Iran news in brief, January 6, 2019

Iran news in brief, January 6, 2019

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Tortured Worker Challenges the Minister of Intelligence to a Debate Esmail Bakhshi, one of the protesting workers of Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Company who was arrested and heavily tortured in prison, has challenged the minister of Intelligence to answer his questions on a live TV program. On his Instagram page, Bakhshi says: “After 25 days of arrest, I am now forced to use psychoactive medication.” Bakhshi says: “They beat me up so hard that I could not move in my cell for 72 hours, and even sleeping was painful. Today, after almost two months since that day, I still feel pain in my broken ribs, kidneys, left ear, and testicles. The interesting thing was that the torturers called themselves the Anonymous Soldiers of the Messiah.” Bakhshi also asks the minister of intelligence: “As someone who is a cleric, I ask you, what is the moral, humanitarian, and Islamic verdict of torturing a prisoner? Is it OK? How much of it? Esmail Bakhshi was arrested along with 17 other Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane company workers. He was released on a bail of 4 billion rials.

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Baha’i Woman Sentenced to 11.9 Years in Prison, Banned from University in Iran Yekta Fahandej Sa’di was sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison for her Baha’i religious beliefs by a preliminary court in the city of Shiraz in south-central Iran on December 30, 2018. The sentence, which Sa’di will be appealing, was issued by Branch 2 of the local Revolutionary Court for the charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state” for her faith. Baha’is are routinely denied the right to higher education in Iran, either by being banned from enrolling in a university or being expelled without a proper explanation once enrolled in the school.

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US Families Sue Banks From Lebanon and Iran Families from around the globe have filed suit in Brooklyn federal court “against several banks they say funded terrorism that killed their loved ones,” according to New York Post. Three separate lawsuits filed Tuesday and Wednesday claim banks from Lebanon and Palestine “maintained accounts for various branches of terrorist organizations” the report added. The lawsuits, which accuse the banks of “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization, are suing for unspecified damages.” Also, Hezbollah organization is being sued by a group of 22 U.S. citizens “for damages … during the 2006 Second Lebanon War” according to Jewishpress. The site added that at Brooklyn federal court, the group also filed a lawsuit against Bank Saderat and Bank Saderat Iran. The banks were accused of providing Hezbollah with material support needed to carry out attacks. It said that Hezbollah and the banks are being sued for a total of $50 million.