Behind closed doors: The hidden world of sex and prostitution in Iran

The parallels between the crime he narrated in the last episode of his podcast “The Last Witness” and the actual events have left fans and followers in disbelief.

Canadian State Police reported the discovery of a mutilated body of an Iranian woman in a suitcase in the city of St. John, Newfoundland on Friday. The woman's identity was not disclosed, but the primary suspect, believed to be her husband, was later identified by social media users. For legal reasons, Iran International refrains from publishing names of the people involved in the case. According to social media posts, the murder suspect was known for his podcasts and is a PhD student in informatics in Canada.

Canadian news websites reported that before the woman's body was discovered, her husband's lifeless body was found at his home in downtown St. John on July 15. Preliminary assessments suggest that the 34-year-old man committed suicide. A day later, on the evening of July 16, a citizen found a suitcase containing the remains of a woman and contacted the police.

James Cadigan of the Newfoundland Police Department described the death of the woman as a homicide.

"The deceased is a 33-year-old woman who was found in the area of Water Street near Springdale Street in the suitcase," Cadigan told Global News.

Reports indicate that the murder suspect had been living in Newfoundland for several years for educational purposes, while the victim had arrived in the province in mid-May this year.

Cadigan mentioned that there were no prior records or cases involving this couple with the regional police. The state police are also creating a timeline of events and reviewing area surveillance footage from July 10 to 16. They have requested anyone with information to contact them.

The police released an image of a man pulling a suitcase, hoping to obtain public information about the suspect's activities before his suicide.

"It was important that we provided a visual of the suitcase and the individual because we believe that he traveled throughout the downtown area of Saint John’s," Cadigan said.

The officer believes the suspect was traveling on foot for a period of time as he walked through some residential areas towards Water Street.

In 2021, Canada had 213,160 residents who were born in Iran, with 70,395 of them having immigrated since 2011.

An unidentified group of worshippers at Imam Khomeini Mosalla can be seen in a viral video chanting against former Foreign Minister Zarif, telling him to "get lost." Zarif heads the Pezeshkian administration's Strategic Council for Transition, which was formed to search for and propose ministerial candidates.

Numerous politicians and pundits, mainly but not limited to reform faction, swiftly rallied to Zarif's defense on social media, with some even suggesting that “Mossad” orchestrated the criticism against him.

Abdolreza Davari, a former aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called on the country's security agencies to review the video to identify and arrest the instigators. He asserted, "There should be no doubt that the scene of insulting Javad Zarif is a Mossad plan."

A prominent reformist political analyst, Abbas Abdi, remarked, "The chanting against Zarif during Friday prayers demonstrates their utter inability to tolerate any loss of privilege. Moreover, they show no respect for the sanctity of Friday prayers, misusing and destroying religious and public resources for their misguided objectives."

The X account of Pezeshkian's election campaign, now rebranded as "Iran News," condemned the actions depicted in the video as "the insults and abuses of a negligible minority." The account further questioned the origins of these “planned actions,” asking, "Where are these directives coming from?"

The apparent campaign against Pezeshkian grew even more severe on Saturday, as several hardline papers, including Kayhan—financed by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—began assailing the new president for surrounding himself with "corrupt political thugs."

"The rightful place for those convicted of security offenses and the instigators of sedition, corruption, and destruction is in the courtroom, not on the council responsible for selecting the cabinet," Kayhan wrote, apparently referring to former officials who served under President Hassan Rouhani.

Supporters of Pezeshkian assert that the Strategic Council, with Zarif at its helm, demonstrates his commitment to his campaign pledge of leveraging expert advice to tackle pressing issues.

However, hardliners contend that Pezeshkian remains largely inactive, encircled by what they derisively term "incompetents."

Amidst the turmoil, Pezeshkian's supporters raise a pertinent question: Where do these directives originate? More precisely, what is their true source if these actions are indeed orchestrated rather than spontaneous?

The potential answers become intricate in light of last week's Reuters report, which stated, "Khamenei decided to plan a carefully orchestrated election, setting the stage for a little-known but trusted moderate, Massoud Pezeshkian, to rise to the presidency."

Reuters reported that the "engineered" election was driven by Khamenei's belief that Iran needed "a president who could appeal to different layers of society but would not challenge the ruling Shi'ite theocracy."

