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☆ Iran Pardons 4 Environmental Activists to Commemorate Eid al-Fitr, Lawyer Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Yonette Joseph | Leily Nikounazar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran has pardoned and begun freeing four environmental activists who spent several years in prison on espionage charges, Iranian state media said on Monday. The pardons were granted to commemorate Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan, according to their lawyer. Iran has a tradition of freeing prisoners, but not political ones, around religious holidays. Mr. Bayani and Mr. Jokar were freed on Monday, according to images posted by their families on social media. A lawyer for the activists, Hojjat Kermani, said he expected the other two to be freed at a later time.

Persons: Eid, Morad Tahbaz, Niloufar, Sepideh Kashani, Taher Qadirian, Houman Jokar, Bayani, Jokar, Hojjat Kermani Locations: Iran, United States, Iranian

☆ Olympic sponsorship deal with beer company AB InBev criticized as ‘cynical’ and ‘an odd pairing’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In a room crowded with people in suits, the sponsorship deal with brewing giant AB InBev was met with beaming smiles and the clinking of beer bottles by many of those in attendance. AB InBev is the latest company to participate in The Olympic Partner (TOP) program – the highest level of Olympic sponsorship – alongside the likes of Coca-Cola, Visa and Deloitte. AB InBev said that it would not reveal the cost of its deal with the IOC. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for AB InBevThe IOC and AB InBev see the deal as part of a wider market demand for non-alcoholic drinks which, despite being in circulation for decades, have had a recent surge in popularity. Some brands have found ways to navigate France’s restrictive laws when it comes to alcohol advertising.

Persons: Thomas Bach gushed, ” Bach, ”, ” Andrew Misell, Kin Cheung, Sportcal, Michel Doukeris, Thomas Bach, Stuart C, Wilson, Molson Coors, ” Marcel Marcondes, “ Corona Cero, Marcondes, Bach, Garde, ” Ian Gilmore, “ Corona, ” Alex Barker, ” Barker, Xavier Laine Organizations: CNN, Olympic Committee, InBev, IOC, Corona, Cortina, Alcohol, CNN Sport, Cola, Visa, Deloitte, Health, WHO, Centers for Disease Control, University of Liverpool, ”, Getty, AB InBev, Heineken, Molson, Games, Alcohol Health Alliance, University of Derby, rugby’s, Nations, Guinness, Stade de France, French rugby, Wales, TOP Locations: London, Corona Cero, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Corona, Garde

☆ Nobel Peace Prize winner: The time has come to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Opinion Narges Mohammadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The time has come to declare gender apartheid a crime. That is why I have written a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, urging him to declare gender apartheid a crime against humanity. Inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one gender group over another are termed gender apartheid. This is why it is imperative that gender apartheid is recognized as a crime against humanity. In recent months there has been positive momentum at the United Nations towards recognizing and codifying gender apartheid.

Persons: Read, António Guterres, —, Mahsa Amini, Amini, Iran —, Shirin Ebadi, Malala Yousafzai, Nadia Murad – Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations, Assembly, Apartheid, UN Women’s, UN Locations: Iranian, Iran, Tehran’s, Islamic Republic, Afghanistan, South Africa, States

☆ Iran extends Nobel Prize winner Narges Mohammadi’s prison sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jomana Karadsheh | Adam Pourahmadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to an additional 15 months in prison, Mohammadi’s family said in a written statement sent to CNN on Monday. On top of the extra 15 months in prison, the new sentence orders Mohammadi to “two years of exile outside Tehran and neighboring provinces,” according to her family. Mohammadi was also given a two-year travel ban, “a two-year ban on membership in social-political groups, and a two-year ban on using a smartphone,” the statement added. Mohammadi was already serving a sentence of ten years and nine months, accused of actions against national security and propaganda against the state. She was also sentenced to 154 lashes, a punishment rights groups believe has not been inflicted so far, along with restrictions on travel.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Mohammadi’s, “, Mohammadi, ’, ”, Mahsa, Niloofar Hamedi, IRNA, Hamedi Organizations: CNN, Peace, Islamic Locations: Islamic Republic, Iran, Tehran, ”

Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, began a hunger strike on Monday, after she was denied hospital treatment for two blocked coronary arteries, her family said. Last week, she refused to cover her hair with the mandatory hijab when prison authorities wanted to transport her to a hospital. In response, they told her she would not be released for medical care, according to her husband, Taghi Rahmani. “We are extremely worried, there is a history of prisoners dying in prison after hunger strikes,” Mr. Rahmani said in an interview. “Her life is in danger.”

