#WeAreB*tches, Iran responsible for crimes against humanity—and more

The Iranist for the week of March 14, 2024

Mar 14, 2024

Note: We will be off next week for Nowruz/Iranian New Year 🌷

۱/1 Iran responsible for crimes against humanity

On March 8, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) released its first report (OHCHR). The United Nations Human Rights Council mandated the FFMI in November 2022 in response to the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. At least 551 protesters were killed and tens of thousands arrested, some of which were children under the age of eighteen.

According to the FFMI report:

“The mission has… established that many of the serious human rights violations… amount to crimes against humanity—specifically those of murder; imprisonment; torture; rape and other forms of sexual violence; persecution; enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts—that have been committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against a civilian population, namely women, girls and others expressing support for human rights.”

On the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian who died at the hands of the so-called morality police that prompted the anti-establishment protests, the report found that:

“The mission has… established the existence of evidence of trauma to Ms. Amini’s body, inflicted while in the custody of the morality police. Based on the evidence and patterns of violence by the morality police in the enforcement of the mandatory hijab on women, the mission is satisfied that Ms. Amini was subjected to physical violence that led to her death. On that basis, the State bears responsibility for her unlawful death.”

Read the full report.

On March 9, Iran condemned the FFMI report, saying it contained “false and biased information, without a legal basis” and was built on “baseless claims.” (AFP) The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani added, “Not only did the expert committee not establish the truth, but it also deliberately distorted the facts,” alleging that the report was prepared by Israel, the United States, and other Western countries to continue “a project of Iranophobia and defamation of Iran” because they were “angry at the failure of their interventions during the riots,” a reference to the Women, Life, Freedom uprising.

۲/2 US held indirect talks with Iran over Red Sea attacks

**۳/3 #WeAreB*tches**

On March 9, London-based diaspora satellite channel Iran International published a closed-circuit television video (CCTV) of a woman confronting a cleric at a clinic in the holy city of Qom that went viral. The unidentified woman was crouched on the floor and holding her sick infant when her headscarf appeared to have slipped off. A cleric began filming the woman with his cell phone to report her to authorities for “violating” mandatory hijab law. Realizing she was being filmed, the mother confronted the cleric and pleaded with him to delete the footage. He refused and told her to cover her hair, prompting the woman to become enraged and later faint. Bystanders intervened, and the cleric got into a physical altercation after another woman appeared to take the phone in an attempt to delete the video. It’s unclear what happened to the distressed mother, but according to Iran International, she was “moved to another room by the clinic’s staff.”

The video has prompted widespread outrage on Persian language social media, with many condemning the cleric’s actions. The hashtag ما_سلیطه‌ایم# (#WeAreB*tches) has been trending in response to some calling the mother a “b*tch” online. Some Iranians have uploaded recorded videos calling themselves a “b*tch” in solidarity.

On March 12, authorities arrested four unnamed individuals for sharing the CCTV footage of the altercation with Iran International (AFP).

Announcing the news, the deputy prosecutor of Qom Ruhollah Moslemhkani said:

“What is clear to us, and we are sure of, is a design and planning had been made to create division and sedition in the society… The arrested individuals admitted that they coordinated and sent the video to the hostile network with the intention of causing rifts within the society.” (Iran Front Page)

In response to the allegations, Iran International said:

“Iran International receives thousands of texts and multimedia messages from its audience in Iran on a daily basis. Iran International does not have a correspondent in the country since the regime in Tehran considers the channel as an enemy of the state.”

On March 11, a senior Iranian cleric condemned the actions of his fellow clergyman (Iran International). Mohammad-Taghi Fazel Meibodi, a member of the Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers, said “such conduct is inappropriate for someone in clerical attire.”

۴/4 China, Iran, and Russia hold naval drill in the Gulf of Oman

From March 12-15, the navies of China, Iran, and Russia are conducting joint military exercises in the Gulf of Oman, known as the Marine Security Belt 2024 (AP). The war games, held in 17,000 square kilometers (6,600 square miles) of water, are the fourth since 2019. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, and South Africa are observers of the drill.

