Iran news in brief, February 20, 2019

Iran news in brief, February 20, 2019

1- Iranians Down Large Pro-Regime Billboard in Southern Iran

According to social media reports and reports by the state-run IRNA news agency, angry Iranians brought down a large billboard with images of the so called “shrine defenders”, regime forces sent to fight for the Assad regime in Syria.

On Tuesday, a large group of people in Andimeshk in the southern province of Khuzestan bringing down the large billboard and cheering as it fell.

IRNA said that security forces fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse the angry crowds.

Reports indicate that protesters blocked the road.

Ordinary Iranians despise the regime’s warmongering in the region and have chanted, “Leave Syria and think of us”, in their streets protests on many occasions as Iran spends billions in its proxy war in Syria.

IRNA said that the reason behind the protests in Andimeshk were disagreements on where the billboard should be installed.

2- More Threats Against the Mother of Imprisoned Labor Activist

On Monday February 18, the family of imprisoned labor activist Esmail Bakhshi and a group of workers from the Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Factory gathered outside the Justice Bureau of the city of Shush in Khuzestan province to protest against his continued arrest and the lack of information about his case.

It was the second protest in two days. A day earlier, Bakhshi’s mother and friends of the family had gone to the prosecutor’s office to ask about him. When they failed to get any answers, they protested, which resulted in authorities issuing a warrant for his mother’s arrest. When agents rushed toward her, she collapsed and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

3- Iran Extends Travel Ban on Widow of Environmentalist Who Died in Prison

An Iranian state news agency says authorities have extended a travel ban on the widow of an Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died in prison last year after being arrested on suspicion of espionage.

IRNA quoted a lawyer for Maryam Mombeini as saying in a Tuesday interview that he had gone to a Tehran court on Sunday to seek an end to the year-long ban imposed on the widow of the environmentalist, Kavous Seyed-Emami. Lawyer Payam Derafshan told IRNA that a court official informed him the travel ban on Mombeini has been extended.

There was no word from Iranian state media as to why Mombeini has been barred from leaving Iran.

4- A Top Friday Prayer Leader Resigns Putting an End to Speculations

On Monday February 18, The Friday Prayer Leader of Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province in Iran has resigned.

 Jazayeri is considered a close ally of Iran Regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Jazayeri’s absence from official events during the past two weeks had led to rumors about his death, but his office issued a statement on February 12 saying that the 78-year old cleric was in good health and was visiting England, "to expand" on the "ideals of the Islamic Revolution."

This led to a lot of speculation in Persian-language media and jokes on social media about his “missionary” trip to Britain. It also led to criticism of state-sponsored mullahs occasionally visiting Europe for medical reasons, while most Iranians can never obtain a visa to travel to the West.