This implies that Khamenei may be seeking to avoid repeating the mistake of hastily endorsing Ahmadinejad's ascent to the presidency. Some analysts posit that Ahmadinejad's win in 2005 was primarily attributable to Khamenei's endorsement and that his approval legitimized Ahmadinejad’s highly contested reelection in 2009.

However, Ahmadinejad ultimately rebelled against Khamenei, leading to his subsequent isolation within the political arena.

When Kayhan, often regarded as Khamenei’s mouthpiece, fervently criticizes Pezeshkian, it may be a calculated effort to ensure his continued obedience—a trait he has consistently demonstrated thus far.

Another underlying reason for the criticisms is that hardliners, despite not securing the presidency, are eager to gain positions within Pezeshkian's cabinet—a prospect that appears unlikely if Zarif remains the one selecting the appointees.

Kayhan has explicitly issued a warning, stating, "Given that the elected president often references Quranic verses, I suggest he retain some members of Martyr Ebrahim Raisi's cabinet, who have made significant contributions and established a strong foundation for the country's progress, to prevent any disruptions in the government's ongoing affairs."

The hardliners hold a majority in parliament, so Pezeshkian cabinet selections must secure their approval. These lawmakers have made it clear they will obstruct the process if their demands are not met.

This situation underscores the rationale of some who boycotted the elections, arguing that even with a reform-leaning candidate, substantive change remains impossible within this system.

However, despite the people's and businesses' priority of addressing economic problems, Iranian economist Morteza Afqah from the University of Ahvaz says no significant economic breakthrough is expected in the near future. Afqah warned that opponents of the new government might obstruct economic developments, hoping that the "bitter experience" of hardliners blocking economic reforms under reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) will not recur during Pezeshkian's administration.

Speaking to Fararu website in Tehran, Afqah emphasized that while the focus is on the new government's cabinet choices, it's equally important to carefully select local provincial officials, as a significant part of national production occurs in the provinces. He added that a competent executive team could activate unused potentials and solve 20 to 30 percent of the country's economic problems.

Afqah criticized the Raisi administration for having one of Iran's worst economic teams, describing the "difficult situation" as a combination of severe sanctions and a lack of financial resources, with very little hard currency in the foreign currency reserve fund.

This situation persists, and the nation's hope lies in Pezeshkian's potential to initiate a new round of talks with the United States to lift some sanctions. Afqah noted that developments in the United States could also impact Iran's markets. Iran’s political establishment fears the return of Donald trump, expecting tougher sanctions and more isolation.

Another Iranian website, Rouydad24 pointed out that as the likelihood of Donald Trump's election as the next US President increases, the it gives rise to expectations about higher inflation in Iran. However, the website's writer Amir Hossein Jafari opined that only a moderate president in Iran can tackle this challenge. Jafari added that many in Iran believe that Trump is man who can make a deal that would lead to a reduction in Iran’s inflation rate and reduction of the sanctions against Iran.

Trump has stated in recent years that he could make a deal with Iran. However, it is doubtful that Iranian officials, particularly Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, would overlook their pronounced enmity towards Trump after he ordered the killing of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. Earlier this week, media reported that US security officials raised alarms about possible plots against Trump by Iranian agents in the United States.

Rouydad24 also quoted Afqah saying that Iran's next government could curb inflation expectations through diplomacy. However, the question remains: Will Khamenei and other hardliners stay silent if Pezeshkian attempts rapprochement with the United States, and is Pezeshkian capable of pursuing such diplomacy for Iran?

The media have also quoted Republican Vice-Presidential nominee J.D. Vance discussing a tough approach to Iran. However, the next US administration's priority is likely to be addressing the war in Ukraine, with the Iran issue potentially coming later.

Meanwhile, both the media and economists in Iran are pessimistic about the further rise in the inflation rate, estimated to be around 50 percent in the absence of transparent statistics. As Afqah points out, "Pezeshkian cannot make any change in this situation if sanctions are not lifted."

Mohammad Dehghan, Iran's Vice President for Legal Affairs, mentioned the Judiciary in stating that the Central Bank currently holds the assets returned by Zanjani in unspecified forms of goods. Dehghan notably refrained from providing details about their type or value.

Zanjani, an intermediary in selling Iran's sanctioned oil, was arrested in 2013 and initially sentenced to death for embezzling billions in oil revenue. However, his sentence was commuted in April to a 20-year prison term. The Iranian judiciary asserted that Zanjani's cooperation with authorities and the successful identification and repatriation of his foreign assets were pivotal factors in the commutation of his sentence.

