals Shift Away From Pakistan

Iranian President Hassan Rohani inaugurates the first phase of the Chabahar Port in the southern Iranian coastal city in December 2017.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani inaugurates the first phase of the Chabahar Port in the southern Iranian coastal city in December 2017.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban has said it will invest around $35 million in Iran's strategic Chabahar Port, located in the country’s southeast.

The move announced in late February is seen as an attempt to lessen landlocked Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistani ports to access international markets.

Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan, longtime allies, have plummeted in recent years. Islamabad has accused the Taliban of harboring anti-Pakistani militants.

As bilateral ties have deteriorated, Islamabad has sporadically closed the border with Afghanistan, blocked the transit of Afghan imports, and increased taxes on Afghan exports to Pakistan. The moves have hit traders and the fragile Afghan economy hard.

“Depending on a country that has been heavily involved in Afghanistan’s affairs in such a critical area was not the right thing for Afghanistan,” a senior Taliban official told told Arab News. “Particularly that the economy of the other country is closely tied with politics."

Why It's Important: The Taliban’s decision to turn to Iran to access international markets is a strategic move with regional implications.

Access to the Chabahar Port reduces Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan and gives it access to India, Islamabad’s archenemy and Kabul’s traditional ally.

Islamabad has historically been Kabul’s biggest trading partner, but Iran has taken its place in recent years.

In Pakistan, foreign policy experts have expressed concern at Kabul’s expanding trade ties with its other neighbors.

“Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has dwindled from a high of $4 billion to less than a billion now,” former lawmaker Mushahid Hussain Syed wrote on X, previously Twitter.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan’s trade with India increased by 43 percent to $570 million last year.

Since 2002, India has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing Chabahar and linking Afghanistan to the Iranian port.

“As a competitor of Pakistan, India cooperates with any government in Kabul if its relations with Islamabad are tense,” Nasrullah Stanikzai, an Afghan political expert, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

What's Next: The Taliban is following in the footsteps of the former Western-backed Afghan government, which saw the country’s economic future linked with Chabahar.

The cash-strapped Taliban, which remains unrecognized and sanctioned by the international community, is likely to increasingly turn to Iran to increase trade and develop the Afghan economy.

What To Keep An Eye On

The World Bank has said work has resumed on the Afghan section of a $1.2 billion project to build a power line from Central Asia to South Asia.

Work on CASA-1000 was suspended after the Taliban forcibly seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The World Bank announced last month that it would move forward with financing pylons and other infrastructure in the Afghan section. The Taliban confirmed the move last week.

The project will allow Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to sell excess energy to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the summer months.

Why It's Important: The project, if completed, would be a major boon for the Afghan economy because Kabul will receive cheap hydropower and substantial transit fees.

CASA-1000 has long been seen by Afghanistan as part of its goal to be a regional hub of connectivity and trade.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Oscar-Winning Director Asghar Farhadi Cleared Of Plagiarism By Iranian Court

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi
Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi

An Iranian court has cleared two-time Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi of plagiarism charges over his film A Hero, which won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. A former student, Azadeh Masihzadeh, had accused Farhadi of stealing the idea for the movie from a documentary she made during a workshop run by the director in 2014 in Tehran. Farhadi's public relations firm on March 13 said in a statement the court verdict was based on the "expert" opinions of three prominent professors at Tehran University, as well as experts and lecturers in the field of intellectual property rights and arts. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

Iran's Inflation Taking Bite Out Of Traditional Persian New Year Meals

Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)
Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)

Iranians, already hit hard by declining living standards, are seeing steep price increases for essential goods as the Persian New Year, Norouz, approaches.

The New Year, which this year follows the start of the holy month of Ramadan and heralds the start of spring on March 20, is traditionally a time of celebration. But the surge in prices, according to local media, has forced many to prioritize essential food items over other purchases of new clothes for the New Year celebrations at a time already marred by economic hardship.

The Tehran-based Etemad newspaper highlighted the impact of these price hikes on Ramadan, noting that the cost of consumer goods for iftar meals has multiplied compared to the previous year as Iranians continue to endure an annual inflation rate that for the past five years has been above 40 percent while purchasing power has been decimated.

The cost of preparing the traditional haft-sin table, a central part of Norouz celebrations, has also skyrocketed, retailers said.

Unrest has rattled Iran for more than a year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The country's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge of protests. Labor Ministry data show that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

In September 2023, Iran's Misery Index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center, rose to 60.4 -- its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago. The higher the rating, the worse off people feel.

Rasoul Shajari, the head of Tehran's Shoemakers Union, reported a 25 percent drop in demand amid a 30 percent increase in prices in Tehran's pre-Norouz shoe market. Meanwhile, the Ettela'at newspaper said its survey of retailers showed a significant decline in the demand for sweets, a staple of Norouz celebrations, due to high prices.

Compounding the economic pressures, Tehran's City Council announced fare increases for public transport, including a 16 percent rise for the subway, 21 percent for rapid transit buses, and 30 percent for regular buses, further squeezing the already strained budgets of Tehran's residents.

The situation outside the capital is just as bad.

The Mehr news agency reported from the central Iranian province of Semnan that some prices have jumped "significantly" in the weeks leading up to the holiday season.

The Etemad newspaper, in a rare move, urged officials to refrain from exacerbating the situation with "additional social pressures" such as clamping down on wearing the hijab.

The Misery Index is also seen as a barometer for societal issues, with a direct link to crime rates and even instances of suicide. The most recent index also showed that in the past year, 22 of Iran's 31 provinces reported a reading surpassing the national average, highlighting countrywide discontent.

Several protests have been held by Iranians over the past year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The death of Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly has added fuel to the unrest, as Iranians have also demonstrated against a lack of freedoms and women's rights.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

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