Iranian

Alabama University to Pay $4 Million After Jury Finds Discrimination Against Iranian Cancer Researcher

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Birmingham, Ala. – An Iranian-born cancer researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was awarded a hefty sum in a discrimination lawsuit after enduring years of harassment that escalated to threats with a firearm. The federal jury ruled that the university should compensate Fariba Moeinpour with $3 million, while her colleague, found to have harassed her, must pay nearly $1 million in both compensatory and punitive damages. Moeinpour, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran, began her tenure at the university in 2011, working in a cancer research lab. She claimed that the harassment started … Read more

Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof Wins Special Jury Prize at Cannes for Film Highlighting Injustice Amid Personal and National Struggle

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Cannes, France – Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, recently escaped from Iran, has been honored at the Cannes Film Festival with a special jury prize for his latest movie, which deep dives into the trials of a court investigator amid anti-government protests. Rasoulof, 51, faced with a harsh prison sentence in Iran, expressed his emotions through his film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which spotlighted the plight of his team still facing pressures in Iran. In his heartfelt acceptance speech, Rasoulof dedicated his award to his courageous film crew in Iran, stressing the continued surveillance … Read more

Iranian Lawyer Detained After Challenging Government’s Response to Protests Sparked by Mahsa Amini’s Death

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Tehran, Iran — Mohsen Borhani, a well-known Iranian lawyer and academic, has been arrested following his public critique of the government’s handling of widespread protests in 2022, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini died in police custody after being detained for purportedly not adhering to the country’s strict hijab regulations, igniting calls for reform against Iran’s longstanding clerical regime. These events led to a global outcry, with a United Nations fact-finding mission determining Amini’s death to be unwarranted and violent, further noting her passing led to significant human rights abuses during the … Read more

Iranian Film “The Great Yawn of History” Wins Special Jury Award at Berlin International Film Festival

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TEHRAN, Iran – Aliyar Rasti, a talented Iranian filmmaker, achieved a remarkable feat at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. His debut feature film, “The Great Yawn of History,” won the prestigious Special Jury Award in the Encounters Competition Section. It shared the honor with Qiu Yang’s “Some Rain Must Fall” from China. Rasti’s film premiered at the 2024 Berlinale, marking a significant milestone in his career. “The Great Yawn of History” takes viewers on a captivating journey through the Iranian landscape. The story revolves around a man who dreams of discovering a box of … Read more