JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendegi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022-'24
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in
2024: 2024: Feb wk4 part2 -- Feb wk4 -- Feb wk3 -- Feb wk2 part2 -- Feb wk2 -- Feb wk1 - Jan wk5 -- Jan wk4 part2 -- Jan wk4 -- Overview per month
and 2023: Dec wk 5 part 2 -- Dec wk 5 -- Dec week 4-3 -- Dec wk3 -- Dec 17 - 10 -- Dec week 2 and 1 -- click here for a menu overview November - Januari 2023

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February 19, 2024: Noteworthy by G. d'A.: concerning the below topics from here on all news will be embedded in either the actual news coverage or in a headlined title with a link to the full report or to ' The dance 'round the gallows' news.

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When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Iranwire - 20 Feb 2024 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Crackdown on Diaspora Dissenters: Surge in Passport Seizures at Iranian Airports
The Islamic Republic's authorities have been cracking down on members of the Iranian diaspora who participate in protest rallies outside Iran, IranWire reveals. Since Mahsa Amini's death numerous incidents have emerged, including arrests on espionage charges, interrogations at airports, confiscation and examination of mobile phones and laptops, passport seizures, and reports of Iranians living abroad being approached for espionage.
However, recent developments suggest that security institutions have shifted their focus to individuals who participated in an anti-Islamic Republic rally in Berlin on October 22, 2022. IranWire has conducted interviews with 17 individuals whose passports and electronic devices were confiscated at various Iranian airports over the past fortnight. Despite the rhetoric of various Iranian officials welcoming the return of Iranians residing abroad, Iranians who participated in the Berlin rally have had their passports, mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices confiscated at Tehran Airport. In exchange, they received a receipt containing the date when the seizures occurred and the address of the General Passport Office. On October 22, 2022, a large rally was organized in Berlin at the invitation of Hamed Esmaeilion, the former spokesperson of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, with an estimated 80,000 participants. <Upon passing passport control, I was escorted to a dimly lit room by several individuals,> one individual subjected to multiple interrogations in recent weeks recounted to IranWire. <They rudely confiscated my passport, mobile phone and laptop, issuing a receipt instructing me to visit the General Passport Office in 10 days,> the individual said. Another person who went through a similar experience at Shiraz's Dastgheib airport stated: <They seized my passport, mobile phone and iPad without inquiry, giving me a form to visit the passport office. The appointment was set two months later, despite my three-week trip to Iran.> The number of Iranian diaspora members facing passport confiscation at various airports is immeasurable. However, it's evident that in recent weeks, security institutions have intensified pressure on this group, with IranWire receiving reports of dozens of Iranians effectively being detained in the country every week. One individual recounted being subjected to prolonged interrogation, spending hours with eyes blindfolded, after visiting the General Passport Office in Tehran. During an interview with IranWire, he disclosed that the majority of the interrogation focused on the Berlin rally. Interrogators pressed him to confess that the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran had funded his trip to Berlin. Another person revealed that he underwent three interrogation sessions at his local passport office. Apart from questioning his involvement in the Berlin rally, interrogators pressured him to admit ties with Israeli spy agencies. An indictment has been submitted to the prosecutor's office against Iranian diaspora members, charging them with <gathering and collusion against national security,> and in some instances, <propaganda against the Islamic Republic.> During interrogations of Iranians residing abroad, security and judicial authorities have claimed to have identified them through published images of protest gatherings of Iranians overseas. Numerous pictures and videos of these gatherings, particularly during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, were published in both Persian and non-Persian media outside of Iran. However, relying only on these images to identify participants in the gatherings poses significant challenges. Matching these images with the identities of protesters outside Iran is nearly impossible. IranWire has learned that security institutions utilize specialized groups to monitor the Iranian diaspora. These <pseudo-security> groups are tasked with investigating, compiling and documenting the activities of active Iranians beyond the country's borders. Through scrutiny of social media accounts belonging to the Iranian diaspora members, these groups gather evidence of their presence at protest gatherings. This includes photographs, videos, and even content detailing travel arrangements to the protest site, individuals spotted at the gathering, or slogans chanted.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/125545-crackdown-on-diaspora-dissenters-surge-in-passport-seizures-at-iranian-airports/

