182 European Goods Banned From Being Loaded with Iranian Trucks
Ali Mahmoudi Sarai, the chairman of the Iran Transportation and Logistics Federation, announced on Tuesday, October 8, in an interview with the regime’s ILNA news agency about the new sanctions from the European Union against Iranian trucks.
According to Sarai, for more than a month, the loading of 182 European goods with Iranian trucks has been “prohibited.”
While France has stopped issuing transit permits, known as “Zola,” for Iranian truck drivers since the beginning of 2023, similar news has emerged regarding Germany and Italy’s refusal to provide visas to Iranian truck drivers.
According to Mahmoudi Sarai, currently only Italy and Germany, albeit in a limited manner, are issuing visas to Iranian drivers among European countries.
Previously, the prolonged process of issuing visas for Iranian truck drivers had caused them to be grounded and unable to export their shipments.
Last year, even Russia had delayed many Iranian truck drivers at the borders due to the lack of visa issuance.
During the time that Iranian trucks have been banned from entering Europe, Turkish truck drivers have filled their place in the transportation market and are moving through Europe without problems.
Apart from Europe’s opposition to issuing transit permits for Iranian trucks, the international insurance coverage for trucks known as “Green Insurance” has also become another obstacle for Iran’s road transit to Europe.
Iranian trucks are unable to obtain Green Insurance due to EU sanctions, and according to reports, they purchase this insurance from intermediaries at the Bulgarian border at three times the price.
Fatemeh Ghanbarzadeh, the vice president of the Transportation, Transit, and Logistics Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, recently reported efforts to lift Iran’s suspension from the “Convention on the Harmonization of Green Card Insurance” and stated that “the necessary assurances regarding the adoption of required mechanisms have been provided to the Green Insurance Office in Geneva.”
Despite benefiting from a suitable geographical position for exporting goods and services, Iran has been deprived of revenues from transit and road transport due to sanctions.
On the other hand, the Iranian regime’s passivity in developing transit infrastructure, along with sanctions, has led to the creation of corridors in the region that bypass Iran.
The “Zangezur Corridor,” which connects Azerbaijan through Armenia to Nakhchivan and Turkey, is one of these routes that has recently sparked significant criticism regarding the cooperation between Russia and the Iranian regime.
UN Special Rapporteur: Death Penalty in Iran Must End
Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, called for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran in a video message ahead of October 10, “World Day Against the Death Penalty.”
In a video posted on X, Ms. Sato emphasized that this day holds particular significance for Iran due to the alarming increase in the use of the death penalty by the regime, with over 500 executions in the current year.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran has identified one of her major concerns as the targeted use of the death penalty by the Iranian government against women activists and supporters of the 2022 protest movement following the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in the custody of the morality police in September 2022. Ms. Sato stated that Iranian regime officials responded to the demands of this movement, including accountability regarding human rights and gender equality, with increased violence and punitive measures. In part of her message, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran also referred to the so-called “Noor” plan and the “Chastity and Hijab” bill in the Iranian regime, which she emphasized further showcases the forms of governmental oppression aimed at creating an atmosphere filled with fear and pervasive control. Mai Sato, while praising the courage of the Iranian people, especially women and girls, despite increasing pressure and repression, also mentioned the campaign “No to Executions Tuesdays” in Iranian prisons; an initiative led by political prisoners who go on hunger strikes every Tuesday to oppose the death penalty.10 October is #WorldDayAgainstTheDeathPenalty. 500+ executions were reportedly carried out in #Iran since Jan '24. This includes the use of #CapitalPunishment against women activists &supporters of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. I join the call to end #DeathPeanlty in this📹 pic.twitter.com/k79W4kZ4ll
— Mai Sato (@drmaisato) October 9, 2024
11 Prisoners Executed in Iran on The Eve of World Day Against the Death Penalty
On the eve of World Day Against the Death Penalty, judicial authorities in Iran executed 11 prisoners, including a woman and a retired educator, at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Alborz Province early on Wednesday, October 9.
