THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 6:30 PM CET
Justice Department Announces Murder-For-Hire and Related Charges Against IRGC Asset and Two Local Operatives
Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran; Carlisle Rivera, also known as Pop, 49, of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island, New York, were charged today in a criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York. Rivera was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, and Loadholt was arrested in Staten Island, New York, yesterday. Shakeri remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran. Rivera and Loadholt made their initial appearance in the Southern District of New York yesterday and were ordered detained pending trial.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CET
How Decades of Corruption Bankrupted Iran’s Pension Funds
This tradition of deception and plundering is ingrained into the policy of Iran’s autocratic rulers, which they have inherited from the Shah dictatorship before them. Workers who retired after 30 years of hard labor now take to the streets in Iran, demanding justice, their delayed pay, and rightful benefits. Today’s retirees have no control over their savings or assets. Their modest pension fund reserves have been embezzled by corrupt officials, transforming these funds into sources of recurring crises; ultimately, the main victims are these deprived retirees.
The pension fund crisis has become so vast and complex that it is no longer easily solvable. “According to the latest financial reports, the total cash return of pension fund companies is only 8%, and the fund’s assets suffice for only 18 months of pension payments. Some fund subsidiaries have accumulated losses amounting to 16 trillion rials and are in a critical state” (Ham-Mihan, November 2, 2024).
Iranian Regime Faces Trump’s Return with Growing Fear of Escalation
Following Donald Trump’s recent victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the Iranian regime finds itself facing a renewed wave of uncertainty. Having spent years suppressing domestic calls for reform and stifling protests, the Iranian government now looks anxiously toward Washington, where a new chapter of American foreign policy is set to unfold. Trump’s return has cast a shadow over Tehran’s political and economic strategies, as his previous term was marked by an aggressive “maximum pressure” campaign that isolated Iran and decimated its oil-based revenue. For Iranian leaders, Trump’s re-election amplifies an already fragile situation at home, where a population beset by economic hardship and political discontent sits on the verge of rebellion. Each political shift and international development is now scrutinized for its impact on public morale, as the regime braces for a potential explosion of unrest.
Kowsar Dehban-Zadeh Held in Solitary Confinement, Denied Contact
Kowsar Dehban-Zadeh has been under pressure from security forces due to her support for her imprisoned brother, Maysam Dehban-Zadeh, following up on his case.
Kowsar Dehban-Zadeh was arrested in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province in southern Iran, by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence on September 27, 2024, and placed in solitary confinement. She remains in solitary confinement in Shiraz prison without permission for phone calls. Her family has been threatened by authorities, warning them not to publicize her detention. Previously, Kowsar had been summoned multiple times by the Yasuj Intelligence Department and threatened due to her support for her brother.
Use Of Mazut in Iranian Power Plants Due to Gas Shortage
Keramat Veis Karami, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, announced an 80% increase in the supply of fuel oil (mazut) to the country’s power plants last month due to a shortage of natural gas.
On Monday, November 4, Veis Karami stated that the supply of mazut to Iranian power plants in September and October this year had increased by 75% and 80%, respectively, compared to the same months last year. He did not specify the current status of mazut use in power plants but mentioned that diesel delivery to power plants in November had also risen by 80% compared to last year due to a 3.8-degree drop in temperature.
Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison Joins “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign
According to reports received, on Saturday, November 2, 2024, prisoners in Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison joined the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign by announcing a hunger strike and refusing the prison lunch. With the participation of Dastgerd prisoners, the total number of prisons involved in the strike has now reached 25. The prisoners at Dastgerd stated, “Every day, some of us are taken for execution, and the number of executions in this prison is increasing. Therefore, in protest, we are joining the ‘No to Execution’ hunger strike starting this week.”
Gothenburg, Sweden—November 5, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of ‘No to Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime
Gothenburg, Sweden—November 5, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally in solidarity with the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign for the tenth consecutive week, in response to the executions taking place in Iran’s regime prisons.
Paris Exhibition Highlights Human Rights Violations in Iran: MEK Supporters Unite on November 5-6, 2024
Paris, France—On November 5 and 6, 2024, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a powerful exhibition showcasing photographs and books. This event aimed to express solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution and to protest against the alarming increase in executions by the Iranian regime.
Sheffield Hosts Exhibition in Solidarity with Iranian Political Prisoners Amid Hunger Strike Protests
UK, November 5, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and academics in England who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a book and photo exhibition in Sheffield to condemn human rights violations in Iran and show solidarity with the Iranian Revolution. The event highlighted the critical human rights situation in Iran, focusing on the concerning situation of the political prisoners facing death sentences, and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held by the mullahs’ regime.
Aarhus, November 5, 2024: MEK Supporters’ Rally Condemns Crimes of the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Aarhus, Denmark—November 5, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
