{"id":232307,"date":"2020-12-31T04:31:55","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T09:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=232307"},"modified":"2023-03-04T11:49:44","modified_gmt":"2023-03-04T10:49:44","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-december-31-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-december-31-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 December 31, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/covid-vaccine.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-232316\" title=\"covid-vaccine\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/covid-vaccine-300x173.jpg\" alt=\"covid-vaccine\" width=\"800\" height=\"461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/covid-vaccine-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/covid-vaccine-150x86.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/covid-vaccine.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Maryam Rajavi\u2019s New Year Message 2021<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-232405\" title=\"Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021.jpg\" alt=\"Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Rajavi-Iran-New-Year-Message-2021-1068x712.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fellow compatriots,<\/p>\n<p>supporters of the Iranian Resistance around the world,<br \/>\nI wish my compatriots in Iran and all the people of the world permanent relief from the Coronavirus pandemic, and I wish you all the very best in the New Year 2021.<br \/>\nCongratulations to all those who are yearning for freedom and cherishing democracy. I congratulate everyone who struggles for a new world free of tyranny, oppression and darkness.<\/p>\n<p>The year 2020 saw the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Iran and many countries around the world. At the same time, it was a year of impasse and a series of major defeats for the clerical regime.<\/p>\n<p>May the New Year be a year of health and of defeating the virus, as well as the year of ultimate defeat of the clerical dictatorship in Iran.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/item\/maryam-rajavi-new-year-message-2021\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I wish my compatriots in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> and all the people of the world permanent relief from the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Coronavirus<\/a> pandemic, and I wish you all the very best in the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NewYear2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NewYear2021<\/a>.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qkHahl2Kjr\">pic.twitter.com\/qkHahl2Kjr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Maryam_Rajavi\/status\/1344674194378936322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>UPDATE: 4:30 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>If We Don\u2019t Let People Protest, They Will Overrun This Regime<\/h3>\n<p>On December 22, in a debate hosted by the state-run Mafel-e Dal internet channel, two professors of Tehran Imam Sadegh University discussed Iran\u2019s social developments. In his comments, law professor Ali Saber Toulaei blamed the regime for applying an atmosphere of suffocation and killing many innocent people during the gas protests in November 2019.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/irannewsupdate.com\/news\/insider\/if-we-dont-let-people-protest-they-will-overrun-this-regime\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"&amp;quot;If we don&amp;#039;t let people protest, they will overrun this regime&amp;quot; said law professor Ali Saber Toulaei\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_UAOJx0119Yo\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FUAOJx0119Yo%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UAOJx0119Yo\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT3M42S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2020-12-30T21:41:43Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_UAOJx0119Yo\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FUAOJx0119Yo%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">&quot;If we don&#039;t let people protest, they will overrun this regime&quot; said law professor Ali Saber Toulaei<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/UAOJx0119Yo\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FUAOJx0119Yo%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"&amp;quot;If we don&amp;#039;t let people protest, they will overrun this regime&amp;quot; said law professor Ali Saber Toulaei\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"On December 29, in a debate hosted by the state-run Mafel-e Dal internet channel, two professors of Tehran Imam Sadegh University discussed Iran\u2019s social developments. In his comments, law professor Ali Saber Toulaei pointed out considerable topics, blaming the entire regime for applying a suffocation atmosphere and killing many innocent people during the gas protests in November 2019.\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Iran&#8217;s auto industry expert explains the corruption in the car manufacturing industry<\/h3>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Iran&amp;#039;s auto industry expert explains the corruption in the car manufacturing industry\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_cBYsu1EurtY\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FcBYsu1EurtY%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cBYsu1EurtY\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1M51S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2020-12-31T09:06:01Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_cBYsu1EurtY\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FcBYsu1EurtY%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Iran&#039;s auto industry expert explains the corruption in the car manufacturing industry<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cBYsu1EurtY\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FcBYsu1EurtY%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Iran&amp;#039;s auto industry expert explains the corruption in the car manufacturing industry\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"May 2020-Morteza Mortazavi, an auto industry expert in Iran told the regime&#039;s Ofogh network that while many educated people are unemployed, thousands of regime&#039;s insiders are in charge of the auto industry without any specialization or degree. Morteza Mortazavi, auto industry expert \u2013 Mid-May 2020: Ofogh Network &quot;The director that we put in charge of the auto industry comes from a political