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Amnesty International has urged Iran to drop the imminent execution of six ethnic Arab men and three other prisoners whose gave tortured-tainted confessions.

The international rights body said the prisoners arrested in the oil-rich Khuzestan province had been denied their right to a fair trial and their detention is arbitrary.

The execution of Adnan Ghobeishavi, 25, Moein Khanfari, 28, Mohammad Reza Moghaddam, 29, Salem Mousavi, 39, Habib Deris, 42, and Ali Majdam, 43 could take place at any time after a Supreme Court ruling on March 6 upheld the sentences against them.

In a separate tweet Amnesty International also voiced concern over the fate of three other detainees in Esfahan.

Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi are at imminent risk of execution at central Esfahan prison (also known as Dastgerd prison) after Irans Supreme Court upheld their unjust convictions and death sentences in early May 2023.

After nationwide anti-government protests last year, which is still not fully contained, the Iranian regime has embarked on a wave of executions that has seen dozens hanged this year. Activists are concerned that the executions aim to intimidate the population from further protests.

Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi

The regime used overwhelming force and military weapons to kill more than 500 civilians during the protests. Hundreds of others received permanent bodily injuries, including loss of eyes because of shotgun pellets fired at the faces of protesters. More than 20,000 were arrested.

The London-basedhuman rights watchdog said on May 12 that the six should have access to their families, lawyers and adequate medical care pending their release.

Their group trial was grossly unfair. The men were denied lawyers of their own choosing and were never allowed access to their court-appointed lawyer, even at trial. The authorities have barred them and their lawyer from accessing their casefile and verdict, Amnesty said.

According to the report, the men's "torture-tainted" confessions were used by the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz to sentence them to death on February 14 on the charge of "waging war against God" following the armed operations conducted by a separatist group in which members of the security forces were killed.

Amnesty said that the men, who have denied the charges, were neither allowed lawyers of their own choosing nor access to their court-appointed lawyers during trial, and that the authorities prevented them from seeing their case files and verdicts.

IRGC agents subjected one of the detainees to "sleep deprivation, waterboarding, electric shocks, beatings, and hanging upside down while submerging his head in water," according to the group.

Amnesty expressed concern that three other Iranian men are at imminent risk of execution in Isfahan after the Supreme Court affirmed their "unjust" convictions earlier this month.

Since late April, at least 60 people have been executed across the country for charges that under international law should not result in the death penalty, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).

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Amnesty Urges Iran To Halt Planned Execution Of Nine Detainees -

TEHRAN- More than 200 Foreign companies from 13 countries are going to participate in the 27th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition (Iran Oil Show 2023), which is slated to be held at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds during May 17-20.

According to the Director General of the Iranian Oil Ministrys Office of Public Relations Ali Forouzandeh, the foreign companies participating in the exhibition are from Russia, China, Belarus, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, India, UAE, Oman, and Turkey.

Forouzandeh said the number of foreign participants in this years event has doubled in comparison to the previous year, while the number of Iranian companies that are going to take part in the event has also increased by 35 percent.

100 events have been scheduled to be held during the exhibition, including the signing of memorandums of understanding and contracts between different departments of the Oil Ministry and private companies, 33 side events, 10 specialized knowledge-based meetings, five presentations by the Vice Presidency of Research and Technology, three business forums with Russian companies, three meetings focusing on optimization, as well as the unveiling of a large number of oil industry equipment built by domestic companies.

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Over 200 foreign companies from 13 countries to participate in Iran ... - Tehran Times

Banned from using popular Western apps, Iranians have been left with little choice but to take up state-backed alternatives, as the authorities tighten internet restrictions for security reasons following months of protests. Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade restrictions and access prohibited websites or apps, including the US-owned Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The authorities went as far as imposing total internet blackouts during the protests that erupted after the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's dress code for women.

"The topics that I follow and the friends who I communicate with are not on Iranian platforms," said Mansour Roghani, a resident in the capital Tehran.

