THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 11:30 AM
The Fearless Women Who Risk it All To Undermine Iran’s Oppressive Regime
By day, they are office workers and school teachers; ordinary citizens who struggle to make their salaries stretch to cover basic necessities in a heavily sanctioned country where inflation runs at a punishing 43 percent. But by night they become the thorn in the side of Iran’s fundamentalist regime: activists who risk their very lives to organize ways of undermining Iran’s theocracy to remind Iranians that there is another way.
And, with presidential elections this week to decide who should become president of Iran following the unexpected death of “Butcher of Tehran” Ebrahim Raisi, they have never been busier. Tara has spent the past week tearing down posters of presidential candidates and replacing them with those supporting the exiled opposition group People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).
UPDATE: 8:00 AM
Meeting with Ms. Izabela Konopacka, Member of The Board of Directors and President of The Million-Strong European Bars Federation Until June 2024
On Friday, June 21, 2024, Maryam Rajavi met with Ms. Izabela Konopacka, a member of the Board of Directors and the President of the European Bars Federation (2023-2024). The FBE represents one million lawyers. Ms. Konopacka also serves as the Vice President of the Bar Association of Wrocław in Poland.
Ms. Konopacka expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to meet Mrs. Rajavi and stated that as a member of the board, she represents the Federation of European Bar Associations, which includes 220 associations and one million lawyers. Their primary goal is to protect human rights in Europe and worldwide. Ms. Konopacka emphasized that the issue of human rights violations in Iran has always been a central concern for the Federation. She mentioned that at the last Federation meeting, many members expressed readiness to take action to protect the human rights of the Iranian people.
160 Members of The Bundestag Call for A Tougher Course in Iran Policy
160 members of the Bundestag and around 350 members of the state parliament and local politicians have signed a declaration in which they support the resistance in Iran and the demand to establish a secular and democratic republic in Iran and demand a tougher course against the mullah regime.
The declaration is titled: “Freedom and resistance in Iran guarantee peace and security in the world”. The declaration was initiated by former Bundestag President Rita Süssmuth (CDU), former chancellor advisor and chairman of the Munich Security Conference Horst Teltschik and constitutional law expert Professor Christoph Degenhart, among others. The initiative is also supported by the committee for the “Free Iran” rally, which will take place next Sunday in Berlin and is to become a central protest rally of exiled Iranians. The committee includes Christina-Maria Bammel, the provost of the Protestant Church Berlin-Brandenburg, and Katrin Bornmüller, the honorary chairwoman of the International Society for Human Rights.
The Irreversible Conviction of Iran’s Regime in The Hamid Noury Trial
On Saturday, June 15, 2024, in a shameful hostage exchange, convicted criminal Hamid Noury was transferred from a Swedish prison to Iran. Noury was sentenced to life in prison by a Swedish court for his role in the execution of thousands of Iranian political prisoners in 1988. In exchange for Noury, Iran’s regime released two Swedish citizens who were held hostage in Iran’s prisons.
The mullah regime, which has reaped nothing but disgrace and additional condemnation from this dirty deal, is desperately trying to present it to its discouraged forces, as a victory over the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). But the truth is that due to the relentless campaign of the Iranian Resistance and the testimony of PMOI members who survived Iran’s prisons during the 1988 massacre, the trial of the Noury has become an irreparable conviction of the Iranian regime.
Maryam Akbari Monfared: Iranian Political Prisoner Faces Property Confiscation as Sentence Nears End
Political prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared is facing a daunting new challenge as authorities move to seize her family’s property, reports the Sharq News Agency. The Executive Headquarters of Farman-e Imam (Khomeini’s Order) has launched a bid to confiscate her assets. This development comes as Maryam Akbari Monfared nears the end of a 15-year prison sentence set to conclude in December 2024. Her defense lawyer, Mr. Hossein Taj, shared his concerns:
“By October this year, Mrs. Akbari Monfared will have completed her 15-year imprisonment without a single day of temporary release. In addition to this sentence, she faces an additional 2 years in prison for another case. Recently, yet another new case was filed against her at the request of the Executive Headquarters, invoking Article 49 of the Constitution for ongoing case oversight.”
