by Jose Rosales — 28August2023 A Blueprint of the Future The European Union has agreed to assist Tunisia via financial investments in infrastructure, support in passing new budgetary reforms (the terms and final decision of which remains in the hands of the Tunisian government), given Tunisia’s willingness to collaborate in further “securing” EU borders by…

by Rezvaneh Mohammadi — 30July2023 What happens to queer individuals in Iranian prisons? In this report, Rezvaneh Mohammadi, who was a political prisoner in Iran, writes about prison conditions in Iran for LGBTQ+ people and in particular draws on the personal experiences of five trans and lesbian individuals. The experience…

by Jose Rosales — 29July2023 With Russia’s withdrawal from the 2022 Black Sea Grain Deal, the relationship between political-economy and the world market, on the one hand, and the vicissitudes of warfare, on the other, have become a problem that Russia (and its allies) and Ukraine (and its allies) are…

by Jose Rosales — 22July2023 Spain will head to the polls on Sunday after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a snap general election almost one month prior. For some, however, the stakes of this election and the strategy informing Sánchez’s decision may not have been immediately clear, thus…

by Tehran Bureau and Zamaneh Media — 21July2023 In the following two-part series of articles, we unwrap the IRGC’s three major media outlets: Tasnim and Fars news agencies, as well as the daily newspaper Javan. …

by Tehran Bureau and Zamaneh Media — 18July2023 In the following two-part series of articles, we unwrap the IRGC’s three major media outlets: Tasnim and Fars news agencies, as well as the daily newspaper Javan. A look at these media organizations’ board members uncovers a cohort of the Islamic Republic’s…

by by Mahmoud Sadri and Alireza Ghandriz* — 25June2023 Approximately from December 2022 and during the height of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” street protests in Iran, the shocking news of “student poisonings” in several all girl schools emerged and quickly spread on social and mass media, as did the reports…

by Mahmoud Sadri and Alireza Ghandriz* — 11June2023 A) Preface: Preserving the Environmental Viability of Sistan and Baluchistan Amidst Political Crisis The foundation of amicable neighborly relations is the convergence of interests and goodwill. However, the significance of pragmatic negotiations, predicated upon economic, political realities, and security considerations (in the Weberian sense of “Realpolitik [1]”), takes precedence over ceremonial formalities. Regrettably, the above…

by Lily Mafi — 8June2023 “Nature needs its advocates.” These words were shared by Aras Amiri, a former British Council arts manager and ex-Evin prisoner, in her opening speech at “Rira: The Call of Iran’s Environmentalist Prisoners” on Monday, June 5th at the University of Edinburgh. “Rira,” the name of…