By Ahmad Hanayish and Abubakar Siddique (RFE/RL ) Shabana had a bright future ahead of her. She was studying to become a doctor and preparing to get married. But the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 turned her life upside down. The militant group’s ban on women attending university forced her to abandon her studies. […]
How Mahsa Amini’s Death became a Rallying Call for Thousands of Iranians
By Michael Scollon and Fereshteh Ghazi A combo photo shows Mahsa Amini (left) in the hospital on September 16, 2022, and her father and grandmother right after her death. ( RFE/RL ) – Sharmin Habibi recalls the circumstances of her husband’s killing at the hands of Iran’s security forces. But she could be […]
‘Era Of Repression’: Iran Purges Ranks Of University Professors Ahead Of Veil Protest Anniversary
By Hannah Kaviani Fereshteh Ghazi ( RFE/RL ) – Encouraging students to hold unauthorized demonstrations. Encouraging students to sing antiestablishment slogans. Encouraging female students to remove their head scarves. Undermining Islamic values and acting against the interests of the system. These are the list of reasons the Iranian authorities are using to increasingly purge the […]
Iran crackdown on Unveiled Women: Mahsa Amini’s Uncle Arrested Ahead Of Anniversary Of Her Death
By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda | – ( RFE/ RL ) – Relatives of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman whose death nearly a year ago sparked mass protests in Iran, have confirmed reports that one of her uncles has been arrested ahead of the anniversary of her death. A brother of Amini’s, Ashkan Amini, told […]
Afghanistan is among Top 10 Countries facing Severe Climate Impacts, and Must not be Excluded from Talks: UN
By RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service ( RFE/ RL ) – A top UN official expressed concerns that Afghanistan has been excluded from global discussions on climate change, despite being among the top 10 countries worldwide facing climate-related issues. Afghanistan has been excluded from the UN’s global climate summit talks since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Roza […]
Condition Critical: Desertification Threatens to Turn Iran’s Future to Dust
By Michael Scollon ( RFE/RL ) – Temperatures in Iran are hitting record highs, rivers and lakes are drying up, and prolonged droughts are becoming the norm, highlighting a water crisis that is turning much of the country’s territory to dust. The desertification of Iran is occurring at a staggering pace, with officials last month […]
Iranian Court Sparks Controversy By Diagnosing Hijab Protesters With Mental Illness
By Roya Maleki Left to right: Iranian actresses Afsaneh Bayegan, Azadeh Samadi, and Leila Bolukat were all arrested for appearing in public without the mandatory hijab, or head scarf. At their sentencing, judges ruled that they were “mentally ill.” ( RFE/RL ) – Judges in Iran have diagnosed three prominent actresses sentenced for […]
Return Of ‘Morality Police’ To Iranian Streets Leaves Women Fearful But Defiant
By Mehdi Tahbaz “Our girls are fighting and know that there is no way back for us and we are not going back, and our answer to them wanting to forcibly put a hijab on us is, ‘No!’” one women’s rights activist in Tehran said. ( RFE/RL) – The return of the so-called […]
Protests Erupt In Northern Iran Amid Attempts To Enforce Hijab Rules
( RFE/ RL ) – Protests have erupted in the northern Iranian city of Rasht following an attempt by government officials to arrest three women over violations of mandatory hijab rules amid reports that the country’s leadership has ordered the resumption of so-called “morality police” patrols. An Iranian morality policeman (right) speaks with a woman […]
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