Iran Condemns US Retaliatory Strikes in Iraq, Syria

Expressing grave concern, the human rights organization warned that Deris, who has endured torture, faces the serious risk of execution.

In a statement released on Friday, Amnesty highlighted that Deris's legal team “have submitted an application for a special appeal…, under which the Head of the Judiciary can refer a final judgment he deems as contravening Shari’a law to a special branch of the Supreme Court for a conclusive verdict. This appeal is pending.”

Deris was sentenced to death by a Revolutionary Court on October 19, 2022, on charges of "enmity against God" related to his alleged involvement in a protest in Mahshahr on November 18, 2019. The protest was violently suppressed by security forces, resulting in the deaths of numerous protesters and a commander of Iran’s Counter Terrorism Special Forces (NOPO).

Authorities have accused Deris of involvement in the death of the commander, a charge he denies.

Amnesty International has received information from credible sources indicating severe human rights violations following Deris's arrest. Revolutionary Guards agents reportedly denied him access to legal representation for months during the investigation phase. Deris was subjected to torture, including beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, and threats against his family members, including threats of sexual violence against his wife.

Amnesty International has urgently called upon Iran’s judiciary “to immediately quash the conviction and death sentence of Abbas Deris and release him unless he is charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offence and is given a fair retrial without recourse to the death penalty and excluding torture-tainted confessions.”

The organization's budget has been always on the rise, but this is the first time the government increases it to such gigantic proportions in local currency. The increase is less significant in US dollars, due to the steady devaluation of Iran’s currency. Some Iranian media and political activists say the ultraconservative Paydari Party's influence in the Iranian parliament (Majles), in the government and its political interest in the state TV played a major part in the budget rise.

Both the state TV (IRIB) and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are crucial entities in the eyes of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, serving to protect his regime and spread his ideology globally. However, despite their significance, these organizations have been facing challenges.

Observers inside and outside Iran note that, based on research conducted by various agencies, including the state TV's own polling agency, the IRIB's legitimacy and political impact have eroded. The state TV's popularity has declined significantly, from 57 percent to just 11 percent, as many Iranians increasingly turn to social media and foreign-based satellite television for news, entertainment, and political insights.

A chart highlighting the rise in the IRIB's budget from less than 5 trillion to 240 trillion rials between 2011 and 2024 reveals Khamenei’s support for the state TV. The most recent increase shows President Ebrahim Raisi’s support also, as IRIB downplays his lackluster record and failures by highlighting fabricated achievements.

Last September, the IRIB announced a 20 percent decline in the popularity of its TV series. Subsequently, the state TV began to call on celebrities to produce popular shows for it. However, it has acknowledged recently that the popularity of shows, which address young Iranians, are less than 5% and a show called Non-Stop, has only 2% viewership. Channel 3 that broadcasts Non-Stop was until recently the number one channel in Iran.

Meanwhile, the polling agency ISPA said in December that only 9.37 percent of Iranians follow the news on the IRIB. The figure, according to the IRIB was 51 percent in 2017. During the current year, IRGC-linked Fars and Tasnim and government-owned ISNA warned the government in several reports about the unpopularity of the state TV and the sharp decline of its viewership. Trust in IRIB news has been constantly declining during the past six years, the reports said.

The IRIB has defended the rise in its budget arguing that it is not too much in comparison to the major media outlets in the West. Social media users reminded that while most of the big TVs in Europe and the United States have around 10,000 to 20,000 staff members, the IRIB has a bulky staff of over 50,000 people.

Hardliners in Iran also defended the state TV with some calling it "the nation’s honor." They claim that IRIB is the only media outlet that defends Iranian culture and identity, although most of its programs are Shiite religious propaganda. Most Iranians characterize IRIB's output unrelated to Iran's age-old culture and unique identity and scold the state TV for being Palestine's rather than Iran's national TV.

