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Parisa Hafezi

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DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iran's judiciary has sentenced three more anti-government protesters to death on charges of "waging war on God", its Mizan news agency reported on Monday, defying growing international criticism over its fierce crackdown on demonstrators.

Iran hanged two other men on Saturday, one of them a karate champion with several national titles, in its attempts to stamp out demonstrations, which have slowed considerably since it began carrying out executions within weeks of arrests.

Mizan said Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi, who had been convicted of allegedly killing members of the volunteer Basij militia during anti-government protests in the central city of Isfahan, could appeal against their verdicts.

The Basij forces, affiliated with the elite Revolutionary Guards, have been at the forefront of the state clampdown on the unrest sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's morality police on Sept. 16.

Pope Francis on Monday condemned Iran for using the death penalty on demonstrators demanding greater respect for women.

"The right to life is also threatened in those places where the death penalty continues to be imposed, as is the case in these days in Iran, following the recent demonstrations demanding greater respect for the dignity of women," Francis said.

One of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution, the protests have drawn support from Iranians in all walks of life and challenged the Islamic Republic's legitimacy by calling for the downfall of its rulers.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday signalled the state has no intention of softening its position, saying in a televised speech that those who "set fire to public places have committed treason with no doubt". Under Iran's Islamic law, treason is punishable by death.

Rights activists see the executions, arrests and harsh sentences of protesters by the clerical establishment as an attempt to intimidate demonstrators and strike enough fear in the population to end the unrest.

Despite the establishment doubling down on repression, small-scale protests persist in Tehran, Isfahan and several other cities.

At least four people have been hanged since the demonstrations started, according to the judiciary, including two protesters on Saturday for allegedly killing a member of the Basij.

Amnesty International said last month that Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 26 others in what it called "sham trials designed to intimidate protesters".

Rights activists on social media said two other protesters, the 22-year-old Mohammad Ghobadlou and 18-year-old Mohammad Boroughani, had been transferred to solitary confinement ahead of their execution in the Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj city.

Videos on social media, unverifiable by Reuters, showed people gathered late on Sunday in front of the prison chanting slogans against Khamenei.

The European Union, the United States and other Western countries have condemned Iran for using the death penalty against demonstrators.

Condemning Iran's latest execution of protesters, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that "a regime that murders its own youth to intimidate its population has no future".

The Islamic Republic, which has blamed the unrest on its foreign foes including the United States, sees its crackdown of protests as preserving national sovereignty.

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Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Michael Georgy and William Maclean

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

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Iran sentences three more protesters to death amid international criticism

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The unrest was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's morality police on Sept. 16.

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Reuters, Iran.

Riot police armed with electric batons attacked Parisa Hafezi as she struggled to cover the bloodshed and chaos on the streets of Tehran. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters marched, many shouting, "We fight; we die."

After extensively covering the violent protests and government response for Reuters news agency, Hafezi was targeted by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which threatened to arrest her. As bureau chief for Reuters in Iran, Hafezi refused to recant her reporting on the public uprising - while many local and foreign journalists fled the country after the disputed 2009 elections.

"Some reporters refused to use the Tehran dateline, but we weren't afraid to show we were there. We didn't move out; we were the first on the streets," said Hafezi, 41, an Iranian-born veteran journalist. "We had to be strong and take the risks to report the stories."

Hafezi, one of the IWMF's 2011 Courage in Journalism Award winners has endured beatings, interrogations and raids on her office and home because of her work. Hafezi has battled against tough restrictions on women and the media and fought efforts to censor reporting.

Undercover agents raided Reuters' Tehran office after the massive June 2009 protests, screaming at Hafezi and her staff. They bolted the doors, seized video equipment and ransacked the office.

"While the head of the Revolutionary Guard team sat next to her and demanded (that) she show him our computer system, Parisa surreptitiously managed to send a computer message to a colleague in London to alert Reuters of the raid," said Caroline Drees, Middle East managing editor of Reuters. "She hoped - and was right - that the Revolutionary Guard official would mistake the message for her login details."

When she reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad favored a U.N.-drafted nuclear fuel deal in November 2009, she was summoned to the president's office, where officials demanded to know her source. She refused, telling them that if they wanted to deny the report she would publish the denial. They rejected her offer and threatened to revoke her press credentials.

Months later Hafezi was abducted by four men as she left her office and taken to an unmarked building in Tehran. "Are you a spy?" they shouted, slapping her and pushing her for hours. At a time when anti-government protests were reigniting in February 2010, Iran security officials wanted to silence the media.

