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UPDATE: 12:30 PM CET
How Well-Connected Iranians Import Their Goodies
Hassan is an unlikely smuggler. Affable and a bit nerdy, he looks better suited to his old job as an international public-relations adviser. Now he is one of the many shadowy operators who send contraband to Iran. Some reckon goods worth $20bn-25bn evade Iranian border guards each year. His particular specialty is pianos. Since Iran’s customs authorities banned the import of musical instruments in 2021, the upright pianos that Hassan (not his real name) buys for less than $900 in East Asia go for $6,000 apiece in Tehran, Iran’s capital. Musical instruments are outlawed, possibly for religious reasons; a member of the parliamentary economic committee said that those who want to tickle the ivories “must leave Iran”.
Iran’s Morality Police in New Crackdown on Women
Having learned no lessons from the nationwide uprising that exploded last September following the brutal killing in custody of the young Kurdish girl Mahsa Amini, the Iranian regime’s misogynist morality police are on the move again. Last week, the Tehran Criminal Court sentenced a woman to two months in prison for hijab violations. The judge, Ali Omidi, accused her of “anti-Iranian behavior.” In a more sinister outburst, he also ordered that she should be subjected to compulsory health checks, as her failure to wear the hijab was a clear display of “disease” symptoms that “must be treated.” Such claims are frighteningly reminiscent of judgments in the former Soviet Union, where people who were considered anti-communist were deemed to be insane and were sent for electric shock treatment in psychiatric hospitals. The morality police tracked her down using images from a ‘smart’ CCTV camera. Similar cameras have been installed in public places in towns and cities throughout Iran, targeting violators of the mandatory hijab law. Those sentenced will also face a two-year travel ban.
The Pendulum Shifts: Iranian Opposition Prevails Over Western Concessions to Tehran
When it comes to Iran, discerning observers are usually fixated on the contentious nuclear issue, as well as Tehran’s unabated sponsorship of terrorism. However, recently, a conspicuous spotlight was cast on the intricate internal dynamics, capturing the attention of the global community. Following engagements with the regime, both European and American governments made a consequential decision to assuage the regime’s sensibilities by ascending to one of its paramount demands: imposing constraints on the activities of the principal opposition. The prompt failure of these efforts has shed light on fundamental realities, deserving of profound contemplation by Western policymakers.
UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET
Global Outrage Over the Looming Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafa’I Thani
Human rights experts, activists, legislators, and politicians from across the world are calling on the international community to intervene and stop the imminent execution of Mohammad Javad Vafa’i Thani, a 27-year-old political prisoner in Mashhad’s Vakil Abad prison. Mr. Vafa’i Thani, 27, a boxing champion from Mashhad, was arrested in March 2020 for taking part in the November 2019 nationwide protests. He was tortured for a long time to make incriminating confessions. He was sentenced to death on charges of “corruption on earth,” a bogus crime that the regime uses against dissidents. A court in Mashhad upheld his death sentence on July 19 and he was subsequently taken to an unknown location. This barbaric sentence, which comes amidst a growing wave of repressive measures by the regime as we near the first anniversary of the September 2022 uprising, has triggered global outrage.
The 1988 Massacre in Iran and the Urgent Need for Independent Inquiry
35 years ago, in the final days of July, the Death Commissions in prisons all over Iran engaged in a quiet yet hurried massacre and genocide. Their goal was to eliminate those who ‘stood their ground and continued to do so,’ as per Khomeini’s order. During this time, the Evin and Gohardasht prisons witnessed the massacre of prisoners, leaving only a few Mojahed prisoners in other cities’ facilities. In some prisons, not a single person survived. The 1988 massacre in Iran, deemed the most significant crime against humanity since the Second World War, stands as a stark reminder of the Iranian regime’s complete disregard for the sanctity and dignity of human life. It serves as evidence of the corrupt and repressive regime’s relentless pursuit of power, regardless of the cost.
White Suppression: The Latest Phase of Student Repression in Iran
Despite the conclusion of the academic year and the absence of students in dormitories, repressive measures to summon and expel students persist in Iran. Student activists have recently shed light on the three stages of student repression over the past decades, revealing the implementation of the “White Suppression” project by the security apparatus and university administrators. The student union councils of Iran have reported the continuous practice of summoning students to disciplinary committees during the summer, even with reduced educational activities. For instance, from July 1 to 9, authorities at Tehran’s Beheshti University of Medical Sciences summoned several students to the disciplinary committee, alleging violations of the dress code.
Iran’s Position in Global Trade in 2023
Iran’s standing in the global trade market has taken a notable downturn in recent years. What factors have resulted in this decline? Discussing the economic policies of Iran’s government is not a straightforward task, mainly due to the lack of clear rules and regulations governing Iran’s economy. This poses challenges in estimating and analyzing Iran’s economic situation using traditional statistical methods. In Iran, economic statistics are released selectively, often to portray an image of success for the ruling regime, or to highlight a particular aspect of the statistics that supports the government’s narrative. The rest of the data are usually kept in the dark. This selective release of information makes it challenging to get a clear picture of Iran’s economy and its fluctuations under the current regime.
Iran’s Stock Market Crisis; Where Did Billions of Tomans of Hot Money Go?
Investigations into the flow of money in and out of the Iranian stock market show that over the past 50 days, more than 300 trillion rials (approximately $6 billion) have been withdrawn from this market since the historic fall of the Tehran Stock Exchange. During these 50 days, the stock market has experienced a continuous downward spiral, and the number of days that the index has been positive is barely in the single digits. Market players and many managers of private companies attributed the repeated decline in the index to a lack of knowledge until the government’s decision to increase the price of gas for industrial usage was announced. They only found out about the underlying reasons for the serial declines in the stock market when the letter attributed to Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was sent to companies, revealing the government’s secret decision regarding the increase in the price of gas for industries and petrochemicals.
Sara Nasseri Detained for 7 Months Without Standing Trial
Sara Nasseri, a 41-year-old woman from Mashhad, was arrested on December 6, 2022, by security forces during the Iran uprising. She was confined in solitary at the Department of Intelligence of Mashhad for 20 days, and subsequently transferred to the quarantine of the Central Prison of Mashhad (Vakilabad Prison). She is presently detained in the women’s ward of Mashhad Prison in difficult conditions and in violation of the principle of separation of crimes. Ms. Nasseri is accused of collaboration with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Despite the completion of her interrogations, she remains in detention. Her interrogator, Mohsen Gol-Mohammadi Tavallaii, opposes her release on bail.
Urgent Call to the International Community by the Mek Supporters for Action To Prevent Execution of Political Prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafa’I Thani
According to the NCRI, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, a judge at Vakil Abad Prison in Mashhad, capital of the northeastern Razavi Khorasan Province, sentenced to death Mohammad Javad Vafa’i Thani, a political prisoner sympathizing with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Mr. Vafa’i Thani, 27, among the boxing champions in Mashhad’s boxing clubs, was arrested in March 2020 and tortured for a long time.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – July 22, 2023
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