On Wednesday, at least 11 prisoners, including six “security” prisoners, a woman, and a retired educator, were executed by the judicial authorities of the Iranian regime at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Alborz Province.
Previously, the Iranian regime has repeatedly sentenced its opposing citizens to death under charges such as “espionage, corruption on earth, warfare, and rebellion,” executing some of them.
According to this report, among those executed were two citizens from Sistan and Baluchestan identified as “Ahmad Narouei, 33 years old, and Mohammad Eshaq-Zehi, 31 years old, both from and residing in Zahedan.” Another executed individual was identified as Saeed Safaie, approximately 55 years old, from Harsin in Kermanshah Province, who was a retired educator.
One of the executed individuals has been identified as Mehdi Barahuyi, who reportedly was underage at the time of his arrest and was less than 18 years old.
Concurrently with these executions and on the eve of World Day Against the Death Penalty, Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, stated in a video message for the 24-hour support program of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign that at least 500 executions have been reported in Iran since the beginning of the current Gregorian year, which, according to her, includes the use of the death penalty against female activists and supporters of the nationwide protests of 2022.
Additionally, between October 10, 2023, and October 8, 2024, at least 811 people were executed by hanging in various regions of Iran, with four of these executions taking place in public.
During this period, death sentences were issued for 186 prisoners, with the ruling for three of them being execution in public.
The Iranian regime has increased the number of executions amidst its adventures in the Middle East. In this way, the regime aims to prevent the outbreak of widespread protests like that occurred in 2022.
October 10th is designated as World Day Against the Death Penalty. This day was first introduced and named in 2003 by the “World Coalition Against the Death Penalty” to support the abolition of the death penalty and raise awareness of the conditions of prisoners sentenced to death.
Increasing Assassination Attempts by The Iranian Regime in Britain, MI5 Chief Warns
The Director-General of the UK’s domestic security service, MI5, reported a “stunning” rise in assassination attempts by the Iranian and Russian regimes on British soil.
On Tuesday, October 8, Director General Ken McCallum, in presenting his annual report, warned of the threats from Tehran and Moscow, as well as growing concerns about the activities of the Islamic State group (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.
According to this security official, “hostile” countries hire criminals to carry out their “dirty work.”
Ken McCallum stated at the London Counter-Terrorism Operations Center that since January 2022, MI5 and British police have responded to 20 plots backed by the Iranian regime, which posed potentially deadly threats to British citizens and residents.
This security official added that after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the regime’s morality police in September 2022, London witnessed consecutive plots by the Iranian regime.
Following Mahsa Amini’s death, widespread protests erupted among Iranians inside and outside Iran, sparking a massive wave of opposition to the Iranian regime.
In April, Reporters Without Borders described the increasing threats against Iranian journalists in the UK as “unprecedented” and called on the British government to take action to protect their lives.
On Monday, August 6, 2023, the British Prime Minister’s office stated that the Iranian regime poses “a serious threat” to the UK and its allies, and “a direct danger” to Iranian dissidents and opposition members residing in Britain.
In another part of his speech, McCallum emphasized that like Russia, Iran uses everyone from drug traffickers to petty criminals for its operations.
McCallum warned that if Israel retaliates against a missile strike from Iran, Iran could expand its targets to include Britain.
According to him, escalating conflicts in the Middle East increase the risk of Iran’s aggressive activities spreading to the UK.
McCallum also mentioned that Israel’s conflicts with Iran-backed militias, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, could potentially trigger terrorist attacks in Britain.
Previously, the British Home Secretary had described Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the biggest threat to the UK’s security, stating that the IRGC had increased its threats on British soil and employed criminal gangs to suppress opposition.
Iran’s Regime Uses the “Nazer” App to Monitor Ambulances and Identify Protesters
Filterbaan, an organization active in internet access rights in Iran, reports that the regime’s “Nazer” app, initially designed to monitor the enforcement of mandatory hijab, is also being used to track ambulances and identify protesters.
In a report on October 8, Filterbaan pointed out that ambulances are among the vehicles listed for reporting violations, highlighting that enforcing mandatory hijab laws is a priority for the regime, “even during medical emergencies.”
