Rights groups demand halt to executions
Twelve human rights groups have launched an international 10-day campaign to raise awareness about the sharp surge in executions in Iran.
These groups called for an immediate halt to executions and the reversal of death sentences, urging global action before more lives are lost.
In a statement launching the campaign on 17 May, the rights groups said the campaign aims to draw the attention of the international community and organisations to this alarming trend, especially in light of US efforts to reach an agreement with Iran.
“While negotiating with the United States, the Islamic Republic has begun a new wave of executions, with bloody hands, hanging more than 110 people in just one month [of April],” the statement said.
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“To stop the Islamic Republic’s killing machine, we must stand united in protest…We demand an end to this inhuman punishment, emphasising the fundamental right to life.”
Iran carries out the highest number of executions in the world after China and has been accused of using capital punishment to silence its political opponents.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organisation has warned that the establishment uses executions to “instil fear in society” and called it the country’s most serious human rights issue.
Women’s security bill stalls in parliament
A bill aimed at protecting women in Iran has been withdrawn from parliament after more than a decade of debate and changes. The decision has sparked criticism from many who say the bill was meant to defend women’s rights and prevent domestic violence.
Introduced initially ten years ago, the bill faced strong opposition from right-wing and religious fundamentalist lawmakers. Over time, these opponents made several changes to the bill, weakening its original purpose.
In the end, the government withdrew the bill.
The Etemad daily, under the headline “Parliament against women?”, criticised lawmakers for ignoring women’s rights. The daily wrote that parliament’s committees had changed the bill so much that it no longer focused on protecting women against domestic violence in a patriarchal society.
The bill, commonly known as the “Women’s Protection Against Violence Bill,” has been renamed several times. The ILNA news agency quoted MP Fazlullah Ranjbar, who said that some lawmakers wanted to remove the word “violence” from the bill’s title.
According to Ranjbar, those members believed that using the term could give foreign countries a reason to criticise Iran.
Nutrition crisis deepens as food prices rise
As Iran’s economic crisis worsens, experts have warned of its profound impact on public health, particularly among low-income families.
Fardin Yazdani, an Iranian researcher, said data from the Statistical Centre of Iran showed a decline in the average consumption of protein-rich foods. The drop was most significant in meat consumption.
Mohammad Reza Shafeinia, secretary of the Food Industries Association, announced that annual per capita meat consumption in Iran had fallen from 13.3kg to six kilograms in recent years.
According to Shafeinia, annual meat consumption among the bottom three income sectors of society is now less than one kilogram per person.
Other reports indicated a substantial decrease in dairy consumption. Per capita dairy intake declined from 130 kilograms in 2010 to 55 kilograms in 2024.
This trend was attributed to a combination of reduced purchasing power and rising production costs.
Support grows for US Congresswoman defending ‘Persian Gulf’
Iranians have praised attempts by a US congresswoman to combat Donald Trump’s attempt to change the name of the Persian Gulf.
In her speech to Congress on 14 May, Iranian-American lawmaker Yassamin Ansari criticised Trump’s plans and stated that the Persian community in the US and around the world was outraged by the idea.
While Iranian officials have not responded to Ansari’s remarks, many ordinary people have expressed their support for her on social media.
One Iranian internet user highlighted: “This is Yasmin Ansari, an Iranian-American Democrat who defended the Persian Gulf in America, while our own leaders did nothing.”
Ansari’s speech against Trump has also renewed debates about the achievements of Iranian women living abroad, while women in Iran continue to face numerous restrictions.
“Among the world’s female astronauts, two shining names are Iranian – Jasmin Moghbeli and Anousheh Ansari,” another user wrote on X.
“Meanwhile, in Iran, officials are still debating whether women should be allowed to ride motorcycles… but women are no longer waiting to reach their goals.”