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“Iran’s Regime is Finished” Mike Pompeo Declares at NCRI Meeting

Jubin Katiraie
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“Iran’s Regime is Finished” Mike Pompeo Declares at NCRI Meeting

On January 9, at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) headquarters in France, a gathering marked a pivotal moment in the struggle against Iran’s ruling regime. Speakers included NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mrs. Rajavi emphasized the resilience of the Resistance, citing the regime’s struggles: economic instability, mass poverty, growing dissent, and defections. She called for global recognition of the NCRI, stating, “Recognizing the Iranian Resistance is not one choice among many; it is the only practical and viable solution to confront the religious fascism ruling Iran.” She reaffirmed her vision of a democratic republic rooted in gender equality and separation of religion from the state.

Mr. Pompeo depicted the Iranian regime as being in rapid decline, emphasizing the fall of the Assad regime as a precursor to Tehran’s fate. “Assad hiding in another country, hoping only that he can stay alive in spite of the crimes he committed against his own people. The fact that it fell so quickly, that it was such a paper tiger, told the world that the Ayatollah is finished, that his time is complete,” he stated. He encouraged Resistance Units, saying, “Keep up the fight…The United States and the pressure campaign will return, making the regime even more fragile. You, the Resistance, you are on the right path.”

He dismissed any hope of the IRGC moderating, labeling it the core of the regime’s brutality. “No one is going to change the nature of that regime. Pretending so will only lead to the continuation of the rule of the clerics in Iran,” he asserted. Pompeo highlighted the sacrifices made by the MEK, recalling the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. “The MEK has been the target of terror abroad and the subject of massive demonization campaigns by the regime. Every week in Friday prayer ceremonies across Iran, the regime chants slogans against the resistance,” he said, defending the group against propaganda efforts.

He praised Maryam Rajavi’s leadership and her 10-point plan for a democratic Iran, calling it a viable roadmap: “Mrs. Rajavi, you’ve repeatedly stated there’s only a single path, one path to the regime’s end, and that is being achieved by the Iranian people and the organized resistance inside of Iran.” Pompeo emphasized that the resistance does not demand foreign intervention but recognition of their right to resist. “This plan doesn’t ask for regime change from outside…The only demand of the resistance is the recognition of the Iranian people’s plight,” he declared.

Pompeo urged international support for the NCRI: “New U.S. policy, as the new administration comes in, needs to create even more space for the Iranian resistance to be vigilant on the ground. The focal point of this policy has to be recognition of the Iranian people’s right to resist and recognition of the National Council of Resistance of Iran as the single best alternative to the clerics ruling Iran.” He described the NCRI as a capable and democratic alternative, lauding its exposure of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

His speech conveyed confidence in the Iranian people’s ability to achieve freedom. He called for accountability for the regime’s atrocities.

Pompeo concluded with a powerful message: “This is the time for the West to recognize the right of the Iranian people, this fundamental right that is so basic to every human being created in the image of God, to live with human dignity. And that means the right to resist and to change the nature of the lives of the people inside of Iran.”

 

Mafia-style Loan Distribution in Iran

Sia Rajabi
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Mafia-style Loan Distribution in Iran

Iranian regime president Masoud Pezeshkian’s government has recently reduced the previous administration’s approved housing loan from 8 billion rials (approximately $9,877) to 6.5 billion rials (approximately $8,025). However, even this reduced amount is in doubt, as members of the regime’s parliament and economic experts question whether it will be provided at all. Additionally, the recent “devaluation of the rial” and “rising housing prices” have rendered any housing loans ineffective. While the strict conditions for obtaining housing loans have left many applicants waiting, numerous reports on corruption in the banking system and the “misallocation of financial facilities” have further complicated the situation.

Mohammadreza Farzin, the head of the Central Bank of the Iranian regime, had previously stated in a letter to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development that decisions regarding the loan cap and banking facilities fall under the jurisdiction of the “Supreme Board of the Central Bank.”

Iranian banks typically circumvent loan approval regulations for ordinary applicants by imposing strict conditions such as requiring guarantors, credit assessments, and the purchase of bonds. As a result, even if an 8-billion-rial loan is approved, banks’ “cooperation” in disbursing it remains highly unlikely.

A look at the latest official report from the Central Bank regarding the loans issued under the “National Housing Movement” plan until November 2024 reveals that in fourteen Iranian banks, housing loan disbursement has remained at “zero” even after three and a half years since the program’s launch. This is despite the legal requirement for banks to allocate 20% of their financial facilities to this sector.

