Amnesty Urges Iran To End Brutal Crackdown On Baluch Protesters

Ejdehakosh was detained for two months during the protests which followed the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini and committed suicide on October 7.

During his two months in detention, he endured both physical and psychological torture. His ordeal included sleep deprivation and recurring nightmares after his release as a result of the torment he suffered while in custody.

Amir-Arsalan was not only a young protester but also a passionate fan of rap music. Before his arrest, he had been working on an experimental piece of music, a project he was unable to complete due to his incarceration.

Since the initial wave of protests following Mahsa Amini's death, nearly 20,000 Iranians were arrested by regime agents during or between protest rounds. While many were released, a few have met mysterious and untimely deaths.

Among them, in November, was the case of Arshia Emamgholizadeh, a 16-year-old who was arrested in East Azarbaijan province for tossing the turban of a cleric. He spent ten days in detention before being released on bail, but two days later, he tragically took his own life. Arshia had confided in friends about the use of unknown pills administered by prison authorities.

Some medical experts have raised concerns that the administration of drugs to certain prisoners may have inadvertently resulted in addiction, which exacerbated their mental health issues upon release.

Now in exile in Turkey after fleeing Iran, Elham Modarresi was arrested last November on charges such as vandalism of facilities, anti-government propaganda, disrupting public order and inciting people to kill.

In January, rights activists Hengaw told of her hunger strike while imprisoned at Karaj's Kachoui prison. During her detention, the artist originally from Kurdish province Sanandaj, was deprived of the right to access a lawyer as well as her case, and she also suffered from liver and intestinal disease, the group said.

In her latest update from Turkey, Modarresi revealed that during her imprisonment, she was subjected to severe physical torture, including brutal beatings that led to internal bleeding.

Minority Kurdish Iranians have historically been treated with extreme oppression under the regime, as a recent report revealed at length. 

The artist was temporarily released from Karaj's Kachoui prison on January 22, with bail posted, allowing her to escape.

In a message shared on the X network, Modarresi said, "12 Iranian security agents stormed our house, violently pushed my mother, put handguns against my mother and brother's heads, blindfolded me, and took me away."

She spoke of how intelligence officers destroyed her ultrasound records, concealing the abuse, and the recurrent threats of sexual violence, part of systematic state sanctioned sexual violence well documented by Iran's Me Too movement.

Throughout her time in prison, Modarresi was denied access to medication and medical care as the regime pressured her into a forced confession.

She now faces an uncertain future with no guarantees of safety in Turkey and has pleaded for help to find refuge.

On Wednesday, the Fararu website conducted an in-depth examination of the alarming crisis, shedding light on the repeated inconsistencies in promises made by the education minister and the lack of a precise plan to address the ministry's issues under the leadership of Reza-Morad Sahraei.

According to recent statements from regime officials, there is a shortfall of around 250,000 to 300,000 teachers, affecting roughly 16 million students across all grade levels. In the province of Tehran alone, the shortage of teachers is estimated to be around 4,000.

Sistan and Baluchestan province, classified as one of the most underprivileged areas in terms of education, requires an urgent influx of 15,000 teachers.

Fararu has reported that the concerning statistics have prompted 30 members of parliament to sign a motion seeking the impeachment of Sahraei. However, the motion has yet to proceed to the implementation stage.

According to the report, the current issues plaguing education and training are partly attributed to the widespread retirement of teachers in previous years and the government's discontinuation of teacher recruitment efforts.

The announcement follows months of uncertainty and conflicting statements from authorities associated with the culture ministry.

The director of the Supervision Department, Habib Ilbeigi, made the formal declaration on Tuesday, announcing that actresses who have defied hijab standards would no longer be allowed to participate in new film projects.

"Due to the constraints they confront, these actresses will no longer be able to pursue their careers in cinema. Nevertheless, their previous works will be gradually released to safeguard the interests of film producers, given the substantial investments made in these projects. However, they will be barred from participating in any forthcoming film productions," he said.

The list of affected actresses includes several well-known figures in the Iranian film industry, such as Baran Kosari, Vishka Asayesh, Taraneh Alidousti, Katayoun Riahi, Panteha Bahram, Hengameh Ghaziani, Pegah Ahangarani, and more.

In the wake of protests that erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody last year, several female actresses have shown solidarity by sharing images of themselves without the obligatory hijab. Their acts of defiance have caused tensions with the Islamic Republic's state broadcaster, leading to the removal of them from TV sitcoms and movies in which they had previously appeared, or the discontinuation of the shows altogether.

Celebrities from the world of culture and entertainment as well as athletes, have come under huge pressure from the government since the uprising began last year, with punishments including pay cuts, bank account freezes and work bans. Some have even fled to exile after public displays of support for the Women, Life, Freedom movement on the world stage.

Reports from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency News Agency (HRANA) indicate that the country has seen the execution of at least 59 people between September 23 to October 22.

The charges against the latest seven, as reported on websites including the Iran Human Rights Organization, HRANA, and Baluch Activists, primarily revolved around drug offenses.

The trend of executions on drug-related charges in Iran has been steadily increasing, with the first nine months of 2023 showing a nearly twofold rise compared to the same period last year.

On October 17, the Human Rights Organization of Iran reported the execution of a group of at least 10 men in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, all on drug related charges.

According to reports, during the period from January 1 to October 10, Iran executed at least 534 people. Only 13% of the cases were officially announced. Around 57% of the executions were linked to charges related to drug offenses, an area in which Iran has some of the world's highest incidences.

Out of the 285 drug-related executions reported worldwide by the Harm Reduction International organization in 2022, 90% took place in Iran.