THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET
Iran Dissident Group Says Six Members Sentenced to Death
PARIS, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Six Iranian dissidents have been sentenced to death for charges ranging from belonging to an opposition group, collusion against the state and armed rebellion, according to a ruling seen by Reuters on Wednesday and a statement from the group.
The sentences from Nov. 25 come amid a rise in what Human Rights Watch, opens new tab said in November was a “flurry of new death sentences” in recent weeks.
The six men, part of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), are aged between 32-65 and have a history of opposing Iranian authorities.
UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET
Robert Wilkie to Newsmax: Trump Will ‘Break’ Back of Iranian Economy
Former Undersecretary of Defense Robert Wilkie said Monday he thinks President-elect Donald Trump will rein in Iran after he is sworn in by crippling the Islamic Republic’s economy.
“What I expect President Trump to do — and I’m not speaking for him officially — is to finally break the back of the Iranian economy by opening up America’s energy power — that drives the price of oil down,” Wilkie told Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “He will reinstitute the sanctions on Iran that [President] Joe Biden lifted, and I think you will see the Middle East settling into a more pro-Israeli Arab agreement or friendship than you’ve ever seen before. And I think America will actually be stronger in the long run.”
Fuel Oil Smuggling Network Rakes in $1 Billion for Iran and Its Proxies
DUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) – A sophisticated fuel oil smuggling network that some experts believe generates at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani took office in 2022, five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The operation exploits a government policy under which Iraq allocates fuel oil to asphalt plants at heavily subsidised prices and involves a network of companies, groups and individuals in Iraq, Iran and Gulf states, according to the five people and three Western intelligence reports, two from August this year and one which was undated.
Under the scheme, anywhere from 500,000 to 750,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil (HFO), including high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) – equivalent to 3.4 million to 5 million barrels of oil – is diverted from the plants each month and exported, mostly to Asia, two of the sources said.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
Iran’s Rebellious Youth Respond to The Regime’s Executions with Fire
In response to the continued rise in executions in Iran, rebellious youth are ramping up their activities against the regime. In a new round of activities, the youth targeted regime centers of repression and corruption on November 30 in Ahvaz, Zahedan, Zahak, Kish, Iranshahr, Tehran, Karaj, and Qaemshahr. The targets included the Basij and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), two of the pillars of the regime’s apparatus of terror and suppression, and the regime’s criminal judiciary, which is wantonly handing out and carrying out death sentences. The youth also set fire to banners and billboards featuring the regime’s leaders and spreading the regime’s terrorist propaganda.
The Fall of Aleppo: Strategic and Regional Implications for the Iranian Regime
The fall of Aleppo during the new conflicts in Syria marks a pivotal event with far-reaching consequences, particularly for Iran’s regime and its regional proxies. This development represented a substantial strategic setback not only in the military sphere but also in the broader political and regional context. It disrupted key power dynamics and challenged Iran’s policies in Syria and its long-standing support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
For the Iranian regime, Syria has always been more than just an ally. It serves as the critical corridor for transferring military aid and weapons to Hezbollah and other proxies. Since the outbreak of the Syrian war, Iran, primarily through Hezbollah, has sought to maintain its influence in Syria and secure strategic positions essential for sustaining its regional presence. The fall of Aleppo, one of the key bases in the Syrian conflict, directly undermined these efforts by destabilizing Iran’s military supply routes and weakening its proxy forces.
Iran’s Regime Faces Intensifying Economic Crisis
On Wednesday, November 27, Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran’s regime, acknowledged the dire state of the country’s economy. He admitted that his government lacks the economic power to improve conditions or halt the deepening poverty plaguing Iranian society. The Research Center of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce underscored this bleak outlook, announcing that the government’s ability to finance development projects has “essentially reached zero.”
In recent days, numerous senior officials from the regime have voiced urgent warnings about economic crises and severe shortages in electricity, gasoline, gas, and water supplies. Despite these warnings, the regime’s leadership remains resolute in pursuing its controversial regional policies and maintaining its confrontational stance toward the West.
Execution of Two Women in Ilam Central Prison: The Clerical Regime’s Killing Machine Continues Unabated
At dawn on Monday, December 2, 2024, three prisoners, including two women, were hanged in Ilam Central Prison. One of the women, identified as Farideh Jafarzadeh, was sentenced to death on charges of intentional murder. The identity of the second woman remained unknown at the time of this report. As of this writing, the execution of these three individuals has not been reported by state-affiliated media.
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the 45th week of the “Tuesdays Against Executions” campaign was marked by hunger strikes in 25 prisons across Iran. Prisoners staged this protest against the regime’s mass executions, particularly the recent death sentences issued for six political prisoners affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and a protester detained during the 2022 uprising.
Iran’s Regime Preparing “Chastity and Hijab” Law and Financial Penalties for Girls Aged 9 to 15
The “Chastity and Hijab” law, set to be implemented soon, is regarded as one of the most significant measures aimed at reinforcing compulsory hijab in society. It has sparked widespread reactions and protests. This law is seen as a tool for exerting increased pressure and control over women. This law consists of 74 articles, detailing various duties and responsibilities related to enforcing compulsory hijab and monitoring compliance. The second section of the law explicitly outlines different penalties and fines for those who do not comply with hijab regulations.
These penalties include hefty financial fines, imprisonment, deprivation of certain social rights, and even “educational measures” for women and girls who fail to observe the hijab. Alongside fines, there are restrictions on accessing government services such as passport issuance, driver’s licenses, and other civil rights.
Why Executions Must Stop
“Now I am a captive. My body is chained in a dark, damp cell, and my soul is imprisoned in the shadow of a deadly thought… I am condemned to die, condemned to die! This doom is my only companion, haunting me relentlessly. My entire being is frozen by the chilling weight of it, my body bent under the crushing, unbearable burden…” (“The Last Day of a Condemned Man”, Victor Hugo)
The possibility of error in the issuance of legal verdicts is ever-present. For example, since 1973, nearly 200 individuals sentenced to death in the United States have been exonerated after being proven innocent. Others have been executed despite serious doubts about their guilt. It can never be overlooked that an individual sentenced to death may, in fact, be innocent and that their statements or “confessions,” which form the basis of the case proceedings, may have been extracted under duress or torture during the interrogation process. In Iran, during the harrowing 1980s, many detainees were summarily executed without proof of guilt or fair due process.
MEK Supporters in Stuttgart Protest Death Sentences for Six Political Prisoners Associated with the PMOI
Stuttgart, Germany—December 2, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and exhibition to protest the death sentences for six political prisoners associated with the PMOI. The event also condemned the Iranian regime’s ongoing crimes against the Iranian people and expressed solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
MEK Supporters in Zurich Protest Death Sentences for Six Political Prisoners Associated with the PMOI
Zurich, Switzerland—December 2, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and exhibition to protest the death sentences of six political prisoners associated with the PMOI. The event also condemned the Iranian regime’s ongoing crimes against the Iranian people and expressed solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution.
