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Iranian Regime President Faces Backlash over Remarks on Cabinet Selection
During an August 21 session in the Majlis (parliament), the Iranian regime’s new president Massoud Pezeshkian confessed that all members of his cabinet have been coordinated and approved by regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the regime’s security apparatus. This confession led to the disgrace of the entire regime—from Khamenei to the Parliament, the President, the elections, and so on. This incident has driven the fervent supporters of the Supreme Leader into a frenzy. The chaos among this group is particularly driven by the fact that this farce clearly demonstrated the Iranian Resistance’s perspective on the absolute tyranny of the mullahs’ regime. There could not have been a better way to show that in the mullahs’ regime, the institutions of governance, from the Parliament and the government to the judiciary, and even mechanisms like elections, law, and the constitution, are all completely ridiculous and hollow.
Iranian Hackers Infiltrate Trump Campaign, Raising Election Security Concerns
The Iranian regime hacking group known as APT42 or CharmingKitten has reportedly compromised the campaign of former U.S. President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to researchers and experts tracking the group. APT42, which is believed to be associated with an intelligence division within Iran’s military known as the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC-IO), is known for its highly targeted and invasive espionage tactics. This includes the deployment of surveillance software on victims’ mobile phones, allowing the hackers to record calls, steal text messages, and remotely activate cameras and microphones.
“What makes (APT42) incredibly dangerous is this idea that they are an organization that has a history of physically targeting people of interest,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst with U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant. Past research has found the group surveilling the cell phones of Iranian activists and protesters, some of whom were subsequently imprisoned or threatened.
Sudden Pension Cuts Threaten 13,000 Disabled and Welfare Recipients in Iran
In a shocking development, approximately 13,000 welfare recipients in Iran, 60% of whom are disabled, have suddenly had their pensions terminated. This crisis, revealed by disability rights activist Behrouz Marovatti in an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency, has plunged thousands of families into financial turmoil. The crisis originated when pension payment responsibility was transferred to the Subsidy Targeting Organization at the beginning of 2024, as per Paragraph 2 of Note 8 of the Budget Law. This decision was implemented without considering its potentially devastating social and economic consequences. Despite assurances from the Court of Accounts to reinstate these individuals into the support system, the affected beneficiaries remain without their pensions, facing severe poverty and livelihood challenges.
UN Committee Highlights Racial Discrimination Concerns in Iran
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) announced the results of its investigation into Iran and six other countries during a press conference on 23 August 2024.
CERD had previously examined these seven countries’ cases in a recent meeting in Geneva, where questions about racial discrimination and the status of ethnic, religious, and other minorities were raised. These issues have become particularly pressing following the widespread protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
Michał Balcerzak, the committee’s special rapporteur on Iran, expressed deep concern about deficiencies in the implementation of justice and the aftermath of the protests in Iran. The committee has requested that the Iranian government respond to the raised questions within one year.
Armita Paveer Placed in Solitary Confinement in Tabriz Prison
Armita Paveer, a political prisoner held in the Central Prison of Tabriz, has been placed in solitary confinement as a punitive measure by prison authorities.
The 29-year-old student activist, who was arrested in late September 2023, has also been denied all contact with her family since her transfer to solitary confinement.
The incident leading to this action occurred on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, when Armita Paveer protested the lack of medical care being provided to a sick inmate. Following a dispute with prison officials over this issue, she was placed in solitary confinement as punishment. Since then, Armita Paveer has been barred from making phone calls or visiting her family.
Iran’s Regime Owes 1.1 Quadrillion Rials to Wheat Farmers
According to the Iranian state television news agency, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh said in a television program, “Since the formation of the government, the payment of wheat farmers has been semi-officially pursued, and we were looking for resources.” He added that the remaining government debt will be paid in October. He did not explain how this massive debt to farmers would be paid within less than two months and with what financial resources.
In recent months, Iranian regime officials have repeatedly promised to settle the accounts with wheat farmers, but these promises have not yet been fulfilled. This issue has led to protests by farmers, including gatherings.
Iranian Authorities Close Khavaran Cemetery to Families of Prisoners Executed in 1980s
Iranian regime agents once again prevented the families of political prisoners executed in the 1980s from entering Khavaran Cemetery in Tehran to hold a memorial ceremony.
A group of families of political prisoners executed in the 1980s visited Khavaran Cemetery on Friday, August 23, to commemorate their loved ones. According to the report, in addition to closing the cemetery gates, the government agents also removed the photos and flowers that the families had placed at the entrance of the cemetery.
For some time now, the Iranian government has been preventing Khavaran families from visiting the cemetery while simultaneously forcibly burying the bodies of Baha’i citizens in the section designated for political prisoners executed in the summer of 1988.
Berlin, August 22, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Berlin, Germany—August 22, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The exhibition is also being held to protest the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.