According to this report, in the past three and a half years, Iranian banks have issued a total of 167 trillion rials (approximately $206 million) in financial facilities, of which only 2.5% has been allocated to the housing sector. This means that banks have only provided “2.5%” of the mandated 20% share for housing loans.

Diversion of Banking Facilities Toward “Super Debtors”

The extralegal actions of banks in Iran have effectively turned banking facilities into a tool for “rent distribution” (a form of economic favoritism). While the overall volume of financial facilities issued by banks continues to rise, ordinary citizens receive only a minimal share of these funds. The release of several lists detailing Iran’s largest bank debtors has revealed that most banking facilities have been distributed among “highly influential and rent-seeking sectors.”

Reports indicate that even Bank Maskan, a specialized housing finance bank, has allocated its resources to other sectors. According to the Central Bank report, the net loans granted by this bank to the auto parts manufacturing group “Ezam”—one of Iran’s super debtors—amounted to more than 12.3 trillion rials (approximately $151.8 million) by September 2024. This means that if the housing loan were set at 6.5 billion rials (approximately $8,025), Bank Maskan could have provided loans to more than 18,000 applicants just with the amount owed by Ezam Group.

Despite being classified as a super debtor, this manufacturing company continues to benefit from banking facilities, whereas many applicants for small-scale housing loans face stringent conditions imposed by the bank.

Other official reports indicate that banks not only fail to comply with legal priorities for the housing sector but also attempt to allocate large-scale loans to their “employees and subsidiaries.”

One of the main barriers preventing applicants from obtaining housing loans is the “high interest rates.” The repayment of the 6.5 billion rial loan is structured in a “graduated” manner, meaning monthly installments will start at approximately 87 million rials (around $108) and increase to about 152 million rials (around $188) in the 20th year. Consequently, the borrower will ultimately pay more than 2.4 billion tomans (approximately $29,630).

Moreover, persistent inflation in recent years has devalued housing loans, and despite the increase in loan ceilings, their effectiveness has been nullified. According to the Central Bank report, the average price per square meter of housing in Tehran reached 740 million rials (approximately $914) in December 2024. This means that even if the 6.5 billion rial loan is approved, it will only cover the purchase of “8.7 square meters” of property.

Citizens seeking housing loans must purchase a specified amount of securities to qualify for loan disbursement after a waiting period. Therefore, applicants who do not have any initial capital cannot obtain a loan. For instance, to receive a 6.5 billion rial loan, applicants must first purchase securities equivalent to one-quarter of the loan amount. Once this portion is paid, they will receive the remaining three-quarters of the loan.

Majid Goodarzi, a housing market expert, told the regime-affiliated Etemad newspaper: “Nowhere in the world are loans structured like they are in Iran; this method is entirely flawed because interest is charged on a loan that hasn’t even been disbursed yet, and repayments are required over a short-term period.” Goodarzi added, “This type of loan structure has been obsolete worldwide for years. However, in Iran, we are still dealing with such outdated loans.”

 

Italian Justice Minister: U.S. Has Not Requested Mohammad Abedini’s Extradition

Esmaeil Mohades
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Italian Justice Minister: U.S. Has Not Requested Mohammad Abedini’s Extradition

One day after the release of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in Tehran, and her return to Italy, Carlo Nordio, Italy’s Minister of Justice, stated that the U.S. has not formally requested the extradition of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian detained in Milan. *

On Thursday, January 9, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio described Abedini Najafabadi’s case as a legal matter and stated that it was unrelated to Sala’s release.

Nordio explained that it is too early to discuss Abedini’s extradition to the U.S. since no formal request has been submitted yet.

One day before these remarks, Sala was released and returned to Italy, after 20 days in detention in Tehran.

Italian Journalist Cecilia Sala Arrested in Tehran: Mystery Surrounds Detention

The Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which is close to the Italian government, previously reported that Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, secured Donald Trump’s agreement to “suspend” the extradition process of Abedini Najafabadi during her January 4 meeting with the U.S. president-elect.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Rome from January 9 to 12 for meetings with Prime Minister Meloni and Pope Francis. However, the White House announced that Biden had canceled his trip due to the massive wildfires in California.

Speculation had arisen that Biden’s visit would include discussions on Abedini Najafabadi’s extradition from Italy to the U.S.

On January 2, Milan’s Attorney General, citing the risk of Abedini Najafabadi fleeing before a decision on his extradition to the U.S., opposed his conditional release and transfer to house arrest.