Equality in Divorce and Support for Widows in Iran
Articles 9 and 10 of the NCRI Plan on Women’s Rights and Freedoms address divorce rights and emphasize support for widows. Article 9 specifically focuses on the equal right of divorce between men and women. However, gender discrimination persists in Iran’s legal system, perpetuating inequality and limiting women’s autonomy.
Article 1133 of the Iranian Civil Code grants men the right to divorce. A simple certificate of non-reconciliation from the court suffices for a man to initiate divorce proceedings.
Additionally, Article 1123 outlines various reasons for divorce, including defects in women. These reasons, often arbitrary and discriminatory, can lead to divorce even for minor health conditions.
Alleged Smuggling of Two Airbus A340 Aircraft from Lithuania to Iran
Two Airbus A340 aircraft, owned by the Gambian leasing company Macka Invest, have reportedly been smuggled out of Lithuania and into Iran.
According to reports from Lithuanian media, the aircraft had been stationed at Šiauliai Airport (SQQ) in Lithuania. In February 2024, the planes managed to depart by declaring false destinations—Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Once they reached Iranian airspace, the aircraft switched off their transponders and landed at separate airports in Iran: Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport (THR) and Chabahar Konarak Airport (ZBR).
These two A340s are now believed to be operating with the Iranian airline Mahan Air, which is currently under US sanctions.
Iran Faces Environmental Crisis: An Alarming Report on Water Depletion and Land Subsidence
An environmental activist and researcher has issued a stark warning about the critical state of Iran’s environment, highlighting issues such as land subsidence, depletion of underground water tables, deforestation, and severe air pollution. Mohammad Darwish, an environmental expert, revealed that Iran’s thousand-year water reserve has been nearly exhausted over the past three decades. On Saturday, June 22, Shargh newspaper detailed Darwish’s speech during a meeting focused on “Investigating the Causes of Land Subsidence.” Darwish attributed the dire situation to excessive extraction of underground water, labeling Iran as a nation plagued by water shortages and having the highest rate of land subsidence globally. Despite this, the country continues to generate wealth through “virtual water exports” and the production of agricultural and dairy products.
More Than 17,500 Oil Workers on Strike in Over 75 Sites Across Iran
A labor organization announced that “more than 17,500 oil project workers in over 75 contracting companies” in various regions are on a full strike.
The Council for Organizing Protests of Contract Oil Workers (Third Party) wrote on June 22, noting the start of the project workers’ strike from June 19: “Eliminating contractors, increasing wages, and also 14 days of work and 14 days of rest” are the main demands of the striking workers.
The striking workers have also emphasized the necessity of improving dormitory conditions, working conditions, and workplace safety.
Tabriz Prison: A Place of Torture and Assault Against Women
Systematic assault on female prisoners by prison authorities Based on the testimony of female prisoners in Tabriz Prison, the prison warden and the head of prison security, using a computer containing images of female prisoners, select them and after office hours, take them to their place and assault them. The prison warden and the head of prison security were introduced as the main elements of these systematic assaults. The new exposé from Tabriz Prison reveals new dimensions of the violation of prisoners’ rights in this prison. Based on a special report that the “Iran Human Rights Center” has published on this matter.
Berlin Gears Up for Free Iran Grand Rally 2024: MEK Supporters to Gather on #BerlinDemo29June
Berlin, Germany—June 22, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) were circulating throughout Berlin using mobile billboards to advertise the grand gathering scheduled for Saturday, June 29th in the city.
Paris, June 22, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition: Call for Participation in the #BerlinDemo29June
Paris, France—June 22, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) continued to set up an exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. They also protested against the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
Amsterdam Rally by MEK Supporters on June 22, 2024: Supporting Maryam Rajavi’s 10-Point Plan and Calling for Participation in #BerlinDemo29June
Amsterdam, The Netherlands—June 22, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in Dam Square, to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Amsterdam—June 22, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally, Condemning the Appeasement Policy With the Mullahs
Amsterdam, The Netherlands—June 22, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in Dam Square, to protest the ineffective policy of appeasement with the Iranian regime.