Iran

Ayatollah Khamenei's Rule Declared Illegitimate by Iranian Islamic Scholars

Teachers and students from multiple religious schools in Iran are challenging Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's leadership over the crimes committed by his administration.

A group of students and teachers from seminary schools in Qom, Mashhad, and Tehran said Khamenei's guardianship is no longer valid.

Anti-Hijab Iranian Activist Sentenced to Over Three Years Imprisonment

The Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran handed down a verdict of more than three years to an Iranian women's rights activist for protesting the hijab.

Twenty-two-year-old Melika Qaragozlu has been sentenced to three years and eight months in jail and fined 8 million tomans (US$ 246.59) for protesting against the mandatory hijab rules of the country.

Uprising in Iran: At Least 83 Killed & Over 1,200 Arrested

Sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “morality police” on September 16, and despite an internet shutdown, widespread protests continue throughout Iran.

Tehran legislator Mahmoud Nabavian calls the protests “riots” and says women that take off the mandatory headscarves are out to “prostitute themselves.” State media have made similar statements, calling the protesters “hypocrites, rioters, thugs, and seditionists.”

LGBT Activists Sentenced to Death by Iran for "Spreading Corruption"

Two LGBTQ rights activists were sentenced to death in Iran for allegedly promoting homosexuality. Activists Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani and Elham Chobdar were charged with “Corruption on Earth,” a vague yet lethal charge.

The Urmia Revolutionary Court handed the ruling in Urmia City, western Iran, close to its borders with Turkey.

"Cleansing Society:" Iran's Insidious New Emboldened Forced Hijab Policy

Continuing the crackdown on women, Iran’s Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has released a 119-page document outlining new rules women must now observe. 

IranWire called the new order, titled Hijab and Chastity Project, unhinged, calling out its most important goal: "cleansing society of the pollution caused by nonconformance with Islamic dress codes." 

Iranian Media Says Women Don't Like Chador Because It's "Too Expensive''

On July 9, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) owned Fars News Agency published an article that stated that the country’s women were not against wearing the “preferred” black chador but simply could not afford one. On July 16, the news agency repeated the assertion in an article titled “Why Black Chador Isn’t Sold at Government Prices.”

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