Threats, Attacks On Families Of Slain Iranian Activists Continue

"Follow-ups on the latest health condition of Geravand indicate that her condition of being brain dead seems certain despite the efforts of the medical staff," state media reported.

There have been concerns by rights advocates that Geravand might face the same fate as Mahsa Amini, whose death in the custody of morality police last year sparked months of nationwide anti-government protests that posed one of the boldest challenges to Iran's clerical rulers. Iran International reported last week that Armita's parents were pressured not to file a lawsuit.

Right groups such as Kurdish-Iranian Hengaw were the first to make Armita Geravand's hospitalization public, publishing photos of the 16-year-old girl on social media that showed her unconscious with a respiratory tube and bandage over her head, visibly on life support.

Iran's theocratic establishment has imposed restrictions on women's dress since a popular revolution deposed the secular and Western-backed Shah in 1979. Women are required by law to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes.

Violators face public rebuke, fines or arrest. Defying the strict Islamic dress code, more women have been appearing unveiled in public places such as malls, restaurants and shops across the country since Amini's death.

(With reporting by Reuters)

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) shared videos on social media showing the presence of special guard forces around the Makki Mosque and the use of significant force during the arrests of numerous citizens in the city.

In response to the recent crackdown on protesters, Fazl ul-Rahman Kouhi, the Friday prayer Imam of Pashamag village in Sarbaz County, Sistan and Baluchestan, stated that "the attack of military forces on the worshipers in Zahedan is no less oppressive than the actions of Israel against the people of Palestine."

Notably, Kouhi himself had been detained in 2019, and Sunni clergymen in Baluchestan are currently facing pressure from the Iranian regime.

In the images from the protests on Friday, participants chanted slogans such as "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, My Life for Iran" and "From Zahedan to Gaza, the Whole World is Shaking."

Recent reports indicate an escalation in pressure on Sunni and Baluch clerics to discourage the Friday protests in various cities within the province. Nevertheless, the weekly protests by Zahedan residents persist.

Both Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi have been accused of "collaboration with the United States government" in their sentencing, meant to send a clear message to journalists that those stepping out of line will be punished. 

Mohammadi was among the few journalists to cover the funeral of Mahsa Amini whose death in morality police custody last year triggered the boldest anti-regime uprising in its history.

A journalist with Ham-Mihan, she has been sentenced to six years in prison on the charges of "collaboration with the United States government" plus five years for "conspiracy and collusion against national security". She was given an extra year for "promoting activities against the state."

Niloufar Hamedi's photograph of the grieving parents of Mahsa was one of the iconic photos that ignited the protests. A former correspondent for the Iranian reformist newspaper, Shargh, she has been handed a seven-year prison sentence for "collaboration with the United States government" and was also sentenced to five years for "conspiracy and collusion in committing acts against national security". She too had an additional one-year term added for "engaging in propagandistic activities against the state".

A brave activist, Hamedi also reported a 16-year-old girl’s murder by her husband in July last year, as well as the self-immolation of several women in September to escape domestic violence, just before the outbreak of the Women, Life, Freedom protests.

Earlier this year, the pair were honored in Time Magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people and were awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize together with a third woman journalist, Narges Mohammadi.

Iran ranks among the world's most restrictive countries in terms of press freedom. Over the past year, hundreds of journalists have been arrested and imprisoned as the Women, Life, Freedom movement gained momentum.

Some sources reported that the sealing of the businesses occurred earlier in the week, purportedly "due to the closure on Baha'i religious holidays." Moreover, there is an ongoing concern that additional Baha'i-owned businesses in the city may also face similar actions.

The officials in Gorgan sealed the businesses "without prior notice" and, notably, have not provided responses to inquiries made by Baha'i citizens who visited the related government department on Saturday to seek clarification on the matter.

The incident sheds light on the consistent challenges faced by Baha'i citizens in Iran. The 1979 constitution of the Islamic Republic recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. The Baha'i faith is not officially recognized, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously labeled it as a cult. In 2018, he issued a religious fatwa prohibiting contact, including business dealings, with Baha'i followers.

Hundreds of Baha'i community members have been jailed and scores charged with espionage and some have been executed over the years.

Iran is home to an estimated 300,000 Baha'is, and they often report systematic violations of their rights, including harassment, displacement from their homes and businesses, and discrimination in terms of access to government employment and higher education.

Fariba Adelkhah said the movement, which sparked months of nationwide anti-regime protests, brought her “great joy during her time in the Iranian jail.”

Adelkhah made the statement during a visit to her workplace, the Paris Institute of Political Studies on Friday. Her return was met with warm welcome and encouragement from professors and students alike.

The renowned institute, often referred to as Sciences Po, announced on Wednesday that Adelkhah, who endured more than three and a half years of imprisonment in Iran, had returned to France.

Reflecting on the nationwide protests that erupted in Iran after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, Adelkhah remarked, "We were very happy about what was happening outside."

The seasoned researcher praised the new generation in Iran, emphasizing that they have "nothing to lose" and are "much braver" than their predecessors.

Adelkhah was detained during her visit to Iran in June 2019 and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison, accused of espionage. She was released from Evin Prison in February and was recently allowed to leave the country.

She also disclosed that she spent "entire nights" writing during her imprisonment and interrogations to communicate to her captors that she was not the "spy" they perceived her to be.

Over the past decade, Iran's Revolutionary Guard has detained numerous dual nationals and foreign individuals, often on unsubstantiated allegations of espionage and security breaches. Human rights organizations have characterized the detentions as hostage-taking maneuvers designed to extract concessions from Western governments.