The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Scores of Iranian protesters and prominent political prisoners have reportedly been released in recent weeks under a limited amnesty announced by the authorities. They are said to include Iranian-French academic Farina Adelkhah, award-winning filmmaker Mohammad Rasulof, and human rights activist Farhad Meysami.

The authorities have not provided an official list of those released. But Iran’s reformist Etemad daily ran photos of some 50 newly freed figures on its front page on February 13. The newspaper reported that nearly 400 prisoners had been released as of February 11, adding that judicial officials were reviewing more cases.

The reported releases come after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 5 ordered an amnesty and the reduction of sentences for some prisoners. The announcement came ahead of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on February 11.

Why It Matters: The authorities have arrested some 20,000 people during the ongoing anti-regime protests that erupted in September. Many of them remain in detention, despite the amnesty.

Rights groups and activists have downplayed the limited amnesty. Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said the “so-called ‘pardon’ is nothing but a shameless public relations stunt that shows the completely arbitrary nature of justice in the Islamic republic, where arrests and releases are at the whim of the state.”

The Etemad daily, however, noted that such an amnesty is rare and could be “a sign of change” in the country. Others have called it a retreat by the clerical regime in the face of the protests, the biggest challenge to the authorities in decades.

"This is an achievement by the protest movement. The establishment would not release prisoners easily. They are in a position of weakness,” Paris-based political activist Taghi Rahmani, who has been jailed a number of times by the Islamic republic, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.

What's Next: More protesters and political prisoners could be released in the coming days. The authorities have been urged to free jailed journalists, activists, and environmentalists.

Despite freeing some of the regime's critics, the authorities are still going after other opponents. Reza Khandan, the husband of jailed human rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on February 14 that he has been summoned by the judiciary and ordered to serve a six- year suspended prison sentence.

Stories You Might Have Missed

• The presence of a Shah-era intelligence chief accused of human rights abuses at a pro-democracy rally in the United States has led to controversy among Iranians. Parviz Sabeti, the former deputy head of SAVAK, the feared security and intelligence service of the former shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was photographed at a rally on February 12.
• Several female protesters who were detained in Tehran during Iran’s brutal crackdown on antiestablishment protests spoke to Radio Farda. The women recalled the mistreatment they suffered at the hands of government agents and security officers, and described how they were beaten, threatened, and psychologically abused.

What We're Watching

A group of exiled opposition figures met at Georgetown University in Washington on February 10 to discuss the future of Iran’s pro-democracy movement. The group pleaded for unity and an end to infighting to help replace Iran's theocratic system with a secular democracy.

The attendees included the exiled former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, and rights activist Masih Alinejad.

"The Islamic republic has survived because of our differences, and we should put our differences aside until we come to the polling booth," Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, a member of the exiled group, said in a video message to the gathering.

What's Next: The group said it was working on establishing a charter for a transition to a new democratic system that would be followed by free elections. It remains unclear whether the group of eight exiled opposition figures and their proposals for a new political system will receive the backing of Iranian protesters and opposition figures inside Iran.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Opposition figure Mir Hossein Musavi has called for the "fundamental transformation" of Iran's theocratic political system as anti-regime protests continue to rage across the country. In a statement on February 4, the 80-year-old called for a "free" referendum and the drafting of a new constitution.

Musavi, a former prime minister who has been under house arrest since 2011, added that Iranians want change based on the slogan "Woman, life, freedom" -- which many have been chanting during the months of antiestablishment protests.

Seven prominent political prisoners, including reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh, backed Musavi's call in a joint statement on February 5.

Why It Matters: In the past, opposition figures inside Iran often called for reforms to the clerically led system. But Musavi's statement, in which he proposes a post-Islamic republic future, marks a shift. His comments appear to reflect a wider change in Iranian society.

"Iranians now share a broad-based consensus that something in the regime is broken and cannot be mended," Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs magazine. He said that "illusions of reforms" have been replaced by an "irrevocable demand for fundamental political change and freedom."

During the current protests, the biggest challenge to the regime in decades, demonstrators have attacked the symbols of the Islamic republic and overtly called for an end to clerical rule.

Musavi's comments have added to growing calls for political change in Iran. Former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, in a February 5 statement, did not go as far as Musavi. But he said there was "widespread discontent" in Iran and expressed hope that "nonviolent civil methods [will] force the governing system to change its approach and accept reforms."

What's Next: There is little sign that the authorities will alter their approach or make significant concessions. The regime is likely to double down on its position and continue to use violence to stamp out any opposition to its rule in the future.

The authorities recently ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for the thousands of people arrested during the deadly crackdown on the protests, suggesting the regime believes it has managed to end the unrest using force.

Stories You Might Have Missed

• Three medical workers who traveled to Iran's Kurdistan region to treat injured anti-regime protesters were arrested by the authorities, tortured, and charged with acting against national security, informed sources told RFE/RL. They are among the dozens of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who have been arrested during the crackdown on the protests.
• Iran looked forward to a tough winter in Europe that would allow Tehran to capitalize on its enormous natural gas resources. But when freezing temperatures arrived in Iran, perennial winter gas shortages served as a reminder of decades of failed energy policies and the country's difficulties in turning the situation around.

What We're Watching

Iran unveiled what it said was an underground air-force base on February 7. The base can accommodate fighter jets, bombers, and drones, according to state media, which released images and videos from inside the base. The location of the base was not disclosed, but state TV said it was "at the depth of hundreds of meters under the mountains" and capable of withstanding "bombs by strategic U.S. bombers."

The official IRNA news agency claimed that the base, named Eagle 44, is just one of the several underground air bases constructed in recent years. In May, state media published images of what it said was an underground drone base in western Iran.

What's Next: The unveiling of the base, which came as the country prepares to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, appears to be an attempt to show strength at a time when the clerical regime is facing mounting pressure at home and abroad.

It also comes after a suspected Israeli drone strike hit an Iranian military facility on January 28, in an attack that analysts said was part of a new effort to contain Tehran. The new "containment strategy" comes amid growing concerns over Iran's nuclear program and its supply of combat drones to Russia, which has allegedly used them in the war in Ukraine.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Golnaz Esfandiari

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.