THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CEST
Iran Prepares Mass Finger Amputation of ‘Thieves’ in Brutal Sharia Punishment
Iranian authorities are preparing to chop off the fingers from the hands of three men convicted of robbery as part of their horrific punishment.
Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharfian and Mehdi Shahivand, who are being held in Urumieh Central prison, West Azerbaijan province, are waiting to undergo the ‘cruel and irreversible’ punishment of finger amputation as early as April 11, human rights organisation Amnesty International said today.
All three men were arrested in August 2017 and convicted of robbery in 2019 after a ‘grossly unfair trial’, in which the court sentenced them to have four fingers on their right hands completely cut off.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM CEST
Disability Rate in Iran Surges to 11.5%: Experts Urge Policy Reform and Infrastructure Investment
The head of Iran’s Welfare Organization has revealed a striking rise in the national disability rate, marking a turning point in the country’s public health and social care landscape. According to Javad Hosseini, the findings of the latest National Disability Epidemiology Survey indicate that approximately 11.5% of Iran’s population, equivalent to 9.5 million people, are currently living with some form of disability in 2024.
Speaking at a meeting of the Gonabad County Administrative Council on March 29, Hosseini noted that the survey, which included data from 297,000 households within the welfare target community, shows a significant increase compared to past years. In 2011, the disability rate was officially reported at only 1.3%—a figure that experts now consider vastly underestimated due to flawed methodologies and outdated standards.
No to Death Sentences: Protest by the Family of Political Prisoner Vahid Bani Amerian
On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, coinciding with the traditional Iranian festival of Sizdah Bedar, the family of political prisoner Vahid Bani Amerian staged a protest in Sonqor, condemning the death sentences issued against political prisoners in Iran.
Holding pictures of their son and Pouya Ghobadi, another political prisoner sentenced to death, his parents carried handwritten signs demanding the immediate abolition of death sentences for political detainees.
In a video message, the father of political prisoner Vahid Bani Amerian said:
“My dears, we spent Sizdah Bedar of 1404 (April 2, 2025) without you once again, outside the city, weighed down by grief and sorrow—while your death sentences have been issued.
Iran’s 2025 Budget: Massive Oil Revenues for Military, State Assets Transferred to IRGC
The detailed text of Iran’s new budget bill (which started on March 21) was released by the Iranian government on Monday, March 31. It not only highlights the massive share of oil revenues and national budget allocated to the military and security forces but also facilitates these institutions’ acquisition of state assets.
For several years, a portion of Iran’s oil exports has been allocated to military forces, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), under the “Strengthening National Defense” program. However, this year, not only has the military’s oil share increased significantly, but government budget expenditures to finance them have also grown. Additionally, the authorization for direct crude oil deliveries has expanded to include other institutions and projects, such as Iran’s nuclear program.
Report on the Situation of Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death in Iran – Part 8
Vahid Bani-Amerian, born in 1992, from Sonqor, is a graduate of Electrical Engineering and holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management from K. N. Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. He is a prime example of Iran’s educated and courageous youth who has been systematically targeted by the Iranian regime for his civic and political activism. The death sentence issued against him on December 1, 2024, by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court is not only a blatant violation of human rights but also a serious warning to the international community regarding the intensification of repression in Iran. This report aims to highlight Vahid Bani-Amerian’s situation and calls for urgent action to save his life.
Vahid Bani-Amerian, an outstanding student and civil activist, has been arrested multiple times since 2017 for his courage in defending collective rights:
2017–2018: Arrested on charges of “propaganda against the regime and insulting the Supreme Leader,” sentenced to five years in prison in December 2018.
Manchester Exhibition Host Exhibition to Protest Executions of Iranian Political Prisoners
Manchester, UK – April 3, 2025: Members of the Academics in Exile Association, who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized a book stall and photo exhibition to protest the death sentences imposed on political prisoners affiliated with the PMOI. The event was a direct appeal to UK leaders to take urgent action to save those facing execution and to support global campaigns against the regime’s ongoing injustices.