THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST
Butcher of Notorious Kahrizak Prison Was Acquitted Again
The Iranian regime’s Judiciary that executes poor people for drug-related charges, has once again acquitted a serial criminal and corrupt state politician.
According to the state-run Tasnim, “Branch 29 of the Supreme Court acquitted Saeed Mortazavi in the Social Security case. Mortazavi has been acquitted by requesting the application of Article 474 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.”
As the former head and CEO of the Social Security Organization, Saeed Mortazavi was sentenced to 70 lashes for the illegal seizure of funds and property of the Social Security Organization in order to pay and allocate these funds to particular people. However, after appealing through Article 474 of the Criminal Code, he was acquitted by the Supreme Court. Accordingly, he was also acquitted of 70 lashes, and the families who had filed a complaint against him, have all dropped the complaints.
In September 2009, Mortazavi was sentenced to 5 years in prison in a case filed by one of the former state officials, Mohsen Ruholamini, for manslaughter. Ruholamini’s son was arrested during the 2009 uprising and he was among the many protestors who were tortured, raped, and killed in the notorious Kahrizak Prison, run by Saeed Mortazavi.
But after a sham trial, the Court of Appeals reduced the sentence to 2 years due to “expressing remorse”, and eventually, the case was dropped and Mortazavi was released after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
Saeed Mortazavi has also been called the “butcher of the press” and “torturer of Tehran” for the torturing, raping, and killing an Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi in 2003. Despite efforts by the Canadian government, Tehran has never responded to queries for investigations of Zahra Kazemi’s murder.
Newspaper Undermines State Lies About Recovering Economy
Amid increasing socio-economic crises that have sparked more infighting in the highest echelons of power in Tehran, a state-run newspaper is questioning all previous claims made by the Iranian regime that tried to paint a rosy picture of the regime’s economic build-up.
The Jomhuri Eslami daily wrote today: “Those officials in charge of providing statistics of our country include the export of watermelons and various kinds of vegetables to our neighbors of the Persian Gulf and Central Asian countries in order to show the high amount of exports, both in terms of weight and price. When it comes to selling oil and receiving money, they say that our exports have reached the pre-sanction levels and that we have already received the money. They claim that we have also fully received our funds from the British government for the Chieftain tanks. Our $7 billion frozen assets have also been transferred from South Korea to an Omani bank. Inflation has also come down and thanks to God, we have solved many economic problems and people can now live in peace.”
The paper concludes: “At the end of the day, if all this endless optimism is true, we are faced with a very important question of why people are still facing increasing livelihood problems and nothing is fixed for them? And the next question is: if these problems are to be solved, when exactly is this going to happen?”
UPDATE: 1:00 PM CEST
Amid Rising Tensions over Prices, MP Calls to Hold Raisi Accountable
Addressing other members of the regime’s parliament, MP Abbas Mahmoudzadeh Meshkini said today: “I’m sure that those of our colleagues who are personally purchasing livelihoods are certainly aware of the mood of the people and the market. I do not know how to describe the current situation to avoid the sensitivity of state officials as well as avoiding the enemies’ exploitation. Briefly said, people are not doing well.”
“Excuses provided by the ministers and officials in justifying the economic situation are not acceptable nor do they make sense,” the MP said. “I suggest we invite the honorable president personally to visit the parliament and respond to the MPs. You either should solve the problems or explain them to the people. If you can’t solve the problems, well then let these people concede the job. How does it make sense to keep those in power who fail to solve things? I’m asking you to invite the esteemed president to explain to the MPs so that these representatives can explain to their clients themselves. None of us…”
The microphone of this MP was cut off and the speaker reminded him that his time is out.
UPDATE: 9:00 AM CEST
Unrest Continues in Southern Khuzestan Province
According to reports and videos posted on the Internet, people in the cities of Hamidiyeh and Shadegan on Monday, May 9, protested against the destructive state policies that are currently reflected in the soaring prices of bread and other basic food items. Footage shows locals burning tires and blocking roads.
The brave youth of Shadegan blocked the city’s highway at night by burning tires.
Syria’s Assad Makes Surprise Visit to Iran To Meet Khamenei, Raisi
Syrian infamous President Bashar Assad paid a short visit to Tehran on Sunday, May 8, and met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi during his brief visit, according to Iranian and Syrian media. This was only the second visit Bashar Assad has made to Iran since Syria’s civil war began in 2011. Tehran has consistently supported the Damascus regime and has given it financial and military support during the 11-year conflict. Assad’s last reported visit to Iran took place in February 2019. Bashar Hafez al-Assad (born September 11, 1965) is a Syrian politician who has been the 19th president of Syria since July 17, 2000.
In Iran, the People Compete With the Government, “Reformist” Says
In an interview with the ILNA news agency on May 2, Hossein Marashi, the Secretary-General of Executives of the Construction Party and former MP from Kerman province, acknowledged the Iranian people’s growing hatred and fury against the Iranian regime.
He stated, “I told Mr. President [Ebrahim Raisi], ‘Your success is our wish… In the past, we were your rivals, and we will remain your rivals in the future. However, we wish you success because neither you nor your ‘conservative’ movement is our rivals. Our rival is the Iranian people’s disappointment and frustration.”
Three Christian Citizens in Iran Face Trial on National Security Charges
Following an indictment, the case of three Christian citizens named Joseph Shahbazian, Somayeh (Sonia) Sadegh, and Mina Khajavi Qomi was referred to Branch 26 of the so-called Revolutionary Court of Tehran.
The charges against these individuals are “creating groups with the aim of disrupting national security”, “acting against national security by propagating evangelical Christianity”, and “congregating in a house church”.
Among them, Joseph Shahbazian, a 57-year-old Armenian citizen, was arrested in July 2018 along with a number of Christian converts during a religious ceremony in the Yaftabad area of Tehran. In August 2019, he was temporarily released on bail of two billion tomans. Somayeh Sadegh and Mina Khajavi Qomi were among the detainees who were temporarily released on bail.
A Female Worker Lost Her Life When Dragged Into a Confectionary Machine
A female worker, 40, lost her life when dragged into a confectionary machine. The incident happened in a patisserie in Babol, Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. The Fire Department of Babol announced the accident occurred on the morning of May 8, 2022. Rescue workers attending the scene found out that a piece of the victim’s clothes had been stuck in the machine, and pulled her in. Unfortunately, she suffocated at once and lost her life.
Read more: Iran News in Brief – May 9, 2022