( RFE?RL ) – Toomaj Salehi’s lyrical support for protesters in Iran has landed him behind bars before, but this time the popular rapper’s fortune-telling has fans and family members fearing for his life. Just days before his September 30 arrest, the 32-year-old Salehi released his latest music video, in which he makes foreboding predictions […]
Human Rights Groups Condemn Deadly Crackdown As Iranians Continue Protests
By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda | – ( RFE/RL’s Radio Farda ) – More than three dozen human rights groups have condemned Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protests over the death of a young women while in custody for “improperly” wearing a headscarf as Iranians showed no signs of backing down in unrest that has shaken the […]
Former Iranian President’s Daughter Arrested For Supporting Protests Triggered By Death Of Woman In Custody Over Hijab
By Mohammad Zarghami and Golnaz Esfandiari | – ( RFE/RL ) – Just days after expressing support for the protests in Iran, Faezeh Hashemi, the outspoken daughter of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was arrested in the Iranian capital on unknown charges. The hard-line Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards […]
Iranian Government Websites Go Dark; ‘Anonymous’ Hacker Collective Claims Responsibility
By Ardeshir Tayebi | – ( RFE/RL ) – Several Iranian government and state-owned websites have been taken down by Anonymous, the international activist hacker group says, in a move of support for nationwide protests that followed the death of a 22-year-old woman following her arrest by the morality police. The website of the Iranian […]
Those Iranian Planes Ferrying Drones to Moscow Flew over Georgia: But who gave Permission?
By Nadia Beard | – ( RFE/ RL) – TBILISI — Georgia’s position on the war in Ukraine has again come under domestic scrutiny after three Iran Air Cargo planes allegedly carrying drones to Russia passed through Georgian airspace. Over the last few days, Georgian opposition figures have called for answers from the government, accusing […]
Why Cryptocurrencies Are No Digital Cure-All For Iran, Russia, Other Sanctioned States
By Michael Scollon | – ( RFE/RL ) – Cryptocurrencies are being eyed by Iran, Russia, and other sanctioned states as a way to evade punitive barriers to international trade — but the dependence of “crypto” on banking systems makes it anything but a safe haven for illicit payments. Crypto enjoys a reputation of being […]
Why Is Iran Executing So Many Prisoners?
By Giovana Faria | – ( RFE/RL ) – With a long list of crimes punishable by death, Iran put at least 314 prisoners to death last year, second only to China, which recorded more than 1,000 executions. The Iran Human Rights organization actually puts the figure at 333. That’s up from 267 executions in […]
Iran’s Hijab Law Exposes Divisions In The Islamic Republic
Mehrdad Mirdamadi | RFE/RL Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. I’m Mehrdad Mirdamadi, a senior editor and journalist at RFE/RL’s Radio Farda. Here’s what I’ve been following and what I’m watching out for in the days ahead. The Big Issue […]
Women Protest Iran’s Hijab And Chastity Day By Removing Their Veils In Public
By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda | – Iranian women’s rights activists posted videos of themselves publicly removing their veils on July 12 to coincide with National Day of Hijab and Chastity. The videos appeared on social media networks as women — and in some cases men — expressed their opposition to Iran’s law mandating that women […]
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