Iran Bought Spy Tech From German, Chinese And Other Firms

Kolbars, known as "those who carry a load" in Persian-Kurdish, engage in the arduous task of transporting goods across the treacherous mountainous border between Iran and Iraq, often facing economic desperation.

The victim has been identified as Aso Karimi, a 39-year-old Kolber from Paveh, who sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Karimi's body was discovered nearly 19 hours after the incident, alongside nine other severely injured Kolbars.

The incident has ignited outrage among civil activists and Kolbars in Paveh, prompting a planned protest rally in front of the city governor's office on Tuesday.

Ehsan Rasouli, one of the injured, underwent surgery after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest. Others were reported to have suffered injuries to various parts of their bodies, including the head, back, hands, and feet, with some being in critical condition.

Statistics released by Kolbar News paint a distressing picture of the risks faced by Kolbars in the region. In the first half of 2023 alone, 61 Kolbars lost their lives in border areas and inter-road routes of West Azarbaijan, Kordestan, and Kermanshah provinces. Causes of these deaths include direct fire by regime forces, avalanches, frostbite, mine-related accidents, and falls from mountains and heights.

Norway-based human rights group, Hengaw, reported that Mohammadi, a resident of Salmas city in the western Azarbaijan province, initiated her hunger strike within the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison on Saturday. Mohammadi's protest aims to draw attention to her situation and the conditions faced by herself and fellow inmates.

Despite serving three years of her five-year sentence, Mohammadi has been denied the right to parole and leave. An informed source quoted by Hengaw disclosed that even her request for a meeting with the prosecutor has been obstructed by the prison authorities.

This is not the first time Mohammadi has resorted to drastic measures. Earlier this year, she was reported to have attempted suicide due to the pressures exerted by government security institutions, which hindered her chances of being granted leave.

Mohammadi's arrest dates back to the autumn of 2020 when she was apprehended by intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Salmas. Following several months of interrogation, she was transferred to the women's ward of Urmia Central Prison. She was subsequently sentenced to a five-year imprisonment term on charges of "membership in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)" by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia.

Mohammadi's case highlights the mounting pressure on Kurdish civil groups and activists, particularly in the wake of the recent "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests. These demonstrations have drawn increased attention to the plight of Kurdish individuals and groups advocating for their rights and freedoms within Iran.

Amir-Abdollahian, the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Japan since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August 2021, met with his counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Katō on Monday. 

The readout from his meetings did not mention any talks about Iran’s funds mainly from exports of oil frozen due to US sanctions, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said earlier in the day that following up the issue was on the minister’s agenda during his trip. 

Amir-Abdollahian most likely raised the issue of the funds, as Tehran is also pressuring South Korea to release $7 billion frozen by two Seoul banks. Iran has tens of billions of dollars worth of funds in foreign banks that it cannot access because of US sanctions. The funds are mostly kept in banks in South Korea, Iraq, China, Japan and India where Iran is owed for shipments of crude and other oil products that took place before the United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed full energy sanctions on Tehran in 2018 and 2019.

Kanani emphasized Monday that “We will continue to follow up on the issue of unfreezing Iranian funds held in various countries, as we did before,” adding that the issue has been raised at different levels, such as during a meeting on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last year when Raisi and Kishida discussed the matter. He went on to say that the Japanese government has repeatedly announced its readiness to repatriate the frozen assets and is making efforts to make this happen.

A lot of recent reports and statements point to an interim deal with the possible release of regime funds in exchange for several US citizens held hostage in Iran and a freeze in Iran's nuclear program. Both the nuclear talks and the prisoner release talks have not succeeded in making meaningful progress. However, US officials say that efforts to secure the release of four Americans continue.

Japan – which holds this year's presidency of the Group of Seven nations – may seek to reduce Iran’s tension with the West to facilitate its dealings with Tehran; the most pressing issue is perhaps Tehran’s military support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, deemed a threat to Europe. 

According to the readout of Amir-Abdollahian's meeting with his Japanese counterpart, apart from the usual calls for bolstering bilateral relations “in fields such as medical, environment and disaster risk reduction,” the most important issue discussed was Iran’s supply of drones and missiles for the Russian war on Ukraine. 

As was reported before the visit, Japan urged Iran not to provide Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Hayashi calling on Tehran “to respond in a constructive manner.” The two agreed to continue "close communication" over issues affecting the Middle East, Japan's Foreign Ministry said. It also said the ministers exchanged “frank views” on the latest developments surrounding Iran’s nuclear issue.

The Japanese diplomat stated that Tokyo has consistently supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and is “seriously concerned about the expansion of Iran’s nuclear activities,” calling on Iran to take constructive measures including the full and unconditional cooperation under the latest joint statement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

Between 2006 and 2015, Tokyo fully supported the four UN sanctions resolutions designed to prevent the regime from developing nuclear weapons. Japan also complied with US sanctions reimposed by the Trump administration in 2018, which sought to eliminate all Iran’s oil exports.