Filterbaan noted that “Nazer” was initially designed to track hijab violations in vehicles, but now it also monitors behaviors like alcohol consumption, breaking fast during Ramadan, and public protests. The report added that the Nazer app is part of the government’s policies to suppress lifestyle choices that don’t align with its laws.
Filterbaan further explained that its research shows the latest version of “Nazer” has been developed to increase surveillance over citizens’ lives, allowing the reporting of vague concepts such as “behaviors contrary to public norms.” Additionally, the new version aims to identify participants in protests and suppress peaceful gatherings.
According to the report, the Nazer app is a powerful surveillance tool with broad capabilities for monitoring and controlling citizens, particularly targeting women. It seeks to criminalize a wide range of lifestyle choices, as well as suppress dissenters, critics, and political activists, thereby violating rights outlined in international human rights documents and even the regime’s own laws.
The new “Nazer” aims to identify protest participants and suppress the freedom of peaceful assembly.
Filterbaan also noted that the Nazer app is not available to the general public in app stores. Instead, it is distributed through specific channels like police websites and Iranian messaging platforms like “Eitaa” to select individuals and regime supporters, indicating its targeted use.
This internet rights organization highlighted the term “unrest” in the updated version of Nazer, stating that the app criminalizes peaceful protests and dissenting voices. It stressed that this approach reflects the regime’s policy of ignoring citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and classifying protests as “disruption of public order.”
According to Filterbaan, the Nazer app was originally designed to allow its users—police forces and approved volunteers like hijab enforcers—to “report individuals violating mandatory hijab laws while driving.”
Now, the app can identify the exact position of passengers inside a vehicle and classify them into three roles: driver, front passenger, and rear passenger, which “makes violation reporting more precise and allows for more accurate punishment of citizens.”
The report states that the new version of “Nazer” includes a comprehensive list of all car models available in Iran.
The Nazer app was designed and produced by the “Naji Research and Development Company” for use by the regime’s law enforcement and security forces.
Earlier, in continued efforts by the Iranian regime to control citizens, Mehdi Omidvar, spokesperson for the Iran Chamber of Guilds, announced on October 2 that based on the orders of the Public Places Supervision Unit of the police, a “Public Places Video Surveillance System” has been established, giving regime law enforcement and intelligence officials the ability to monitor commercial and service units via video.
The bill known as the “Hijab and Chastity” law has been approved by the Guardian Council and sent to the Regime’s Majlis (parliament). In addition to violent enforcement of mandatory hijab for women, this bill calls for broader “gender segregation” in universities, administrative and educational centers, parks, recreational areas, and even in the medical sectors of hospitals.
“No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign: 30 Executions in Two Days
The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign entered its 37th week of hunger strikes in 22 different prisons across Iran on October 8, ahead of the “World Day Against the Death Penalty.”
In this week’s statement, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign reported that at least 30 people were executed in various prisons across the country on October 1 and 2, including three women. Additionally, Mahmoud Dehmordeh, a death row prisoner in Zabol prison, died of a heart attack due to a lack of medical attention.
According to the statement, last week, a political prisoner named Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heydranlou was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia. He had been detained since April 2023 and was subjected to severe torture. He was sentenced illegally, without due process, on the charge of “rebellion” (defined under Iran’s regime laws as opposing the Islamic ruler, typically referring to those who stand against the regime).
On the occasion of the “World Day Against the Death Penalty,” declared by the UN General Assembly, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign harshly criticized the Iranian regime as one of the world’s worst human rights violators and called for serious global attention to the human rights situation in Iran.
The campaign stressed that since the beginning of 2024, nearly 450 people have been executed in Iran, while many other countries are moving towards abolishing the death penalty.
The members of the campaign have called on national and international political, civil, and human rights organizations to take action to “save the lives of death row prisoners in Iran” and urged the global community to “hold the leaders of the Iranian regime accountable for four decades of crimes against humanity and the mass killings of prisoners.”
