Iran
Iranian rapper receives death sentence for his work and support of human rights
The work of 33-year-old Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi is as poetic as it is technically challenging — covering topics ranging from government corruption to the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, he channels the voice of Iran’s disillusioned youth. This week, a revolutionary court in Isfahan overruled a previous court decision granting leniency for Salehi, and sentenced him to death.
A traditional Iranian sport has been closed off to women. One activist wants to change that.
Varzeshe Pahlavani is a mix of martial arts, wrestling and calisthenics. It has deep roots in Persian tradition going back centuries. The sport is officially closed off to women, but one female Iranian activist is trying to change that.
TarantisT bandleader on protests in Iran: ‘This is not protest anymore. This is a revolution’
In the Iranian diaspora community of Los Angeles, members of the heavy metal group TarantisT have added their artistic voices to the protests in Iran. Arash Rahbary is the band’s singer and bassist. He speaks to host Marco Werman.
Russia is using suicide drones in Ukraine. They’re coming from an unlikely source.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said this week that Russia has been deploying Iranian-made drones in his country, targeting civilian areas. The drones are relatively small and can fly at low altitude, evading Ukrainian radars, Zelenskiy said.
Satellite photos show damage at Iran prison amid protests
The fire erupted as nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the death of a young woman in the custody of the country’s morality police entered a fifth week. Tensions have escalated to a point unseen since the mass demonstrations that accompanied the country’s 2009 Green Movement protests.