{"id":319080,"date":"2024-05-05T08:43:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-05T07:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=319080"},"modified":"2024-05-05T17:46:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-05T16:46:24","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-may-5-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-may-5-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 May 5, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

UPDATE: 6:30 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revealed: Iran\u2019s Rapidly Expanding Top Secret Drone Factory Where Hezbollah Is Trained<\/h3>\n

\"The-Telegraph\"<\/p>\n

Iran is training\u00a0Hezbollah<\/a> fighters to carry out drone attacks on northern Israel at a rapidly-expanding top secret base, The Telegraph can reveal.\u00a0The drone facility in Iran has tripled in size since it was set up in 2006, in spite of US sanctions, according to leaked classified Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC<\/a>) documents.\u00a0Located just five miles from Iran\u2019s holy city of\u00a0Qom<\/a>, the centre, under the command of the supreme leader,\u00a0Ali Khamenei<\/a>, has expanded from a runway of 500 metres to 1,500 metres today.<\/p>\n

The intelligence, compiled by the network of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) inside the country from various sources including some inside the IRGC, reveals that the Gangine centre, which has remained secret until now, hosts leaders of the region\u2019s terror groups currently wreaking havoc across the Middle East, most notably, Lebanese Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

Hossein Abedini, deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\u2019s UK office, said: \u201cThe developments in recent months have proven that the head of the snake, in terms of belligerence and the export of terror in the Middle East, is the clerical regime in Tehran.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 9:30 AM<\/strong><\/p>\n

How \u201cWoman Resistance Freedom\u201d Strikes Fear in The Ranks of Iran\u2019s Regime<\/h3>\n

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In the afternoon of April 25, a short video spread widely among people on social networks. The scene that unfolded in the capital, Tehran:<\/p>\n

Three large banners, several meters in size, displaying highly prohibited images and a dangerous and vivid slogan, were hung over the bridge, in front of the eyes of the people of Tehran. Two images of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI (, were displayed, with the following writings underneath: \u201cIranian society deserves freedom, democracy, and gender equality\u201d and underneath the second image: \u201cThe downfall of this regime is definite, inevitable, and irrevocable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The third banner, placed between the other two, prominently portrayed the slogan: \u201cWoman, Resistance, Freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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Iranian Opposition Protests in Brussels Against Increase in Executions in Iran<\/h3>\n

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Iranian opposition supporters rallied in Brussels on Saturday afternoon, with around a hundred sympathizers of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the country’s primary democratic opposition, staging a demonstration at Brussels Central Station. Their protest was aimed at condemning the sharp rise in executions in Iran and urging the international community to intervene urgently to save the lives of political prisoners facing imminent execution.<\/p>\n

The protesters highlighted recent reports from the Iran Human Rights Monitor (Iranhrm), which revealed a troubling trend: the Iranian regime had executed 59 individuals in just two weeks. They emphasized that April alone witnessed 72 executions, underscoring the severity of the situation. Notable among those facing execution is Toomaj Salehi, a prominent rapper known for his activism, who was detained during the September 2022 uprising for his involvement in supporting the protests.<\/p>\n

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

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Regime Suspends and Jails Female University Students for Their Activities<\/h3>\n

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The Iranian regime continues to suspend and jail students because of their political and social activities, the most recent cases being Afarin Najafizadeh and Motahareh Gouneii.<\/p>\n

The Disciplinary Appeals Committee sentenced Afarin Najafizadeh, a mechanical engineering student at Tehran\u2019s University of Science and Technology, to a half-year suspension from the university.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe case was filed one day after I participated in the Student\u2019s Day press conference and after reports were written by Sharq, Etemad, Emtedad, Ensaf dailies, among others, on December 5, 2022,\u201d Afarin wrote in a social media post.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Persecution of Writers: A Grim Reality for Free Expression<\/h3>\n

\"pen<\/p>\n

Pen America\u2019s 2023 Freedom to Write Index paints a chilling picture of Iran\u2019s relentless crackdown on writers and the creative community.\u00a0While the world witnessed the protests in late 2022, the Iranian regime\u2019s response has been a continued suppression of dissent, particularly targeting writers and activists, especially women.\u00a0Iran holds the dubious distinction of jailing the highest number of female writers globally, with 15 currently behind bars. This targeted persecution stems from their opposition to the mandatory hijab and advocacy for women\u2019s rights. The report highlights the case of poet and activist Sepideh Rashnu, sentenced to nearly four years for her stance against the hijab.\u00a0Human rights defender and writer Nasrin Sotoudeh also faced brief detention for attending a funeral.<\/p>\n

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

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A Widening Chasm: Iran\u2019s Regime Struggles with Societal Change<\/h3>\n

\"iran<\/p>\n

The Iranian regime faces a growing disconnect between its ideology and the evolving norms of its citizens, according to the head of the Iranian Sociological Association, Saeed Moidfar. In an interview with Jamaran News on May 4th, 2024, Moidfar highlighted the regime\u2019s repeated failures in imposing its desired lifestyle and the compulsory hijab, emphasizing that attempting to return to a pre-2022 protest status quo is futile.<\/p>\n

Moidfar points to the past three or four years as a period where the regime has intensified efforts to enforce its vision for society, mirroring the \u201cunification\u201d projects of other dictatorships. He underscores the historical failure of such attempts to eradicate the diverse lifestyles people naturally develop.<\/p>\n

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

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A Year of Repression: Iranian Universities under Pressure<\/h3>\n

\"Western<\/p>\n

2023 proved to be a tumultuous year for Iranian academia, marked by a significant tightening of restrictions on university professors.<\/p>\n

Karen Abrinia, Secretary of the Union of University Professors, paints a grim picture in his interview with Khabar Online, highlighting the detrimental impact on approximately 200 professors, with nearly 25 facing termination.<\/p>\n

Abrinia details the diverse forms of pressure exerted:<\/p>\n