Iran news in brief, March 11, 2019

Iran news in brief, March 11, 2019

Iran Regime's Economic Crisis

The head of Iran’s Central Bank A. Hemmati has said that subsidized dollars for imports of essential goods, including medication and food has failed to stem the tide of rising prices in the country.

Hemmati stated: allocating the official rate to dollar has increased the prices and renting in the country and those who are benefitting are dealers and Intermediaries and not the people.

The dollar is currently trading at more than 130,000 rials on the open market in Iran.

Majority of Iran Regime Lawmakers Thank Khamenei for Appointment of the Criminal Judge

Two hundred members of Iran Regime’s parliament have sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei welcoming the appointment of Ebrahim Raeisi as head of the country’s Judiciary.

These lawmakers represent the so called reformist Omid (Hope) faction, as well as conservatives and independents. Such a united move was initially unexpected as Raeisi’s appointment was deemed by many as controversial.

Raeisi was a key member of a judicial committee that decided on the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.

He is on the list of individuals sanctioned by the European Union.

Political Prisoners Denied Medical Care Despite Promises

Two political prisoners in Tehran have said that they are still being denied access to medical treatment despite claims by Iranian authorities.

Narges Mohammadi and Iranian-British Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who are being held at Tehran's Evin Prison, have warned that if their demands are not met they will stage a protest again.

In a letter to Tehran's prosecutor-general, Mohammadi and Zaghari-Ratcliffe said that they ended their last hunger strike after the authorities promised to meet their legal demands. "However, we are still deprived of having access to health care and medical treatment outside the prison, and we have been out of our needed medicines for months," they said.

Iran: Protest Reports on Sunday From Isfahan, Tehran and Other Cities

A large number of retired steel mill workers rallied in Isfahan, central Iran, protesting not receiving their insurance pensions and New Year bonuses from March 2018. Gathering outside the Isfahan Province governor’s office, a large number of state police and plainclothes agents were also dispatched to the scene to create a climate of fear and intimidate the protesters.

 In Ahvaz, southwest Iran, part-time drivers of the National Drilling Company rallied outside the company office, protesting a six-month delay in their paychecks.

In the city of Shush, also in southwest Iran, employees of the renowned “Choghazanbeel” heritage site protested not receiving their paychecks for the past four months and overtime pay for the past seven months.

In Tehran, the country’s capital, protesters were seen rallying outside the Ministry of Finance and Assets, demanding officials to force the company into keeping its word and delivering the cars that these individuals had pre-purchased.