"Nobody knew where I was. They interrogated me and kept asking if I was having an illicit sexual relationship with former officials. I felt humiliated because I didn't even know who they were talking about. I thought, 'my god, I'm just doing my job and I'm being punished. As a single mother, everything is endangered,' " she said. "I don't consider myself an activist - I'm a journalist trying to be impartial.

"I keep thinking that maybe as an Iranian woman I can take this opportunity to help other women, help the people be heard," Hafezi said. That calms me down. I will do my job. I will do the interviews and tell the truth."

As violent protests abated in 2010, authorities attempted to intimidate Hafezi by revoking her press accreditation for 45 days and interrogating her when she traveled. Today the Reuters offices are under constant surveillance and have experienced several break-ins, and staffers say that e-mails and telephone lines are bugged. The government routinely calls Reuters "the Zionist news agency."

Two security agents invaded Reuters' Tehran office last March, demanding to know what reporters were writing and how they get their information. They searched the office and left, after warning Hafezi not to talk about the incident.

"I kept thinking I'd get arrested, but as you see I am still working here. I'm not censoring anything. I'm trying to be impartial and do my job reporting the facts, "she said. "Officials are worried they'll get in trouble talking to us now, but we don't stop."

After learning she was being awarded IWMF's 2011 Courage in Journalism Award, Hafezi was overwhelmed by the reaction in Iran. "Someone from the culture ministry's office said, 'Are you as brave as they say on the IWMF website?' My reply was, 'Yes, I am brave enough to stay here and continue to do my work.' This will encourage other women colleagues in the Middle East who are facing the same problems. I haven't done anything wrong. More and more I'm getting congratulations from Iranian colleagues who were scared to say anything. Before I even had friends say, 'Leave the country,'" she said.

Working in a male-dominated culture with tight restrictions on women, Hafezi has turned the tables. "As a woman here, men are reluctant to reject you when you ask a question. They see I'm strong. I'm not scared." She joined Reuters in 1999 as "a part-time nobody" with a master's degree in metallurgical engineering and started covering stories within two years. One month before the controversial 2009 election, she was named Reuters' Tehran bureau chief - the first woman to hold the post.

Parisa Hafezi is the third female journalist from Iran to have received the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, following Shahla Sherkat in 2005 and Jila Baniyaghoob in 2009.

Follow Parisa Hafezi on Twitter: @PHREUTERS

IWMF Awards

Reporting Locations

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Reuters, Iran. Riot police armed with electric batons attacked Parisa Hafezi as she struggled to cover the bloodshed and chaos on the streets of Tehran. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters marched, many shouting, "We fight; we die."

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The alleged torture of three young Iranian men facing the death penalty has been detailed in a new report by Amnesty International that raises deep concerns about the country's judicial system.

One of the men, Mehdi Mohammadifard, was raped by prison guards and severely beaten, the rights group said. Amnesty said it had learned that Mohammadifard suffered anal injuries and rectal bleeding that required treatment in a hospital outside the prison where he is being held.

The 19-year-old went into hiding after being summoned for questioning by the Revolutionary Guards before his arrest in the early hours of 2 October. During his arrest he was thrown to the floor and suffered a broken nose, Amnesty said.

Mohammadifard was sentenced to death along with 18-year-old Arshia Takdastan and 31-year-old Javad Rouhi in connection with protests in Noshahr, in Mazandaran province, on 21 September that broke out in response to the death in police custody five days previously of Mahsa Amini.

Their convictions on charges including 'corruption on Earth" and "enmity against God" are subject to appeal at the supreme court.

Amnesty said it had obtained information that Rouhi was subjected to severe beatings and floggings, including on the soles of his feet and while being tied to a pole, and that ice had been placed on his testicles. Takdastan has also been repeatedly subjected to beatings, Amnesty said.

Amnesty said the accused were denied the right to a lawyer of their choice at a hearing lasting less than an hour. It has called for the death sentences to be quashed.

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and north Africa, said: "The fact that Arshia Takdastan, Mehdi Mohammadifard and Javad Rouhi and their anguished relatives live under the shadow of execution while Revolutionary Guards' agents and prosecution officials reasonably suspected of responsibility or complicity in their sexual abuse and other forms of torture enjoy absolute impunity highlights the sheer cruelty and inhumanity of Iran's judicial system.

"The Iranian authorities must immediately quash the convictions and death sentences of these young men and drop all charges related to their peaceful participation in protests. They must also order a prompt, transparent and impartial investigation to bring all those reasonably suspected of responsibility for their torture to justice in fair trials."

The names of those suspecting of being responsible for the treatment of the three men are due to be handed to western authorities.

