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Iran Rebroadcasts 'Confessions,' Raising Fears Four Kurds May Have Been Executed.

Iranian state television has aired for the second time the "confessions" of four Kurdish political prisoners -- admissions their families and supporters say were coerced -- raising fears that they may have been executed.

Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, Mohsen Mazloum, and Hajir Faramarzi have been detained for four months and are thought to be part of a group of people who were identified by security police in November as allegedly being "Mossad-related agents."
On December 5, Javana Teymasi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloum, wrote in a tweet that she has no information about her husband's condition and that the rebroadcast of what she called his forced confession has added to her worries.
"We don't even know if their trial was held and if a verdict was issued or not. What is clear is that the link in their case is with the accusations of 'espionage,'" she wrote. "Rebroadcasting forced confessions and raising these accusations has worried the families." Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has previously identified the group as operatives from the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, but the party itself has denied the claim. It has said previously that several of its members have been arrested. In early November, the judiciary of the Islamic republic announced the indictment of 10 people who were identified as "Mossad-related agents" and announced that four of them were accused of "corruption on earth" -- a charge that is punishable by death and often leveled in cases allegedly involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran's government. Earlier this week, Iran executed four people it accused of working for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.

The four were identified as Hossein Ordukhanzadeh, Shahin Imani Mahmudabadi, Milad Ashrafi, and Manuchehr Shahbandi. They were accused of receiving weapons and funds in the form of cryptocurrency from Mossad.
Israel, as is its policy, has not commented on the accusations. Iran is currently in the throes of unrest as people take to the streets across the country to protest against the death on September 16 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was detained by the notorious morality police for wearing a head scarf improperly. Amini, who was taken into custody in Tehran, was from the Kurdish region of western Iran and many of the largest protests have taken there. Police have met the unrest with deadly force. The activist HRANA news agency said that, as of November 29, at least 459 protesters have been killed during the unrest, including 64 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization says the number of executions in Iran this year exceeds 500.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Arizona state House votes to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban.

Arizona state House votes to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban.

After three attempts, Arizona state House lawmakers voted to pass a bill that would repeal the near-total ban on abortion from 1864 that was upheld by the battleground state’s Supreme Court. » Subscribe to NBC News: NBC News Digital is a collectio...

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Man accused of punching women in NYC arrested

Man accused of punching women in NYC arrested

A man accused of #punching seven #women in #NewYorkCity has been arrested on suspicion of hate-motivated assaults. » Subscribe to NBC News: NBC News Digital is a collection of innovative and powerful news brands that deliver compelling, diverse an...

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China building huge new space army to blast targets from thousands of miles away.

China building huge new space army to blast targets from thousands of miles away.

CHINA is building a huge Star Wars army in space — tripling the number of its spy satellites in six years. Experts warn the Communist superpower could use them to support an invasion of Taiwan, with submarines firing missiles at targets that have ...

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What to expect from Supreme Court's presidential immunity arguments.

What to expect from Supreme Court's presidential immunity arguments.

NBC News Legal Analyst Joyce Vance joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss what to expect as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on former President Donald Trump’s presidential immunity claims. » Subscribe to NBC News: NBC News Digital is a col...

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'The Five': Could Trump be the first president in history to go to jail?.

'The Five': Could Trump be the first president in history to go to jail?.

'The Five' co-hosts react to the prosecution in NY v. Trump claiming the former president violated trial restrictions in a gag order showdown. #foxnews #thefive Subscribe to Fox News! Watch more Fox News Video: Watch Fox News Channel Live: FOX New...

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Meet the Press NOW — April 24

Meet the Press NOW — April 24

Pro-Palestinian protests continue to take place across universities nationwide. Arizona Statehouse lawmakers pass a bill that would repeal the near total ban on abortion upheld by the state’s Supreme Court. President Biden signs a 95 billion dolla...

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