{"id":315408,"date":"2024-01-24T09:08:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T08:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=315408"},"modified":"2024-01-24T21:07:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T20:07:12","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-january-24-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/latest-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-january-24-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 January 24, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\n

UPDATE: 9:00 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian \u2018Justice\u2019 Is a Medieval Horror-Show of Public Executions, Amputations and Flogging \u2013 Struan Stevenson<\/h3>\n

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When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini hijacked the Iranian revolution in 1979 and declared himself Supreme Leader of the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran, the world heaved a sigh of relief. It was commonly felt that this man of deep religious faith would foster a future of peace and stability for Iran\u2019s people.<\/p>\n

Rarely has a profile proved to be so mistaken. Khomeini, as the founding father of fundamentalist Islam, was an elderly, psychotic fanatic, determined to purge anyone who stood in his way or rejected his new credo of \u201cvelayat-e faqih\u201d or guardianship of the Islamic jurist.<\/p>\n

The implementation of a grossly distorted version of Sharia law, under the diktat of the misogynist mullahs, soon saw women reduced to second-class citizens, while Iran\u2019s judicial system became one of the most brutal in the world. The regime executes more people per capita than any other country.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:00 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

UN Experts Urge Iran To Respect International Law and Stop Horrific Executions of Protesters<\/h3>\n

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GENEVA (23 January 2023)<\/strong>\u00a0— UN experts* today strongly condemned the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old with a long-term psychosocial disability, and urged Iran to comply with its obligations under international human rights law.<\/p>\n

“We are alarmed by reports of unfair trial proceedings in the case of Mr. Ghobadlou, as well as in other cases, which fell far short of due process and fair trial standards required by international human rights law by which Iran is bound,” the UN experts said.<\/p>\n

They also expressed serious concern at credible reports that those executed had been denied access to lawyers during their detention and trial.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Record Highs: Iran’s Currency Exchange Rates Soar, Gold Continues Ascension on Thursday<\/h3>\n

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On Thursday, January 24, the exchange rates for the British Pound and Euro reached their highest historical levels in Iran, while gold continued its upward trend.\u00a0According to reports from gold and currency information websites, the Euro surpassed 60,400 tomans, and the Pound was traded at 70,500 tomans during Thursday’s transactions.<\/p>\n

Compared to Wednesday, both the Euro and Pound experienced approximately 1.46% and 1.63% growth, respectively. The exchange rate for the US dollar also reached 55,500 tomans on Thursday, showing a 0.78% increase compared to January 23 when it was at its highest at 54,800 tomans.<\/p>\n

Ehsan Khandouzi, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, and Mohammadreza Farzin, the Head of the Central Bank, attributed the recent attacks on Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, as well as Pakistan’s retaliatory strike, to the temporary and transient factors contributing to the rise in currency prices.<\/p>\n

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US Strikes Targets in Iraq After Forces Wounded<\/h3>\n

WASHINGTON\/BAGHDAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) – The United States carried out strikes in Iraq against three facilities linked to Iran-backed militia on Tuesday, the Pentagon said, after a weekend attack on an Iraqi air base that wounded U.S. forces. U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked about 150 times by Iran-aligned militants since the Israel-Gaza war started in October, creating pressure on President Joe Biden to respond militarily, despite political sensitivities in Baghdad. On Saturday, four U.S. personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base was hit by multiple ballistic missiles and rockets fired by Iranian-backed militants from inside Iraq.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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US Military Strikes Two Houthi Anti-Ship Missiles in Yemen<\/h3>\n

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) – The U.S. military carried out more strikes in Yemen early on Wednesday, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch, the U.S. military said in a statement. The U.S. strikes, which took place at roughly 2:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), are the latest against the Iran-backed group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping and followed a larger round of strikes a day earlier. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have said their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. The attacks have disrupted global shipping and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 9:00 AM<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Regime Executes Kurdish Political Prisoner Farhad Salimi<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Iranian regime authorities in Ghezel Hesar prison carried out the death sentence of political prisoner Farhad Salimi.\u00a0On January 20, this Kurdish prisoner of conscience from Saqqez, who had been on hunger strike for three weeks, was transferred to solitary confinement, an indication of his looming execution.<\/p>\n

