THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:00 PM CEST
Stevenson: Purge of Teachers, Professors In Iran Punitive
The recently elected (in a sham poll), so-called “moderate” and “reformist” president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, is presiding over an ideological purge of teachers and university professors. One which has echoes of the darkest days of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. More than 20,000 school principals have been removed from their posts in a punitive shake-up, according to reports in the state-run newspaper Etemad. Apparently, the move is part of a broader strategy to eliminate dissent and enforce loyalty within the country’s educational system.
The academics targeted are believed to have been involved in widespread protests that broke out in schools and colleges across Iran, during the nationwide uprising in 2022/23, triggered by the death in custody of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
Read more
UPDATE: 5:00 PM CEST
Senator Mullin: ‘The Snake Is Iran. And That Head Needs To Be Cut Off’
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said during an interview over the weekend that it was time for the Islamic Republic of Iran to be held directly accountable for the terrorist attacks that its supports throughout the world.
Mullin made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash when asked about what his level of concern was over the rising tensions in the Middle East.
“It’s already been escalated,” he said. “At this point, what they need to know is that it’s not peace through appeasement. It’s peace through strength.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
The Perpetrators of Iran’s 1988 Massacre Can’t Escape Justice
In 1988, when Iranian regime supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini issued a handwritten decree for the massacre of political prisoners, he believed that by physically eliminating the PMOI, he could also destroy their ideals. If we examine history from this perspective, we will find that this is a mistake often made by dictators. In response to the executioners who had doubts after receiving his handwritten decree, he wrote:
“Anyone who remains loyal to the cause of hypocrisy [PMOI] at any stage should be executed. Destroy the enemies of Islam swiftly. Regarding the handling of the case files, whichever way the verdict can be carried out faster is preferred.”
With this emphasis, there is no doubt that Khomeini harbored the intention of committing genocide against the Mojahedin and took action on it in the last years of his disgraceful life. His successor Ali Khamenei continued this policy towards the PMOI.
Iran’s Happiness Index: A Decade of Stagnation
In a recent global survey of happiness indices, Iran ranks 101st out of 137 countries, highlighting a concerning trend in the nation’s overall well-being. Statistics published at the end of 2023 reveal that Iran’s happiness index, also known as the “,” stands at 4.98, significantly below the global average of 5.59. Over the past decade, from 2013 to 2023, Iran’s average happiness index has consistently remained below the world average, with a rate of 4.76. This persistent underperformance raises questions about the factors contributing to the nation’s relatively low levels of happiness.
The vice president of economy at the Tehran Chamber explains that the concept of “happiness economics” encompasses official academic studies examining the relationship between individual satisfaction and economic factors such as employment and wealth. Researchers primarily use surveys and indicators to track what different economies provide to their citizens.
Iran’s Regime Intensifies Pressure on Dissident Families
In continuation of the pressure on the families seeking justice, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Isfahan sentenced Maryam Mehrabi to six years in prison and additional punishments. According to hra-news, the six-year prison sentence and additional punishments for Maryam Mehrabi were recently issued by Branch One of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, presided over by Mohammadreza Tavakoli, and were communicated to this political prisoner on Sunday, August 4.
Ms. Mehrabi was sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the regime” and five years for “seducing or inciting people to war and killing with the intent of disturbing national security.” The Revolutionary Court also issued additional punishments of “two years of service prohibition and a two-year travel ban.”
Iranian Regime Authorities Deny Medical Transfer for Zeinab Jalalian in Her 17th Year of Imprisonment
Human rights sources report the continued “lack of medical care” for Zeinab Jalalian and state that the authorities of Yazd prison are opposing the repeated requests of this political prisoner for transfer to medical centers outside the prison. According to these reports, a source close to Zeinab Jalalian‘s family confirmed that this political prisoner “has been suffering from multiple physical problems for a long time,” but judicial authorities do not accept her “requests” for hospital transfer.
This political prisoner “is kept with general crime prisoners without observing the principle of separation of crimes” and “suffers from pterygium (eye condition), kidney, and gastrointestinal diseases.” She also “suffers from severe side pain.”
Gothenburg, Sweden—August 3, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally to Condemn the Wave of Brutal Executions in Iran
Gothenburg, Sweden—August 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – August 4, 2024