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Three Iranian protesters sentenced to death were tortured, says Amnesty report

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The alleged torture of three young Iranian men facing the death penalty has been detailed in a new report by Amnesty International that raises deep concerns about the country's judicial system. One of the men, Mehdi Mohammadifard, was raped by prison guards and severely beaten, the rights group said.

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Iran is receiving scrutiny for how they are handling the protests and all of the bones thrown to the protestors seem like cover ups and appeasement to get it all out of the world news and allow the country to do what it would like without significant international scrutiny.

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The three protestors were brutally beaten and raped before standing trial in a kangaroo court with out representation in a hearing lasting less than an hour. The west is calling for justice but no news yet on if Iran will comply.

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Astiazh Haqiqi, 21, and her fiance Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, 22, are said to be convicted of "promoting corruption and prostitution, colluding against national security, and propaganda against the establishment".

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Iran dancing couple given 10-year jail sentence

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Astiazh Haqiqi, 21, and her fiance Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, 22, are said to be convicted of "promoting corruption and prostitution, colluding against national security, and propaganda against the establishment".

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Couple arrested for dancing in the street: convicted for colluding against the government and promoting prostitution and propaganda and compromising national security.

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Owned by the UK government

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UK based, owned by Scott Trust Limited

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This article seemed to strike a medium between the left and right wing articles. It told facts but had more emotion than the right wing post. It did not, however, lean as hard into the inflammatory speech that was used in the left wing post.

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Four months after a nationwide uprising erupted in Iran, a lethal crackdown and an ailing economy have quieted antigovernment street demonstrations.

Students still occasionally gather at universities and high schools, and others shout slogans from city rooftops and balconies. But organized protests have largely tapered off. Those still willing to demonstrate gather in small groups, scattered around Tehran and other cities with little coordination.

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crude oil/natural gas upstream operations

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Iran's Deadly Street Protests Are Replaced by Quiet Acts of Rebellion

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Four months after a nationwide uprising erupted in Iran, a lethal crackdown and an ailing economy have quieted antigovernment street demonstrations. Students still occasionally gather at universities and high schools, and others shout slogans from city rooftops and balconies. But organized protests have largely tapered off.

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Throughout the crisis, TikTok and other social medias were one of the main on the ground news sources as women within the country were posting to try and gain international traction. Many who posted disappeared

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Thousands rally for Iran in Downtown Los Angeles

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/ KCAL News

Demonstrators gather in Downtown L.A. on anniversary of Iranian Revolution

On the 44th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, thousands of protestors marked the occasion with a large planned protest through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

The protest comes amid renewed demands for civil rights in Iran and putting an end to the country's religion-based government.

Iranian flags could be seen flying high above the large crowd as they marched past Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday afternoon, with protestors calling for change and a democracy to be put in place in their homeland.

"It's a big danger for all around the world, not only for Iranian people as far as that regime in Iran," said Hasan Khalaja, one of the many demonstrators. "It's a big danger for all of the world."

Protests were initially sparked back in Sept. 2022, after 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini died while in police custody after she was arrested for wearing her hijab "improperly." It's one of many incidents that have occurred at the hands of Iran's morality police, with many more protestors in Iran arrested and killed in the months since.

"For 25 weeks we have been on the streets," said Bibi Kasrai, with San Diego Iranians. "For as long as our people have been fighting in the streets and sacrificing their lives we have supported them."

Now, demonstrators are asking people to take action and push legislators to support the protests for Iranian human rights.

"Write letters, call your representatives and ask them to support the Mahsa Act and the people of Iran."

They say that it's important for their loved ones back home to see and feel the unity of those living in America, knowing that they're not alone in the fight - regardless of heritage or background.

"The future of Iran is bright. It's beautiful, it's the thought leaders. It's those scientists, the astronauts. Everybody that is gonna be the bright future of Iran."

KCAL-News Staff

First published on February 11, 2023 / 5:37 PM

© 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Demonstrators gather in Downtown L.A. on anniversary of Iranian Revolution

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KCAL News On the 44th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, thousands of protestors marked the occasion with a large planned protest through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles. The protest comes amid renewed demands for civil rights in Iran and putting an end to the country's religion-based government.

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This was the only article I could find from recent contexts. The protests in country were largely unreported on but soccer and the world cup is more relevant to city residents so that's probably why it made it into the paper.

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Iran government supporters confront protesters at World Cup

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Stadium security at World Cup seized flags, T-shirts and other items expressing support for the protest movement that has gripped the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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MSNBC is famously left wing and their approach to coverage of the protests also leans into the reproductive rights protests that have been happening in the US. This is likely a grab towards their audience's stake in the issue.

