Criminal complaint against officials, Lebanon and Iran spat—and more
The Iranist for the week of December 12, 2025
NOTE: This is a more concise newsletter due to travel. Also, there will be no newsletter next week…
THE هفت/SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
۱/1 Victims of Woman, Life, Freedom crackdown file criminal complaint against 40 officials
۲/2 Concerns for 39+ arrested at lawyer’s funeral, including prominent activists
Last week, during a seventh-day memorial service for lawyer Khosrow Alikordi in the northeastern city of Mashhad, security forces violently arrested prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, labor rights activist Sepideh Qoliyan, civil rights activist Pouran Nazemi, women’s rights activist Aliyeh Motalebzadeh, and others. Family members of Alikordi were also detained, including his brother, Javad Alikordi (CHRI). The arrests took place amid unresolved questions surrounding Alikordi’s death, which activists and rights groups have described as suspicious (IranWire/CHRI).
According to the Narges Foundation, the Nobel laureate was brought to an emergency department twice after being “attacked by plain-clothed agents with severe and repeated baton blows to the head and neck.” (BBC News)
A source told Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO):
“Heidar Chah Chamandi was also beaten during his arrest and received 14 stitches to his head. Javad Jalali, who has an intellectual disability, was severely beaten as well. Another detainee, Zahra Sharifi, has suffered a fractured skull.”
There is serious concern for the lives of Nazemi and Motalebzadeh, both of whom reportedly face heightened medical risks in detention due to underlying health conditions (IHRNGO).
۳/3 Lebanon and Iran in public spat over Hezbollah
۴/4 Iranian foreign minister visits Russia to boost ties
۵/5 New record low for rial: 1.3 million to the US dollar
Today, the rial hit 1,320,000 to the US dollar.
Meanwhile, prices of various nuts and dried fruits have risen by 40 percent, while pistachios and cashews have increased 100 percent compared to last year—forcing many Iranians to buy them on credit for Shabeh Yalda, the winter solstice celebration (Iran International).
۶/6 Swedish dual national handed death sentence due to espionage allegations
۷/7 How Israel targeted nuclear scientists during the war
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human Rights
۰ At least 11 executions reported across prisons in one day (HRANA)
۰ Kurdish political prisoner sews lips shut, begins hunger strike at prison (IranWire)
۰ Arab political prisoner on 8th day of hunger strike in prison (IranWire)
۰ New wave of arrests as judiciary intensifies persecution of Baha’is (IranWire)
۰ At least 17 Kurdish citizens detained across Iran, rights groups say (Iran International)
۰ Iranian Christian convert faces deportation from Sweden (IranWire)
۰ Iran curbs women’s rights further by changing dowry law (DW)
Domestic Issues
۰ Who can solve Iran’s many problems? Not I, says the president. (New York Times)
۰ Iran mobilizes 40,000 seminary students in new ‘cognitive war’ against the West (IranWire)
۰ Iran bans TV show on rap music, opens legal case against producers (IranWire)
۰ How cafe culture is reshaping Tehran (New lines Magazine)
۰ Iran steps up cloud seeding amid water crisis (Financial Times)
۰ Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Hormuz Island (AP)
۰ Flash floods kill two children, strand thousands in southern Iran (IranWire)
Foreign Policy + Security
۰ Iran’s World Cup players face US visa uncertainty over military service (Al-Monitor)
۰ Iran-linked hacker group offers $30,000 bounty for Israel’s military info (Iran International)
۰ Mossad chief warns Iran will build nuclear weapons once given the chance (YNet)
۰ Israel charges Russian with allegedly spying for Iran (Reuters)
۰ Iran says dual national arrested during June war on trial for spying for Israel (Times of Israel)
۰ Mike Huckabee: ‘I hope there won’t be a war, Iran will come to its senses’ (Ynet)
۰ Iran puts missiles and drones on display in rare exhibition (Financial Times)
۰ Iran vows to continue to ‘resolutely support’ Hezbollah against Israel (AFP)
۰ ‘Fearing the people’: A Jewish outsider recalls encounters with Iran’s rulers (Iran International)
۰ Iran considers removing Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem (i24)
۰ Iran appoints new army air defense commander without explanation (IranWire)
۰ Iran says ‘terrorism unacceptable’ in condemnation of Sydney attack (Times of Israel)
۰ Militant merger in Baluchistan signals new threat to Tehran (Al-Monitor)
۰ Top diplomats of Belarus, Iran sign declaration against unilateral sanctions (Belta)
۰ Two armed attacks hit Iranian forces in restive southeast (Iran International)
۰ Iran hosts regional talks on Afghanistan but Kabul stays away (AP)
۰ Iran says about 5 million Afghans living in country as deportations rise (Amu.tv)
Iran Deal + Sanctions
۰ Iran says IAEA has no right to inspect nuclear sites hit by attacks (Iran International)
۰ Iran’s foreign minister says strikes won’t stop nuclear program (Al Jazeera)
۰ US imposes sanctions on 29 ‘shadow fleet’ tanker carrying Iranian oil (Reuters)
۰ From Iran to China to Venezuela - how tanker seized by US hid true location (BBC News)
۰ Iran uses covert networks to evade aviation sanctions – report (Iran International)
۰ Khamenei advisor says southeast development key to blunting sanctions (Iran International)
Economy + Trade
۰ Iran blocks accounts of over 250 people for $1.6 billion in money laundering (Iran International)