New IAEA report, Iran talks human rights—and more
New IAEA report, Iran talks human rights—and more
The Iranist for the week of February 28, 2024
۱/1 Iranians go to the polls on March 1—most will stay home
* “Reformists” or “Moderates” describe themselves as individuals who believe in the status quo and reforming the Islamic Republic, while “Principlists” or “Fundamentalists” are what Western media call “hardliners.”
On March 1, Iranians will go to the polls to partake in the upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections (AP). According to state media, 15,200 parliamentary candidates are running for the 290-seat legislature—twice the number of candidates in the 2020 election. Of that number, 1,713 are women (819 women competed in 2020). Nevertheless, most moderate candidates have been disqualified, and the election is expected to lead to another hardline-dominated parliament. 144 clerics are running for the eighty-eight seats of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with advising and selecting the Supreme Leader. Results will be announced within a few days, and parliament is expected to convene in May (New York Times)
Despite the outcome being known, reformists are putting their money on the provinces, where they often fair better in polling. As scholar and writer Arash Azizi notes in an Atlantic Council piece:
“The pattern of elections in provinces outside Tehran is entirely different from that in the capital, as regional concerns and local issues—rather than national political divisions—often dominate the vote…. One reason is that, even if they cannot wield much political power, MPs can fulfill a clientelist function by delivering specific projects to their province.”
(For a deep dive into specifics not found anywhere else in English, I highly recommend Azizi’s piece.)
No way I’ll vote: Some Iranians in Iran and members of the diaspora are calling for a boycott of the elections using hashtag رای_بی_رای# ("No way I'll vote"). More than 275 activists in Iran have denounced the “engineered” and “staged” elections and called for a boycott (Radio Farda). Among those calling for a boycott are members of the disbanded diaspora opposition coalition and even imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
On February 24, Mohammadi said in a statement on her Instagram account in English:
“Sanctioning elections is not only a political necessity but also a moral duty. Sanctioning elections under a despotic religious regime is not just a political move but also a moral obligation for freedom-loving and justice-seeking Iranians. The Islamic Republic, with its ruthless and brutal suppression, the killing of young people on the streets, the executions, and the imprisonment and torture of men and women, deserves national sanctions and global condemnation.”
On February 26, a coalition of student organizations also said they would boycott the elections. In their statement, the organizations said:
They would only vote for “the overthrow of the Islamic Republic and the victory of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution.” Adding, “We have spoken on the streets and stated firmly that we aim to dismantle the Islamic Republic that restricts freedom… [B]oycotting the elections is not enough for us.” (IranWire)
On social media, videos and photos of burned campaign billboards were shared. Some Iranians have even resorted to tearing down candidate posters. A photo of a dumpster in front of an election poster also made rounds (X).
Various polling data cite historically low numbers. The Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) published polling conducted by an unnamed government agency that said there would be a 30 percent voter turnout in the upcoming elections. Netherlands-based Gamaan Institute gave roughly the same numbers, with 77 percent of Iranians inside the country saying they would not vote (Iran International). I told CNN that much of the expected low turnout is attributed to “systemic corruption, mismanagement, and repression,” with the outcome highlighting “how illegitimate the clerical establishment is in the eyes of the people of Iran” today.
۲/2 Latest IAEA report says Iran further increased its uranium stockpile
۳/3 Iranian FM blames diaspora outlets for #MahsaAmini protests
On February 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Geneva, Switzerland for a series of meetings, including the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Conference on Disarmament (PressTV).
During his UNHRC speech, Amir-Abdollahian discussed the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in detail and made allegations against Persian language diaspora satellite channels—presumably Iran International and BBC Persian.
He accused the outlets of turning “peaceful assemblies” violent. Amir-Abdollahian noted that “rioters… murdered many people” with weapons despite “police… [not having] the permission to use firearms… No responsible state could let the public security and order be compromised by violent and lawless behavior.” (MFA.IR/English translation)
Security forces killed at least 527 protesters during the anti-establishment protests.
The Iranian foreign minister highlighted what he called the “double standards” of some European countries and, without naming them or providing any evidence, accused them of providing “financial and logistical” support “to some violent and terrorist elements during the unrest.” (MFA.IR)
Amir-Abdollahian also denounced the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI), which was established in 2022 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in response to the deadly repression of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising (Iran International).
He called on the FFMI to investigate “the foreign elements such as media and internet fueling riots.” He added that the FFMI’s upcoming report must mention that “people who were arrested during the riots have been released based on amnesty granted to them, except for those who have committed serious crimes.”
Iran is one of the few countries where the UNHRC has appointed a special rapporteur.
Not surprisingly, Amir-Abdollahian also seized the opportunity to mention the Gaza war.
Some activists in the diaspora called on members of the UNHRC to boycott the foreign minister’s speech. Ladan Boroumand, co-founder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“I really hope ambassadors of liberal democracies will organize a #WalkoutIRI on Monday. You can't stand still and listen to torrents of lies he will unleash to fill UN Human Rights’ Council with an abominable alternative reality.”
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), during his two-day visit, the Iranian foreign minister also met with “eleven foreign counterparts and representatives to exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues.”
۴/4 Imprisoned Kurdish-Iranian rapper writes letter to judiciary: “Take my life too and be done with it.”