The Milan Court of Appeals has scheduled a hearing on January 15 to review Abedini Najafabadi’s request for house arrest.

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, 38, was arrested at Milan Airport on December 16, 2024, at the request of the United States. He is accused by U.S. authorities of providing technology used in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

 

Canada: Iran Must Take Full Responsibility for Downing Ukrainian Flight

Jubin Katiraie
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Canada: Iran Must Take Full Responsibility for Downing Ukrainian Flight

On the fifth anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 by two missiles fired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Canadian government issued a statement detailing its efforts to hold Iran accountable and called on the Iranian regime to take full responsibility for its actions.

The statement noted that among the 176 victims of the downing, 55 were Canadian citizens and 30 were permanent residents of Canada. It emphasized that Canada, along with Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom—its three partners in the International Coordination and Response Group—continues to demand accountability from the Iranian regime, including compensation for the victims’ families.

Details of the Downing of Flight PS752

Flight PS752 was shot down on January 8, 2020, by two IRGC missiles in the early hours of the same day that the Iranian regime launched missile strikes on Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, in what it claimed was retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani.

According to evidence provided by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims and a ruling by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on June 10, 2024, it has been repeatedly asserted that the downing of the Ukrainian aircraft was not the result of an “human error” by the IRGC but rather a deliberate act, carried out despite knowledge that the aircraft was a civilian flight.

The Canadian government, in its statement outlining the Coordination Group’s efforts to hold Iran accountable, referenced the ongoing case against Iran at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for violating the Chicago Convention. The statement added that this process is still progressing, with further steps expected to be taken early this year.

On Tuesday, the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims issued a statement emphasizing the IRGC’s role in the deliberate killing of 176 passengers, calling for truth and justice in legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement marking the anniversary of the tragedy, highlighting Iran’s use of weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight, failure to take measures to prevent the downing, lack of transparent and impartial investigations into the incident, and refusal to prosecute those responsible, as violations of international law.

 

Khamenei Calls for Strengthening Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi

Esmaeil Mohades
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Khamenei Calls for Strengthening Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi

Ali Khamenei, Iran’s regime Supreme Leader, stated during a meeting with Iraq’s Prime Minister that the United States is trying to expand its presence in Iraq, and therefore, the Iraqi government must further strengthen Hashd al-Shaabi, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia group.

On Wednesday, January 8, during a meeting in Tehran with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, Khamenei said: “Hashd al-Shaabi is one of the key pillars of power in Iraq, and efforts must be made to preserve and further strengthen it.”

Khamenei’s emphasis on maintaining and strengthening Hashd al-Shaabi comes as prior reports indicated that the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to Tehran aimed to discuss “the dissolution and integration of certain armed groups within the Hashd al-Shaabi structure.”

Last week, reports emerged that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had sent a special message to the Iraqi Prime Minister, emphasizing the need to limit Iranian regime’s proxy forces and prevent interference in Syria’s internal affairs following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.

On Wednesday, January 8, in a separate speech, Khamenei reiterated his regime’s anti-American stance, stating: “Before the revolution, Iran was under U.S. control, but the Islamic Revolution took away that immense political and economic wealth from American hands. Therefore, their resentment towards the revolution is immense.”

He added: “The U.S. failure to reclaim Iran despite heavy costs over the past 46 years is another reason for their hatred toward the Iranian nation and regime. America has failed in Iran and is now trying to compensate for that loss, which is why it opposes the Iranian people in every possible way.”

Khamenei further stated: “One of the demands of global arrogance, led by the U.S., from all nations, including Iranian officials, is to prioritize their interests in policy-making. Accepting this unreasonable demand from the U.S. would threaten democracy and republicanism in our country.”

“The people have voted for officials to serve their interests, not America’s. Therefore, decision-makers in economic matters such as inflation, production, and currency, as well as cultural issues like hijab, must only consider the interests of the Iranian nation, without any regard for American and Zionist interests.”

Khamenei’s call for strengthening Hashd al-Shaabi comes at a time when the so-called ‘Resistance Axis’ has been severely weakened due to the fall of Assad’s government and the elimination of Hezbollah Lebanon’s secretary-general and senior commanders.

Hashd al-Shaabi is considered one of Iran’s proxy forces in the region.

Following the collapse of Assad’s government, multiple reports have emerged about U.S. efforts to restrict Iranian regime’s proxy forces in Iraq.

