Mehdi Beikoghli, of the Etemad newspaper, was involved in reporting on jailed anti-government demonstrators. Dozens of journalists have been arrested by the authorities in Iran, where censorship is widespread.

In 2018 there was at least 249 executions, at least 273 in 2019, at least 246 in 2020, at least 290 in 2021, and at least 425 so far in 2022.

Tehran is weaponizing the death penalty to punish individuals taking part in protests in order to strike fear into the Iranian population and stamp out dissent, the UN human rights chief said on January 10.

After carrying out two executions on Saturday and two in December, Iran plans to execute two more young men for participating in the ongoing nationwide protests. But resistance is coming from within Iran and abroad.

The leader of the Australian state of Victoria has ruled out a taxpayer-funded memorial for Cardinal George Pell. Victoria's state premier Daniel Andrews said it would be "deeply distressing" for sexual abuse survivors.

The Australian cricket team was going to play against their Afghan counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, however, Australia pulled out of the series over the Taliban's further restrictions on women's rights.

A former Iranian deputy defense minister with dual British citizenship has been executed, according to Iranian media. The death sentence had sparked international condemnation.

Siamak Namazi, who is detained in Iran on spying charges, has started a seven-day hunger strike. In an open letter, he appealed to US President Joe Biden to do more for detainees.

India has given the green light for foreign universities to set up campuses across the Asian nation. Educators have cautiously welcomed the Indian government's decision, but reservations remain. DW digs deeper.

'Today is also a test of our courage': Baerbock on Iran

The European Parliament and the head of the European Commission have advocated labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group, as diplomats from the bloc finalize the next round of sanctions on Iran.

Concern is growing for seven French nationals being held in Iran. Among them is Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris, who was arrested back in June of 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal.