THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 5:00 PM CEST
Iranian Political Prisoner Maryam Akbari Monfared Held in Solitary Confinement
“I have been away from my children for thirteen years, but I have seen the crime with my own eyes and my resolve has grown stronger than ever.” Maryam Akbari Monfared, mother of three daughters, has been locked up in Iranian jails for fifteen years now.
During all these years, the political prisoner has not stopped denouncing human rights violations in her country, such as through her writings published on the hundredth day of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, at the end of 2022. After more than twelve years in detention, extended by two years for “insulting the supreme leader”, she is now facing new charges that keep her in solitary confinement.
UPDATE: 4:00 PM CEST
UN Seeks Probe into Reported Mass Killing of Afghans Migrating to Iran
HERAT, Afghanistan, Oct 17 (Reuters) – The United Nations mission in Afghanistan called on Thursday for an investigation into reports that a large group of Afghan migrants had been shot and killed on the Afghanistan-Iran border.
Afghan media outlets including Tolo News, citing witnesses, said more than 200 Afghan migrants who entered Iran illegally were attacked on Iranian territory, and that dozens had been killed and injured.
Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, denied the reports of the “death of dozens of illegal nationals” in a post on X.
Flight PS752: International Coalition Advances Legal Proceedings against Iran
The International Coordination and Response Group, representing Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, has filed a memorial with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to advance its case against Iran. This marks the next phase in legal proceedings related to Iran’s breaches of the 1971 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation.
The coalition accuses Iran of failing to take sufficient measures to prevent the destruction of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 by its armed forces on 8 January 2020 and of not conducting a transparent investigation or prosecution as required by international standards.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
Beyond Its Proxy Wars, Tehran’s Real Conflict Is with The People of Iran
Recognizing the main conflict and its fronts in Iran is a crucial issue that society and political forces must understand. If we fail to discern the direction and tactics of this conflict during any shifts in power, we risk falling prey to the propaganda of diversionary and proxy wars, inadvertently or deliberately aiding the tyrannical regime of the mullahs and its goals.
For more than four decades, the main conflict has been between the Iranian people and the regime, and it will continue until the regime’s downfall. On one side are the people and their blood-stained resistance movement, and on the other is the regime, with all its factions, supporters, lobbies, and hidden and visible elements, united in the common goal of preserving the system.
From four decades ago until today, the regime’s first and last priority has been the preservation of its own existence at any cost.
French Human Rights Lawyers Call on West to Break Silence on Executions in Iran
In a joint article published in the newspapers Libération and L’Humanité, and on the website of the French Human Rights League, a group of prominent French lawyers and human rights defenders called for predicating international relations with Iran to a moratorium on executions. The article, which comes in response to the alarming rise in the number of political executions in Iran, is co-authored by Dominique Attias, President of the Board of Directors of the European Bar Foundation; Patrick Baudouin, Honorary President of the French Human Rights League; William Bourdon, Lawyer and Founding President of the Sherpa Association; Jean-François Legaret, President of the Foundation for Middle East Studies (Femo); Jean-Pierre Mignard, Lawyer and essayist; and Gilbert Mitterrand President of the Danielle-Mitterrand Foundation France-Libertés.
The Expansion of Iran Regime’s Missile Program: Strategic and Regional Implications
Iran regime’s missile program has developed into one of the most formidable military capabilities in the Middle East, featuring a diverse arsenal and extensive production infrastructure.
Recent developments indicate significant expansions at key missile sites, particularly at the Khojir missile production complex and the Modarres military base, both of which are overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
These expansions aim to increase both ballistic missile and drone production, with Iranian officials confirming their intention to enhance conventional missile capabilities amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.
The Burden of Housing Costs on Iranian Households: A Growing Crisis
Since the late 2010s, housing costs have become a significant financial strain for Iranian households, particularly in major cities. The rising cost of rent and housing now consumes nearly half of the average family’s income, turning home ownership and even renting into a major financial burden. Official statistics show that housing expenses have steadily increased across Iran’s 31 provinces. In 2023, the average household spent 42.2% of its income on housing, up from 38% the previous year. In Tehran, this figure has reached an alarming 56%. For comparison, renters in the early 2000s spent just 28% of their income on housing, but since the 2010s, this percentage has climbed consistently.
Escalating Student Protests and Public Demonstrations Across Iran
On Wednesday, October 16, protests by various segments of the public were accompanied by a student protest. On Wednesday, the second protest by medical students from Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch took place in front of the Secretariat of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
First-year students in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy at the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University protested the sudden increase in tuition fees without prior notice. The students had also held a similar protest in front of the Science and Research University the previous day.
Khamenei’s Orders the Acceleration of Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Simultaneously with the rise of Massoud Pezeshkian as the president of Iran’s regime, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to complete and expedite the nuclear weapons project. Prior to this, the Iranian regime had tried to hide the project or portray it as purely for peaceful purposes. However, the Iranian opposition group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) exposed the regime’s atomic bomb project. Only then did the public become aware of the scale of this project, as well as the regime’s missile program.
These days, Iranian regime officials openly talk about building an atomic bomb, revealing their original intentions. The primary reason for this is a strategic escape from the quagmire of war and the survival of the Iranian regime through nuclear weapons.
Oslo, Norway—October 12, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the ‘No to Executions’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime
Oslo, Norway—October 12, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians, and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized a rally and exhibition in Support of the “No to Executions” campaign against the mullahs’ regime. They protested against the ongoing brutal executions across Iran. The participants urged support for the Iranian people and their resistance in the struggle to establish freedom, democracy, human rights, and justice in Iran.
October 12, 2024: MEK Supporters Organize Rallies and Exhibitions in European Cities in Support of the ‘No to Executions’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime
October 12, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians, and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), rally in various European cities in Support of the “No to Executions” campaign against the mullahs’ regime. The cities included Aarhus, Bucharest, Helsinki, Luxembourg, Oslo, Strasbourg, and Vienna.
Gothenburg, Sweden—October 15, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign Against Iran’s Regime
Gothenburg, Sweden—October 15, 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 seventh consecutive week, in response to the executions taking place in Iran’s regime prisons.
Birmingham Exhibition in Support of the ‘No to Executions’ Campaign Against Iran’s Regime – October 15, 2024
Birmingham—October 15, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and academics living in England, who support the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), organized an exhibition and called for an end to human rights violations in Iran. They expressed solidarity with Iranian political prisoners on hunger strike, protesting torture and executions by the mullahs’ regime.
