Domestic developments

In an smuggled audio message from prison, Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yassin outlined the torture and anguish he has faced over the past 10 months since his arrest. Yassin said he still did not know why he had been arrested and had not seen any charges. He said he had been tied to a bed and injected with a substance that affected his mental and physical condition as well as enduring prolonged periods of solitary confinement and being thrown down stairs.

Amnesty International demanded that the families of those killed in the protests last year be able to mourn their lost loved ones. This report came in response to a campaign of harassment and intimidation from the regime to enforce silence and squash dissent. The cruelty of the regime knew no bounds as they destroyed graves of murdered protestors and arrested family members, Amnesty said. It called for international action to address the regime’s crimes.

The social media accounts of the father of an executed protestor were suspended and reports circulated that he too had been arrested. Mohammad Mehdi Karimi, 22, was hanged in January after a sham trial and fabricated evidence earlier after he took part in protests against the regime. His father Mashallah Karimi has been active on social media since his son’s killing, showing the pain of losing his only child. There has been no news of his condition after arrest.           

Foreign affairs

Iranian Solidarity Group Aotearoa New Zealand held a policy discussion on gender apartheid at parliament in Wellington this week, focusing on the situation in Iran and Afghanistan. Expert speakers including global activists, lawyers and academics took part and spoke about the ethical importance of protecting women’s rights and how organisations in Aotearoa could work with the Government to make a difference.

The regime unveiled another deadly drone, claiming this new version could stay airborne for 24 hours and had the range to reach Israel. A message broadcast alongside the unveiling on the regime’s television channels in both Hebrew and Persian was ‘prepare your shelters’ and ‘fire is coming’. President Ebrahim Raisi said the regime would cut off the hands of anyone who tried to invade Iran.