Famous Iranian Veteran Wrestlers Continue Criticism Of Government

An online campaign to give Prince Reza Pahlavi power of attorney has been launched by Iranian actor Ehsan Karami and it has been signed by more than 160,000 people until the time of this publication.

Iranian football legend Ali Karimi, a key supporter of the popular uprising, has also signed the petition appointing Pahlavi as his representative.

He wrote in a tweet that "I give power of attorney to Prince Reza Pahlavi, for the period of transition [to oust] the child-killing regime and [holding] a free referendum for a free and prosperous Iranian."

Singers Hamed Nikpey and Hamid Talebzadeh, actors Borzou Arjmand and Hamid Farrokhnejad, and actresses Rounak Younesi and Parastou Salehi are among the other public figures supporting the campaign.

Prince Reza Pahlavi, in an interview with Farsi-speaking London-based "Manoto" TV and in response to a question why he does not clearly assume the role of leading the movement said, "any kind of work we do must have a legitimate basis or some kind of power of attorney from inside Iran."

There has been no reaction from other key opposition figures including British-Iranian actress and human rights activist Nazanin Boniadi, journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, actress Golshifteh Farahani and activist Hamed Esmaeilion.

In a joint message on Monday, the first four along with prince Reza Pahlavi urged the international community to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terror group.

Masoud Setayeshi said Wednesday that a total of 5,200 people arrested in the capital Tehran have been freed.

Setayeshi had previously announced 1,200 detained demonstrators across the country had been released, alleging that “a population of about 4,000 people are now freed from prisons throughout the country.”

However, he did not provide any details about the current legal status of the 5,200 people and refused to say how many of them been released on bail or awaiting trial.

The judiciary spokesperson noted that the number of detainees released in Tehran province is "98.5% and it seems to be the same across the country".

It is not clear what the reason for this ambiguity is, but if the percentage is true, the total number of detainees based on the claim of the Judiciary spokesperson is less than 5,500 people, which is so different from the numbers provided by human rights organizations.

Some human rights sources say between 19,000 and 20,000 people have been detained during the suppression of the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody four months ago.

However, all those who are released have emphasized their release is "temporary" and on bail.

According to a part of the Fars news agency's confidential bulletins that were leaked last month, "29,400 people" had been arrested during the recent protests in Iran.

Setayeshi also talked about the execution of the British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari, but without mentioning the details of the case, he called the UK’s strong reaction a sign of "the malevolence of the British government."

Alireza Akbari was one of Iran's senior military and defense officials in early 2000s. He travelled to Britain with his family and became a citizen of the UK, but the Iranian regime claims granting him the citizenship was a "reward" for "espionage".

Akbari was arrested in 2019 while travelling from the United Kingdom to Iran and sentenced to death for spying for Britain.

On January 14, the Iranian Judiciary announced Akbari had been hanged after having been convicted of espionage.

Setayeshi said that his execution was a sign of Iranian Judiciary’s “strength and sensitivity,” adding, “

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Akbari's execution, saying “this was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Setayeshi once again accused detained Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele of “espionage” stressing that there will be no "concessions" in his case.

Vandecasteele, who was detained in 2022, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in a secret trial without a fair chance to defend himself.

He worked in Iran for humanitarian organizations for more than six years and left the country. Later, he was lured back by “a girlfriend” and was detained in February 2022.

Belgium and Vandecasteele’s family believe he is innocent and a victim of hostage taking by the Iranian regime. They say Tehran intends to force Brussels to release Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium in 2021.

The European Parliament has been discussing a resolution to condemn the Islamic Republic’s human rights violations and its destabilizing activities, including the military support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, since Monday. Following the plenary session to debate the listing of the IRGC, the 700 members of the body will put to vote the resolution that would call for the designation of Iran’s Guards on Thursday. 

However, the resolution seems to be bound for approval as an amendment that calls for the EU and its member states to include the IRGC on the EU’s terrorist list was approved with an overwhelming majority on Wednesday. Nearly 600 members out of the 638 who were attending the session voted to adopt a phrase that “calls for the EU and its Member States to include the IRGC on the EU's terrorist list in the light of its terrorist activity, the repression of protesters and its supplying of drones to Russia.” The amendment which was proposed by the European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR Group) has become part of the European Parliament report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy.

The European Parliament cannot decide to designate the IRGC because the terrorists list is not a list decided by the Parliament itself but by the EU Council, comprised of ministers of each EU country. If the resolution garners enough support, it is then upon the national governments of the EU member states to make the final decision. The listing of the IRGC must have a unanimous vote by all 27 EU members in the EU Council.

The fear of listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization – similar to that the United states id in 2019 and on the agenda in the United Kingdom, seems to be a big concern for the regime -- prompting officials to threaten European countries over the consequences of such a move. 