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Mohammadi, Taghi, ” Mr, Rahmani, “

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran is carrying out executions “at an alarming rate,” putting to death at least 419 people in the first seven months of the year, the United Nations chief said in a new report. That's a 30% increase from the same period in 2022. In all seven cases, information received by the U.N. human rights office “consistently indicated that the judicial proceedings did not fulfil the requirements for due process and a fair trial under international human rights law,” Guterres said. The government said “a minimum of” 22,000 people arrested during the protests were pardoned, but the secretary-general said it was difficult to verify the arrest and release numbers. Guterres expressed concern that a number of individuals who were pardoned then received summonses on new charges or were rearrested, including women activists, journalists and members of minority groups.

Persons: That's, Antonio Guterres, Amini, “, ” Guterres, ”, Guterres, Afsaneh Bayegan, Leila Bolukat —, Nahid Taghavi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, General Assembly, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Human Rights Locations: Iran

☆ Iran sentences women journalists on charges over Amini protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Women take part in a rally on the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini which prompted protests across the country, in Istanbul, Turkey September 16, 2023. Banner reads, "We revolt against world for Mahsa Amini". REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Oct 22 (Reuters) - An Iranian Revolutionary Court has handed out long prison sentences to two women journalists over their coverage of the death in custody of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini last year, state media reported on Sunday. A statement released by Iran’s intelligence ministry in October last year accused Mohammadi and Hamedi of being agents for the United States' Central Intelligence Agency. "There is documented evidence of Hamedi and Mohammadi's intentional connections with certain entities and individuals affiliated with the U.S. government," Mizan reported.

Persons: Banner, Dilara, Amini, IRNA, Niloofar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi, Hamedi, Mohammadi, Mizan, Parisa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Iranian, U.S, Saqez, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Rights DUBAI, Iran, Tehran, United States

While a Hamas spokesman told the BBC that Iran did assist in the attack, officials in Tehran have denied responsibility while praising the outcome. "If you had a large end-of-year bonus payment coming your way, might you start spending more money in the meantime? “This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News. While the Biden administration renewed talks with Iran to reenter the pact, the discussions have led nowhere and U.S. negotiators publicly walked away. Though not believed to be directly connected, some analysts have speculated that the Biden administration move to free up the $6 billion could have been an incentive to continue talking even as Tehran slowed the pace of development of a nuclear weapon.

Persons: Trump, State Anthony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Richard Goldberg, Matthew Kroenig, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, Ebrahim Raisi, ”, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Aaron David Miller, Obama, –, Donald Trump Organizations: White, Hamas, Biden, BBC, Treasury Department, “, ”, State, Israeli, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Wall, Georgetown University, GOP, NBC News, Former State Department, –, Trump, U.S Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, South Korea, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Islamic Republic of Iran, Washington, U.S

☆ Opinion: This Nobel prize is for all the women fighting for freedom in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Stuart Ross | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Friday, Iranian activist Narges Mohammedi won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Iranian women, who were often joined by men, took to the streets to demand equality and an end to the repressive regime. Geravand, it seems, may be one of the countless Iranian women who have refused to surrender to the crackdown. For Nobel prize winner Narges Mohammedi, it’s a clear choice. “I am sure,” she wrote to CNN, “that the world without freedom, equality and peace is not worth living.”

Persons: Frida Ghitis, CNN —, Narges Mohammedi, Mohammedi, ”, Ponder, “ Bella, Mahsa Amini, Jin, Geravand, “ Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, New York Times, Authorities Locations: Iran, Evin, Kurdish, Jiyan, Azadi, Tehran, Norway

