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Long Food Queues and Empty Tables in Iran at the Beginning of Ramadan

Mehdi Hosseini
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Long Food Queues and Empty Tables in Iran at the Beginning of Ramadan

The release of various videos depicting long queues for “government-subsidized meat” in Iran during the month of Ramadan has sparked significant reactions. Now, the regime’s media outlets report insufficient meat supply for distribution to the applicants, stating that people, despite hours of waiting, return home empty-handed.

The state-run Khabaronline website has announced that these long queues reflect a bitter reality that has been witnessed for months. With reference to economic indicators and statistics presented by the Statistical Center, it is predicted to persist.

The report emphasizes that while officials claim economic improvement, the reality is that “people’s purchasing power has sharply decreased, and their food basket has shrunk.”

The coupon plan illustrates the depth of the catastrophe, forcing people to wait in these long lines to obtain food.

Reviewing reports published in other media outlets also indicates that the government’s target in this plan is more than 60 million out of Iran’s 85 million population.

On March 12, Ham-Mihan newspaper criticized the government’s supportive policies, stating that the supply of “regulated market meat” is much less than the existing demand. The newspaper questions, “Why do people have to stand in line for hours to get meat, only to sometimes return home without receiving any?”

Media outlets have compared images of various queues, including meat queues in Iran, to the era of the eight-year war between Iran’s regime and Iraq.

In many of these reports, a partisan approach is evident, attempting to attribute existing problems to the government of regime President Ebrahim Raisi. However, a review of reports and economic indicators during the regime’s rule in Iran shows that the economy has never been on a balanced and scientific development path. It is clear that the economic situation has worsened during Ebrahim Raisi’s term.

Statistics indicate that Iran’s economy has been in a downward spiral over the past four decades, and despite reductions in the pace of this decline in various governments, the trajectory has not changed.

Experts believe that given the macroeconomic policies, often considered “mistakes” by many specialists, and the entrenched inflation in the near future, we might witness people lining up for all goods.

Iran’s Regime Draws Money From Pension Funds Without Notifying Retirees

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iran’s Regime Draws Money From Pension Funds Without Notifying Retirees

While Iranian media have reported that the government has deducted 10 million rials from the pensions of retirees in March, the head of the Retirees Association of the Social Security Organization says they were supposed to pay the debts of retirees of this organization to the “Petrochemical Shares.”

In this regard, Parsineh newspaper wrote: Retirees’ March salaries have been deposited under conditions where, without notification and permission, 10 million rials (approximately $17 which is around one-eighth of the minimum wage for workers)  have been deducted from their accounts, and text messages have been sent by the Retirees’ High Association of Social Security to retirees and pensioners, stating that the Social Security Organization is in the process of creating a cooperative company for retirees and investing in the shares of companies. This process will be realized through participation in the auction with the allocation of 150 million rials (approximately $252) in cash deductible from the March pension.

In response to this news, the head of the Retirees Association of Social Security Organization told the regime’s Fars News Agency: “It was agreed that 52% of the shares of Amir Kabir Petrochemicals would be transferred to the retirees of this organization, and it was said that pensioners who do not wish to buy these shares can withdraw by sending a withdrawal text message.”

Some experts say, firstly, the Retirees’ High Association has no right to establish any investment institution, and this action is against its articles of association. Secondly, this investment trick can lead to major abuses by creating a layer of capitalists and, with the credit of a trade union, wipe out the meager rights of retirees.

This is happening while, according to reports, a group of retirees from the Social Security and National Pension Organization gathered on March 10 in protest of the economic situation in several cities, including Arak, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Shush, and Kermanshah.

The continuation of economic protests in Iran is happening while an economic media outlet, by examining official data from the government’s central statistics agency, reported that since the inauguration of the government of Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 until now, that is, in the past three years, the prices of essential goods have grown between 125% to 290%.

Iranian Authorities Set 30-Million-Rial Fine for Violating Hijab Rules

Jubin Katiraie
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Iranian Authorities Set 30-Million-Rial Fine for Violating Hijab Rules

Babak Negahdari, the head of the Research Center of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (Parliament), has defended the imposition of a “cash fine” for opponents of mandatory hijab instead of dealing with them through the Morality Police. However, the spokesperson for the regime’s State Security Forces (SSF) says that such an order has not been communicated yet.

