{"id":338217,"date":"2025-10-15T06:42:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T05:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=338217"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:31:18","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-october-15-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-october-15-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 October 15, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Supporters
Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Cologne, Germany, held a rally and photo exhibition on October 11, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 5:00 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Authorities Issue Warning After Man Charged with Allegedly Sending $650k to Sanctioned Iranian Banks<\/h3>\n

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The AFP has charged a western Sydney man, 34, for allegedly remitting about $650,000 to Iranian banks in contravention of Australian Government sanctions.<\/p>\n

The man, a director of an Auburn registered remittance company, allegedly processed 543 international currency transfers, totalling $649,308, to sanctioned banks in Iran during a 12-month period.<\/p>\n

Registered money remitters are legitimate businesses which can facilitate international money transfers from one customer to another. However, people and entities overseas may be designated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs\u00a0as subject to targeted financial sanctions. This makes it a criminal offence to deal with or make an asset available to a designated person or entity.<\/p>\n

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

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Remarks by Yvette Cooper, U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on Iran Sanctions<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

We have long held concerns about Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. It is for that reason that the UK was at the forefront of diplomatic efforts culminating in the joint comprehensive plan of action in 2015.<\/p>\n

The JCPoA was designed to provide the international community with assurances around the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. However, since 2019 Iran has escalated its programme far beyond JCPoA limits, with no credible civilian justification. The IAEA\u2019s latest report from June details that Iran has over 440 kg of 60% enriched uranium.<\/p>\n

That is why on 28 August, the UK, France and Germany \u2014the E3\u2014triggered the snapback mechanism at the UN Security Council. This started a 30-day process before the eventual reapplication of UN sanctions.<\/p>\n

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

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Human Rights Advocates Rally in London to Save 17 Iranian Political Prisoners<\/h3>\n

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On 11 October, the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Church House in Westminster became the focal point for an urgent international campaign to save the lives of 17 political prisoners in Iran. These individuals, accused of affiliation with the principal Iranian opposition movement, the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), face imminent execution as the regime intensifies its crackdown on dissent.<\/p>\n

The conference brought together a coalition of lawmakers, human rights defenders, and former political prisoners from across Europe and beyond. Among the speakers were John Bercow, former speaker of the UK House of Commons; Theresa Villiers, former UK cabinet minister; Baroness Nuala O\u2019Loan; and Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate and hostage survivor. Their collective message was clear: the world must act now to save these lives and confront the Iranian regime\u2019s systematic use of the death penalty as a tool of repression.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran: Prisoners on Hunger Strike Against Executions, According to NGOs<\/h3>\n

\"l'orient<\/p>\n

Prisoners held in one of Iran\u2019s largest prisons have gone on hunger strike to protest the rising number of executions carried out by the Islamic Republic, several human rights organizations said on Wednesday.\u00a0The protest is taking place at Ghezel Hesar Prison, located in the city of Karaj, near Tehran. It began on Monday after around 15 prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their execution, according to separate statements by the Norwegian NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).<\/p>\n

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) \u2014 the political coalition representing the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), banned in Iran \u2014 said that 1,500 prisoners have joined the protest. This figure could not be independently verified.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day, every week, we see some of our companions sent to the gallows, and many of us spend the night consumed by the fear of death,\u201d read a statement attributed to the prisoners and circulating on social media, the authenticity of which could not be independently confirmed.<\/p>\n

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

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tuesdays Against Executions Campaign in Iran Marked 90th Week by Nationwide Protests<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the 90th week of the nationwide Tuesdays Against Executions campaign was marked across 52 prisons throughout Iran, as citizens and prisoners alike raised their voices against the regime\u2019s relentless use of the death penalty.\u00a0This week, protests were particularly strong inside Qezel Hesar Prison, where inmates launched a\u00a0hunger strike on Monday<\/a>\u00a0after the transfer of 11 death-row prisoners to solitary confinement \u2014 a move widely viewed as a prelude to their imminent execution.<\/p>\n

According to reports from inside the prison, around 1,500 inmates in halls 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Ward 2 have joined the strike, refusing all meals in protest. Prison authorities reportedly responded with threats and intimidation, even locking the small kitchen area (\u201ccheraqkhaneh\u201d) used by prisoners to prepare their own food.<\/p>\n

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

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The Murder of Zahra Ghaemi: A Stark Symbol of Violence Against Educated Women in Iran<\/h3>\n

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Zahra Ghaemi<\/strong>, a women\u2019s rights activist and member of the Women\u2019s Studies Group at the University of Tehran, was murdered by her husband. She became a victim of domestic violence after she sought separation and divorce. Her husband killed her by\u00a0strangling her in her sleep<\/strong>. Zahra Ghaemi was the mother of a 12-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n

As a staff member at the university\u2019s Faculty of Medical Sciences, she had dedicated much of her academic and educational work to addressing discrimination and violence against women. News of her killing was reported on October 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

On the same day, an 80-year-old woman named Sakineh, who had suffered a severe head injury after being struck with an iron rod by her son, died in a hospital in southern Tehran after ten days of hospitalization.
\nAccording to the forensic report, bruises were found on her body, and the motive was reportedly a financial dispute.<\/p>\n

