News Digest: Week of December 2

December 2

Diplomatic: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to discuss the escalation in Syria following the rebel offensive. The two leaders expressed their support for the Assad regime and discussed continued cooperation under the Astana Model to end conflict in Syria in coordination with Turkey.

 

Domestic: Iranian rapper, Toomaj Salehi, was released from prison after being held since October 2022 for his support for the Women, Life, Freedom protests that broke out after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Salehi’s lyrics had previously been critical of the government. 

International: Israeli security service Shin Bet said that it had identified more than 200 Iranian attempts to steal the personal information of Israeli senior government officials, academics, journalists, and others.

December 3

Domestic: An Iranian prosecutor temporarily suspended the prison sentence for prominent human rights activist Narges Mohammadi for three weeks, allowing her to recover from an operation to remove suspected cancer. Her family said that the recovery time was insufficient as Mohammadi was “unable to walk” and required specialized medical care for a minimum of three months.