Negahdari, in a conversation with the state-run ILNA news agency on March 10, admitted that the Morality Police led to “clashes in the public sphere of society” and added that the images of police officers’ confrontation with women “were being exploited by enemies of the revolution and Iran.”

He stated that the Majlis took action to “eliminate the Morality Police and replace it with cash fines to remove the undesirable images created by the clashes in the public sphere.”

While announcing the removal of the Morality Police, he reported on the presence of unmarked police vans in the streets and their confrontation with women without specifying their authority, which has been widely reported this year.

The clash between the Morality Police and Mahsa Amini in September 2022, resulting in her death in detention, marked the widest protests in the history of the Iranian regime.

Last week, Amir Hossein Bankipour, a member of the parliament, announced in a television program the possibility of implementing the “Hijab and Chastity” bill after the Persian New Year, specifying a fine of 30 million rials (approximately $51) for not observing mandatory hijab.

It is worth mentioning that the minimum wage for a worker in the year 2023 was around $135.

He mentioned that this amount would be deducted from the individual’s account by a “system,” and if there was not enough money, the person would become a “debtor” and, in case of repetition, would have to go to “court.”

His statements were met with widespread reactions.

Meanwhile, Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, the spokesperson for the SSF, said to reporters about the 30-million-rial fine for not observing mandatory hijab: “Such a matter has not been communicated to us yet.”

In the ongoing conflict between the regime and its supporters with women, a video circulated on social media on Saturday, March 9, showing a Mullah filming a mother holding her child in a medical center in the city of Qom.

The prosecutor of Qom, without providing details, announced the formation of a legal case in this regard and stated that an order has been issued to “identify individuals who transferred the image to the media.”

In this case, Iran’s criminal regime again intends to arrest those who have published these images instead of addressing the case.

House Rent Has Become the Main Economic Concern of Iranians

Hoshang Amiri
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House Rent Has Become the Main Economic Concern of Iranians

An examination of Iranian citizens’ messages on social media indicates that house rent has become one of the most significant economic concerns for Iranians. A considerable number of messages shared by users on a daily basis on social media focus on issues related to rent, high costs, and inflation in this domain.

The common theme in these messages is the inability to afford house rent and the monthly increasing expenses, especially in the capital.

According to a survey, the average share of rent in the expenses of Tehran households has exceeded 50%, and residents of the capital, on average, spend around 150 million rials (approximately $252) monthly on house rent.

More than 50% of the survey participants declared monthly incomes and salaries of less than 160 million rials (approximately $269).

A March 9th report in Etemad newspaper examines the relationship between rent inflation and overall inflation in Iran, noting that, except for some initial months of the year, in the second six months, rent inflation has surpassed monthly general inflation.

According to the report, comparing rent inflation this year with that of 2022 shows that tenants in 2023 have faced a more challenging year. In late September 2023, the regime’s Donyaye Eghtesad newspaper reported a 12-year record-high annual increase in nationwide rents during the first half of the year, reaching 38.5%.

The report highlights that the recent six-month growth in rents has been unprecedented since 2011. A user on social media, referring to the days before the Persian New Year, wrote: “People are trapped under these skyrocketing prices… Besides house rent and utility bills, they are struggling to fill their stomachs, and whether it’s a holiday or not has become irrelevant to them.”

Another citizen commented on the situation: “Nights close to the Iranian New Year, for some, are reminders of unpaid debts, bounced checks, unmet demands, medical expenses, empty bank accounts, house rent, school fees for children, and a broken-down car.”

Etemad, citing Abbas Akbarpour, a real estate market expert, reported on March 9 that if the declared inflation rate is around 40%, the rent rate exceeds this figure, with the primary reason being the increase in the foreign exchange rate in the market.

According to Akbarpour, in one instance alone, the Euro-to-rial exchange rate has faced a 25% growth in the last two weeks, which has had a significant impact on all items, including rents.

The real estate market expert further stated: “If the increase in rent rates is higher than inflation, landlords in this ailing economy won’t benefit much from these rates, but whether tenants comply with these rates for rent renewal is crucial.”