SummaryCompanies Women's rights campaigner serving 12 years' jailPrize likely to anger Iranian governmentNorwegian Nobel committee lauds Iranian protestersIranian news agency notes 'prize from westerners'OSLO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Iran's imprisoned women's rights advocate Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a rebuke to Tehran's theocratic leaders and boost for anti-government protesters. "We want to give the prize to encourage Narges Mohammadi and the hundreds of thousands of people who have been crying for exactly 'Woman, Life, Freedom' in Iran," she added, referring to the protest movement's main slogan. She is the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a non-governmental organisation led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. [1/5]Iranian human rights activist and the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) Narges Mohammadi poses in this undated handout picture. Among a stream of tributes from major global bodies, the U.N. human rights office said the Nobel award highlighted the bravery of Iranian women.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Berit Reiss, Andersen, Narges, Fars, Mohammadi, Shirin Ebadi, Maria Ressa, Russia's Dmitry Muratov, embolden Narges, Taghi Rahmani, Alfred Nobel, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mohammadi's, Mahsa, We've, Elizabeth Throssell, They've, Hamidreza Mohammed, Dan Smith, Gwladys Fouche, Nerijus Adomaitis, Terje Solsvik, Tom Little, John Davison, Anthony Paone, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, Cecile Mantovani, Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean Organizations: Norwegian Nobel, Reuters, Defenders, of Human Rights, Philippines, REUTERS, New York Times, NRK, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Norwegian, OSLO, Iran, Tehran, Evin, Paris, Oslo, Iranian, Stockholm, Parisa, Dubai, Baghdad, Brussels, Geneva

☆ Factbox-Narges Mohammadi, Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Winner
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian women's rights advocate serving 12 years in jail, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a decision likely to anger Tehran's theocratic government. Who is Narges Mohammadi and why is she in prison? ACTIVISMMohammadi, 51, is now the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a non-governmental organisation led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She has been in Evin prison three times since 2012, she wrote in the New York Times op-ed last month. PREVIOUS ARRESTSMohammadi has been arrested by Iranian authorities 13 times and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes, according to the Nobel Peace Prize website.

Persons: Shirin Ebadi, Mohammadi, Taghi Rahmani, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, of Human Rights, New York Times, Defenders Locations: Iranian, Iran, Evin

☆ Jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi just won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi just won the 2023 Nobel Peace PrizeNarges Mohammadi, an Iranian activist currently serving multiple sentences in Tehran's Evin Prison, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for fighting against women's oppression in the country and promoting human rights. Mohammadi, 51, has frequently been arrested for her efforts assisting jailed activists and their families, with her first arrest taking place in 2011. Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the award and the second Iranian woman after human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi won in 2003.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Mohammadi, Shirin Ebadi Locations: Iranian, Evin

☆ Iranian Peace Laureate Mohammadi: 'Lioness' Locked up for Challenging Tehran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

(Reuters) - Jailed Iranian rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, has sacrificed her freedom for most of her adult life and faces many more years behind bars as she vows to keep challenging clerical rule in Tehran. Mohammadi became the second Iranian woman to be awarded the prize, following the path of her mentor, the lawyer Shirin Ebadi, who won it for her own rights activism in 2003. This is why the regime wants to crush her," Ebadi wrote of Mohammadi in a foreword to Mohammadi's 2020 book "White Torture", a collection of interviews with women prisoners. The committee that awards the Nobel prize said it honoured those behind last year’s demonstrations, and called for the release of Mohammadi. Following her win, Mohammadi said she would never stop striving for democracy and equality, even if that meant staying in prison.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Shirin Ebadi, Narges, Ebadi, Mohammadi's, Mohammadi, ”, Shah, Evin, Taghi Rahmani, Ali, Kiana, Rahmani, Mahsa Amini, Amini, Islamic Republic ”, Nobel, Armita Geravand, Fars, Maria Ressa, Russia's Dmitry Muratov Organizations: Reuters, New York Times, Islamic, Philippines Locations: Tehran, Mohammadi, Zanjan, Iran, Qazvin, France, Islamic Republic

Their mother is Narges Mohammadi, a woman whose name has become synonymous with the fight for human rights in Iran – a battle that has cost this activist almost everything. “This period was and still is the era of greatest protest in this prison,” Mohammadi told CNN in written responses to questions submitted through intermediaries. Now, those same women are experiencing sexual assault and harassment against themselves.”‘Systemic’ abuse of women detaineesIn her letter and responses to CNN, Mohammadi details incidents of sexual violence against her and other female detainees at different facilities dating back to 1999. Political prisoners and women held on criminal charges were assaulted by security forces, prison authorities and medical personnel, she says. Mark Esplin/CNNAli, like his father, is resolute, saying his mother must keep going “for Iran, for our future.”“I am really proud of my mom,” Ali told CNN.