During the fall of Assad’s government, Hashd al-Shaabi stated that its forces were not deployed in Syria and would only enter Syrian conflicts upon receiving orders from the Iraqi Prime Minister.

 

Japanese Yakuza Leader Admits to Smuggling Nuclear Materials from Myanmar to Iran

Hoshang Amiri
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Japanese Yakuza Leader Admits to Smuggling Nuclear Materials from Myanmar to Iran

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that the leader of a Japanese criminal organization known as the “Yakuza,” who had been accused by U.S. authorities of smuggling nuclear materials to Iran, has pleaded guilty.

According to a Justice Department statement released on Thursday, January 9, Takeshi Ebisawa, a 60-year-old Yakuza leader, pleaded guilty in a Manhattan court to conspiring to smuggle nuclear materials from Myanmar to countries including Iran. He admitted to working with a network of criminals to traffic uranium and weapons-grade plutonium suitable for nuclear weapons.

The statement also notes that Takeshi Ebisawa has admitted to international drug and arms trafficking charges.

In February 2024, U.S. officials charged the Yakuza leader with conspiring to smuggle nuclear materials from Myanmar to Iran for use in nuclear weapons.

He had also been charged in 2022 with international drug trafficking and firearms-related crimes.

Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim for the Southern District of New York stated:

“As he admitted in federal court today, Takeshi Ebisawa brazenly trafficked nuclear material, including weapons-grade plutonium, out of Burma.”

“At the same time, he worked to send massive quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for heavy-duty weaponry, such as surface-to-air missiles, to be used on battlefields in Burma. He also laundered what he believed to be drug money from New York to Tokyo. It is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, the career national security prosecutors of this Office, and the cooperation of our law enforcement partners in Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand, that Ebisawa’s plot was detected and stopped.”

Ebisawa’s plot was uncovered and thwarted through cooperation between authorities in the United States, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand.

 

Iran: Confirmation of Death Sentences for Political Prisoners – 54 Political Prisoners on Death Row

Sia Rajabi
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Iran: Confirmation of Death Sentences for Political Prisoners – 54 Political Prisoners on Death Row

In November, The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), in a statement regarding the issuance of death sentences for six political prisoners on charges of “rebellion” (Baghi), called for urgent action by the UN Security Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council and related UN bodies, as well as the European Union and its member states to save their lives and secure the release of all political prisoners.

The six political prisoners—Akbar Daneshvar Kar, Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi Bistouni, Vahid Bani-Amarian, and Abolhassan Montazer—have been sentenced to death on charges of “Baghi” (armed rebellion) on charges of membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Mohammad Taghavi was a political prisoner in the 2000s and 2010s. His brothers, Mojtaba and Ali Taghavi, have been sentenced to imprisonment and exile solely due to their family ties with him.

Iran’s Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentences for Three More Political Prisoners

News sources have also reported that Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of three political prisoners held in Evin Prison: Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo, and Mehdi Hassani.

Amir Raeesian, the lawyer of Pakhshan Azizi, announced on Wednesday, January 8, that the Supreme Court’s Branch 39 has confirmed the death sentence for this political prisoner.

Azizi’s lawyer had previously stated that “the evidence and documents against my client were so weak that a simple review would have been enough to dismiss the charge of Baghi.” However, despite this, “even though innocence does not require proof, we had submitted credible documents to the Supreme Court.”

On July 23, 2024, Pakhshan Azizi was sentenced to death and four years in prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Iman Afshari, on charges of “Baghi, through membership in opposition groups.”

Death Sentences for Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo and Mehdi Hassani Upheld

Additionally, in a new statement, the NCRI declared that the Iranian regime’s supreme court has upheld the death sentences of Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo and Mehdi Hassani.

Their death sentences were officially communicated to their lawyers on Tuesday, January 7.

Behrouz Ehsani Eslamloo and Mehdi Hassani were sentenced to death in mid-September 2024 by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Iman Afshari, on charges of “Baghi (armed rebellion), Moharebeh (waging war against God), corruption on earth, gathering classified information, and conspiracy against national security.”

“Membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)” was cited as one of the accusations against these two prisoners.

At Least 54 Political Prisoners on Death Row in Iran

Currently, at least 54 political and security-related prisoners are on death row in Iran, facing charges such as “Baghi (armed rebellion), Moharebeh (waging war against God), and corruption on earth.”