۵/5 Pakistan-Iran natural gas pipeline recommences despite recent tensions
Pakistan and Iran recommenced construction of the 80-kilometer (40-mile) segment of the 800-kilometer natural gas pipeline after many years (Bloomberg). The project, known as the Peace Pipeline or IP Gas, was launched in 2013 to transfer natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and was to be finished by the end of 2014. However, there were many challenges along the way (Iran International).
One main challenge, according to Al-Monitor, is that:
“Islamabad was unable to proceed with the project due to sanctions and financing challenges, despite pledges made in two agreements it had signed in 2009 and 2019.”
Meanwhile, on February 24, Iran killed a senior commander of Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), a foreign terrorist group, along with other militants in Pakistan. The killing of Ismail Shahbakhsh came just weeks after tit-for-tat strikes between Tehran and Islamabad in January targeting “terrorist groups” inside each other’s territories. Separately, on January 25, the head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a foreign terrorist organization, was arrested in southern Iran (Iran International). Akram Lahori, aka Muhammad Ajmal, was granted bail by a Pakistani court after being implicated in the murder of poet Mohsin Naqvi.
۶/6 Iran tightens internet rules by banning VPNs
۷/7 Pro-regime elements use #AaronBushnell for propaganda
On February 26, an active-duty member of the US Air Force self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest the Gaza war (Time). Aaron Bushnell, 25, said in live stream on Twitch, a gaming platform:
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal… Free Palestine!”
He succumbed to his injuries. Pro-regime elements were quick to seize the opportunity to exploit the story for propaganda purposes. English-language state media outlet PressTV posted on X (formerly Twitter) his last words using #AaronBushnell. The outlet also covered a candlelight vigil held outside the Israeli embassy that honored Bushnell (PressTV).
On February 27, hardline Keyhan newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Supreme Leader, had Bushnell on its frontpage with the false headline:
“The American pilot who was bombing Gaza set himself on fire due to the torment of his conscience” (X)
Meanwhile, the IRGC's Cyber Army Telegram channel called on social media users to participate in the “global protest” by Bushnell against the Gaza war using the hashtag #AaronBushnell on X.
Bisimchi Media, a Telegram channel allegedly associated with the IRGC, wrote:
“A pilot set himself on fire and died because of America's crimes and no one reacted to it. Compare it with Iran, where a girl died due to a previous illness and they created international chaos!”
I initially assumed Bisimchi Media was referring to the viral story of Sahar Khodayari an Esteghlal soccer fan—nicknamed “Blue Girl because of the color of the team—who self-immolated and died after being after being charged for trying to attend her favorite team’s soccer men’s match. State media reported she had mental health issues. However, it’s likely a reference to Mahsa Jina Amini’s death at the hands of the so-called “morality police” that prompted anti-regime protests and international outrage. Authorities blamed her death on health issues.
Random fact: In 1987, an Iranian bookstore owner in Los Angeles, Neusha Farrahi, self-immolated to protest then-President Ali Khamenei’s visit to the United Nations and US President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy (Los Angeles Times). He survived.
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human rights
۰ Kurdish kolbar killed in western Iran (IranWire)
۰ Political prisoner commits suicide amid dire conditions (IranWire)
۰ Iranian Azeri activist declares hunger strike from Evin Prison (IranWire)
۰ Investigations confirm torture and overcrowding in prison system (IranWire)
۰ 15 Baha’is tried on propaganda charges (IranWire)
۰ 12 women’s rights activists to go on trial this week (IranWire)
۰ Iran sentences Olympiad winner to prison (Iran International)
۰ Protester receives death penalty for “spying for Israel” (IranWire)
۰ Anti-headscarf singer tagged with ankle band (IranWire)
۰ Iran targets relatives and colleagues of London journalists (The Times)
۰ University student beaten by security forces in Tehran campus (IranWire)
۰ Street protester facing imminent execution should be released (CHRI)
Domestic affairs
۰ Labor protest uptick coincides with annual minimum wage deliberations (VOA)
۰ The cost of Iran’s massive brain drain (IranWire)
۰ Cold weather brings gas shortages, school closures (IranWire)
Foreign policy + security
۰ Secret Service paid over $12 million for a year's protection of 2 Trump advisers from potential Iranian threats (CBS News)
۰ Four charged in deaths of two US Navy SEALs boarding ship carrying Iranian-made weapons to Yemen (AP)
۰ White House accuses House speaker of helping Iran in latest Ukraine aid push (Reuters)
۰ Iran: US-British strikes on Yemen 'escalate tensions' (AFP)
۰ After US strikes, Iran’s proxies scale back attacks on American bases (New York Times)
۰ IRGC chief claims Iran’s security is due to foiling Israeli ‘espionage services'’ (Jerusalem Post)
۰ Israel's Air Force cannot stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions says Former PM (Iran International)
۰ Iran denies providing ballistic missiles to Russia (Reuters)
۰ Spanish ex-politician blames Iran for assassination attempt (Reuters)
۰ Taliban trade delegation announces $35 million investment in Iran (Iran International)
Iran deal + sanctions
۰ International financial watchdog keeps Iran on blacklist (Iran International)
۰ US, EU, UK impose new sanctions on Iran over protest crackdown (Reuters)
۰ US and UK hit Iranian deputy commander and Houthi member with sanctions (AP)
۰ US charges yakuza leader with trying to sell nuclear material to Iran (Washington Post)
۰ Supreme court denies bid to revive standard chartered fraud suit (Bloomberg Law)
۰ US citizens become collateral damage in global sanctions fight (Bloomberg)