On December 31, 2023, Anwar Khezri, Kamran Sheikhah, Khosrow Besharat, and Farhad Salimi, four prisoners of conscience sentenced to death went on a hunger strike following the transfer of\u00a0Davood Abdollahi<\/a>\u00a0to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution and the grave danger of their own death sentence.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Iranian Social Media Mosaic: Instagram Shines, Domestic Messengers in the Shadows<\/h3>\n

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Based on an internal survey, it has been revealed that Instagram stands out as the most favored social network among Iranians, while domestic messengers lag behind in popularity among citizens.<\/p>\n

According to the recent ISPA survey, conducted by the Iranian Students\u2019 Opinion Center and released on January 22, a noteworthy 46.5% of Iranians utilize Instagram, 35.3% opt for WhatsApp, and 34.6% choose Telegram for messaging.<\/p>\n

The findings indicate a notable disparity in popularity between domestic and international messengers, despite extensive promotional efforts for local platforms. The survey discloses that a mere 25% of respondents use the internal messenger \u2018Eitaa,\u2019 approximately 24% prefer \u2018Rubika,\u2019 and merely 8% opt for \u2018Bale.\u2019 Other messengers and social networks collectively garner less than 7% usage.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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3,500 Clerics Enter Iranian Classrooms Without Quotas<\/h3>\n

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The spokesperson for Iran\u2019s Ministry of Education revealed that 3,500 clerics and seminary scholars have been incorporated into the teaching profession \u201cpost-exam\u201d and \u201cwithout any specified quota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali Farhadi, in an interview with the state news agency IRNA on January 22, stated, \u201cFollowing the examination, it was determined that these individuals were accepted as teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Farhadi clarified the basis for allowing these individuals to participate in the teacher recruitment exam, citing Article 28 of the Charter of Teachers, which permits education and training to enlist \u201cgraduates of other universities, higher institutions, and seminaries\u201d in \u201cemergency situations.\u201d However, he did not elaborate on the perceived \u201cemergency\u201d within the educational employment landscape.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Is Iran\u2019s Regime Losing Its Clout in The Middle East?<\/h3>\n

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In the span of less than 24 hours, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) of the Iranian regime launched a series of missile strikes on the territories of Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan.\u00a0The regime justified these operations as a \u2018revenge and severe response\u2019 and a \u2018show of authority.\u2019<\/p>\n

However, these actions have elicited strong regional and international reactions, including counter-military measures by Pakistan. The consequences for the regime may surpass the current level in the short term.<\/p>\n

A critical question emerges in this context: Why did the Iranian regime undertake such operations when the\u00a0Middle East<\/a>\u00a0is already on the brink of escalation with tensions rising daily?<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Bayan Farajollahi Receives a One-Year Jail Sentence<\/h3>\n

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The first branch of the Revolutionary Court of Sanandaj sentenced Bayan Farajollahi to one year of imprisonment. Sanandaj is the capital of Kurdistan province in western Iran.<\/p>\n

Ms. Farajollahi is charged with \u201ccollaboration with opposition parties,\u201d \u201cexpressing sympathy with the families of slain protesters,\u201d and disseminating \u201cpropaganda against the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bayan Farajollahi said she had defended herself without the presence of her lawyer. Security forces arrested the 34-year-old Bayan Farajollahi at her home in Sanandaj on July 17, 2023, and took her to the detention center of the Department of Intelligence for interrogation.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Government Killing of Anahita Amirpour by Plainclothes Officers\u2019 Gunfire<\/h3>\n

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On the evening of Friday, January 19, 2024, a 20-year-old woman named Anahita Amirpour was killed in the Nezamabad area of Borujerd as a result of direct gunfire by plainclothes officers of the Borujerd Intelligence Department.<\/p>\n

According to reports received by Iran Human Rights Monitor (IranHRM), Anahita Amirpour, a first-semester student of Physical Education at the Islamic Azad University in Borujerd, along with Mohammad Jalayi Far, who is also a student of Physical Education, were driving in a Peugeot 206 that was ambushed by plainclothes officers on Friday night, January 19.<\/p>\n

Anahita Amirpour lost her life instantly, while Mohammad Jalayi Far was severely injured and is currently being treated and hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Chamran Hospital.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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MEK Supporters Rally in Gothenburg Marks Anniversary of Massoud Rajavi\u2019s 1979 Release and Supports the Iranian Revolution<\/h3>\n
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Gothenburg\u2014January 20, 2024: MEK Supporters Held a Rally in Solidarity With the Iran Revolution<\/div><\/div>
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