Iran

Antonio Zappulla, the CEO of the Thomson Reuters foundation, said today's news was a 'very sad development in the ongoing ordeal which sees our colleague Nazanin held hostage in Iran'.   … [Read more...] about British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces ‘a new charge’ in Iran where she was freed from prison due to Covid-19

However, he said that the family ‘remain hopeful and waiting’ and explained: ‘To take a step back, what she’s been told is that she is off prison on furlough, until such time when a decision on clemency is made.’ … [Read more...] about Iran stalls yet again over releasing ‘deflated’ British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe back to the UK

Iranian judicial officials told Zaghari-Ratcliffe at a hearing on Tuesday that she was facing fresh charges. The British-Iranian dual national has already served four years of a five-year sentence, and is being held under a form of house arrest at her parents’ home in Tehran. … [Read more...] about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘held hostage’ by Iran, says husband

"Iran's security authorities have been trying to get control of the internet for 20 years," Amir Rashidi, who researches cybersecurity and digital rights in Iran, told DW. Rashidi, who is based in New York, said the proposed law would use the military to that end. "There are also rumors that Iran is looking for help from Russia and China," he said. "If the bill is passed, Iran would be the first country where the internet is controlled by the military."  … [Read more...] about Iran’s new attempt to introduce ‘military control’ over social networks

During the trial, the Afkari brothers did not have a lawyer. Their public defender is said to have dropped the case so the men defended themselves. In early September, an audio recording smuggled out of prison was published on social networks. In it Navid Afkari describes how he was tortured: "They pulled a plastic bag over my head until I almost suffocated. They beat my hands, stomach and feet with sticks, tied me up and poured alcohol into my nose." He said he informed the authorities about the torture and filed a complain in vain. Afkari: "When I asked the judge in the courtroom where the evidence was that I was a murderer, he replied: 'This is not Switzerland, boy'." … [Read more...] about Death sentence against wrestler moves Iran