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Iran news in brief, March 7, 2019



Iran news in brief, March 7, 2019

EU Envoys Agree to Prolong Sanctions Against Iranian Human Rights Abusers
 European Union ambassadors have decided to leave sanctions imposed on dozens of Iranians accused of severe human rights abuses in place for another year.
The asset freezes and visa bans apply to 82 Iranian citizens -- including several judges and prosecutors, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, senior police officers, and prison wardens -- and one entity, the Iranian Cyberpolice.
They were first adopted in 2011 and have been rolled over every year since then.
The measures also include a ban on exports of equipment to Iran that could be used for internal repression and equipment for monitoring telecommunications.

Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Faces 34 Years in Prison
Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh faces up to 34 years in prison and 148 lashes after being convicted in two trials which Amnesty International has called “grossly unfair”.
In an urgent letter published on March 4, 2019, to the head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, Amnesty International called for the immediate release of the 55-year-old human rights lawyer.
Amnesty International stated, “The charges against Sotoudeh stem solely from her peaceful human rights work, including her defense of women protesting Iran’s forced hijab (veiling) laws, and her outspoken opposition to the death penalty.”

Iran Arrests 280 "Troublemakers" in Fire Festival Intimidation Campaign
Tehran’s Chief of police announced that 280 so called “troublemakers” were arrested in the capital of Iran in an effort to create an atmosphere of fear before the annual Feast of Fire Festival by selling firecrackers which are used during the festivities.
Iranians celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri on the last Tuesday night before the Persian New Year on March 21. The Festival of Fire is a remnant of the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, where fire represents God’s light or wisdom. It’s celebrated by jumping over bonfires and lighting firecrackers.

12-Year-Old Iranian Girl Sets Herself on Fire After Being Forced Into Marriage With Older Man
A 12-year-old girl in the western province of Ilam in Iran set fire to herself after being forced to marry a man the age of her father due to poverty.
In a meeting organized by the government to “Support Pregnant Women and Infants in the Impoverished Areas of Ilam Province”, a children right’s activist identified the girl as “Raha”.
“We found 12-year-old Raha in a village in Ilam and she turned into a symbol of girls who are forced to marry due to poverty,” Zahra Rahimi said in comments carried by the state-run ROKNA news agency.
“Raha was not the only girl in the region who was forced to marry and girls who are forced into irrational marriages may be the ones who self-immolate to commit suicide after a few years,” she added.
Self-immolation and other forms of suicide are usually related to child marriage cases which are on the rise in impoverished regions in Iran.
This is while Iran’s parliament recently rejected a bill proposing to increase the marriage age for children.
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