 

Iran’s Efforts to Reclaim 25 Million Barrels of Stranded Oil in Chinese Ports

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iran’s Efforts to Reclaim 25 Million Barrels of Stranded Oil in Chinese Ports

Reuters has reported that Iran is attempting to release 25 million barrels of its oil, which has been stranded in Chinese ports for six years due to U.S. sanctions.

According to “informed sources” in China and Iran cited by Reuters, these oil shipments are now valued at approximately $1.75 billion and are stored in leased tanks at the ports of Dalian and Zhoushan.

This oil shipment was seized in China during Donald Trump’s first presidency when oil sanctions were imposed. Analysts predict that in Trump’s second term, which begins on January 20, sanctions on Iran’s oil exports will be further intensified.

China has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize unilateral sanctions and has sourced 90% of its oil from Iran in recent years with significant discounts. However, the stranding of some Iranian oil shipments in Chinese ports highlights Iran’s challenges in selling oil, even to an ally like China.

Over the past four years, despite some of the toughest Western sanctions against Iran, the Iranian regime has maintained a thriving oil trade. This trade largely relies on a “ghost fleet” of tankers that turn off their automatic identification systems, conduct ship-to-ship transfers in the open ocean, rebrand oil, and ultimately deliver it to Chinese ports.

In September and October, the United States sanctioned dozens of tankers in the “ghost fleet,” causing Iran’s oil exports to China to drop below 1.3 million barrels per day in November and December—550,000 barrels lower than the September levels.

Reuters reports that most Iranian oil sold to China is rebranded along the way and arrives at Chinese ports as non-Iranian oil. However, the particular shipment that has remained stranded in Chinese ports since 2018 was officially documented as Iranian oil. It arrived in China when the Trump administration had issued waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil to China.

When Trump revoked these waivers in 2019, the Iranian oil stored in tanks at the ports of Dalian and Zhoushan was left without buyers and got stuck in Chinese customs.

One of the three Iranian sources told Reuters that the cost of storing this amount of Iranian oil at the port of Dalian in China has exceeded $450 million.

Reuters, citing an Iranian source familiar with oil exports from Iran and Chinese customs procedures, reported that Iran will likely have to reload the oil from Chinese storage tanks onto its own ships, conduct ship-to-ship transfers at sea, and sell it under falsified documents as non-Iranian oil.

In recent weeks, as the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term approaches, negotiations between Iranian and Chinese officials have intensified regarding the payment of storage fees and other conditions for releasing Iranian oil stored in China.

Meanwhile, the Shandong Port Group, which operates China’s largest oil terminals receiving crude from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, has banned the entry of U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers amid a sharp decline in Iranian oil exports over the past two months.

The majority of Iran’s oil shipments are delivered to Chinese refineries through this port.

The sanctions imposed on Iran during Trump’s previous presidency reduced Iran’s daily oil exports from 2.5 million barrels to less than 350,000 barrels.

 

Iran’s Regime Sentences 54 “Political and Security” Prisoners to Death

Sia Rajabi
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Iran’s Regime Sentences 54 “Political and Security” Prisoners to Death

The Human Rights Activists in Iran organization has published a list of 54 “political and security” prisoners sentenced to death. According to the report, at least 24 individuals have been sentenced to execution by the Revolutionary and Criminal Courts of Tehran, while 20 others have received the same sentence in courts in the provinces of Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, West Azerbaijan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Kurdistan.

This report, which was released on Monday, January 6, states that the execution sentences for these “political and security” prisoners have been upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court, and their cases have been transferred to the execution branch for enforcement.

The HRANA news agency, the media arm of this human rights organization, has listed the names of the prisoners sentenced to death, including “Varisheh Moradi, Pakhshan Azizi, Abolhassan Montazer, Vahid Bani-Amrian, Pouya Ghobadi Biston, Babak Alipour, Seyed Mohammad Taghavi Sang-Dehi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh, Ali Obeidavi, Malek Davarshenas, Malek Ali Fadaei-Nasab, Taj Mohammad Khormal, Abdolhakim Azim Gorgij, Abdolrahman Gorgij, Isa Eidmohammadi, Farhad Shakeri, Habib Dris, Salem Mousavi, Adnan Ghabishavi, Moein Khonafari, Mohammad Reza Moghadam, Ali Mojadam, Mohammad Mehdi Soleimani (Mohammad Mehdi-S), Yousef Ahmadi, Ahmad Reza Jalali, Abbas Deris, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Thani, Azam Narouei, Mohammad Zeinaldini, Farshid Hassan Zehi, Shahriar Bayat, Shahin Vosaf, Naser Bakrzadeh, Mehrab (Mehram) Abdollahzadeh, Hatem Özdemir, Hamid Hosseinnezhad Heidaranlou, Mehdi Hassani, Behrouz Ehsani, Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad, Azad Shojaei, Edris Ali, Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Hossein Nemati, Navid Najaran, Amir Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal, Alireza Kafaee, Milad Armon, Soleiman Shahbakhsh, Abdolrahim Ghanbar Zehi, Gorgij Abdolghani Shahbakhsh, Eido Shahbakhsh, and Abbas Korkor(Mojahed Korkor).”