and government entity. This director is pursuing political interests more than the company\u2019s interests. For example, a former governor retires and is immediately appointed as the deputy of an auto manufacturing company. A former head of security at state TV\/radio retires and is appointed as director of another entity. The spokesperson of a security entity becomes the board director of a company as we speak. There are so many members of officials\u2019 families in such posts\u2026 A certain MP calls and asks for his son to be hired\u2026 Anchorman: Apparently everyone is in on it! Yes, everything going around. I once calculated that right now we have a few thousand insiders hired in our auto industry at a price of more than 10 trillion rials (&#36;38.68 million) for this industry. This is reflected in the rising prices of vehicles. Anchorman: The thousands you are saying is an extremely high number. Do you have evidence? We have an estimate, and we are talking about the entire auto industry. Our estimate shows the son of a certain retired government official to a certain former MP and the family member of a certain former minister\u2026 All the while many of our college graduates are unemployed\u2026 Look and see who the director generals are. I promise you 70 percent of the auto industry\u2019s director generals are politically affiliated individuals. However, if you look at a company like BMW, the people working there are technicians. They are professionals because they intend to work there. They have plans for production. But there is no such thing here.&quot;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Political prisoner jailed in Evin starts her 12th year in detention<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_232344\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-232344\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-232344\" title=\"Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min.jpg\" alt=\"Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min-150x75.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Maryam-Akbari-Monfared-12th-year-in-prison-min-696x348.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-232344\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Political prisoner jailed in Evin starts her 12th year in detention without leave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Maryam Akbari Monfared started her 12th year in prison on Wednesday, December 30. She is a political prisoner jailed in Evin since 2009 without one day of furlough.<\/p>\n<p>Maryam Akbari was arrested at 3 a.m. on December 30, 2009, after the major upheavals on December 27 that year which nearly toppled the clerical regime.<\/p>\n<p>In June 2010, the 15th Branch of Tehran\u2019s Revolutionary Court sentenced her to 15 years in prison on the charge of \u201cMoharebeh (waging war on God) through membership in the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran,\u201d a charge which she never accepted.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/women.ncr-iran.org\/2020\/12\/30\/political-prisoner-jailed-in-evin-starts-her-12th-year-in-detention\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>UPDATE: 12:00 PM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Iran&#8217;s regime has executed a juvenile offender this morning<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-232331\" title=\"Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran.jpg\" alt=\"Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran\" width=\"800\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran.jpg 690w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Mohammad-Hassan-Rezaiee-was-executed-in-Iran-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This morning, Thursday, December 31, Khamenei&#8217;s forces executed Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee in Rasht prison in Iran. He was 16 years old at the time of the alleged crime.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A prisoner was executed today in Rasht after 13 years of imprisonment. He had been arrested at the age of 16. Continued executions in Zahedan, Sanandaj and Urmia show that this regime cannot survive without torture and executions. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/StopExecutionsinIran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#StopExecutionsinIran<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Maryam_Rajavi\/status\/1344713559972978688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Amnesty International wrote on Wednesday, December 30, that the Iranian authorities must immediately stop the execution of a 30-year-old Mohammad Hassan Rezaei, who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged crime and was sentenced to death on the basis of confessions obtained under torture.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coronavirus Disaster in Iran \u2013 the Staggering Number of Victims in 478 Cities Exceeds 194,400<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Iran-coronavirus-update-30122020\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iran-coronavirus-update-30122020.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/english.mojahedin.org\/i\/primer-the-history-the-peoples-mojahedin-organization-iran\" rel=\"noopener\">People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK)<\/a>\u00a0announced this afternoon, December 30, 2020, that the Coronavirus death toll in 478 cities had exceeded 194,400. The number of victims in Tehran is 47,761, Isfahan 11,865, Qom 7,595, Mazandaran 7,377, Fars 5,950, Alborz 5,105, Golestan 4,797, Sistan and Baluchestan 4,741, Hamedan 4,635, Kerman 4,227, Kurdistan 3,336, Semnan 2,939, Hormozgan 2,045, Zanjan 2,030, Ilam 2,005, Bushehr 1,944, and in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari 1,525.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/ncri-statements\/statement-human-rights\/coronavirus-disaster-in-iran-the-staggering-number-of-victims-in-478-cities-exceeds-194400\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> Coronavirus Update<\/p>\n<p>More than 194,400 people have died of the novel <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#coronavirus<\/a> in 478 cities checkered across all of Iran&#39;s 31 provinces, according to the Iranian opposition PMOI\/MEK.