Asylum seekers dreaming of Australia stuck on island ‘hell’
These asylum seekers dream of a promised land, but many end up in island camps far from Australia’s pristine shores.
Author: Ershad Alijani
Iranians defy ban on images of reformist ex-president Khatami
Earlier this week, Iran’s federal prosecutors decreed that it was illegal for the media to publish photos or news about former president Mohamed Khatami.
Residents struggle to breathe as dust storms batter Iran
For more than a week dust storms have been battering southwestern Iran, especially the region of Khouzestan and its capital Ahvaz
Iran’s wetlands: a ‘real massacre’ for migratory birds
Every fall, millions of migratory birds from all over Europe head to Iran. One of their favoured destinations is the wetlands near Fereydunkenar,
Video: Shiite militias use same brutal tactics as Islamic State
A disturbing video filmed by soldiers fighting for the Kurdish Peshmerga reveals gruesome tactics used by Shiite militias battling to push
From Syria to Europe: A human trafficker’s tale
One of our Observers in Turkey was able to secretly record a conversation in which a human smuggler describes his work. In the recording,
Afghan migrants offered $500 by Iran to fight for Syrian regime
Iran has been accused of recruiting and sending Afghanistan’s Shia Muslims to fight alongside the Assad regime in war-torn Syria.
The woman encouraging a hijab revolution in Iran
Over the past week, women in Iran have been posting photos of themselves without their hijabs on a Facebook page called “Stealthy Freedoms”,
Iran’s hardliners launch campaign against ‘improper’ dress
Every year, as the weather warms up, the Iranian morality police come out in full force to patrol the streets and stop women
Self-censorship on the rise in Iran’s underground art scene
Many artists in Iran have two careers: a public one, and a secret one. They exhibit pieces that they know wouldn’t make it past
Ershad Alijani 