In August 2023, online news outlet Faraz published a report indicating that many families, due to the inability to pay house rent, have migrated from Tehran and stored their household items in rented containers.

On October 11, 2023, the state-run ILNA news agency reported on income and expenses of workers, stating that on average, about 55% of workers’ salaries in provinces go towards house rent.

According to the report’s data, in the capital, workers’ entire salary is spent on rent.

A social media user on X, referring to the widespread concern about house rent, wrote: “Until around the age of 20, we had no understanding of house rent or the prices of household necessities and expenses. I traveled in a bus with school children and saw today’s 10- and 12-year-olds fully aware of the house prices in their area and knowing that high rent brings them trouble.”

Despite the denial of inflation and skyrocketing prices by Iranianauthorities, some official reports indicate a significant disparity between incomes and citizens’ public expenses.

Babak Negahdari, the head of the parliament’s research center, stated on October 8, 2023, that housing prices and rents had increased tenfold from 2018 to the present.

Based on this, if five years ago, the rent for a small apartment was about 10 million rials, today, a family renting the same, likely older, house must pay at least 100 million rials per month.

Canada Sanctions Iranian Officials Over Women’s Rights Violations

Jubin Katiraie
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Canada Sanctions Iranian Officials Over Women’s Rights Violations

On Friday, March 8th, the Canadian government, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, announced sanctions against Masoud Dorosti, the CEO of Tehran Metro, and Zahra Elahian, a representative in the regime’s Majlis (parliament), for their involvement in the suppression of Iranian citizens, particularly women and girls.

According to a statement from the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these sanctions were imposed in response to the systematic and severe ongoing violations of human rights, especially those of women and girls, and the continuous actions of the Iranian regime to destabilize peace and security in the region.

The statement further mentions that Masoud Dorosti is sanctioned for enforcing compulsory hijab laws in public transportation, while Zahra Elahian is sanctioned for supporting the execution of protesters during nationwide demonstrations.

Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada, stated in relation to the seventh round of Canadian sanctions against Iranian regime authorities and institutions since the start of protests triggered by the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, that Canada will always defend the rights of women and girls. She emphasized that the message is clear: this behavior must come to an end, pointing to the Iranian regime’s ruthless and harsh tactics against women.

The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs pledged that Canada will continue to raise awareness about these severe human rights violations and advocate for accountability for those involved.

Since the beginning of nationwide protests in 2022, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and European countries have implemented numerous sanction packages against individuals and entities involved in the repression of Iranian protesters.

CENTCOM Chief Warns That Iran Has Put Middle East Into “Convergence of Crises”

Esmaeil Mohades
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CENTCOM Chief Warns That Iran Has Put Middle East Into “Convergence of Crises”

The senior commander of the Central Command of the United States, during a session of the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. Senate, stated the key to deterrence is “Tehran has to understand there are consequences” but “deterrence is temporary.”

“Iran has thrown the Middle East into “a convergence of crises” with its military support of Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen,” Army Gen. Michael Kurilla told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday adding the middle east is in the most volatile situation in 50 years.

Kurilla said: “In the Middle East, to help finance these militia operations, Iran is selling 90 percent of its oil to China.”

He, with reference to the danger of Tehran becoming a nuclear power, emphasized that Tehran remains on “the threshold” of becoming a nuclear power.

Kurilla added that the key to deterrence is “Tehran has to understand there are consequences” but “deterrence is temporary.” He said there have been more than 170 attacks on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq since Oct. 7, the day Hamas in the Gaza Strip launched a series of attacks on Israel. There have been eight U.S. military strikes in response.

Kurilla said that the United States economy relies on safe transits of commercial shipping through the Red Sea. He added 30 percent of all maritime trade passes through its waterways.

Kurilla continued that 24 nations’ navies are participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian trying to protect container and tanker ships in the Red Sea. But the continuing strikes have caused an increasing number of shippers to take the far longer route around the Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip for safety.