Amir-Abdollahian explained that Iran is pursuing the restoration of the JCPOA through negotiations, and expressed his appreciation for Japan’s diplomatic efforts, noting that Iran seeks to continue close communication with Japan on the matter.

Later in the day, Amir-Abdollahian held a press conference in the Japanese capital, where he used it as an opportunity to further deny the extent of Iran’s involvement in the Russian invasion, calling claims “completely wrong and incorrect,” and instead blaming the conflict on the US-led NATO military alliance and its provocations, in spite of troves of evidence to the contrary.

“We consider NATO and its provocations among the root causes of the war and crisis. We continue our efforts to stop the war and make the parties focus on a political solution,” he said, claiming that “We have provided no parties [to the war] with drones for use in Ukraine.”

His remarks came just a day after Russia used 27 Iranian-made drones and 30 missiles to attack large swaths of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said all 27 Shahed 136 and 131 drones were shot down by air defenses but some of the missiles fired from the Black Sea and the Caspian region got through.

The statement released Sunday addressed the Iranian nation as "the true owners of this country and its government," and maintained that "the rulers have no special privilege other thanrepresenting and serving the people."

The statement has been posted on Telegram messaging app in an account that belongs to Saham News, a media outlet that represented reformist figure Mehdi Karrubi, a former parliamentary speaker and presidential candidate.

The political activists, writers and civil rights defenders stated that the elections in Iran have been hostage to the "arbitrary supervision" of the Guardian Council, a body that operates under the direct supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and vets the candidates based on their loyalty to him.

They also complained about the intervention of security and intelligence organizations in the election process. According to the statement, the worst examples took place in the 2020 parliamentary elections and the presidential election in 2021 which brought Ebrahim Raisi to power and packed the parliament with hardliners.

The activists also charged that the Assembly of Experts whose members are chosen based on the same kind of vetting by the Guardian Council lacks the independence and capability to supervise the Supreme Leader's performance, as the constitution requires.

"The Islamic Republic is overwhelmed by a crisis which is the outcome of distancing itself from the ideals of a republic and democracy and its submission to despotism and dictatorship. During the past 44 years, this has led to multiple political, economic and cultural crises as well as leading to poverty, corruption, repression, violations of the citizens' legitimate rights and freedoms," the statement added.

The activists further said: "As a result of this situation, young Iranians have lost their hope in any improvement in this dreadful situation and see only two options before them: Leave the country or continue living in Iran without dignity under the pressure of humiliation."

In another part of the statement, the signatories pointed out that the Islamic Republic has made hijab enforcement a security issue and by doing so has made the situation even more complicated for women who under the pressure feel further humiliated.

But what was even more notable in the statement was a demand to change the regime’s anti-West foreign policy.

"The country's independence has been seriously weakened as a result of a foreign policy devoid of dignity and prudence. This situation has made Iran's foreign policy a playground for Russia's aggressive policies," the statement said, adding that "The Islamic Republic's foreign policy has undermined Iran's national interests and disrupted the balance in its relations with East and West and made the country's progress and development hostage to seriously damaging sanctions."

The activists further pointed out that as a result of this policy despite its anti-imperialistic slogans, the regime has submitted to the humiliating oil for food arrangements and barter trade with underprivileged countries to provide food and medicine.

The signatories to the statement declared that "In such a catastrophic situation that has forced a large part of Iranians and their elites to leave the country for good, holding an election is nothing more than beautifying the regime in a bid to lend it some legitimacy. "We do not believe that such an election is going to lead to any improvement in governance," they insisted.

"What can justify people's participation in the upcoming election in March, is the regime's return to democracy by listening to the people and their elites and bringing about structural reforms in the country. A decision to hold a referendum to change the Constitution is a requirement for that change. Without doing this participation in the election would be a deceit against the country's national interests," the statement concluded.

Centrist politician Faezeh Hashemi, former state TV Chief Mohammad Sarafraz, 1980s militant journalist Isa Saharkhiz, and several cultural figures such as poet Ali Babachahi are among the signatories of the statement.

FIFA has been engaged in persistent efforts for nearly a decade to persuade Iranian authorities to rescind the unwritten restriction and enable women to witness male players' matches.

While some limited exceptions were made in recent years, the ban was reintroduced in March 2022, despite FIFA's insistence on unrestricted access for women.

Coming at a time when the world has their eyes on the women's world cup championships, the latest warnings have prompted swift action from Iranian sports authorities, resulting not only in granting permission for women to attend matches at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran but also facilitating access for women to stadiums across the country for football matches, according to Shargh daily.

The regime has, on occasion, allowed a token number of women to attend matches, seemingly as a symbolic gesture to demonstrate compliance with FIFA's recommendations, but it is a policy which has been in place for over four decades.

The Islamic Republic has for decades enforced a policy barring women from entering football stadiums, purportedly citing concerns about the suitability of the atmosphere due to profane language from male fans. This discriminatory measure has led to numerous instances of arrests, beatings, detentions, and abuses against women who have challenged the prohibition.