Lawyer For Slain Protester's Family Claims To Possess Names Of Killers

Masoud Setayeshi, Iran's judiciary spokesperson, revealed details of the wide scale operation on Tuesday, the network's distribution having led to the poisoning, blindness, and disability in 191 other Iranians.

Eleven defendants were charged with "corruption on earth" for distributing toxic and hazardous methanol-laced substances, a charge which often carries the death penalty, though only four were sentenced to death. Others in the gang were charged with one to five year prison terms.

For decades, Iran has grappled with alcohol poisoning due to the consumption of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, resulting in fatalities, blindness, and severe injuries. Despite the Iranian regime's strict ban on alcohol, a recent survey by Iran Open Data revealed that half of all adults continue to regularly consume alcohol, often resorting to homemade beverages to evade the prohibition.

In recent months, Iranian cities have witnessed a concerning surge in alcohol poisoning cases, leading to hospitalizations and deaths, as reported by local news outlets.

A 2018 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked Iran ninth out of 189 countries in terms of alcohol consumption per capita, underscoring the persistence of alcohol consumption despite the government's ban.

Network traffic data revealed a significant disruption in internet connectivity in Iran, marking the third such incident this month. According to NetBlocks, the disruption occurred at 1:00 AM local time and resulted in connectivity dropping to 82% of its usual levels.

The development coincides with an unusual event in Khorramabad, western Iran, where a powerful tremor accompanied by a loud noise occurred on Monday night. Local authorities have been unable to identify the source of the disturbance, and Iranian media and officials have provided vague and contradictory statements about the incident. While there have been no reports of visible damage or civilian casualties, officials are conducting an investigation.

Markedly, there is a presence of an underground IRGC ballistic missile base near Khorramabad, a fact that has raised eyebrows among observers and independent media outside Iran.

Earlier this month, in the lead-up to the death anniversary of Mahsa Amini, Iran experienced a significant disruption to its internet services for two consecutive nights, with connectivity plummeting to 71% of its normal levels.

The incident highlights Iran's long-standing practice of imposing strict censorship on internet access, limiting citizens' access to information by blocking various foreign and domestic websites, including reputable news sources. However, the restrictions have been circumvented by the widespread use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and anti-filtering software.

Ramezan Sharif called for launching an offensive against anti-regime media as the revolutionary tide continues to deepen and threaten the Islamic Republic's stability.

Iranian regime authorities, including commanders from the Revolutionary Guard, have frequently issued threats against media outlets operating abroad, such as Iran International.

During his address on Monday, Sharif alleged that media outlets globally are under the control of individuals who shape the narrative for their respective organizations while pursuing their own vested interests.

Last week, Iran's Intelligence Minister, Esmaeil Khatib, issued a stark warning to Persian-language media outlets operating outside Iran, asserting that support from other nations will not dissuade Tehran from pursuing "aggressive" actions against them.

The intelligence ministry had previously labeled Iran International employees as "enemies of the state," vowing punishment for those who allegedly serve foreign interests and betray their country.

The threats come amid widespread arrests of journalists in Iran, particularly during the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, part of a harsh crackdown on dissent.

International human rights organizations consistently rank Iran among the world's foremost oppressors of journalists and free speech.

There have been further instances of suspension and expulsion affecting both students and university professors.

According to reports from student media outlets, Sahar Salehian, a nursing student at Sanandaj University of Medical Sciences, was apprehended by Iranian security forces in Saqqez on Saturday.

The recent surge in student arrests began with the detention of Mahsa Saeidi, a PhD student at Yazd University, on September 11.

Ali Gholami, a student activist at the University of Science and Industry in Tehran, was also arrested three days later. The wave of detentions continued with the apprehension of Ali Rezvani, a student at Khajeh Nasir Toosi University in Tehran, Farhad Hosseini, a student of management at Azad University in Zanjan, Mohammad Mehdi Vosoughian, a student at Esfahan University of Medical Sciences, and Armita Pavir, a student at Azarbaijan Madani University.

Concurrently, there has been a widespread summons of students to disciplinary committees, resulting in suspension and expulsion orders, often justified under the pretext of "non-compliance with dress codes," new rules announced this week.

Furthermore, in recent cases of professor suspension and expulsion, Mostafa Azarakhshi, a faculty member of the theology and religious studies department at Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, faced suspension.