Continuing, he pointed out the ongoing attacks by the Houthi rebels, stating, “You have to have a layered defense” on land and sea to protect against drone attacks. Swarms of cheap attributable drones flying low and slow pose a particularly acute danger. Kurilla urged Congress to pass a supplemental budget, which would provide him with more than $530 million for more high-powered microwave systems and relatively cheap Army Coyote interceptors to take done that kind of attack.

Houthi semi-military forces in Yemen, who receive support from the Iranian regime, have repeatedly attacked international commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with missiles and drones since late October 2023.

Many of these group’s attacks have been neutralized by American or coalition forces, and a significant number of their bases within Yemen have become targets of independent or joint attacks by the US military and other allied countries.

Nevertheless, Houthi leaders have declared that they will refrain from attacking ships until the end of the conflict in Gaza.

The Biden administration, which had removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations shortly after taking office in January 2021, re-designated this group as “specially designated global terrorists” on February 16, 2024.

On January 10, the Telegraph reported, citing its sources inside Iran, that Houthi forces in Yemen have received training at the “Khamenei Maritime Science and Technology University” in Zibakenar, Rasht (northern Iran), and that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime, oversees their activities.

Iran’s Regime Continues Unjust Detention of Father of Executed Political Prisoner

Sia Rajabi
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Iran’s Regime Continues Unjust Detention of Father of Executed Political Prisoner

Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami, continues to be held in Karaj Central Prison under unspecified conditions, despite more than six months passing since his arrest, according to human rights sources.

According to HRANA news agency, a source familiar with the matter stated, “Mr. Karami, despite 196 days of detention, is still being held incommunicado in Ward 15 of Karaj Central Detention Center.”

The source, close to Mr. Karami’s family, mentioned that efforts for his “temporary release” have been unsuccessful so far.

Mashallah Karimi is the father of Mohammad Mehdi Karimi, an athlete and protester who was executed by the Iranian regime. Mohammad Mehdi Karimi was detained during nationwide protests that began in September 2022, following his participation in the 40th-day memorial ceremony for Hadis Najafi and Parsa Razadoust, two young protesters murdered by the regime’s security forces.

On January 7, 2023, he was executed alongside Mohammad Hosseini, another protester, in a case referred to as the “Murder of an IRGC Basij Member Ruhollah Ajamian.” The trials of the two protesters was marked with torture, forced confessions, and a flawed judicial process.

Mashallah Karimi was arrested by the regime’s security forces on August 22, 2023. Security officials confiscated all electronic devices and also froze his family’s bank accounts.

Throughout his detention amid last year’s nationwide protests, Karami’s family has been subjected to harassment by Iranian regime security forces. On November 3, more than 70 days into Mashaallah Karami’s detention, his wife and child were forced to leave their home due to “repeated assaults” by security forces.

On December 20, 2023, Mashallah Karami was charged by Branch Eleven of Karaj Public and Revolutionary Court with allegations such as “membership in groups and gatherings with the intent to act against national security, propaganda against the regime, insulting sanctities, forming a group with the intent to disrupt national security, and insulting the leader (the regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei).”

In this situation, hra-news agency, has revealed that since Mashaallah Karami’s detention, his family has been pressured not to provide information about him. They have also faced restrictions on phone calls and daily movements.

There are indications of severe pressure on Mashallah Karami to accept charges of “fraud and manipulation of public sentiment,” and there is a possibility that a coerced confession video may be broadcast in the future.

Supreme Court of Sweden Upholds Life Sentence for Former Iranian Prison Guard Hamid Nouri

Hoshang Amiri
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Supreme Court of Sweden Upholds Life Sentence for Former Iranian Prison Guard Hamid Nouri

Hamid Nouri, accused of involvement in human rights violations in Iran against political prisoners.

The Supreme Court of Sweden announced that it will not review the request for the appeal of the verdict against Hamid Nouri, a former deputy warden of Gohardasht Prison, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his participation in the mass murder of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.

At the time, the regime brutally executed 30,000 political prisoners, around 90% of whom were members of the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

The trial concluded in July 2022 in Sweden, where Nouri was convicted of “gross violation of international humanitarian law and murder.”

