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Iran News in Brief – March 31, 2023

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Workers from different ethnicities join together to demand their rights

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS

UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET

Iran Uprising at a Glance – Day 197

Based partially on reporting by PMOI (MEK) Network in Iran

Friday, March 31, 2023 – 8 PM GMT + 1

  • Days: 197
  • Protests: 282 cities
  • Fatalities: 750+ estimated deaths, 675 identified by MEK
  • Detentions: 30,000

Iran’s nationwide uprising witnessed its 197th day as Resistance Units affiliated with the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) launched a new wave of anti-regime measures in numerous cities across the country.

In parallel fashion, the brave Baluchis of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, especially the city of Zahedan, renewed their protests against the mullahs’ regime. To prevent any reporting and/or posting of today’s protests, including footage and videos of the protests, the regime disrupted internet connections.

Reports indicate that defiant youth in the city of Gachsaran, of Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad Province in southwest Iran, targeted a site of the IRGC paramilitary Basij force. This site is missioned to control, confront, and impose crackdown measures against anti-regime protests.

In other measures, protesters in the city of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kurdistan, torched a banner promoting the regime’s ideology and mentality that is loathed by the Iranian people.

Last night, protesters in the capital’s Parand district wrote graffiti: “Down with the dictator!”

Today, in Bukan, northwest Iran, Taxi drivers staged on strike protesting and voicing their economic woes.

On Thursday, workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company in the city of Shush of Khuzestan Province in southwest Iran held a rally protesting their extremely low paychecks determined by the regime’s Supreme Labor Council. These oppressed workers have long been holding rallies, including on March 25, and also on March 11, protesting the company officials’ refusal to address their demands. These workers have vowed to continue their protests, scheduling their next rally for Friday.

The protesting workers chanted:
“Haft Tappeh workers, unite, unite!”
“Iranian workers, unite, unite!”
“Workers would rather die than live in infamy!”
“Down with oppressors! Hail to workers!”


UPDATE: 3:30 PM CET

Call For EU To Blacklist Iranian Guards

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Fifty Nobel laureates called on the EU to blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In a joint letter sent to Council President Charles Michel, they also call on the United Nations to support a fact-finding mission to Iran to investigate human rights violations and atrocities perpetrated by the regime. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the main tool of war, repression, terrorism, and warmongering, that is why the people of Iran want it to be blacklisted by the civilized world, especially the European Union,” said the letter, seen by Playbook.

Source


BIS Imposes 20-Year Denial Order for Alleged Attempted Unauthorized Export of Communications Equipment to Iran

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Washington, D.C.—On March 29, 2023, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce issued an order denying the export privileges of two companies, Scott Communications, Inc. and Mission Communications, LLC, as well as their owner, Kenneth Peter Scott, (collectively Scott Communications) for a period of 20 years. This settlement resolves a Charging Letter (CL) setting forth five alleged violations of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by Scott Communications related to efforts to export communications equipment to Jordan knowing that the equipment was destined for Iran without the required license. Scott Communications also failed to file Electronic Export Information (EEI) for the transaction and failed to maintain appropriate records. During the course of the investigation, Scott made false or misleading statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and BIS Special Agents. Scott Communications admitted to committing the alleged conduct set forth in the CL as part of the settlement agreement.

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UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET

McCaul, Wilson, Kean Urge Mandatory Sanctions Against Russia-Iran Amid Significant Defense Transactions

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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Subcommittee Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Europe Subcommittee Chairman Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to impose mandatory sanctions in response to the Government of Iran’s significant defense transactions with the Russian Federation.

“The United States must leverage all relevant policy tools, including export controls and sanctions authorities, to discourage and hamper the destabilizing relationship between these two dangerous malign actors,” the members wrote. “The acquisition of Su-35s from persons operating for or on behalf of Russia’s defense or intelligence sector meets the ‘significant transaction’ standard pursuant to Section 231 of CAATSA and therefore subjects the recipient to sanctions. The Administration must therefore impose mandatory sanctions pursuant to CAATSA on Iran for this transaction, consistent with U.S. law and prior action against China’s Equipment Development Department (EDD) for its acquisition of Su-35s.”

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Azerbaijan Investigates ‘Terror Attack’ After Lawmaker Is Shot and Wounded

BAKU, March 29 (Reuters) – (This March 29 story has been corrected to say that Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Israel on Wednesday, not Israel in Azerbaijan, in paragraph 8)

Azerbaijan’s State Security Service said on Wednesday that it was investigating “a terror attack” after a lawmaker with strong anti-Iranian views was shot and wounded at his home.

Fazil Mustafa, a member of parliament, was hospitalised after receiving wounds to his shoulder and thigh when he was shot with a Kalashnikov assault rifle on Tuesday night, the security agency said in a statement.

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UPDATE: 8:00 AM CET

New Protests Spread Across Iran and Concern Regime Officials

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More protests are spreading across Iran despite the regime’s heavy crackdown measures and threats to impose massive financial fines on violators of strict dress code laws and other restrictions on the people’s basic rights. Iran’s economy is in deep waters, and more people are not only living from paycheck to paycheck but also finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. On this 196th day of Iran’s nationwide uprising, people throughout the country continue to specifically hold the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for their miseries, while also condemning the oppressive Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and paramilitary Basij units, alongside other security units that are on the ground suppressing the peaceful demonstrators.

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Rights of Bahai Citizens and Women Systematically Violated in Iran

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Unofficial sources in Iran say more than 300,000 Bahai citizens live in Iran. However, the clerical regime’s Constitution does not recognize the Bahai faith as a religion. Bahai citizens are deprived of their right to exercise their religious freedoms. Their rights are systematically violated. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights reiterate that everyone is entitled to freedom of religion or change of religion or faith. They also have the right to talk about their faith individually or in groups, openly or secretly.

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Mahsa Amini

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Mahsa Amini (Zhina) was a young woman from Saqqez who had just been admitted to the university. She was in Tehran with her family to visit her relatives. On September 13, 2022, she was arrested near the Haqqani metro station in Tehran for improper veiling.

She was then transferred to the Morality Police headquarters. Some two hours later, Mahsa fell into a coma after being severely beaten by police. She died on September 16.

Mahsa Amini’s murder provoked the anger of Iranians and sparked a flaming uprising that lasted several months across more than 200 Iranian cities.

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Also, read Iran News in Brief – March 30, 2023