The decision has faced strong criticism from student unions, who view it as part of an ongoing effort to suppress and remove professors. They emphasize that this suspension follows the signing of a statement by one hundred professors demanding the release of detained students during the Women, Freedom, Life protests.

Announcing the launch of the new location, Mahmood Enayat, General Manager of Iran International TV, said, "Britain is the home of free speech. The resumption of our programs from this country is evidence that we will not abandon independent and uncensored journalism to the people of Iran."

Following a significant escalation in state-backed threats from Iran and advice from the London Metropolitan Police, Iran International TV announced in February that it reluctantly and temporarily closed its London studios and moved broadcasting to Washington DC. Iran International was warned by authorities in November that its journalists were under threat from Iranian agents and the police took measures to strengthen security around the network’s offices. A man was arrested in the vicinity of Iran International’s headquarters in February and charged with a terrorism offence.

In his message celebrating the resumption of broadcasting from London, Enayat extended his gratitude to the reporters and staff for their unwavering commitment during this challenging period. He also expressed appreciation to the Metropolitan Police of London and the British government for their continuous support in safeguarding Iran International's personnel and facilitating their safe return to the London office.

The channel's broadcasts have gained special significance since popular anti-regime rallies broke out in Iran last September, providing uncensored coverage of the protests and the subsequent crackdown on the public by the regime. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened Iran International and other Persian broadcasters based abroad as the government blocked the Internet to deny the population news and information. The Iranian regime has blamed foreign-based Persian broadcasters such as BBC Persian and Iran International for “fomenting unrest”, while all media in the country are under tight government control and present protesters as “rioters” and “terrorists”.

On Sunday, British daily The Times reported that Iran International’s workers are “ready to run the gauntlet again” seven months after the terrorist scare. “They said they were receiving information that there is going to be an immediate attack — maybe today, tonight or tomorrow,” Aliasghar Ramezanpoor, the head of news at the channel, told the newspaper.

“The Iranian government tried to make islands of people and sought to cut the flow of information about what was going on from one city to another,” Saeid Habil, a senior journalist at Iran International, told the paper. “They managed to cut the internet, so people [in Iran] needed an alternative link to each other. We were that link.”

Speaking last week at the station’s new studios in north London, Elnaz Kiani, a lead news anchor, told The Times that “For months, we were living whatever people were living in Iran — with all the emotions and hope. People trusted us. They were putting their lives in our hands by going out into the street and taking videos for us.”

Amid repeated threats by the Islamic Republic against Iran International’s reporters, the UK government vowed in December to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists. British officials also expressed strong support for Iran International. Tom Tugendhat, the UK's Minister of State for Security, has repeatedly condemned Iran's threats against the network. He affirmed that the UK would continue its support for the network, ensuring its activities in a secure environment.

Regime authorities, including several Revolutionary Guard commanders, have repeatedly issued threats against Iran International and other foreign-based media outlets.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib reiterated threats against Iran International media network throughout the globe "wherever and whenever deemed necessary." He emphasized that the Islamic Republic would not refrain from invasive measures against the workers of the channel. “We believe that Iran International is a terrorist network, and naturally we deem it our duty and mission to act against them wherever and whenever we deem appropriate,” he said, warning that “no terrorist media will be safe.”

Khatib stated, "Support from various countries will not deter us from taking invasive security measures," claiming that several foreign-based channels have promoted “terrorism,” and Iran International is one of the most important ones.

The US Department of State, Belgium-based International Federation of Journalists, and Australia’s Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance are among entities that expressed support for Iran International and stressed the importance of safeguarding journalists' security and press freedom following the relocation of Iran International’s London office.

Following the relocation to DC, IRGC Commander-In-Chief Major General Hossein Salami said the threats against the channel’s journalists "show how far the Islamic Revolution's realm of power, field of infiltration and radius of influence has extended."

In May, Britain’s shadow security minister slammed the threats against journalists covering Iran’s protests. Speaking on World Press Freedom Day, Holly Lynch, the Labour MP for Halifax, said the threats by the Iranian regime include “assassination and kidnap plots against UK residents who are perceived as enemies of Iran owing to their coverage of the protests and the regime’s brutal crackdown”.