A higher court also affirmed the life sentence for Nouri on December 19, 2023. The highest judicial authority in Sweden, in its March 6, 2024, ruling, stated, “The Supreme Court has decided not to grant a review of the final judgment in this case. This decision means that the verdict issued by the appellate court remains in force.”

Hamid Nouri, 62, was arrested on November 9, 2019, upon his arrival at Stockholm airport on a direct flight from Iran, based on a complaint filed by human rights activists and opponents of the Iranian regime.

The Swedish prosecutor’s office charged Hamid Nouri with evidence related to the secret mass murder of thousands of political prisoners in Iranian regime prisons in the summer of 1988.

These executions were carried out on the orders of Ruhollah Khomeini to retaliate against the PMOI/MEK after the end of the Iran-Iraq War.

During the 1988 summer executions, Hamid Nouri, using the alias “Hamid Abbasi,” served as the deputy warden of Gohardasht Prison.

The Swedish prosecutor filed charges against Hamid Nouri based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing the prosecution of crimes regardless of the location where they occurred. Swedish judicial authorities tried him on these grounds.

The trial, spanning 93 sessions in the Swedish judiciary, involved at least 60 complainants and witnesses and 12 experts in Islamic jurisprudence and international law discussing Nouri’s case.

The Stockholm regional court, which sentenced Nouri to life imprisonment, stated in its verdict, “He, as the deputy prison official, was involved in selecting prisoners, transferring them to the sentencing committee, and transporting them to the execution site.”

Hamid Nouri denied these charges, asserting that the allegations about his role in the executions are “fabricated.”

However, even the judge of the appellate court stated in a December 2023 statement, “Our assessment is that the case presented by the prosecutor is strong and convincing overall, and the regional court correctly determined that the prosecutor’s charges are well-supported.”

This case has garnered special attention due to implicating current senior Iranian officials, including the Iranian regime President Ebrahim Raisi, in membership in the so-called “Death Committee” during the summer of 1988, which issued execution orders. The Death Committee was a group of regime officials who tried prisoners in minutes-long trials and sent them to the gallows if they did not repent their support for the MEK.

The case has also strained relations between Sweden and the Iranian regime.

In March 2022, while the trial of Hamid Nouri was still ongoing, Iranian security forces detained Johan Floderus, a Swedish employee of the European Union, upon his return from a personal trip at Tehran airport.

This Swedish citizen is accused of espionage, which, if proven under Iranian regime laws, could lead to execution.

Floderus’ parents have requested the Swedish government to consider exchanging prisoners between the two countries and to swap their son with Hamid Nouri.

Another Swedish citizen, Ahmadreza Jalali, a physician and university professor, has been imprisoned in Iran since 2016 and is sentenced to death.

In recent years, the Iranian regime has detained several citizens of Western countries and dual nationals on various charges, including espionage and collaboration with foreign security agencies.

Human rights organizations and Western governments have condemned these actions as “hostage-taking and extortion for political purposes.”

White House Calls For Concerted Efforts Against Iran-Backed Houthis After Attack That Killed 3 Sailors

Jubin Katiraie
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White House Calls For Concerted Efforts Against Iran-Backed Houthis After Attack That Killed 3 Sailors

On March 6, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, in response to the Houthi group’s attack on a commercial ship in the Red Sea, which resulted in the killing of three crew members and injuring four others, stated that the United States calls on governments worldwide to join forces to collectively stop these horrific attacks.

According to the White House website, Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized that the Houthis, in their attack on a commercial ship flying the flag of Barbados, killed innocent civilians.

“So, today, the Houthis have killed innocent civilians by continuing their reckless attacks against international commercial shipping, which impacts countries throughout the world,” Jean-Pierre said.

“The ship they attacked was a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier.  It was not a U.S. ship, contrary to what the Houthis claimed.  These reckless attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis have not only disrupted global trade and commerce but also taken the lives of international sea- — seafarers simply doing their jobs.”

The White House spokesperson also condemned the Houthis for carrying out these attacks and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.

In response to the incident, David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, posted on X:

“We condemn the Houthis’ reckless & indiscriminate attacks on global shipping & demand they stop.”

Earlier, the United States Central Command announced on March 6 that a missile attack by Houthi forces, backed by the Iranian regime, on a commercial ship resulted in the death of three crew members and injuries to four others.

