Iranians are right to be angry over internet blackout, gov’t spokesperson says
Iranians’ anger over internet shutdown is “completely justified,” the government spokesperson said on Tuesday, calling internet access a right of the people as the country remained in a digital blackout for over 70 days.
“The cause of this anger is the enemies who undermine our security environment,” Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
Mohajerani added that the aim of tiered internet, known as "Internet Pro," was merely to give businesses quality access, and vowed people’s connectivity would return once the threat of war receded.
Eight women political prisoners held in Tehran’s Evin Prison have been barred from meeting family members and lawyers following tighter security measures and pressure linked to collective protest activities inside the ward, according to information obtained by Iran International.
Shiva Esmaili, Golrokh Iraee, Sakineh Parvaneh, Forough Taghipour, Zahra Safaei, Marzieh Farsi, Elaheh Fouladi and Varisheh Moradi were denied visitation rights in recent weeks after participating in memorial gatherings and protest-related events inside the women’s ward, sources familiar with the situation said.
Prison authorities have also increased surveillance and patrols inside the ward, with officers entering cells daily and sometimes at night under the pretext of inspections, a source close to prisoners’ families told Iran International.
Women prisoners in Evin had for years marked political and ideological occasions through gatherings, songs, readings and commemorations for killed protesters and veteran activists, the source said. Prison officials have recently intervened directly in such activities and threatened participants, the source added.
The source said some women recently transferred to the ward were also warned by prison and security officials after attending a small number of the gatherings.
Prison staff have in recent months used insulting language toward detainees and threatened them with transfer to solitary confinement, another source familiar with conditions in the ward told Iran International.
Prisoners face solitary confinement threats
Ghazal Marzban, another woman prisoner in Evin, was recently held in solitary confinement for five nights after protesting the handling of her case, a source familiar with the situation said.
File photo of Eight women political prisoners held in Tehran’s Evin Prison who have been barred from meeting family members.
The women’s ward in Evin, often described by activists as a focal point of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, has repeatedly issued statements and organized protests over executions, arrests, economic hardship and the suppression of demonstrations in Iran.
Prisoners in the ward have also staged sit-ins and hunger strikes against death sentences in recent years, after which some faced punitive measures including restrictions on phone calls, visits and new legal cases.
A source close to prisoners’ families said the growing restrictions and threats of solitary confinement reflected efforts by prison and security authorities to silence dissent inside the ward.
Prisoner with tumors denied urgent treatment
Separate information obtained by Iran International shows that Mohtaram Parandin, an imprisoned artist and painter known as Mahshar, has been denied urgent medical treatment despite suffering from two tumors near the cerebellum and throat as well as severe heart disease.
A source familiar with her condition said prison doctors had warned that immediate surgery was necessary because the tumor near her cerebellum had affected her vision, speech and movement.
“The effects of the illness are visible in the way she walks and speaks,” the source said.
Despite recommendations from prison medical staff, authorities have not approved her transfer for treatment and have also rejected requests for medical leave and conditional release although she has served more than half of her sentence, the source added.
The source said documentation required for temporary medical leave had already been submitted to the prosecutor’s office.
Parandin, the mother of a teenage son, became the head of her household after the death of her husband. Her son also suffers from a chronic illness and has faced difficulties during her imprisonment.
Rights groups and prisoners’ families have for years accused Iranian prison authorities of denying political prisoners adequate medical care, with several detainees dying in custody after prolonged illness or delayed treatment.
A senior official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy said Tehran closely monitors developments in the region and would not allow any violation of its waters or interests, state media reported on Tuesday.
Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, said Iran's armed forces tracked movements in and around the Strait of Hormuz and stood ready to respond to what he described as provocative actions.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran monitors regional movements with precision and authority and will not allow any encroachment on its waters and interests," Akbarzadeh said in televised remarks.
Akbarzadeh also said Iran had adopted what he described as a broader strategic approach to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, and that the country's naval forces remained active in the area.
A 45-year-old man has been charged in connection with an arson attack at a former synagogue in east London, police said on Tuesday.
Counter Terrorism Policing London said Moses Edwards, of Wanstead, was charged with arson with intent to endanger life following a fire at the former synagogue in Nelson Street, Tower Hamlets, on May 5.
Police said minor damage was caused to gates and a lock at the front of the building and no injuries were reported. Investigators said CCTV footage indicated the fire was started deliberately.
The former synagogue is in the process of being sold to a local Somali Muslim organization.
A 52-year-old woman arrested as part of the investigation has been released on bail until August.
Iran executed Abdoljalil Shahbakhsh on Tuesday on accusations of armed rebellion through attacks on police sites and membership in a militant group in Sistan-Baluchestan province, the judiciary’s Mizan News reported.
The report said Shahbakhsh had been arrested during what it described as counterterrorism operations in eastern Iran.
The judiciary-linked outlet claimed he had left Iran illegally about six years ago to receive military training in a neighboring country.
The US Department of Energy announced the release of 53.3 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to loan energy firms, part of efforts to stabilize prices amid the Iran war.
The release is part of a broader US commitment to add 172 million barrels to the global market.
That pledge was announced in March under an International Energy Agency initiative involving more than 30 countries, aimed at adding about 400 million barrels of oil to the global market.