Russia said the focus of the exercises was the protection of “maritime economic activity,” while China said they were to “jointly [maintain] regional maritime security.” (Al Jazeera) Iran described the drills as strengthening “the security of international maritime trade, combating piracy, and maritime terrorism.” As part of its 'Look to the East' strategy, Tehran has strengthened its military cooperation with Beijing and Moscow. More than ten Iranian Navy vessels and three helicopters are participating in the exercise (South China Morning Post).

۵/5 Anti-establishment protests during annual fire festival before Nowruz

۶/6 Iranian VP attends UN women’s group meeting in New York—despite not being a member

On March 10, the Iranian vice president for women and family affairs arrived in New York to attend a meeting at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). On March 12, Ensieh Khazali—who has supported child marriage in Iran—spoke about the plight of Palestinian women during the ongoing Gaza war and called for Israel to be kicked off the UNCSW (Mehr News Agency). In December 2022, Iran was ousted from the UN women’s group after a campaign led by activists and the United States in reaction to the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. (Iran can still attend the UNCSW despite not being a member.)

Iranian activists condemned the visit given the country’s atrocious human rights record, especially in the wake of the FFMI report finding that Tehran had committed crimes against humanity during the recent anti-establishment protests (Iran International). Many also criticized the US State Department for granting Khazali a visa to enter the United States.

In an interview with Newsweek, Khazali highlighted what she believed were double standards between the coverage of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising and the Gaza war. She said:

“Now, let us compare this with the media havoc, with the media commotion that we witnessed when we had the death of a young woman [in September 2022]. Through lies and through gossip, they expelled Iran from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. And, in turn, we see over the course of the past five months, more than 22,000 women and children have been killed [in Gaza]. Pregnant women are in dire situations, they are deprived of food and medicine. How come the United Nations is operating under such double standards? This is the self-same question we would like to ask the United Nations.” (Newsweek)

۷/7 Authorities confiscate American cargo of an oil tanker seized in 2023

OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:

Human rights

۰ Cleric pressured to make “false confessions” (IranWire)

۰ Over 325 women detained in 2023 amid hijab law enforcement (IranWire)

۰ IRGC ex-commander vows to counter ‘hijab removal’ (Iran International)

۰ Two women arrested for dancing dressed as fictional folk character (Radio Farda)

۰ Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi urges action against ‘gender apartheid’ in Iran (IranWire)

۰ Canada sanctions Iranians accused of violently repressing women and girls (National Post)

Domestic affairs

۰ Iran slams Meta's removal of Khamenei's accounts as 'free speech violation' (TRT World)

۰ In parliamentary vote, Iranians vented their rage with the ruling elite (New York Times)

Foreign policy + security

۰ Iran wants $2.5 billion for dual national hostage (Iran International)

۰ A new terror threat is emerging in Europe linked to Iran, Gaza War (Wall Street Journal)

۰ US: Stopping Iran’s resupply of Houthis ‘most important’ to secure Red Sea (VOA)

۰ Houthi attack on ship off Yemen kills at least 3 people as Iran says it's seizing an oil shipment (CBS News)

۰ Peru arrests an Iranian man accused of planning an attack on an Israeli citizen (AP)

۰ 'We are ready': Iranian people send message of support to Israel (Jerusalem Post)

Iran deal + sanctions

۰ US threatens action against Iran at IAEA over continued ‘stonewalling’ (Reuters)

۰ Diplomats fear growing power of Iranian factions that want nuclear weapons (The Guardian)

۰ Alarm raised in Iran as exports to Syria shrink by 50% (Iran International)

۰ EU to mull measures against Iran over possible missile transfers to Russia (Reuters)

Economy + trade

۰ As Iran’s currency sinks, markets brace for higher inflation (Iran International)