Persons: Ali, Narges, Mohammadi, Bella, ” Mohammadi, “, Majid Asgaripour, ”, Taghi Rahmani, Taghi, Mark Esplin, Rahmani, “ Kiana, It’s, ” Ali, CNN Ali, ” Kiana, Kiana Organizations: CNN, Evin, Fascists, Reuters Locations: Iran, Tehran, Evin, France, Paris

CNN —The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced in Oslo on Friday. “This period was and still is the era of greatest protest in this prison,” Mohammadi told CNN in written responses to questions submitted through intermediaries. Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyers who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, commended the committee’s decision to honor Mohammadi. In 2003, she joined the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran, an organization founded by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. But her work continued from inside Evin, as she began to oppose human rights abuses committed against political prisoners.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Mohammadi, Mahsa, Amini, “, ” “, ”, Berit Reiss, Andersen, “ Ms, ” Reiss, Mohammadi’s, Narges, Amini’s, Bella, ” Mohammadi, Reihane Taravati Mohammadi, Oleksandra, ” Matviichuk, Reiss, Alfred Nobel, Henrik Urdal, Mahsa Amini, ” Urdal, “ Today’s, Ali Khamenei, Shirin Ebadi, Hana Organizations: CNN, Norwegian Nobel, Evin, Twitter, Peace Research Institute, Iranian, Getty, Imam Khomeini International University, of Human Rights, ” Locations: Iran, Norwegian, Oslo, ” Norwegian, Tehran, Reihane, Ukrainian, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Mashad, Ahvaz, Lahijan, Arak, Kurdish, Senandaj, AFP, Evin, Iraq’s, ”

☆ Opinion: The 2,000-year-old advice for coping in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. A surprising number claimed to think about the ancient empire as often as ‘every day’ or least every week or two. It became a meme (are you even in a relationship if she hasn’t asked you about the Roman Empire? They marvel at their absolute dominion, their mastery of every strand of civilisation — and then how that power suddenly slipped away. Biden on Wednesday took steps to speed up the ability of Venezuelans in the US to obtain work permits.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Seneca, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Bobby McFerrin’s musing, David M, Perry, hasn’t, Jo Ellison, —, Marcus Aurelius, that’s, David Perry, “ There’s, ” Perry, Paula M, Krebs, “, Donald Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Trump, …, ’, ” Cupp, Roe, Wade, Cupp, he’s, Dean Obeidallah, Trump’s, Patrick T, Brown, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zurawik, Rupert, Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Richard Nixon, ” Murdoch “, Walt Handelsman, Kevin McCarthy, Max Burns, Donald Trump, today’s MAGA, ” Clay Jones, Chuck Schumer, Elena Sheppard, Sen, John Fetterman, baring, Fetterman, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Yo Jong, Sung, Yoon Lee, “ Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Kim Jong, ” “, Hunter Biden isn’t, Alexis Coe, George Washington’s, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, Hunter, … Hunter, Joe Biden, Biden, Peter Bergen, Mike Pence, … Biden, Bergen, ” Lisa Benson, Martin Sheen, Melissa Fitzgerald, Gurney, John F, Melissa, Andy, Michael Bociurkiw, ” Bociurkiw, Volodymyr Zelensky “, Zelensky, Lanhee J, Chen, ” Chen, Keir Giles, It’ll, Jennifer Wexton, Barbara Comstock, Alex Brandon, Jill Filipovic, Democrat “, ” Wexteon “, Eric Adams, Julian Zelizer . Biden, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Frida Ghitis, Agatha Christie, China Adam H, Sobel, Holly Thomas, Russell Brand, Akanksha, Dan Perry, Gilead, Netanyahu government’s, Gene Seymour, Jann, Reggie B, Maren Morris, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Maren Morris, Nicole Hemmer, Morris ’, Morris, Jason Aldean’s “, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Richmond ”, “ Rich, ” Hemmer, Anthony himself, ‘, Hemmer Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, West Virginia University, Modern Language Association, WVU, West Virginia, Republican, Press, Florida Gov, White, Content Agency, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch Media, Fox News, Capitol, Agency, Democratic, fied Republican Party, Republican Party, Justice Department, Qatari, Amnesty International, Kennedy Center, UN, Assembly, CBS, Ukraine’s, Republicans, Democrat, Progressive Supra, GOP, Walton, Mobile, North, Richmond Locations: Rome, Ukraine, TikTok, Roman, Roman Republic, Washington, ”, Korean, North Korea, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Dulles , Virginia, Virginia, New York City, United States, China, Las Vegas , Nevada

Loved ones, some holding small American flags, enveloped them in hugs and exchanged greetings in English and Farsi, the main language of Iran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran’s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners were in Doha for the swap. In his statement, Biden demanded more information on what happened to Bob Levinson, an American who went missing years ago. The Biden administration also announced fresh sanctions on former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.