<\/p>\n<p>Full Report<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jbUcmNM1zO\">https:\/\/t.co\/jbUcmNM1zO<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/b4cpYT69tz\">pic.twitter.com\/b4cpYT69tz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; People&#39;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Mojahedineng\/status\/1344527029941587968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 31, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Iran regime\u2019s vaccination scam<\/h3>\n<p>Contradictory remarks by Iran regime&#8217;s officials underline their intention of using the Covid-19 vaccine issue as a leverage to lift sanctions, further plunder Iranians, and intentionally increase casualties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Iran regime&rsquo;s vaccination scam - December 2020\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_HJwQd6bX-nQ\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FHJwQd6bX-nQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HJwQd6bX-nQ\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M16S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2020-12-31T10:15:25Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_HJwQd6bX-nQ\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FHJwQd6bX-nQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Iran regime\u2019s vaccination scam - December 2020<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HJwQd6bX-nQ\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FHJwQd6bX-nQ%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Iran regime&rsquo;s vaccination scam - December 2020\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Contradictory remarks by Iran regime&#039;s officials underline their intention of using the Covid-19 vaccine issue as a leverage to lift sanctions, further plunder Iranians, and intentionally increase casualties. Iran\u2019s President Hassan Rouhani: \u201cWe considered procuring vaccines from the first months of this year\u201d Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a top IRGC commander: \u201cWe would not use foreign vaccines to vaccinate people\u201d Homayoun Samehi, Member of the Parliamentary Health Commission, speaking to the state-run Donya-e Eghtesad daily: \u201cIt will take at least two years for the vaccine to enter Iran\u201d Dr. Massoud Mardani - Member of the National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce (NCCT): \u201cWe do not have the money to procure vaccines.\u201d Ali Rabie, Government spokesperson, December 22, 2020: \u201cWe have money, but we have trouble transferring the money.\u201d Nasser Riahi, President of the Medicine Importers Union: \u201cWe have no problem transferring money. We are importing medicine right now.\u201d Mostafa Ghanei, NCCT member: \u201cWe said we do not want the Pfizer vaccine because we cannot store and transport it.\u201d Ali Rabie, Government spokesperson: \u201cWe have a problem because we do not fully implement the FATF.\u201d Esmail Shah-Mohammadi, Friday Prayers leader in Fereydunshahr, Isfahan province: \u201cThe Covid-19 vaccine is unrelated to the FATF issue.\u201d Mohammad-Javad Larijani, former International Deputy to Iran\u2019s Chief Justice: \u201cThe vaccination matter is, actually, propaganda. Our vaccine is undoubtedly better.\u201d Said Namaki, Iran\u2019s Health Minister, December 23: \u201cWe were among the first countries trying to purchase the vaccine.\u201d Ali Amir Savadkoohi, President of the Intensive Care Association. December 24: \u201cIran is not in any list of [vaccine] orders of any country.\u201d Hassan Rouhani: \u201cWe are making all efforts to produce a vaccine inside the country.\u201d Abbas Aghazadeh, Chairman of the General Assembly of the Medical Organization of Iran, December 24: \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t produce a vaccine until next year.\u201d Rouhani: \u201cWe cannot hope for a vaccine that has not yet been provided.\u201d Dr. Payam Tabarsi: \u201cThe authorities should change their foreign policies for the sake of the people\u2019s health. They shouldn\u2019t be wasting more time, because people are dying.\u201d Rouhani, December 26: \u201cWe should attempt to purchase the vaccine.\u201d State-run Hamdeli daily, December 26: \u201cThe authorities\u2019 sudden decision to buy the vaccine is their strategy to reduce the people\u2019s pressure over buying the coronavirus vaccine.\u201d Arman Daily, December 27: \u201cOne should be afraid of the day when no one can do anything in front of the volcano of anger, sorrow, and tears, and by then it is too late to express solutions.\u201d Read More: https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IranNCR\/ https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy Subscribe to NCRI weekly newsletter t.ly\/MybJ #Iran #Covid-19 #Vaccine\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Assadi file: More undeniable evidence on Tehran&#8217;s bombing plot against the Iranian Resistance<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-232309\" title=\"Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020.jpg\" alt=\"Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020\" width=\"800\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Iranian-diplomat-terrorist-assadi-31122020-696x393.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the end of January, a Belgian court will issue a verdict on the trial of the Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, charged with plotting a bombing attack against the 2018 Free Iran rally of the Iranian opposition in Paris. During two-and-half years of investigation, Belgian authorities have found undeniable evidence revealing connections between Assadi and three other terrorists involved in the foiled plot.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/english.mojahedin.org\/i\/assadollah-assadi-trial-investigation-evidence-20201230\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Branch 8 of Tehran\u2019s Revolutionary Court sentenced Arash Ganji to 11 years in prison<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Branch 8 of Tehran\u2019s Revolutionary Court sentenced Arash Ganji to 11 years in prison. He is an interpreter &amp; secretary of the Board of Directors of the Writers\u2019 League of Iran. His lawyer was informed of the sentence on Dec. 30. If upheld, he has to serve 5 years in prison. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vTeFTiYBji\">pic.twitter.com\/vTeFTiYBji<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IranHrm\/status\/1344402353814986753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Incarcerated teacher, Hashem Khastar, in critical health conditions<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-215176 size-full\" title=\"Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers.jpg\" alt=\"Hashem_Khastar\" width=\"800\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers-768x453.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers-696x411.