- Integration - At the height of the deadly Amini protests in October, the Iranian government cited security concerns as it moved to restrict internet access and added Instagram and WhatsApp to its long list of blocked applications.

Meta, the American giant that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it has no intention of setting up offices in the Islamic republic, which remains under crippling US sanctions.

In addition, analysts say, Iranian users have online safety concerns when using the approved local apps.

"As an Iranian citizen, what would you do if registering for university is only based on one of these apps? Or what would you do if you need access to government services?", he said.

The locally developed apps lack a "clear privacy policy", according to software developer Keikhosrow Heydari-Nejat.

"I have installed some of the domestic messaging apps on a separate phone, not the one that I am using every day," the 23-year-old said, adding he had done so to access online government services.

"If they (government) shut the internet down, I will keep them installed but I will visit my friends in person," he said.

- Interconnection - In a further effort to push people onto the domestic platforms, the telecommunications ministry connected the four major messaging apps, enabling users to communicate across the platforms.

"Because the government is going for the maximum number of users, they are trying to connect these apps," the analyst Rashidi said, adding all of the domestic platforms "will enjoy financial and technical support".

Iran has placed restrictions on apps such as Facebook and Twitter since 2009, following protests over disputed presidential elections.

In November 2019, Iran imposed nationwide internet restrictions during protests sparked by surprise fuel price hikes.

A homegrown internet network, the National Information Network (NIN), which is around 60 percent completed, will allow domestic platforms to operate independently of global networks.

One platform already benefitting from the highly filtered domestic network is Snapp!, an app similar to US ride-hailing service Uber that has 52 million users -- more than half the country's population.

But Rashidi said the NIN will give Tehran greater control to "shut down the internet with less cost" once completed.

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As net tightens, Iranians pushed to take up homegrown apps - The Economic Times

In an interview with Tasnim, member of the Iranian Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Fadahossein Maleki highlighted the significance of revival of diplomatic ties between Iran and Egypt.

Pointing to the important role of Egypt and its historical and civilizational position in the region and the world, the lawmaker confirmed that negotiations between Iran and Egypt are underway in Iraq.

The relations between Tehran and Cairowill be restored in the near future and the embassies of the two countries in Tehran and Cairo will reopen, Maleki stated.

The MP also noted that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will hold a meeting after the reopening of embassies.

In January, the Iranian Foreign Ministrys spokesperson said the foreign minister of Iran and the president of Egypt had held positive talks on the sidelines of a regional summit about Iraq, held in Jordan in December 2022.

The spirit of the talks was positive, as the two sides were willing to hold negotiations, he added.

Pointing to the constant interaction between Iran and Egypt through their interests sections in Tehran and Cairo, the spokesman said the two countries have basically no problem for dialogue, meetings, and exchange of views.

Basically, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes any positive movement and development leading to the formation of a new atmosphere in the bilateral relations between Iran and Egypt, and would respond positively to any positive initiative in this regard, he added.

Originally posted here:
Iran, Egypt to Restore Ties, Reopen Embassies Soon: MP - Tasnim News Agency

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) stands to take control of Irans economy by gaining full power over the "economic arteries" of the country, according to an anti-regime group.

"The documents unveiled by the MEK unequivocally demonstrate that regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has granted the IRGC complete authority over Iran's economy," Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

"This unprecedented move enables the IRGC to not only bypass international sanctions but also amass the requisite resources to carry out domestic oppression, destabilize the region, perpetrate acts of terrorism, cyberwarfare, and expedite the advancement of its missile, drone and nuclear weapons programs," he added.

A group affiliated with the MEK recently obtained a trove of data and defaced the Iranian Foreign Ministrys website, leaking the names of more than 11,000 ministry employees, ministry correspondences and identification documents. The MEK and NCRI are also credited with revealing in 2002 that Iran was developing nuclear weapons capabilities.