The report by the Human Rights Activists in Iran organization emphasizes that many of these prisoners have been “denied the right to a fair trial” and have faced issues such as “limited or no access to legal representation and a lack of transparency in the judicial process.” It states that “some of them were not allowed to choose their lawyers, and even those who had appointed attorneys were prevented by judicial authorities from meeting with them.”

According to the report, “A significant number of these prisoners have denied the charges against them and were sentenced to death through opaque and unjust proceedings.” Some of them are “currently held in solitary confinement, awaiting execution.”

The majority of the execution sentences for these 54 prisoners were issued based on the charge of “Baghy,” which in legal terms refers to “armed rebellion or uprising against the government.”

The report highlights the “prominent role” of Abolqasem Salavati, the head of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and Iman Afshari, the head of Branch 26 of the same court, in issuing these death sentences. (Both judges have been subjected to international sanctions because of their human rights violations.) It also states that Branch 3 of the Urmia Revolutionary Court has sentenced several prisoners, “including border couriers (Kolbars),” to death on charges of “espionage for Israel.”

In some cases, including those of Mojahed Korkorand Hatem Özdemir, after the regime’s Supreme Court overturned their death sentences, parallel branches of the court reissued execution rulings against the defendants.

Read more…

Additionally, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Thani, a protester sentenced to death because of his support for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), has been given a death sentence for the third time in his judicial process.

HRANA stresses that the Iranian regime “instrumentalizes” espionage charges to suppress political dissidents, and due to the “lack of transparency in details and judicial proceedings,” the issued sentences are always met with skepticism.

According to this human rights organization, “lawyers of some of these prisoners have repeatedly stated that their clients were sentenced to death through unfair judicial processes that did not meet the standards of a fair trial.”

Various domestic and international sources have repeatedly emphasized that the issuance and enforcement of death sentences by the Iranian regime serve the purpose of “spreading fear and intimidation.”

 

Shandong Port in China Bans Oil Imports from Iran and Russia

Hoshang Amiri
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Shandong Port in China Bans Oil Imports from Iran and Russia

Shandong Port in China, which served as the main hub for importing sanctioned oil from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela, has banned the entry of oil tankers sanctioned by the United States into its managed ports.

According to Reuters, three traders active in these ports told the news agency that the Shandong Port Group has banned U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers from docking at its ports in eastern China.

Ship tracking data from Kpler shows that this province imported nearly 1.74 million barrels per day of oil from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela last year, accounting for approximately 17% of China’s total oil imports.

According to the report, if this ban is enforced, transportation costs will rise for independent refineries in Shandong, which are the primary buyers of discounted crude oil from these three countries.

Last month, Washington announced additional sanctions against companies and shadow fleets involved in transporting and trading Iranian oil.

Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect, is expected to intensify sanctions against Iran under his maximum pressure policy, similar to his first term in office.

According to Reuters, enforcing this ban could reduce oil imports to China, the world’s largest oil importer.

Shandong Port Issues Second Directive

In a second directive issued by Shandong Port on Tuesday, January 7, obtained by Reuters, it stated that they expect the announced ban to have a limited impact on independent refineries since most sanctioned oil from these three countries is transported by non-sanctioned tankers.

Estimates from Vortexa, a company that tracks oil tankers, show that in December, eight very large crude carriers (VLCCs), at least four of which are sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, unloaded two million barrels of Iranian oil in Shandong.

Michelle Wiese Bockmann, the lead analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence, told Reuters that the estimated number of shadow fleet tankers involved in transporting oil from Iran, Russia, and Venezuela is around 669 vessels.

In October and December, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 35 tankers, which they claim are part of Iran’s ghost fleet.

The price of Iranian crude oil sold to China reached its highest level in recent years last month, as new U.S. sanctions constrained transportation capacity and increased logistics costs.

 

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