Persons: Joe Biden, Siamak Namazi, ”, Babak, Baquer, “, Biden, Iran’s, Ebrahim Raisi, ” Raisi, — Siamak, Emad, Tahbaz —, Timmy Davis, Namazi, Effie Namazi, Vida Tahbaz, Nasser Kanaani, Nour, Mehrdad Ansari, Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, ” Biden, Bob Levinson, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Neda, ___ Gambrell, Jo, Nasser Karimi, Amir Vahdat, Matthew Lee, Paul Haven, Aamer Madhani, Michelle Phillips, Eric Tucker, Farnoush Amiri Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, Democratic, United Nations General Assembly, U.S, South, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nour News, Mideast, Social, Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, Embassy, Associated Press Locations: Iran, Fort Belvoir , Virginia, Tehran, Doha, Qatar, New York, America, Persian, U.S, Strait, Hormuz, United States, South Korea, Iranian, Korea, Islamic Republic, American, British, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Washington

The Americans took off in a plane from Tehran just before 9 a.m. Eastern time and were expected to fly to Doha, the capital of Qatar. Officials said that they would be given brief medical checkups before flying to Washington on a U.S. government plane. Several of the Iranian American prisoners, who hold dual citizenship, had been moved from the notorious Evin prison to a hotel last month, according to officials at the State Department and the National Security Council. The U.S. government had deemed the five wrongfully detained. Their release comes after more than two years of quiet negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Organizations: Iranian, White House, Officials, State Department, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Tehran, Doha, Qatar, Washington, U.S

The US government has designated all five Americans as being wrongfully detained. The release of the Americans would bring to an end a years-long nightmare for those who had been detained. The agreement, which has already prompted criticism from Republicans, also involves the release of five Iranians in US custody. The overall contours of the release protest began to crystallize in Doha about seven months ago after years of indirect negotiations. The first tangible public steps under the deal took place about five weeks ago, when four of the Americans were transferred into house arrest.

Persons: Nasser Kanaani, Morad Tahbaz, Namazi, Trump, Baquer Namazi, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Washington CNN — Five, CNN, Monday, Biden, US Treasury Department Locations: Doha, Iran, Iranian, United States, Tehran, South Korea, Qatar, Switzerland, Washington, American, Evin

☆ Iran Released Five American Prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran left the country today after the U.S. negotiated their release, President Biden said. The agreement involved unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and dismissing federal charges against five Iranians. The Americans are returning to the U.S., but three of the Iranians declined to return to Iran, according to U.S. officials. The American prisoners had been jailed in Iran on unsubstantiated charges of spying, and some had been held for years in Evin Prison, one of the country’s most notorious detention centers. News of the arrangement has generated intense criticism from Republicans who say that releasing billions in oil revenue amounts to paying a ransom and that it could lead to the taking of more hostages.

Persons: Biden, Siamak, Emad, Morad, — Organizations: Biden, U.S Locations: Iran, Doha, Qatar, U.S

CNN —The Iranian government now has access to $6 billion of their funds to be used for humanitarian purposes as a part of a wider deal that allowed five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran to go free. Sources told CNN the funds came from oil sales that were allowed and placed into accounts set up under the Trump administration. The money is now available to the Iranian government for purchase of non-sanctionable items such as food and medicine. Kirby said that statement was “flat out wrong.”“This is not a payment of any kind, it’s not ransom, these aren’t US taxpayer dollars, and we haven’t lifted a single one of our sanctions on Iran – Iran will be getting no sanctions relief,” Kirby said. “The money will then go to qualified vendors to purchase and deliver the food, the medical supplies, into Iran.