US OFFICIALS ATTEND EVENT WHOSE GUEST LIST INCLUDES KNOWN TERRORIST RESPONSIBLE FOR MURDER OF US TROOPS

Iranian troops march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war. (Reuters / File)

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or MEK, is an active branch of the NCRI that has received strong support from prominent U.S. figures, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Vice President Mike Pence who each met with the group and spoke with members in their Albania base of operation.

MEK provided Fox News Digital with documents, translated, that purportedly passed between high-ranking Iranian officials, including IRGC commanders. The documents include orders and decisions over economic policy, with IRGC command included and military command issuing some of the decisions.

The U.S. government on April 15, 2019, designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a designation the Biden administration has not indicated it has any intention of changing.

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Some of the "economic arteries" of which the IRGC will take control include oil field, refinery, petrochemicals, steel and mines. The group will also gain control of scientific research and development including atomic development.

"It is now more crucial than ever for the European Union and the United States to abandon any aspirations of forging an agreement with Iran's ruling theocracy," Jafarzadeh said. "Engaging in commerce with the Iranian regime is tantamount to endorsing and empowering the IRGC in its nefarious activities."

"Instead, the international community should take decisive action to support the Iranian people in their unwavering pursuit of toppling the oppressive regime of the mullahs," he urged.

The IRGC, by controlling these apparatuses, will be able to directly profit from their industry, which could help them bypass the many sanctions placed on them by different countries.

DOZENS OF TOP US DIPLOMATS URGE BIDEN TO CEASE ALL DIPLOMACY WITH IRAN

IRGC Quds chief Esmail Qaani (Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via Getty Images / File)

The group now operates through the Resistance Economy Headquarters of the Defense Ministry. In a letter dated Jan. 10, 2023, IRGC Brigadier Gen. Ishaghi oversaw a meeting that concluded with the requirement that oil and petrochemical groups submit documents, including names of complexes, challenges the groups face and all planning and resources required, which Ishaghi would review.

A letter dated from Nov. 29, 2022, discussed involving a number of institutions and companies "from the branches of the armed forces" in projects in Uzbekistan, including tractor manufacturing and the Shastan Holding Co., which is Irans largest investment company and operates nine subsidiaries in a wide range of sectors across construction, finance and energy.

All groups in the November letter were ordered to support the armed forces and IRGC, including in the building of cement factories, thermal power plants and exploring mining opportunities.

IRAN HANGS TWO ON BLASPHEMY CHARGES AS EXECUTIONS CONTINUE TO SPIKE

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, right, speaks while standing next to commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami, left, and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff for the Iranian armed forces, during a military parade marking Iran's Army Day anniversary in Tehran on April 18, 2023. (Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a focus on Iranian security and political issues, told Fox News Digital that the IRGCs role and influence over much of Irans current structures of power remains "an open secret in Washington and Iran" and that many analysts globally understand the IRGC "is the most important economic player."

"Basically, the IRGC is really one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, entities inside the government of the Islamic Republic, and it's really an upward trajectory for their political, economic fortunes inside Iran after the Iran-Iraq War," Taleblu explained, saying that a revelation of their influence over the countrys economy "could have come in 2008, and you could believe it."

Taleblu said the IRGC"was, is and is likely to remain," absent any "wholesale change in Iran," the most important, economic force in the country. "Massive holdings acquired under a false privatization drive," he added, explaining the economic consolidation the group has already achieved.

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard listen to a speech in the Iranian parliament in Tehran, October 2018. (Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images / File)

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Taleblu suggested that the U.S. has enough sanction targets left in Iran to continue blunting the IRGC and regimes actions, and that such sanctions going forward will only grow in importance as the IRGC gains more influence in the country.

"The lack of enforcement against critical factors that either underwrite the IRGC activities or that directly support the IRGC activities or are directly under control by IRGC persons, means that Washington is currently doing a poor job of keeping up with this," he said.

Questions to the U.S. State Department and Iranian mission to the U.N. were not returned as of press time.

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.

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Iran's regime plans to give power, profits to terrorism-linked group, documents reveal - Fox News