Hardliner Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Esmail Kowsari, himself a former IRGC commander, said Wednesday that Euope might not be able to withstand the consequences of such a move. “EU officials know that this conspiracy was designed upon the instigation of the US and the Zionist regime (Israel) and has no logic,” he claimed. 

“The European Union and European countries must prove their independence from America and oppose any action against the IRGC; If they want to return to the JCPOA and negotiate with Iran, they know that such actions can close the door to any dialogue and negotiation,” Kowsari added. He added the IRGC is one of the most powerful military institutions and organizations in the world, such a measure cannot limit it. 

European countries prioritized diplomacy with the Islamic Republic in the hope of concluding a nuclear deal. Talks in Vienna to revive the deal, officially known as the JCPOA came to an abrupt stop in March 2022, reportedly for Iran’s insistence that the IRGC be removed from the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Later talks elsewhere failed to bring about an agreement. 

Also on Wednesday, Mahmoud Nabavian, a cleric and a hardliner politician representing a constituency near Tehran at the parliament, said the European Union wants to be in line with the United States, and impose additional sanctions against the IRGC. He added that “Nowhere in the world is it customary to sanction the military force of a country,” slamming former US President Donald Trump for creating such a precedent. 

Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice, once again condemned the regime’s crackdown on dissent, including the execution of protesters as well as British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari. “The internal situation in Iran continues to be a source of great concern. The current uprisings reveal deep frustration. The key demands of the current protests are respect for fundamental human rights, dignity, and real change,” he said.

“Over the past three months, the Council added 60 individuals and 8 entities to the list of those subject to restrictive measures due to their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the ensuing demonstrations. And let me state clearly that this approach will continue as long as necessary, as outlined in the Council Conclusions adopted in December,” he added. 

Expressing support for listing IRGC as a terrorist group, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, “The actions of the Iranian regime are atrocious and horrible, and they are trampling fundamental human rights with their feet, so it is unbelievable what we are seeing, what is happening in Iran and that needs a very strong message and a very strong reaction. And therefore, we are looking indeed at a new round of sanctions, and I would support also listing the Revolutionary Guards. I have heard several ministers asking for that and I think they are right."

The European Union is discussing a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran over the crackdown and its supply of weapons to Russia. Diplomatic sources have told Reuters that more members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be added to the sanctions list next week.

On Monday, more than 12 thousands of Iranians from across Europe gathered outside the headquarters of the European Parliament in Strasbourg in northeastern France to urge the European Union to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Designating the IRGC as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

So far over 500 protesters have been killed by security forces, mainly consisting of the IRGC and its Basij militia. Four protesters have been executed so far by the state after hasty trials devoid of any regard for due process. Others are on death row.

Protesters gathered Tuesday evening in Hafthowz Square in Tehran and chanted "Death to the dictator" on the 40th day after Shekari’s execution that led to domestic and international condemnations.

Iran executed Mohsen Shekari on charges of injuring a security guard with a knife and closing off a street in the capital Tehran. The young man lived in Narmak neighborhood near Hafhowz Square.

According to reports, security forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Videos received by Iran International show that security was tight near Shekari’s house in Narmak as people prepared to commemorate him.

Other videos on social media show protestors in Tehran and Karaj chanted anti-government slogans Tuesday night.

Protesters in different neighborhoods of Tehran, including Ekbatan, Apadana, and Shahr-e Ziba, chanted "Death to Khamenei, the killer", and "Death to the child-killing regime".

Since September 16 and following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Tehran's morality police, Iran has been the scene of widespread protests, which have been met with violent repression by the Islamic Republic's security forces.

The Iranian regime has executed four protesters so far following hasty trials and without observing due process, which has provoked public anger in Iran and has been condemned by many around the world.

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization says at least 100 of the arrested protesters are at risk of receiving death penalty or being executed.

Reports say permanently employed workers in the industry held protest gatherings in Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Dehloran, Shiraz, Ilam, Bandar Lengeh and Aghajari in the south and southwest of Iran.

In previous months, contract workers also held sporadic protests and strikes along with anti-government demonstrations in the country.

Videos published on social media show employees working at the Ilam Gas Refinery held a protest gathering on Tuesday.

In the meantime, permanent workers at Pars Oil and Gas Company in Asaluyeh stopped working and organized a gathering to show anger at low wages.

Similar events were also staged in Aghajari, Shiraz, Qeshm island, Jam, Dehloran, and Ahvaz.

These strikes are at a time when people are also protesting the incompetency of the government to supply natural gas to households in some regions.

Monday evening, residents in Torbat-e Jam, a town in the northeast gathered outside the governor's office to protest the gas cut off. They chanted slogans like "Death to the governor".

On Monday, people in Torbat-e Jam also rushed to the Red Crescent building to get oil heaters. Videos show some agents prevented people from breaking into the facility.

In order to resolve the gas crisis in Tehran and other cities, the Islamic Republic has shut down schools and offices.