All articles tagged with #crackdown
As NATO's summit nears in Ankara, Turkish authorities widen a crackdown on public life, arresting hundreds, jailing a comedian for insults to the president, blocking an LGBTQ+ cruise from docking, and detaining journalists, prompting rights groups to warn of shrinking freedoms of speech and assembly amid ongoing opposition and media repression.
Vietnam, long a global hub for counterfeit luxury goods, is intensifying IP enforcement amid international pressure and US concerns, with raids in Ho Chi Minh City and market closures targeting thousands of fakes; authorities aim to boost IP violations busts and curb online piracy, though many locals still rely on affordable knockoffs and sellers continually adapt to evade rules.
An Istanbul court ordered pre-trial detention for stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş after complaints over a June routine that mocked President Erdoğan and referenced the Quran; prosecutors accuse him of inciting hatred and insulting the president. The arrest fits a broader Turkish crackdown on dissent, with detentions and media restrictions escalating ahead of NATO summit-related security measures.
An Iranian court sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight collaborators to 74 lashes for performing without hijab, plus a two-year ban on leaving the country and performing, signaling a hardening of religious enforcement under Iran’s postwar leadership.
President Kais Saied’s government suspended the Tunisian League for Human Rights, one of Africa’s oldest rights groups, signaling a broadening crackdown on civil society and drawing domestic and international criticism over shrinking space for independent organizations.
A Bahraini man, Sayed Mohammed Al-Mousawi, disappeared after a Ramadan night out and eight days later his body was returned from detention with extensive injuries; officials say the death was due to cardiopulmonary arrest amid espionage charges, while rights groups allege mistreatment, highlighting a broader Gulf crackdown on dissent and social-media activity and prompting UN calls for an independent investigation into his death and due-process concerns.
Russia escalates regulatory pressure on Telegram as tensions with founder Pavel Durov deepen, signaling a broader clampdown on the messaging platform.
As the new semester begins, students at multiple Iranian universities—including Tehran’s Sharif and Amirkabir—held anti-government demonstrations, reviving a nationwide movement that had been crushed in a deadly crackdown. Videos show chants like 'Death to the dictator' and reported tensions or arrests on campus, with state media noting limited incidents while rights groups say thousands were killed in the crackdown, highlighting ongoing dissent against the clerical regime.
A new Trump administration order could lead to the detention of thousands of legally admitted refugees in the United States, sparking protests such as a Minnesota rally urging leaders to back economic recovery amid the crackdown.
Exclusive Guardian images and survivor testimonies from Tehran detail a January 2026 crackdown in which security forces allegedly killed thousands of protesters, with accounts of pellet injuries, live-fire shootings, and mass casualties after a nationwide internet blackout.
Weeks after Iran's protests were violently crushed, authorities have expanded a nationwide dragnet, with activists citing more than 50,000 arrests though verification is difficult. Detainees are held incommunicado, moved between prisons such as Evin and Qarchak, and targeted across society—from students and doctors to minors as young as 13—while banks, SIM cards, and relatives' property are often confiscated. The death toll remains disputed as international groups call for accountability while crackdown intensifies.
Iran’s security services have launched a broad nationwide crackdown on protests, raiding homes and workplaces and detaining thousands—often incommunicado for days or weeks. The detainees include at least 107 university students, 82 minors as young as 13, 19 lawyers and 106 doctors, with families reporting disappearances as authorities track people via cameras and imprison them in facilities such as Evin and Qarchak. Activist groups say arrests exceed 50,000 (AP cannot verify); deaths are tallied by rights groups at over 7,000, while the government cites about 3,117. Authorities are restricting legal counsel and contact with families, freezing bank accounts and SIM cards, amid an economy battered by sanctions and mismanagement, even as some civic groups issue defiant statements.
An Iranian beautician in Karaj filmed Jan. 8 protests as security forces fired tear gas and live rounds, part of a nationwide crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands; her videos document courage and fear amid a monthlong internet blackout, with many protesters hiding as the regime tightens its grip.
Despite the administration’s pledge to remove 700 federal officers from Minnesota, residents report little change as ICE activity remains high in the Twin Cities. Officials say more than 2,000 agents are still in the area, raids continue, and the Metro Surge crackdown has yielded over 4,000 arrests, with no clear timeline for a full drawdown.
Weeks after January’s crackdown on protests, Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery is filled with mourners laying flowers on graves from protesters and security officers alike, including a mother who asked CNN not to film. Outside the city, locals at the Grand Bazaar describe despair driven by inflation and currency volatility, saying residents face two grim choices: go to the streets and risk lethal force or stay home and risk hunger. CNN’s access was allowed with government permission, underscoring Iran’s restrained media environment as the crackdown continues.