THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 2:00 PM CEST
‘Key Figure’ In Hezbollah-Linked Family Charged In Colombia With Financing Militant Group
A member of a prominent Hezbollah-linked family has been arrested in Colombia and charged with using the proceeds of his business to finance the Lebanese militant group. Mahdy Akil Helbawi is designated a backer of terrorism by the US Treasury and has been sanctioned along with his father Amer Mohamed Akil Rada, who is alleged to have carried out a bombing on a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people in July 1994, and uncle Samer Akil Rada.
Mr Akil Helbawi, 37, was detained by police at his house in the city of Cucuta, on the border with Venezuela, and is facing charges of money laundering and the use of false documents, among others.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM CEST
Condolences on the Passing of Henri Leclerc, a Great Defender of Human Rights
Henri Leclerc, a towering figure in the defense of human rights, the very embodiment of justice and the rule of law, one of the most illustrious lawyers in French history, and the Honorary President of the League of Human Rights, passed away today, September 1, at the age of 90.
Over his remarkable 65-year career, Leclerc stood as a leading figure in French jurisprudence and a steadfast advocate for justice and the rule of law.
The French legal community has come together in tribute to him, and the media have mourned the loss of a “noble elder.” For four decades, he was an unyielding advocate for the Iranian Resistance, persistently defending both the Resistance and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran under the most arduous conditions.
Power Outages in Iran And Their Consequences
Iranian regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini sowed the initial seeds of the kinds of policies and rhetoric that are known today as “lie treatment” and “promise treatment,” where regime officials make a bunch of commitments and promises that they never uphold. A few weeks before the 1979 revolution, Khomeini promised everyone, “Don’t be content with us just building houses; we will provide free water and electricity for the poor. We will make bus rides free… We will elevate your spirituality and morale,” and so on.
One of the crises that has surfaced in society is the electricity shortage crisis. A flood of protests from various groups, including workers, bakers, farmers, orchard owners, poultry farmers, and others, is being posted on social media every day. Some of these protests manage to bypass the regime’s censorship and reach state-controlled media:
Political Prisoners in Iran Send Message Ahead of PMOI Founding Anniversary
As the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) prepares to mark the 59th anniversary of its founding, a group of political prisoners in Evin Prison have sent a message to congratulate this achievement.
The Evin prisoners stated in their message: “In the days of despair and disillusionment after 1963 [the crackdown by the Shah regime on civil protests], and in an atmosphere filled with questions about what should be done, three young trailblazers, who had faith in monotheism and the evolving force governing the universe stronger than Mount Damavand, rose up and resolved to, after gaining the necessary qualifications, solve the issue of struggle in Iran— a struggle for independence and the people’s right to sovereignty.”
Defiance Behind Bars: The Growing Movement Against Iran’s Death Penalty
For decades, Iran has consistently held the grim distinction of being the second country in the world with the highest number of executions, surpassed only by China. In recent years, the rate of executions has surged to such an alarming extent that Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, publicly condemned the Iranian regime’s actions. He described the situation as an “alarming rate” of executions and issued a stern warning to the international community.
On August 20th, in a chilling display of brutality, the Iranian regime set a new record by executing 29 prisoners in a single day. Among those executed, a disproportionately high number belonged to the Baluch and Kurdish minorities. Amnesty International’s annual report revealed that in 2023 alone, the Iranian government executed at least 853 people, with 20% being Baluch citizens, despite the Baluch minority constituting only five percent of Iran’s population.
University Crackdowns: Expulsion of Sahra Rezaei and Suspension of Shaida Aghahamidi
On the eve of the anniversary of the 2022 Iran uprising and the start of the new academic year, Iranian universities are issuing significant disciplinary actions against students, including expulsions and suspensions. Among those affected are Sahra Rezaei and Shida Aghahmadi. This follows earlier reports on the suspension of students Yekta Mirzaei and Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Vandi.
Sahra Rezaei, a student at Allameh Tabatabai University, has been expelled following a ruling by the Administrative Justice Court. The court confirmed the expulsion of Rezaei, a 22-year-old student from Afghanistan who was in her 7th semester studying journalism.
Shima Rameshk: Tragic Case of 14-Year-Old Child Bride’s Suicide in Iran
In a heartbreaking incident, 14-year-old Shima Rameshk, a victim of child marriage, took her own life on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, in Marjanabad, Iran. Originally from the village of Sheikhlar near Bukan, Shima ended her life in the home she shared with her husband. Reports indicate that she hanged herself, succumbing to the immense pressure and dissatisfaction caused by her forced marriage.
Shima’s tragic death occurred only a year after she was coerced into marrying an older man named Mansour Jagan at the age of 13, following relentless pressure from her family. Her body was discovered 48 hours later and returned to her family by the authorities on Friday, August 30.
The Role of Hossein Shamkhani in Iran’s Oil Smuggling Network
Bloomberg News published an exclusive report on Friday, August 30, investigating how Iran’s smuggled oil is sold and the role of Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, advisor to the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as one of the key figures in this operation. According to Bloomberg, Milavous Group Ltd in Dubai, led by a trader known as Hector, has become one of the most important distributors of Iran’s smuggled oil in the global energy market. Bloomberg states that Hector is actually Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, and the key player in selling Iranian oil.
One Month of Nurses’ Protests in Iran
It has been a month since the protests by nurses and healthcare workers began. Instead of addressing the nurses’ demands, the Iranian regime has resorted to suppressing them. Labor and professional organizations have now expressed solidarity with the nurses’ protests and strikes.
Although a month has passed since the nationwide protests and strikes by nurses and healthcare workers in various cities across Iran, the wave of protests has not subsided. Human rights and professional organizations have repeatedly warned in the past month about the suppression of the healthcare sector.
Iranian workers and nurses, lacking the freedom to organize and the presence of independent unions, face severe retaliatory measures from the government merely for pursuing their legitimate demands.
Deteriorating Health of Political Prisoner Gholamhossein Kalbi
The health condition of Gholamhossein Kalbi, a political prisoner detained in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, has severely deteriorated after several months of being denied necessary medical care by prison authorities. Kalbi, who suffers from various health issues, including hernia, high cholesterol, ear infections, and severe dental infections, has not received adequate medical attention, leading to a critical decline in his well-being.
Kalbi has reportedly lost his hearing due to an untreated ear infection and is now suffering from a fungal foot infection, which has caused deep wounds and blackened his toes. Despite these serious health concerns, prison authorities have only provided basic painkillers and have repeatedly denied his transfer to a hospital for specialized treatment, following orders from higher officials.
Paris Stands in Solidarity: Exhibition Backs Iranian Revolution and Denounces Regime’s Atrocities
On August 30, 2024, in Paris, France, supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and freedom-loving Iranians organized a compelling photo and book exhibition. This event was held in solidarity with the ongoing Iranian Revolution and served as a protest against the alarming rise in executions by the Iranian regime.
Zurich, Switzerland—August 30, 2024: MEK Supporters Organized an Exhibition to Condemn Wave of Executions by the Mullahs’ Regime in Iran
Zurich, Switzerland—August 30, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran(PMOI/MEK) organized an exhibition to protest the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime. They also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the prisons of the mullahs’ regime in Iran and expressed their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.