Iranian Authorities Carry Out First Known Execution Related to Mass Demonstrations.
23-year-old Mohsen Shekari was executed by hanging Thursday morning by the Islamic Republic Judiciary after being convicted by a Revolutionary Court of “moharebeh” (enmity against God). This is the first known death penalty sentence carried out by the Iranian authorities related to ongoing nationwide protests sparked by the September killing of 22 year-old Mahsa Amini. […]
UN Envoy Sparks Controversy on Human Rights Situation in Iran
Alena Douhan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur of unilateral coercive measures, was in Iran last week to examine and report on the impact of U.S. sanctions on the humanitarian situation in Iran. A professor of international law at the Belarusian State University, Douhan was appointed in 2020 and reports to the United Nations Human Rights […]
Iran and Women’s Rights
On Wednesday, Iran was elected to a second four-year term on the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a body charged with advancing gender equality and the rights of women around the world. The move was strongly criticized by the Obama administration, who denounced Iran’s long record of repressing women’s rights. Iran’s […]
The House Gets Bad Advice
When it comes to crafting law, Congress seeks input from outside experts to help inform and guide their decisionmaking. The type of experts the body seeks out can say a lot about why Congress does what it does. Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee invited some particularly revealing “expert witnesses” that say a lot […]
Blocking Iran talks is rerun of Iraq failure
This past weekend, with news that the U.S. and Iran may be planning direct talks soon to address the nuclear standoff, there were swift reactions by some to try to kill the initiative. Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren warned that Iran should not be “rewarded” with direct talks, and Senator Lindsey Graham–who has pledged the U.S. […]
UN Report: Sanctions worsen human rights problems in Iran
In a recently released report to the UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon updated the body on the dismal human rights situation in Iran. The report paints a bleak picture of the Iranian government’s attitude and actions towards its own people, concentrating on the extensive human rights violations of the Islamic Republic, but also finds that […]
Congressional push for sanctions on food and medicine
It’s that time of year again–when Republicans and Democrats in Congress takes a break from wringing each other’s necks to pass a piece of legislation to “tighten the noose” around Iran just in time for campaign season. For those just checking in, here’s an example of what our current sanctions are already doing on the […]
Iran News Roundup 01/03
Iran proposes new nuclear negotiations Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, has proposed a new round of talks with the P5+1 nations concerning its nuclear program (Guardian 12/31). Salehi said that Iran is prepared to reenter negotiations based upon the “step by step” plan proposed by Russia in July. A EU foreign policy spokesman said […]
Iran News Roundup 12/30
Iran seeks renewed diplomacy Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Iran is prepared to renew talks with the P5+1 group of world powers over its nuclear program (Jerusalem Post 12/30). Mossad chief: nuclear Iran not an existential threat Israeli Intelligence chief Tamir Pardo said that Israel will continue to use covert action to thwart […]
Iran News Roundup 12/22
Iran’s currency troubles The Financial Times reports that Iran’s currency has dropped almost 10 percent in recent days, a record low against the U.S. dollar. While sanctions and economic mismanagement are likely culprits, some Iranian media have accused Ahamdinejad’s government of “engineering a deliberate devaluation to boost the rial value of its oil income in […]
Iran News Roundup 12/21
Iran’s currency tumbles On Tuesday, Iran’s currency plummeted in value to its lowest level ever against the dollar (NY Times 12/20). The Washington Post reports that the sudden drop followed the announcement by Iranian officials that Iran had cut trade ties with the UAE because of “anti-Iranian positions.” After Tuesday’s plunge, Iranian Vice President Rahimi backtracked […]
Iran News Roundup 12/20
Panetta: U.S. will not allow Iran to have a bomb Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who has come under fire from neoconservatives for warning against the unintended consequences of Israeli military action against Iran, told CBS on Monday “the United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon” and shares Israel’s common concern. […]