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

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Iran\u2019s Regime Faces Strategic Defeat as Gaza War Exposes the Failure of Its \u201cResistance\u201d Doctrine<\/h3>\n

\"palestine<\/p>\n

The two-year war in Gaza and the recent ceasefire have revealed another major strategic defeat for Iran\u2019s regime. For Ali Khamenei, who sought to use the Palestinian cause to delay or suppress uprisings at home, the outcome is devastating. Even within the regime\u2019s own media, a rare tone of acknowledgment has emerged \u2014 signaling that Tehran\u2019s decades-old doctrine of exporting terrorism and fueling proxy wars has failed to create deterrence. Instead, it has placed Khamenei\u2019s regional hegemony in grave danger.<\/p>\n

In a remarkable departure from official orthodoxy, the state-run newspaper\u00a0Setareh Sobh<\/em>\u00a0published an article titled\u00a0\u201cA New Middle East Against Iran,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0admitting that Tehran\u2019s intervention in the Arab\u2013Israeli conflict had been a strategic blunder. It wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 77-year conflict between Arabs and Israel was an Arab\u2013Hebrew\u2013Western issue, and Iran\u2019s entry into this conflict after the withdrawal of Arab countries was a mistake and costly. Therefore, it is time for Iran to leave the continuation of the conflict or peace to the Arab\u2013Hebrew axis.\u201d (Setareh Sobh<\/em>, October 12, 2025)<\/p>\n

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

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Hunger Strike at Ghezel Hesar Amid Execution Transfers<\/h3>\n

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As the sharp increase in executions continues in Iran, 16 prisoners held in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj were transferred to solitary confinement for execution. At the same time, a number of inmates refused to receive their food rations in protest against the wave of executions.<\/p>\n

On Monday, October 13, the Iran Human Rights Society reported that at least 16 prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement in Ghezel Hesar Prison for execution. According to the report, 11 of them were sentenced to death on drug-related charges, while five others were convicted of murder.<\/p>\n

In its report, Iran HRS stated that it is still investigating further details and the identities of the prisoners.\u00a0Meanwhile, the judiciary of Iran\u2019s regime executed at least seven prisoners, including one woman, on the same day in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, as well as in Qazvin and Minab prisons.<\/p>\n

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

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Political Prisoner Hamid Haj-Jafar Kashani Transferred to Ward of Violent Criminals in Ghezel Hesar Prison<\/h3>\n

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Hamid Haj-Jafar Kashani, a political prisoner, has been transferred to the ward for violent crime inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj after spending one month in solitary confinement.<\/p>\n

According to reports, on Monday, October 13, this political prisoner was moved from solitary confinement to Unit 3, Hall 10 of Ghezel Hesar Prison\u2014a ward mainly used to hold prisoners convicted of dangerous and violent crimes.<\/p>\n

A source close to his family stated: \u201cHamid Haj-Jafar Kashani, in a phone call today, reported repeated threats, an unsafe environment, and inhumane conditions in this ward. His family is deeply concerned for his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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Power Outages to Resume in Iran Starting in January<\/h3>\n

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A member of the presidium of the Energy Commission of Iran\u2019s regime Majlis (parliament) said that despite the oil and gas reserves having almost doubled compared to last year, power outages will likely return to the country starting in January.<\/p>\n

On Monday, October 13, Farhad Shahraki told the state-run news website Shafaqna, expressing concern about energy supply in winter: \u201cGiven the restrictions on using fuel oil for environmental reasons and the red line regarding not cutting household gas supplies, despite good reserves, I believe from January we will again witness power outages.\u201d<\/p>\n

This member of the presidium of the Majlis Energy Commission, referring to the obstacles in implementing the \u201cSeventh Development Plan,\u201d said that the plan had set a \u201cminimum 55% efficiency\u201d for installed power plants. However, \u201cthe Ministry of Energy has stated in its correspondence that achieving this goal is impossible due to sanctions and costs and has requested to lower the efficiency ceiling to 50%.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

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From Defense to Punishment, The Case of Mohammad Najafi<\/h3>\n

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On October 6, 2025, while still serving his prison sentence in Evin Prison, Mohammad Najafi, a human rights lawyer, faced a new interrogation session held in absentia at Branch 3 of the Prosecutor\u2019s Office of District 33 (Shahid Moghaddas) in Tehran.\u00a0In this latest case, he has been charged with \u201cpropaganda against the regime,\u201d \u201cspreading falsehoods,\u201d and \u201cinsulting the Supreme Leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bail of 1.1 billion tomans was issued in his absence. This is the sixth judicial case opened against Najafi during his imprisonment\u2014further evidence that even incarceration has not shielded him from continued judicial harassment.<\/p>\n

Najafi, who suffers from severe diabetes, heart complications, and spinal disc injury, remains deprived of medical care and continues to face new prosecutions.<\/p>\n

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

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Rally in Paris Urges End to Iran\u2019s Executions and Freedom for Political Prisoners<\/h3>\n
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Rally in Paris Urges End to Iran\u2019s Executions and Freedom for Political Prisoners\u2013October 11, 2025<\/div><\/div>
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