Stories about Iran from May, 2015
He Spared His ‘Enemy's’ Life in the Iran-Iraq War. Today They Are Close Friends
One soldier prepared to kill a critically wounded enemy three decades ago, but spared him when he saw photos of the man's family. They met by chance decades later.
New Messaging App by Iran's Basij Militia Gives State Access to All Conversations
The app will use servers owned and controlled by the Basij, thus allowing easy access to and monitoring of all user conversations by the paramilitary group and intelligence agents.
Washington Post Reporter Jason Rezaian Starts Closed Door Trial in Iran
"If Iran had a case against Jason Rezaian, it would try him in public. It doesn't and won't."
Iranian Reformists Commemorate the Anniversary of Ex-President Khatami's Election on Twitter
The hashtag #second_ofKhordad_Iam is trending to commemorate the 1997 election of the reformist former President Mohammad Khatami.
Global Voices Starts a New Collaboration with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
Global Voices has relied on the Campaign’s reportage and team of experts when covering major human rights concerns. We enthusiastically welcome this new collaboration.
Verdict Delayed in Detained Iranian Artist Atena Farghadani's Trial
Atena Farghadani was arrested over a cartoon she drew that depicts Iran's members of parliament as animals voting on law that will restrict access to contraception and criminalise voluntary sterilisation.
Atena Farghadani Goes on Trial Tomorrow in Iran for Her Cartoon About Access to Contraception
The cartoon that sparked her arrest depicts members of parliament as animals. She is charged with spreading propaganda against the system, insulting members of parliament and insulting the supreme leader.
Iran's Evin Prison to Become a Park
This post first appeared on iranhumanrights.org and is published here in collaboration with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said last week that the Tehran Municipality...
Afghan Rapper Escaped Teen Marriage by Singing About It
Sonita Alizadeh is now living and going to school in the US, and she’s still making music about social justice in Afghanistan.
Amid “Intelligent” Censorship Discussions, Iran Affirms Facebook Will Remain Blocked
Discussions regarding the implementation of “intelligent” filtering have proliferated Internet policy discussions within Iran. “Intelligent” filtering is a process whereby they filter select content on a social media platform, rather...
Khamenei's #Letter4U Bots Still Active Four Months After Its Launch
On January 21, during the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei penned an open letter to the 'youth in Europe and North America' defending Islam, and the Western world's skewed reception of the religion. He also started tweeting the sentiments of the letter on his @khamenei_ir twitter account, starting the hashtag #Letter4U. A closer look of this hashtag indicates it remains active through bots, which are still crawling through Twitter four months after the launch of the campaign.
Selective Truths Revealed: The Case of Iranian Search Engines
Iranian authorities maintain that local search engines can compete with Google and other Western alternatives. A new study by Iran research group Small Media puts these claims to the test.
How Kelly Golnoush Niknejad’s ‘Tehran Bureau’ Bridges Iran and the West
In the second installment of this series focused on Iranian journalists, Global Voices asks Kelly Golnoush Niknejad about the early days of Tehran Bureau.
Clashes in Mahabad, Iran, Following the Controversial Death of a Female Hotel Worker
"It's one thing to be Kurdish in Iran and a another to be a Kurdish woman. #JusticeForFarinaz."
New Research: Iran Is Using ‘Intelligent’ Censorship on Instagram
Political pages are accessible, but Justin Bieber and the Kardashians are blocked. Saddled with a censorship regime that is both exhaustive and ineffective, Iranian authorities are experimenting with “intelligent” filtering.
Iran's Leading Women's Magazine Suspended After Covering Cohabitation Outside of Marriage
Managing editor Shahla Sherkat says she's hopeful she can convince the court to allow publication to resume. Iran’s Press Oversight Committee suspended Zanan-e Emrooz, reportedly for writing about "white marriages."