Persons: Biden, John Kirby, Trump, Antony Blinken, Ebrahim Raisi, Kirby, ” Kirby, “, ”, Trita, Republican Sen, Tom Cotton of, Mike Pence –, Pence, Sen, Tim Scott, Blinken, Janet Yellen Organizations: CNN, Qatar, Republicans, State Department, Ukraine, Biden, US Treasury Department, Qatari National Bank, Quincy Institute, Republican, House, Tehran – Locations: Iran, South Korea, Qatar, Europe, White, Doha, Washington ,, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Tehran, China, United States

☆ How Iran and the US reached the prisoner swap deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sept 18 (Reuters) - Iran and the U.S. were to swap five detainees each on Monday after Qatar mediated a deal between the arch foes that also unfroze $6 billion of Tehran's funds. The transfer of Iran's funds has drawn Republican criticism that President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is in effect paying ransom for U.S. citizens. WHY WERE IRAN'S FUNDS FROZEN IN SOUTH KOREA? He also reimposed harsh U.S. sanctions designed to choke off Iran's oil exports as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign on the Islamic Republic. Seoul, normally one of Iran’s largest oil customers, received a waiver in 2018 from the United States to continue purchases of Iranian oil for several months.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tehran's, Dado Ruvic, Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, Mehrdad Moin, Ansari, Kambiz Attar, Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour, Amin Hassanzadeh, Kaveh, Donald Trump, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Parisa Hafezi, William Maclean Organizations: Qatar, Reuters, Iranian Foreign, Democrat, Doha, U.S, Iranian, REUTERS, WHO, United Nations, KOREA, Washington, U.S ., Islamic, Thomson Locations: Iran, U.S, Qatar, Doha, Tehran, Qatar's, United States, Iranian, Lebanon, Israel's, Washington, Islamic Republic, Seoul, IRAN

☆ What we know about 3 of the Americans who were released from Iranian detention
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Shawna Mizelle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Two additional Americans in the deal have not yet been publicly identified. His father, Baquer, was also imprisoned in 2016 but was released in order to receive medical treatment in October 2022. Tahbaz is a US, UK and Iranian citizen who was arrested on allegations of espionage while on a trip to Iran. He spent eight months in jail and was released on bail but had a travel ban. In November 2020, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Revolutionary Court for espionage charges.

Persons: Emad, Morad, Siamak Namazi, ” Namazi, Baquer, Tahbaz’s, Tara, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, ”, ” Tara Tahbaz, Kavous Seyed, Shargi, Hannah Sharghi, Sharghi, “, Tahbaz Organizations: Washington CNN, UN, Doha International Airport, AFP, Getty Images, Getty, Human Rights, Wildlife Heritage –, Wildlife Heritage Foundation, CNN, Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Revolutionary, US State Department Locations: Iran, South Korea, Qatar, Dubai, Doha, AFP, Tahbaz, US

☆ Opinion | The More They Lock Us Up, the Stronger We Become
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Narges Mohammadi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

My fellow inmates and I were gathered in the women’s ward of Evin prison in Tehran one evening when we saw a television report of Mahsa Amini’s death. In the women’s ward, we were filled with grief — and rage. Other women’s wards also filled up. Other women have been sent to high-security wards, including Evin’s Section 209, run by the Ministry of Intelligence. A detainee who was transferred to Evin from Adelabad prison in Shiraz told us of hundreds of new female detainees in Adelabad.

Persons: Mahsa, —, we’d, Anger, Islamic Republic ”, Amini’s Organizations: Islamic, Ministry of Intelligence Locations: women’s, Tehran, Evin, Islamic Republic, Shiraz, Adelabad

☆ Iran optimistic prisoner swap with U.S. will happen in "near future"-foreign ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Iranian and U.S. flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Iran is optimistic a prisoner swap with Washington will happen "in the near future", Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, adding that Tehran's frozen $6 billion assets in South Korea will be unblocked in the coming days. As a first step, Iran on Aug. 10 released four U.S. citizens from Tehran’s Evin prison into house arrest, where they joined a fifth, who was already under house arrest. Later that day U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the move the first step of a process that would lead to their return home. Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nasser Kanaani, Antony Blinken, Toby Chopra Organizations: Iranian, REUTERS, Rights, Washington, Reuters, U.S, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: U.S, Rights DUBAI, Iran, South Korea, Qatar, Tehran’s

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