EXCLUSIVE Iran weekly news February 9, 2025

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Following the overturning of a bus carrying students on the Mahan-Kerman route, six people lost their lives, and 27 others were injured. The accident occurred when the bus, carrying 40 students, veered off the road and overturned for reasons that are under investigation. Initial reports indicate that a brake system failure was the primary cause of the incident, and the bus's worn-out condition may have also played a role. In response, judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of the driver and placed the school principal under investigation. It has also been announced that if the vehicle is proven to be outdated, the transportation company will face legal action. This tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of four students, a teacher, and a 9-year-old child, has sparked widespread reactions, with officials promising to take serious action against any negligence or misconduct in this case. Among the victims are names such as Maryam Nakhaee, Parinaz Bahreinipour, Atena Molaei, Dina Khanjari, a 9-year-old child, and her mother. Currently, the injured are receiving medical care, and investigations are ongoing to clarify various aspects of the incident.

On Thursday, February 8th, a group of nurses and medical staff at Lordegan Martyrs Hospital staged a protest in front of the hospital building, voicing their frustration over long-standing grievances that remain unaddressed by authorities. The protesters cited issues such as delayed or insufficient wages, poor working conditions, and a lack of adequate support and resources as key factors behind their demonstration. Many healthcare workers in Iran have been struggling with excessive workloads, insufficient staffing, and financial instability, all of which have intensified amid economic hardships and rising inflation.

A number of third-party contract workers employed in the Lavan operational region staged a protest at their workplace in response to the lack of attention to their demands. These workers, who are employed under contracting agreements, are protesting against poor working conditions, delayed wage payments, and job insecurity. Their demonstration reflects the widespread dissatisfaction among contract workers in the oil and gas industry. Despite repeated promises from officials to address their concerns, no effective action has been taken. This protest is part of a broader wave of labor unrest across various industrial sectors in Iran, as workers continue to demand better working conditions, fair wages, and job security.

Manouchehr Bakhtiari's wife, Sara Abbasi, wrote on Instagram: "Despite my husband’s illness, the regime adds a new burden to our suffering every day. It seems like there is no end to this oppression—every day, a new court summons. This time, they have combined two false charges against my husband in Qazvin Prison: ‘insulting the leader’ and ‘spreading lies online’—just because he said they are trying to kill him by denying him medical leave. For this, he was sentenced to 13 months and 15 days in prison, plus another 6 months for ‘insulting the leader.’ They merged these sentences, but words fail to describe the regime’s so-called justice." She continued: "It doesn’t stop here. Right after discharging my husband from the hospital and returning him to his cell, they kept giving him false hope, telling him that his medical leave was approved and all that was needed was collateral—only to crush that hope repeatedly. And now, they have fabricated yet another case against him, this time without any official notice. They held a virtual trial in Branch 1 of Qazvin’s interrogation court, accusing him of ‘disturbing public opinion.’ To the judiciary, I say: If you want to give him a life sentence, just do it, rather than tormenting us like this. Don’t give my imprisoned husband false hope of freedom, only to break him again. The injustice they have inflicted on my husband, my child, and me since murdering Pouya is so immense that history will never forget it. This regime only knows how to crush the innocent. You have destroyed our lives for years—imprisoning a grieving father simply for seeking justice for his murdered son, denying him medical care, and fabricating case after case to ensure he never gets out. Is this your justice? Your government is a disgrace to all dictatorships, and we will remember your name forever as a symbol of oppression. Despite multiple letters from hospital medical boards and forensic doctors over the past three years, my husband remains deprived of medical leave, wasting away in a prison cell. Seeking justice is not a crime. Manouchehr Bakhtiari’s life is in danger. Be his voice—he has always been the voice of the oppressed people of Iran."

According to a report on Yashar Tabrizi's Instagram page, his court session was held on January 16th, 2025, at Branch 2 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court. He is facing charges including “disrupting national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” “insulting Islamic sanctities,” and “insulting the Supreme Leader.” Additionally, he is scheduled to appear again on February 8th, 2025, at Branch 122 of the Tabriz Criminal Court 2, where he faces charges related to filming the Intelligence Office of the IRGC.

A group of contract and project-based workers at the Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, located in eastern Bushehr Province, staged a protest within the refinery premises to demand their unpaid wages. Frustrated by ongoing delays in salary payments and a lack of response from management, the workers called for immediate action to address their financial hardships and ensure fair labor rights. The demonstration took place on Tuesday, February 4th.

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According to a report shared on the Instagram account of Koshan (Khaled) Pirzadeh, a pro-monarchy political prisoner held in Evin Prison, authorities ignored medical warnings and transferred him back to prison on Monday, February 3rd, at 8 AM—less than 48 hours after undergoing major abdominal surgery at Taleghani Hospital. The report highlights that upon returning from the hospital, prisoners are first placed in quarantine—a section with extremely poor sanitary conditions. “For someone who has just undergone a serious surgery, this move is extremely dangerous,” the statement reads. Furthermore, credible sources inside the prison report that due to the unsanitary conditions in quarantine, Koshan Pirzadeh has suffered from bleeding around his navel. Despite this, he has been denied access to medical care, and prison authorities have refused to transfer him to the infirmary or provide any medical assistance.