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This year may not be remembered as a paramount one for gender equity, but 2022 will go down in history as a testament to the grit, resilience and conviction of women everywhere who stood up to injustice - no matter what the cost - and demanded their fundamental freedoms.

From the ballot box at home, to the streets of Iran, to the battlefields in Ukraine, women raised their voices and challenged oppression - many making the ultimate sacrifice.

This week "Morning Joe" co-host and Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski sat down with All In Together CEO Lauren Leader, the 19th's Errin Haines and MSNBC host Yasmin Vossoughian to look at some of the key moments that defined the fight for gender equity, democracy and freedom in 2022.

When Roe fell, women raised their voices

In June, when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade - eliminating the constitutional right to abortion - 33 million people of reproductive age immediately lost an essential liberty. Since then, more than 60 clinics across 15 states have been forced to stop offering the procedure. Now about half of state legislatures have moved to impose new restrictions on abortion access, including most recently in Georgia, where the state Supreme Court reinstated it's six-week ban on abortion.

In the months leading up to the midterm elections, the reversal of Roe galvanized women of all political stripes to the polls, where abortion proved to be one of the prevailing issues driving voter turnout.

"I think the lesson of the 2022 midterms is don't underestimate the motivating power of women's anger," Leader told Brzezinski. "Lots of pundits were saying that other issues were going to be more important than abortion, but women said this mattered and it was part of what motivated them to register to vote, especially younger women who came out in new record numbers."

In August, Kansas voters struck down a measure that would have removed reproductive rights protections from the state constitution. During the midterms, voters upheld reproductive rights in five separate state ballot measures in the states of Kentucky, Montana, California, Vermont and Michigan.

According to NBC News exit polls, abortion ranked just below inflation in terms of voter importance nationally. In fact, voters around the country rallied behind candidates pledging to protect abortion access, where at least seven pro-choice Democrats held on to or won their governorships.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul - who made history as the first women elected governor - beat back a stiff challenge from anti-abortion candidate Lee Zeldin.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro beat Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, while Wisc. Gov. Tony Evers won his re-election bid as his administration challenges a pre-Roe ban on the procedure.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has maintained a consistent veto against abortion restrictions and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won her reelection bid, campaigning explicitly on protecting abortion rights.

"For people who were predicting a red wave, they were not predicting that abortion was going to remain front and center," Haines told Brzezinski. "For a lot of voters ... abortion is also an economic issue, we know a lot of people who need access to abortion care are mothers."

The action around reproductive rights may have helped pave the way for a milestone election year: a record 12 women will now go on to serve as governors in 2023, up from nine in 2004, according to the Center for American Women in Politics.

Ketjani Brown Jackson makes Supreme Court history

Over the summer, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court when the Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed President Joe Biden's pick in April.

She replaced retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, which preserves the 6-3 conservative balance. As the first former federal public defender on the Court, the liberal justices are now all female and multiracial.

Justice Brown takes her place on the nation's highest court at time when public confidence in the judiciary has plunged since the fall of Roe. Only 25 percent of Americans have confidence in Supreme Court, down from 36% in 2021, according to a Gallup Poll.

But at 52, she could hold the position for decades and influence in the court's decision making.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi's legacy

In November, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would be stepping down as the leader of the House Democrats, after serving in that role for the last two decades.

Pelosi's departure marks the end of an era, but her leadership as the first female speaker of the House represents one of the greatest political and legislative success stories in American history.

"Ultimately [President] Joe Biden's legacy is going to be Nancy Pelosi's legacy, as much as he accomplished, he did it because of her," Leader said. "Her legislative record is unbelievable; Nancy Pelosi goes down as one of the most important political figures of the last 100 years."

Pelosi was a central player in passing the most significant laws in recent history, from President Barack Obama's signature health insurance measure and President Joe Biden's climate change initiative to President George W. Bush's Wall Street bailout and President Donald Trump's Covid-19 rescue programs.

When she was first elected to Congress in 1987, only 12 women Democrats served in the House alongside her. Today there are 91.

And despite passing the gavel, she's not done. Pelosi, who was easily re-elected in her California district, explained that she will remain in Congress as a Democratic member representing San Francisco.

A women-led revolution in Iran

For the last four months, mass demonstrations - led by women - have swept across the streets of Iran protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being taken into custody by morality police for allegedly breaking the country's strict dress-code laws.

According to police, Amini had a heart attack and fell into a coma while in custody, and she was declared dead on Sept. 16. Authorities denied mistreating the Amini, citing an investigation into her death is ongoing. Her father however told the BBC that she was not in bad health.