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Hashem_Khastar_representative_of_the_Iranian_Freedom_seeking_Teachers-712x420.jpg 712w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The health of Hashem Khastar, a teacher detained in the Central Prison of Mashhad, is critical but he continues to be harassed in prison. Mr. Khastar, 67, is under a lot of pressure and detained in difficult conditions. He suffers from high blood pressure and needs to be treated as soon as possible. But prison officials not only refuse to release him but have increased harassing and pressuring this old teacher.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/iran-hrm.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/30\/incarcerated-teacher-hashem-khastar-in-critical-health-conditions\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Issues &amp; Insights: An Investigation into Iran\u2019s 1988 Massacre is Long Overdue<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-232311\" title=\"Issues-Insights31122020\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020.jpg\" alt=\"Issues-Insights31122020\" width=\"799\" height=\"523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020-300x196.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020-768x503.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020-150x98.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Issues-Insights31122020-741x486.jpg 741w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>By Ali Safavi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This month, tens of thousands of grieving families of victims of the 1988 massacre in Iran received a major boost for their calls for justice. Half a dozen UN experts made public a report that describes the massacre as a \u201ccrime against humanity\u201d and deserving of an international investigation. This is a major blow to the Iranian regime and heralds a new era that would see an end to the climate of impunity for the regime\u2019s murderers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/issuesinsights.com\/2020\/12\/30\/an-investigation-into-irans-1988-massacre-is-long-overdue\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Iran news in brief, December 31, 2020<\/h3>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Iran news in brief, December 31, 2020\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_IsmX7wjluWo\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FIsmX7wjluWo%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IsmX7wjluWo\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M54S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2020-12-31T09:03:49Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_IsmX7wjluWo\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FIsmX7wjluWo%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Iran news in brief, December 31, 2020<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IsmX7wjluWo\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FIsmX7wjluWo%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Iran news in brief, December 31, 2020\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Iran news in brief, December 31, 2020 Iran: Coronavirus Fatalities Exceeds 194,400 Over 194,400 people have died of the novel coronavirus across Iran, according to reports tallied by the Iranian opposition People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization of Iran as of Wednesday. The official death toll declared by the regime stands at 55,095 around a third of the actual figure. The human testing of the Iranian coronavirus vaccine is being carried out at a time when a few days ago 167 pharmacists described the domestic Covid-19 vaccines as a joke, according to the state-controlled Hamdeli newspaper on Wednesday. \u201cWith what confidence do we claim to produce a native vaccine,\u201d they wrote, criticizing \u201chorrible planning\u201d in providing vaccines in Iran. They also expressed utter shock of the slogan of \u201cproducing a national vaccine.\u201d Iran: Targeting IRGC\u2019s Mobilization Center in Tehran On Tuesday, despite the State Security Force being on maximum alert, defiant youth targeted Revolutionary Guards\u2019 mobilization centers in Tehran and Sabzevar and set fire to their entrances. This was in response to the execution of the political prisoner, Abdul Hamid Mir-Baluch Zehi, hanged at the behest of the IRGC\u2019s Intelligence Organization. After enduring five years of torture and imprisonment Simultaneously, defiant youth in Hamedan set fire to a large banner of the eliminated Qassem Soleimani, the notorious IRGC Qods Force Commander. Locals welcomed the activities of defiant youth. Political Prisoner Hashem Khastar, in Critical Health Conditions The health of Hashem Khastar, a teacher detained in the Central Prison of Mashhad, is critical but he continues to be harassed in prison. Mr. Khastar, 67, is under a lot of pressure and detained in difficult conditions. He suffers from high blood pressure and needs to be treated as soon as possible. But prison officials not only refuse to release him but have increased harassing and pressuring this old teacher. Mr. Khastar and 13 other activists were arrested by agents of the Department of Intelligence of Mashhad at the start of a gathering on August 11, 2019. The gathering had been held in support of a freedom-loving professor, who had been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Read More: https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IranNCR\/ https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy Subscribe to NCRI weekly newsletter t.ly\/MybJ\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/stats.sender.net\/forms\/dGYVLa\/view\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-219239 aligncenter\" title=\"Weekly-Signe-up-logo-1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Weekly-Signe-up-logo-1.png\" alt=\"Weekly-Signe-up-logo-1\" width=\"250\" height=\"83\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read more<\/strong>:\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-december-30-2020\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Iran News in Brief \u2013 December 30<\/strong><strong>, 2020<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS UPDATE: 9:00 PM CET Maryam Rajavi&rsquo;s New Year Message 2021 Fellow compatriots, supporters of the Iranian Resistance around [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":232316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,234],"tags":[129,130,141,197,198],"class_list":["post-232307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-iran-news-in-brief-news","tag-iran","tag-iran-protests","tag-human-rights","tag-mek-iran","tag-ncri"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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