"These goods have the potential to bolster the national currency. Moreover, as per his [Zanjani’s] statement, should the Central Bank, due to certain considerations, choose not to use these goods as backing for the national currency, it has the option to sell them and utilize the proceeds," Dehghan said on Friday.

Despite the secrecy surrounding the government's deal with the tycoon, gold seems to be the only commodity that could potentially back the currency. Many commentators and politicians over the years have hinted that Zanjani had accomplices in high places, otherwise he could not have embezzled large sums, or would have been executed by now.

Dehghan further attempted to bolster Zanjani's reputation, noting that he had already served over a decade of his sentence. Dehghan added, "According to our information, he has stated that if the assets he transferred to the country encounter issues being sold and converted into cash, he can sell them himself.”

Zanjani, once hailed as Iran's richest man, described himself as a soldier of the Islamic Revolution, working on the economic front to help the country evade crippling sanctions imposed by the United Nations over Iran's nuclear program in the early 2010s.

To address the sanctions and economic challenges, ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad permitted the private sector to sell oil internationally. In response, Zanjani and other individuals established complex networks. They laundered money globally, including in Turkey, Indonesia, and Central Asia, aided by a clandestine team.

Once valued at approximately $13.5 billion, Zanjani's wealth was extraordinary in a nation where the state controls most of the economy. Today, one-third of Iran’s population lives below the poverty line.

By evading sanctions, Zanjani faced international penalties from the EU in December 2012 and the US in April 2013. Domestically, under President Hassan Rouhani, he was arrested and convicted, with the Ministry of Oil claiming he owed the government $1.9 billion in oil revenues.

Zanjani's alleged repatriation of assets unfolds against a backdrop of monumental economic challenges. The country grapples with persistent oil export and banking restrictions, capping oil exports at approximately $70 billion. Consequently, the government continually faces substantial budget deficits, necessitating the perpetual printing of money.

The organization called on its supporters to send letters to Iran’s head of judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, advocating for Salehi's release and the dropping of all charges against him.

On July 10, intelligence agents interrogated Salehi without a lawyer present, focusing on new cases related to his song "Typhus," which was released in March 2024 while he was imprisoned.

Salehi now faces four charges: “spreading propaganda against the system” and “inciting people to war and killing with the intention to disrupt national security” before the Revolutionary Court, and “insulting religious sanctities” and “spreading lies with the intention of disturbing public opinion” in a criminal court.

Amnesty warned that if convicted on these charges, Salehi faces prolonged imprisonment.

In the song, Salehi criticizes state-supported rappers in a style known as a "diss" in the hip-hop genre. None of the charges, including inciting war, spreading propaganda, insulting religious sanctities, or disturbing public opinion, are evidenced in the track. Amnesty International has labeled these charges as “spurious,” noting that Salehi is being targeted solely for his peaceful exercise of human rights, including freedom of expression through his music.

The Iranian judiciary has a history of building cases against dissidents on trumped-up charges to silence dissent. Negin Niknaam, an Iranian activist and Salehi's social media manager, told Iran International English on Friday that Iran's intelligence agencies have levied new charges against Salehi to prevent his release on bail after previous efforts to execute him sparked global outrage.

Salehi was first arrested on September 13, 2021, in a separate case following the release of the track “Mouse Hole.” He was arbitrarily detained for a second time on October 30, 2022, during Iran’s nationwide Women, Life, Freedom uprising on various charges including “corruption on earth” for which he was sentenced to death in April 2024.

Although he was granted bail on November 18, 2023, the 33-year-old rapper was re-arrested less than two weeks later on new charges of "publishing falsehoods" and “propaganda against the state” for which he was sentenced to one-year imprisonment after releasing a video detailing his torture experiences in custody. Currently, Salehi remains imprisoned at Dastgerd Prison in Esfahan serving the one-year prison sentence while awaiting the legal outcome of the 2022 case against him following the overturning of his death sentence. However, since his arrest in October 2022 Salehi has been in prison for almost 2 years.

However, with the new charges brought against the rapper and the pending re-sentencing from the 2022 case, his fate remains unknown.

Amnesty further noted that Salehi continues to suffer from torture-related injuries, including pain in his leg and hands for which he needs surgery, but the authorities have denied him access to adequate medical care.