The hunger strike on Tuesday, October 8, as a form of protest by the campaign members, took place in the following prisons: Evin Prison (Women’s Ward and Wards 4 and 8), Ghezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Greater Tehran, Khorramabad, Arak, Isfahan’s Asadabad, Shiraz Nezam, Bam, Mashhad, Lakan Rasht (Men’s and Women’s Wards), Qaemshahr, Ardabil, Tabriz, Urmia, Salmas, Khoy, Naqadeh, Saqqez, Baneh, Marivan, and Kamyaran Prison.
Population of Iran’s Deteriorated Urban Areas Is Increasing
The regime’s Majlis (Parliament) Research Center published a report on housing poverty in Iran, which was removed from the center’s website hours after its release. This report revealed that the population living in deteriorated urban areas has increased in recent years.
According to the report, the most significant manifestation of housing poverty in urban areas is the high share of rent in total household expenses. The main reason for this is the high and increasing cost of rent in urban regions.
The report indicated that in provincial divisions, the highest number of families either without housing or struggling with the disparity between income and housing costs are in Tehran and Alborz provinces.
The report also emphasized that nearly 33% of the urban population in the country lives in deteriorated areas, with Tehran province having the highest number of residents in such areas and informal settlements.
Qom province, in relation to its population, has the highest percentage of residents living in deteriorated areas and informal settlements.
In recent years, various reports have been published on the decay of urban areas in different parts of Iran.
In 2020, Mehdi Abouri, then-Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, stated that around one-quarter of the country’s population lives in deteriorated, inefficient areas and informal settlements.
Abouri mentioned that there are over 148,000 hectares of deteriorated, informal, and inefficient areas nationwide, with 20 million people residing in these areas.
The new statistics from the Majlis Research Center show that the number of residents in the country’s deteriorated areas has increased.
According to the report, the share of rent costs in the total expenses of renting households has been increasing during the 2010s, reaching around 36% in 2022.
On an international scale, household housing expenses in Iran in 2022 were about 1.6 times the housing costs in the European Union in the same year.
Given the high share of housing costs, for the bottom three income deciles of urban households in 2022, the average estimated waiting period to become a homeowner was around half a century.
In 2022, female-headed families were approximately 1.2 times more likely to experience inadequate housing, and 1.1 times more likely to lack access to affordable housing, compared to male-headed families. The rate of inadequate housing among the lower classes and the poor is more than twice that of non-poor households.
One of the issues sociologists have repeatedly pointed out in recent years is the impact of inflation on shrinking the middle class and pushing it below the poverty line, a phenomenon that is most evident in the housing market.
55% Increase in Water Prices in Iran
At the same time as the increase in the price of the US dollar, gold coins, and the rise in some food prices, Iranian regime officials in the energy sector announced a gradual increase in water prices, stating that the price of water will increase by up to 55%. Earlier, Massoud Pezeshkian, the president of the Iranian regime, had defended the increase in gasoline prices.
State media in Iran reported on Monday, October 7, that the government has approved “new tariffs” for water and electricity, stating that these decisions will be implemented “after final approval.”
According to the Iranian regime’s official news agency, IRNA, the Ministry of Energy stated that the goal of the tiered water pricing is “to encourage excessive consumers to manage their consumption better,” and “the highest tier will see a 55% increase” in prices. However, Firouz Ghasemzadeh, a spokesperson for the water industry, claimed that “the tariffs for low consumers will not change.”
The announcement of rising prices of essential goods, including water, for Iranian citizens comes amid ongoing livelihood problems and the shrinking of household budgets, even as, in recent days, Iranian regime officials have announced that they sent tens of tons of aid shipments to Lebanon.
The water shortage and energy crisis, which many observers attribute to the regime’s mismanagement, have not only caused livelihood challenges for the people but also endangered Iran’s environment.
According to the head of the Earthquake and Risk Department at Iran’s Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, all provinces in Iran are facing the risk of land subsidence, and there is “only 5 to 10 years left” to mitigate this phenomenon.
As a result of the water crisis and the spread of land subsidence, Iran’s habitable areas are continuously shrinking.