Since then, the demonstrations have spurred what many call an outright revolution, and perhaps the strongest challenge to the regime since it came to power in 1979. Protestors have cut their hair, burned headscarves in bonfires, and vocalize their outrage at the brutality of the Islamic regime with the rallying cry: 'Woman, Life, Freedom!'

"As I have been told by the Iranian diaspora here, this is the first female-led revolution ever," Vossoughian told Brzezinski. "These are millions of women every single day, month in now putting their lives on the live because they recognize it is time to have equal rights."

Iran's security and paramilitary forces have responded with violent crackdowns, formally executing at least two prisoners convicted amid protests. According to the nonprofit Human Rights Activists in Iran, nearly 500 people have been killed since demonstrations began.

As the world reacts to the uprising, Iran was recently expelled from the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women over Tehran's "systematic oppression" of women and violent crackdown on street protests.

"When people ask whether this can really topple the government of Iran - whatever the end goal is - that country is never going back to what it was even three months ago," Vossoughian said. "The diaspora here and across the world - they are helping push what these protestors want on the ground, supporting them, keeping their voices alive."

To that end, the women leading protests in Iran have been named as Time's Heroes of the Year. Amini herself was also recognized among Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women" posthumously.

Ukrainian women in the battle for their country

Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February, more than 6,000 civilians have been killed, nearly 8 million fled the country and 6.5 million have been internally displaced, according to the UNHCR.

For those who stayed in place, an estimated 57,000 women have served in the Ukrainian armed forces, including on the front lines as first responders and in combat specialties, including as armored vehicle gunners, infantry commanders and snipers.

"Democracy relies on women," Leader added. "Just the ways in which women hold the keys to democracy in their societies."

The number of women in the Ukrainian military expanded when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and again when women were granted the right to fight in combat in 2016. But following legislation passed in 2018 that ensured equal treatment of women in the military, they now make up 25 percent of the Ukrainian armed forces. By comparison, just 17 percent of U.S. armed forces are women.

But they also bear the brunt of this crisis on two fronts: as refugees and as soldiers. Most men have been prohibited from leaving the country, and Ukraine's population is 54 percent female.

Delegations of women soldiers have emerged as the diplomatic face of the war as well, sharing their stories and perspectives on what it's like to be fighting on the frontlines against Russia. Women-led groups have met with world leaders and have lobbied U.S. lawmakers for support and weapons.

When asked what it's like being a woman on the frontlines, Daria Zubenko, a senior sergeant in the Ukrainian military who travelled with one such delegation to the U.S. in Sept., told "Morning Joe": "We fight for freedom. We fight for democracy. We fight for [our] values that Americans share."

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Abortion rights to protests in Iran: Women demanded their freedom in 2022

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This year may not be remembered as a paramount one for gender equity, but 2022 will go down in history as a testament to the grit, resilience and conviction of women everywhere who stood up to injustice - no matter what the cost - and demanded their fundamental freedoms. From the ballot box at home, to the streets of Iran, to the battlefields in Ukraine, women raised their voices and challenged oppression - many making the ultimate sacrifice.

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This article used the same cover picture as the left wing source but the content seemed like it had less of a stance and was more reporting the basic information. It was a short and relatively tame article.

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Iran, which has already executed four people who took part in protests in recent months, sentenced three more people to death on Monday on charges of "waging war on God."

The three men - Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi - were accused of killing members of the Basij militia, a paramilitary group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Two men were hanged on Saturday, while two others were executed in December.

Officials from the U.S. and other Western nations have accused Iran of convicting suspects in kangaroo courts and rushing to carry out their executions.

"These executions are a key component of the regime's effort to suppress protests," State Department spokesperson Ned Price tweeted Saturday. "We continue to work with partners to pursue accountability for Iran's brutal crackdown."
TWITTER FLAMES IRAN'S AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI FOR 'WOMEN'S FREEDOM' REMARKS: 'DUDE YOU'RE LITERALLY FROM IRAN'
Protests broke out across Iran in September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran's so-called morality police.

At least 519 protesters have been killed and nearly 20,000 have been arrested in the past three months, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has monitored the protests.

Pope Francis condemned the executions on Monday, saying in his New Year's address that the death penalty "only fuels the thirst for vengeance."

"The right to life is also threatened in those places where the death penalty continues to be imposed, as is the case in these days in Iran, following the recent demonstrations demanding greater respect for the dignity of women," Pope Francis said on Monday.
Reuters contributed to this report.

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Iran sentences three more protesters to death for 'waging war on God' despite global criticism

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Iran, which has already executed four people who took part in protests in recent months, sentenced three more people to death on Monday on charges of "waging war on God." The three men - Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeid Yaghoubi - were accused of killing members of the Basij militia, a paramilitary group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.