Jailed Rights Advocate Asks UN To Doc ‘Killing And Repression’ In Iran

Welcome again to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL publication that tracks the important thing points in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click on right here.

I am RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here is what I’ve been following throughout the previous week and what I’m anticipating within the days forward.

The Massive Concern

Authorities in Tehran have accused Iran’s international enemies of stoking unrest within the nation with the objective of inciting a civil battle.

Officers made the accusations following what they known as “terrorist” assaults that passed off on November 16 in Izeh, within the southwestern province of Khuzestan, and within the central metropolis of Isfahan, the place they mentioned gunmen on motorbikes opened hearth on safety forces and civilians, killing seven in Izeh and two in Isfahan.

The incidents adopted an October 26 assault on the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz that left 13 lifeless. The Shiraz assault was claimed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Talking on November 18, Mohsen Rezai, Iran’s vice chairman for financial affairs, blamed Tehran’s enemies for the “bitter” incidents and claimed that they’re attempting to create a civil battle within the nation. “Iran can’t be was one other Syria or Lebanon by finishing up violent acts much like those in Shah Cheragh, Isfahan, and Izeh,” he mentioned.

A day earlier, Iran’s Overseas Minister Hossein Amir-Abollahian accused Israel and Western international locations of plotting a “civil battle” and the “disintegration” of the Islamic republic.

“Safety companies, [Israel], and Western politicians who’ve made plans for a civil battle and the destruction and disintegration of Iran should know that that Iran shouldn’t be Libya or Sudan,” Amir-Abdollahian mentioned on Twitter, whereas failing to supply any proof to again his declare.

Why It Issues: The warnings come amid 9 weeks of antiestablishment protests in Iran triggered by the demise of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the morality police in Tehran. Iran has blamed international international locations and intelligence companies of orchestrating the unrest, which has was essentially the most vital problem to the clerical institution up to now 4 a long time.

Ali Alfoneh, an Iran analyst on the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, instructed RFE/RL that the Islamic republic has solely itself guilty for the scenario it faces, “however missing the braveness to look into the mirror and admit their very own errors, regime officers cowardly blame the international powers.”

Others mentioned Tehran may use the assaults as an excuse for a harsher crackdown on the protests. “We do not have a great sense of what occurred in Izeh and Isfahan — was it a terrorist group, or probably the regime itself?” mentioned Henry Rome, an Iran skilled on the Washington Institute. “Both manner, the federal government will in all probability use the assaults to ship the message that the protests are undermining nationwide safety and opening the door for Western-backed terrorism,” Rome added.

What’s Subsequent: Statements by Iranian officers who’ve vowed a crushing response to these behind the “terrorist” assaults may present clues in regards to the nation’s subsequent steps. Authorities have mentioned that the perpetrators of the assaults and their leaders who’re allegedly primarily based outdoors the nation could be “launched to the individuals.”

Tales You Would possibly Have Missed

• Activists say Iran has intensified its crackdown within the Kurdistan area in an try to unfold concern amongst protesters and quell the nationwide antiestablishment protests which have rocked the nation for the previous two months.

• No less than 47 kids have been killed amid Iran’s ongoing crackdown on the protests that had been sparked by the demise in custody of Mahsa Amini. Amongst them is 9-year-old Kian Pirfalak who was killed on November 16 within the southwestern metropolis of Izeh amid the antiestablishment protests. State media claimed that the boy was killed in a “terrorist assault.” However his mom says he was shot lifeless by Iranian safety forces. His tragic demise led to an outpouring of grief and anger.

• Protesters in Iran set hearth to the ancestral dwelling of the Islamic republic’s late founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, within the central Iranian metropolis of Khomein, in accordance with novice movies posted on-line. Photographs of Khomeini have additionally been torched in previous weeks amid the continuing unrest.

What We’re Watching

Iran mentioned on November 22 that it had begun producing uranium enriched to 60 p.c at its Fordo underground facility. The announcement was a part of Iran’s response to the UN nuclear watchdog’s adoption final week of a decision accusing Tehran of noncooperation. Tehran condemned the decision as politically motivated whereas vowing retaliation.

“We had mentioned that Iran would critically react to any decision and political strain…that’s the reason Iran has began enriching uranium to 60 p.c purity as of Monday [November 21] on the Fordo web site,” the top of Iran’s Atomic Vitality Group, Mohammad Eslami, was quoted as saying by state media.

Why It Issues: Enrichment at 60 p.c is one step away from the 90 p.c stage required for nuclear weapons. Iran had already been enriching to 60 p.c purity at different services.

The 2015 nuclear deal — which has been on life assist following the U.S. withdrawal from the worldwide settlement in Could 2018 — had restricted Iran’s nuclear enrichment actions to three.7 p.c for civilian functions.

Tehran’s newest escalation is prone to result in extra considerations in regards to the nation’s nuclear actions from different international locations that had been get together to the stalled nuclear deal and are working to revive it. The EU trio of Britain, France and Germany mentioned in a joint assertion that Iran’s elevated enrichment “carries vital proliferation-related dangers [and] has no credible civilian justification.”

That is all from me for now. Do not forget to ship me any questions, feedback, or suggestions that you’ve got.

Till subsequent time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

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