By Jubin Katiraie
At least eight Iranian converts to Christianity have been arrested in just one month in Iran, including six from the northern city of Rasht.
Three men, identified as Mohammad Vafadar, Mohammad Islamdoust and Kamal No’manian, were arrested on Friday, February 15, whilst attending a church service in Rasht, and taken to unknown locations.
Iran Focus
London, 22 Feb – The Iranian security forces has arrested several more environmental activists over the past few days and transferred them to unknown locations in what is being seen as a worsening crackdown on conservationists.
On February 17, four activists were arrested. Zakaria Naghshbandi, Arman Vafaei and Shahou Faraji were arrested in Sanandaj, while Yousef Farhadi Babadi, a member of the “Voice of Water” Campaign in Shahre Kord, was arrested by Iranian security agents as he travelled home with his family members. Notably, the campaign and its activists were featured in a report by the Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Fars news agency.
Iran Focus
London, 20 Feb – The deadline to pass the bills Iran needs in order to conform to international anti-money-laundering laws and standards established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was last Sunday. Because two of the bills have not passed, Tehran is at risk of being blacklisted by the international money-transaction transparency body.
By Pooya Stone
The Organization of Iranian American Communities-US (OIAC) represents Iranian Americans living in 40 states across the U.S. It has praised the U.S. Congress for its continuing efforts to urge the country’s Secretary of State to designate two Iranian entities as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
Iran Focus
London, 20 Feb – Iranian authorities have extended the travel ban on the widow of an Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died under suspicious circumstances in prison last year after being arrested on suspicion of spying, according to state-run news agency IRNA on Tuesday.
Payam Derafshan, the lawyer for widow Maryam Mombeini, said that he had gone to a Tehran court on Sunday to seek an end to the year-long travel ban imposed on her following the death of her husband Kavous Seyed-Emami, but the court extended the ban instead.
By Jubin Katiraie
On Thursday February 7, 2019, Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance gave an interview to Reuters about the need for the international community to respect the Iranian people’s protests against the Regime and recognise their legitimate desire for regime change.
Iran Focus
London, 19 Feb – The Iranian rial is dropping sharply in value against the US dollar this week, with the cost of one greenback reaching 130,000 rials on Monday, February 18.
This is the biggest gain for the dollar in Iran’s government-controlled forex market in three months, especially as the exchange rate reached 11,000 rials on December 31.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Feb – US companies and government agencies have been targeted in increased cyber attacks by Iranian hackers, which security experts believe may be linked to Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal last year.
According to several sources, who were not able to speak publically, the Iranian attacks on US entities have been far more extensive than previously reported, with dozens of businesses and multiple United States agencies hit.
Iran Focus
London, 18 Feb – Supporters of the Iranian Resistance gathered in Germany on Sunday to protest the inclusion of the Iranian Regime’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Munich Security Conference.
Members and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) rallied outside the global security summit with banners stating that the Iran Regime is the number one state sponsor of terrorism, the biggest cause of regional instability, and greatest violator of human rights.
By Mehdi
During the state sponsored demonstrations that were held across Iran on February 11th, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned factions within the regime to refrain from in-fighting. However, the quarreling factions continued to accuse each other of creating the country’s current economic misery and escalating political crises.
For instance, the Karaj Friday prayer Imam’s took offense to a speech by Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani. Khamenei had to step in on February 8th, to say, “There is a difference of opinion and you disagree for any reason. That official, this chair, that gentleman, you don’t accept them, that’s no problem, but the February 11 demonstration isn’t a place for retaliation.”