The Central Command also mentioned that the remaining crew abandoned the ship and rescued themselves, and coalition naval forces are assessing the situation.

In this regard, US Republican Senator Tom Cotton posted on X:

“This is what weakness looks like. The Biden administration has allowed an Iranian proxy group of Yemeni outlaws to terrorize international shipping with deadly consequences.”

Houthis, supported by the Iranian regime, have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in recent months under the pretext of supporting the people of Gaza, using drones and missiles.

Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, reportedly using Iranian-made weapons, have jeopardized the lives of ship crews and increased the business costs of companies. However, the March 6 attack was the first incident that resulted in the killing and injury of a ship’s crew.

Experts acknowledge that these attacks are carried out at the behest of the Iranian regime and with its assistance.

Amnesty International Report Warns About Deteriorating Women’s Rights in Iran

Jubin Katiraie
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Amnesty International Report Warns About Deteriorating Women’s Rights in Iran

On the eve of International Women’s Day, Amnesty International announced in a statement that Iranian authorities have launched a “large-scale and draconian campaign” to enforce compulsory veiling laws through surveillance, confiscating vehicles, and humiliating citizens.

Amnesty International, on March 6, released a press statement stating that this campaign is being conducted through “widespread surveillance of women and girls in public spaces and mass police checks targeting women drivers.”

“Tens of thousands of women have had their cars arbitrarily confiscated as punishment for defying Iran’s veiling laws. Others have been prosecuted and sentenced to flogging or prison terms or faced other penalties such as fines or being forced to attend ‘morality’ classes,” the statement added.

The report is based on testimonies from 46 individuals – 41 women, one girl and four men – collected by Amnesty International in February 2024

This human rights organization states that, in preparing this report, they have reviewed “official documents including court verdicts and prosecution orders, indicate that a plethora of state agencies are involved in persecuting women and girls for simply exercising their rights to bodily autonomy and freedom of expression and belief.”

Amnesty International reviewed screenshots of 60 such text messages issued over the past year to 22 women and men.

“Amnesty International spoke to 11 women who described intimidating car chases and stops and sudden impoundments while going about their ordinary daily activities such as commuting to work, medical visits or school runs. They emphasized the police’s complete disregard for their safety, with some women left stranded on busy highways or in cities far from their hometown,” the report added.

“Women and men said that the process to retrieve their cars from the Moral Security Police involves long queues and degrading treatment from officials including gender-based insults and reprimands about the appearance of women and girls as young as nine as well as humiliating instructions to cover their hair and threats of flogging, imprisonment and travel bans.”

Women and girls faced humiliating instructions to cover their hair and threats of flogging, imprisonment and travel bans according to the report.

“One woman also told the organization about an incident in late 2023 where an enforcer at a metro station in Tehran punched her 21-year-old cousin in the chest,” Amnesty said in its report.

“A 17-year-old girl told Amnesty International that her school principal temporarily suspended her after a CCTV camera captured her unveiled in a classroom, and threatened to report her to the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards if she removed her headscarf again.”

Amnesty International’s press statement notes that determining the extent of such judicial persecutions is challenging because authorities refrain from releasing relevant statistics.

However, statements by Mohammad Reza Mirheidari, the commander of the police force in Qom province in January 2024, regarding 1986 legal cases related to compulsory veiling only in that province since the beginning of 2023, indicate that such cases have not been widely reported.

“One woman told Amnesty International that a judge pointed to a pile of some 30 or 40 cases on his desk, commenting that they were all related to compulsory veiling,” according to the report. “Several other women said that prosecution and police officials lamented their heavy workload due to women’s resistance against compulsory veiling.”

“In January 2024, the authorities implemented a flogging sentence of 74 lashes against Roya Heshmati for appearing unveiled in public. In a testimony on her social media account, she recounted her flogging by a male official in the presence of a judge in a room she described as a ‘medieval torture chamber’.”

Following extensive protests that began last year and resulted in the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the Morality Police, there has been a significant increase in the number of women and girls refraining from wearing the compulsory veiling in Iran as a form of civil protest.

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