A group of Tehran merchants held a protest in Molavi Street, South Khayyam, and Qiyam Square in response to soaring prices and the sharp rise in the U.S. dollar exchange rate. Frustrated by the economic instability, they voiced concerns over declining purchasing power, shrinking profits, and the government's failure to control inflation. The protesters called for immediate measures to stabilize the currency and ease the financial burden on businesses and consumers. The demonstration took place on Tuesday, February 4th.

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EXCLUSIVE Iran weekly news February 2, 2025

A group of victims of the "King Money" and "Utbyte" financial scams gathered in a protest to demand justice and action regarding their lost investments. They expressed frustration over authorities’ failure to address their grievances. The demonstration took place on Sunday, February 2nd.

The Court of Appeals has sentenced Mashallah Karami, the father of the executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami, to one year in prison and the confiscation of his home and car. In this case, one other defendant received a 91-day prison sentence, two were fined 50 million tomans instead of serving time, and seven others were acquitted of all charges. Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, Karami’s lawyer, announced on Wednesday, January 29, that the appellate court in Karaj overturned his client’s previous sentence of 8 years and 10 months in prison, confiscation of property, and a fine, reducing his sentence to one year in prison. Mr. Sharifzadeh noted that the Revolutionary Court’s ruling on property confiscation still stands, but he expressed hope that the Supreme Court would accept a retrial and overturn the remaining three years and seven months of imprisonment and property seizure. Shahla Orouji, another attorney representing Mr. Karami, stated that the charge against her client had been altered from "money laundering and acquiring illicit wealth" to "acquiring wealth deemed illicit." She added that the initial sentences—7 years and 7 months for money laundering and 14 months for illicit wealth acquisition—had been reduced to a single year in prison, and the 1.9 billion toman fine was also revoked.

Asghar Sepehri, the brother of Pro-Monarchy political prisoners Fatemeh Sepehri and Mohammad Hossein Sepehri, wrote on his X account: The indictment hearing for Fatemeh Sepehri and Mohammad Hossein Sepehri was held on Monday, January 27th, 2025, by Branch 905. They were charged with two offenses: 1. Insulting the Supreme Leader, 2. Propaganda against the regime. On December 26, my brother and sister issued a statement from Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, addressing Ali Khamenei, which led to this judicial session. One of the sentences in their statement that enraged the regime was: 'Ali Khamenei, your situation is now worse than Bashar al-Assad’s was a month ago. You no longer have the power to suppress, nor the opportunity to deceive.' During the hearing, the investigator told them they had insulted 'His Excellency' in their statement and asked them to present their final defense. My sister responded: 'I have neither a first defense nor a final one. My freedom will come with the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.' The session was held online, and my sister requested that the camera be turned on so she could see the investigator, but he refused. Many of those who interact with my brother and sister, whether in prison or court, are deeply afraid of revealing their names or faces. This fear clearly shows that they anticipate the imminent fall of the Islamic Republic and dread being held accountable for their actions. It appears that the prison phone in Vakilabad has been repaired, and my sister was finally able to contact our family.

Amir Shahidi, the father of the late Mehrshad Shahidi, one of the victims of Iran’s nationwide uprising, expressed his frustration on X regarding the lack of progress in his son's case. Until now, I have endured in silence, hoping that my son Mehrshad Shahidi’s murder case would be handled through legal channels. But it seems my patience was a mistake. Therefore, I find it necessary to share the following with my dear compatriots: The insistence of certain security officials in Arak on obstructing the legal process, their attempts to derail the case, the illegal ruling of the judge in Branch 1 of Arak’s Public Prosecutor’s Office declaring the case a ‘security matter,’ and their refusal to grant my lawyers access to review the file have all crossed the line. However, these obstacles will not deter me from pursuing justice for my son’s murder and the injustice we have suffered. If these actions continue, I will soon share the full truth with my fellow Iranians through this very platform. Patience has its limits.

Sara Abbasi, the wife of Manouchehr Bakhtiari, a monarchist political prisoner and the grieving father of the late Pouya Bakhtiari, announced on Instagram that a new sentence has been issued against her husband, further increasing pressure on him. She stated that Manouchehr Bakhtiari has been convicted of "spreading false information online" and sentenced to 13 months and 15 days in prison. Previously, he had been sentenced to six months for "insulting the Supreme Leader." Ms. Abbasi emphasized that these charges are fabricated and that her husband is being targeted simply for speaking out about the authorities' neglect of his illness and their refusal to grant him medical leave. She also revealed that a new case has been opened against him in Branch 1 of the Qazvin Prosecutor’s Office without official notification, accusing him of "disturbing public opinion" through a virtual court session. Addressing the judiciary, she wrote: "Why not just sentence him to life in prison instead of repeatedly giving him false hope of release while fabricating new charges against him?"