Simultaneous with the announcement of the increase in water prices in Iran, the Iranian Dairy Products Association reported a “30% increase in dairy product prices” and a minimum 14% rise in the cost of dairy products.
The increase in water prices, along with the rising costs of dairy and meat products, comes after earlier rumors of a gasoline price hike. Massoud Pezeshkian said, “There is no logic in buying gasoline at the free-market dollar rate and selling it to people with subsidies.”
Some observers suggest that the Iranian regime has handed over tasks that Ebrahim Raisi did not dare to undertake to Massoud Pezeshkian.
The announcement of water price hikes comes amid the spread of protests by various labor groups, including retirees, industrial workers, teachers, victims of financial fraud, nurses, and healthcare workers, which in recent months have reflected the increasing livelihood challenges in Iran and the neglect by Iranian regime officials.
5 to 10-Year Window to Save Iran’s Major Cities from the Threat of Subsidence
Ali Beitollahi, director of the earthquake and risk management division at Iran’s Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, warned about the increasing severity of land subsidence, stating that all provinces in the country are facing this threat and “we only have 5 to 10 years to save our cities and villages, starting now.”
Beitollahi told Etemad newspaper that subsidence is also occurring in unexpected areas, such as Golestan province, eastern Mazandaran province, and the provinces of Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, and West Azerbaijan, which have better rainfall compared to the central plateau.
According to this Ministry of Roads official, “if there is serious determination” to confront the threat of subsidence, “this threat is controllable.”
Beitollahi emphasized that the provinces of Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, Fars, Kerman, and Isfahan have reached a “critical” state in terms of subsidence rates, and in 11 provinces, the annual subsidence rate exceeds 10 centimeters.
The official highlighted that if this trend continues, “in 30 years, we will face a three-meter drop in land level, which would be catastrophic.”
Previously, the Deputy Minister of Energy for Water and Wastewater had reported a subsidence crisis in 359 plains across the country, revealing that 28% of agricultural wells, amounting to 117,000 wells, were drilled in areas where subsidence rates exceed 10 centimeters.
In December 2023, a faculty member of the Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center reported observing subsidence effects along the Tehran-Mashhad railway, stating that “very dangerous” signs of subsidence were clearly visible near Varamin and Nishapur.
On December 4, 2023, the Parliament Research Center announced that “more than 35% of the country’s population is at risk of land subsidence.”
The construction of numerous dams without considering environmental consequences and excessive extraction of underground water have been identified as major causes of subsidence in Iran.
Despite the depletion of underground water resources and the threat to life in Iran’s environment, the Iranian regime still insists on goals like self-sufficiency in agricultural production and population growth.
The Iranian regime has yet to take any measures to control land subsidence.
Iranian Regime Security Forces Attack Protesting Steel Industry Retirees
Reports indicate that Iranian regime security forces attacked a protest gathering of steel industry retirees in Tehran.
On Sunday, October 6, steel retirees held a protest in front of the presidential office near Pasteur Square.
Published videos show that the protest turned violent after the intervention of security forces, who not only beat the protesters but also arrested some of them.
On the same day, a number of steel industry retirees in Ahvaz also gathered in front of the Khuzestan Steel Pension Fund building, demanding that their concerns be addressed.
The state-run ILNA news agency also reported that labor retirees held protests in various cities in Iran on Sunday, including Shush, Ahvaz, and Mashhad.
According to this report, the retirees at these gatherings complained about the meager pensions and the economic crisis, saying that their repeated protests over the past months have been ineffective.
Following the relentless rise in inflation and the decline in citizens’ purchasing power in Iran, protests by various sectors over low wages and economic hardships have significantly increased in the past one or two years.
Steel industry retirees are among these protesters, who have held numerous gatherings in recent months to protest the lack of attention to their demands.
The retirees’ demands in these protests include increasing their pensions, implementing the wage equalization law, resolving issues with supplementary insurance, paying end-of-year bonuses, and accounting for the service records of hard and hazardous jobs in the pension adjustments.
According to official statistics, 60 percent of the country’s population is currently considered to be living below the poverty line.
