Iran news in brief, January 24, 2018

Iran news in brief, January 24, 2018

Delayed Paychecks, Pensions Cause Further Protests Across Iran

On Wednesday, streets outside the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) became the scene of further protests by retirees seeking answers from regime officials and authorities in regards to their demands.

In other protest reports, workers and employees of the municipality in Marivan, western Iran, rallied on this day protesting not receiving their paychecks and pensions. This is the third consecutive day this protest rally is being held outside the regime’s municipality office.

Iran Regime Tortures Political Prisoners by Denying Medical Care

 Saeed Shirzad, a political prisoner in Rajaee Shahr prison in Karaj, has been refused urgent medical care despite doctors requested his transfer to hospital for his severe kidneys’ failure a month ago. While the prosecutor’s office has assured that he would receive treatment a month ago, prison authorities have prevented this transfer, also The authorities of Evin prison refused to transfer Narges Mohammadi and Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe to a hospital. Mohammadi is in urgent need of medical care such as anti-seizure drugs.

UAE Condemns Iran's Interference in Middle East

The UAE has condemned Iran's interference in the Middle East, accusing it of creating tension and posing a serious threat to the stability of the region. The UAE called on the international community and the Security Council to put pressure on Iran to stop its interference and backing for terrorist and sectarian militias.

Iranian Diplomat Admits Europe Has Strong Evidence of Tehran's Plots

In an unprecedented admission, the former Iranian ambassador to Germany has admitted that the Europeans have "evidence" of Iran’s involvement in "espionage and terrorism" that Tehran cannot easily deny.

Speaking to the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) on Wednesday, January 23, Ali Majedi, reiterated, regarding "Iran's involvement in terrorism and espionage, the European countries have tabled evidence that cannot easily be dismissed."

Ali Majedi, Iranian ambassador to Berlin (June 2014-November 2018), was referring to a series of terrorism and espionage charges recently laid out by different European countries, including Albania, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherland, against the Islamic Republic.

Amnesty Criticizes Iran's Mass Arrests as US Frees Reporte

Iran arrested more than 7,000 people last year, including dozens of journalists, in what Amnesty International on Thursday called a "shameless campaign of repression". The Amnesty report said that among those arrested in 2018 were protesters, students, journalists, environmental activists, workers and human rights defenders. Some 50 detainees were media workers, of whom at least 20 "were sentenced to harsh prison or flogging sentences after unfair trials," the report said."2018 will go down in history as a 'year of shame' for Iran," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy director. "Iran's authorities sought to stifle any sign of dissent by stepping up their crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly and carrying out mass arrests of protesters."

South Korea Receives No Iranian Crude Imports for Fourth Straight Month in Dec

South Korea imported no Iranian crude for the fourth straight month in December due to the re-imposition of US sanctions on Tehran, while intakes from the US and Kazakhstan rose sharply as alternative sources, data released late Wednesday by Korea National Oil Corp showed.

South Korea has fully suspended crude imports from Iran since September 2018, marking the first time Asia's fourth biggest oil consumer has taken no Iranian cargoes for more than three months since September 2012, amid then US-led sanctions on Iran.