Khabar Online wrote in a report that IRIB has not been successful in promoting the Islamic Republic's ideology either. Shadmehr Rastin, a media critic, told the website that the most IRIB can do is to preserve its current 10% viewership. However, he noted that according to hardliner politician Vahid Jalili the deputy director of the IRIB and a Paydari member, it still has a 24 percent viewership. However, Jalili was not able to quote any research to back up his claim. According to Khabar Online, IRIB insiders say that the state TV produces its programs for only 10 percent of Iran's population who support the regime and its ideology.

Speaking about the current state and future prospects of Iran during the general assembly of the Iranian Medical Society, Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi expressed deep concern, noting that vital signs pointing to an emigration crisis have reached a critical juncture.

Zafarqandi emphasized the alarming increase in demand for permission from the medical system for professionals seeking to leave the country. Amidst the celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, he lamented the challenges faced by the country, saying "A system that was supposed to be dignity and prosperity based on the principles of republicanism, Islam, has brought Iran face to face with challenges and failures in all three aspects."

Additionally, he highlighted the distant path taken in the Islamic aspect of the system, deviating from the ideals of justice, ethics, freedom, and rights, as initially envisioned during the revolution.

The Secretary-General drew attention to critical conditions prevailing in various sectors, including the economy, politics, academia, environment, and public health. He stressed the alarming decline in social capital and trust in governance.

Furthermore, Zafarqandi revealed alarming statistics, indicating that approximately 80 percent of medical students are considering leaving the country.

“Many professors from the country's universities are leaving. Today, important fields such as heart surgery, emergency medicine, anesthesia, and many medical fields do not have volunteer applicants, and residency positions remain vacant," he warned.

According to Defending the Free Flow of Information (DFI) latest monthly report released on Friday, three journalists were detained during the month, while another journalist was apprehended to serve a sentence. Additionally, four journalists, in separate cases, were collectively sentenced to three years of imprisonment, fines amounting to 200 million rials (equivalent to approximately 350 dollars), two years of exile, and a two-year ban on leaving the country or engaging in online activities.

The charges levied against journalists during the period ranged from spreading misinformation to undermining public opinion, anti-government propaganda, disregarding hijab, insulting the political leadership, and disclosing classified documents.

Moreover, the press courts handed down criminal convictions against eight journalists, with sentences ranging from imprisonment to other punitive measures. Five journalists or media managers faced formal charges, leading to property confiscation for one individual and personal belongings seized by security institutions for another.

Throughout January, at least 13 newspapers and news websites came under judicial scrutiny, further exacerbating concerns regarding press freedom in the country.

The situation in Iran reflects a broader global issue, with Iran a leading persecutor of journalists among the ranks of China, Russia, and Belarus, and one of the most oppressive regimes concerning freedom of expression and media liberties. The pervasive nature of the crackdown on freedom of expression extends even to government-controlled media, highlighting the extent of the challenge facing journalists and media practitioners in Iran.

“We reaffirm our support for and solidarity with resistance movements in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and the region,” IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency quoted Ali al-Qahoum, a member of Yemeni Houthis’ politburo, as saying.

Hotuhis, who receive extensive assistance from Iran, are part of Tehran's web of armed groups throughout the region.

On Friday night, the United States hit about 85 targets linked to IRGC Quds Force and affiliated militia groups in Iraq and Syria.

The strikes were carried out in response to an attack on January 28 by Iran-backed militants against a US base in Jordan which claimed the lives of three American soldiers and left more than 40 injured.

So far, there has been no reaction from Iranian officials to US strikes. However, in what can be interpreted as an indirect reaction, IRNA, the Iranian state news agency, published a report highlighting Iran’s “defensive and military capabilities.”

Though US President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed to hold accountable “all” sides who had a part in the deadly Jordan incident, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that Washington is not seeking conflict with Iran or regional escalation.

On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi remarked that “the enemy cannot take any action against us because it knows that our forces are powerful and capable.”

“Previously...they used to talk with threats and military options on the table. But now, there are no such talks, and they say they have no intention of conflict with the Islamic Republic. It is the strength of our people and our armed forces that has created this deterrence,” he went on to say.