Iranwire - 15 Feb 2024 - by ROGHAYEH REZAEI
<<Iranian Embassies Deny New Passports to Islamic Republic Critics
Iranian embassies in Europe refuse to renew passports held by critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic living abroad, IranWire has learned.
IranWire has received reports indicating that in recent years, a number of Iranians residing in European countries with study or work visas, or with other residential statuses, have been denied new passports upon expiration of their old one. Among these individuals, some had participated in protests against the repression and violence in Iran, while others were journalists or political activists. According to one document, the embassy of the Islamic Republic in Madrid has declined to issue new passports to Iranian citizens who were active during nationwide protests sparked by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. Aida, a former teacher at girls' schools in Iran, was accepted at a doctoral program at the University of Barcelona approximately three years ago. She took a leave from her teaching position with plans to return to Iran upon completing her studies. When protests erupted, Aida, like thousands of Iranians residing in European countries, took to the streets in protest.<I couldn't stay silent, so I participated in all the demonstrations in Barcelona. My photo was even published in Spanish newspapers,> she told IranWire. <When my passport was nearing expiration, despite facing financial strain, I traveled from Barcelona to Madrid, after scheduling an appointment with the embassy via WhatsApp.> <I submitted my documents and was informed that my passport would be ready in three hours. However, a man named Talebi informed me that they could not issue me a passport. I explained that I was a teacher pursuing further education and intended to return to Iran. <I mentioned that I could easily seek refugee status if necessary. He responded by saying he would explore potential solutions.> Aida further explained that after waiting for three hours, she was informed that her father would need to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran to obtain a passport permit, which the embassy would subsequently use to issue her a passport. The following morning, Aida's father visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Tehran. According to Aida, her father faced humiliation and was not provided with any assistance, not even a letter. Despite her persistent efforts, Aida received no resolution from the Iranian embassy in Madrid. Fearing repercussions upon returning to Iran, she was compelled to apply for asylum in Spain. <I was afraid to return to Iran, as I was certain I would be arrested at the airport,> she said. Shaghayegh Nowrozi, a gender equality activist and one of the administrators of the <MeToo Iran> page, shared a similar experience with IranWire: <On February 15, 2023, I applied to renew my passport. Since my residency status is not linked to the asylum process, my passport remains Iranian. I had to seek renewal at the Iranian embassy in Madrid.> She elaborated that despite security concerns, and after consulting with human rights lawyers, she decided to ask for a new passport. After submitting her application and presenting the required documents at the Iranian embassy in Madrid, she was informed that an inquiry needed to be made in Tehran. <They assured me they would call,> Nowrozi said. "After several inquiries via WhatsApp, they once mentioned, two weeks later, that it was ready. However, the day before the scheduled pickup, they notified me it wasn't ready and that the ambassador wished to speak with me.> After months of follow-ups, she eventually managed to talk over the phone with an individual, named Vatan, who identified himself as the consul-general. After this conversation, IranWire received an approximately 20-minute audio file in which the man implied that consequences awaited those who instigated trouble.
<They said you have hurt Khamenei's heart>
This isn't the first instance where Islamic Republic institutions failed to recognize the rights of Iranian citizens residing abroad, leaving them in a state of limbo. They impose financial and psychological burdens on these individuals, often pressuring them to return to Iran themselves or send a relative to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure a passport. Roya Karimi Majd is a journalist specializing in women's issues who has been working for Radio Farda in the Czech Republic since 2008. She told IranWire that she has faced passport issues since the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
<My passport was due for renewal. I submitted my documents and filled out the necessary forms, but as time passed, I didn't receive any notification to collect my new passport. <Upon inquiry, they invited me to the embassy. They said, 'You're aware that you're making things difficult for the Islamic Republic, aren't you?' I retorted that it was the Islamic Republic that made things difficult for me in Iran and forced me to leave Iran.> Following this exchange, Majd was not issued a passport, and the Iranian embassy in Prague instructed her to wait. <They summoned me again and stated that my work at Radio Farda had hurt [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei's heart. They claimed they needed to rectify this,> Karimi Majd recalled. <I asked if this meant they wouldn't issue me a passport. They replied that I should return to Iran. They would provide me with a document for reentry and advised me to apply for a passport there,> she added. Karimi Majd said she <never received an Iranian passport thereafter,> and was forced to live in the European Union without proper identity documents.>>
Source:
https://iranwire.com/en/features/125390-iranian-embassies-deny-new-passports-to-islamic-republic-critics/

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