Dreadful human rights violations by Iranian regime!
April 27, 2021, 10:03 am

Iranian regime

According to Amnesty International's annual report, Iran ranked second in the world last year in terms of the highest number of executions in the world. However, proportional to its population Iran had the highest number of executions and execution of women in the world. During Rouhani's 7 years of presidency, Iran executed more than 4,300 people, of whom 109 were women and at least 38 were juvenile. Presently, in only in 20 countries in the world, the death sentence is issued and carried out to punish the criminals, and 177 abolished death penalty.

For last year Amnesty International considering the Regime’s habit of carrying out large number of secret executions puts this figure at least 246. According to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) in Iran, it is more than 70% of these sentences were carried out secretly.

According to Amnesty International, Iran uses unusual methods that sometimes even violate the Islamic Republic’s law like; prohibiting the accused access to a lawyer, forced confession through torture and then televising the confession, not notifying accused’s family and relatives, and in case of execution of freestyle champion wrestler Navid Afkari not even informing the accused person of final sentence until the last moment. Last year the execution of the defendants, who were less than eighteen years old at the time of the alleged crime, continued.

The Iranian regime has used the death penalty as another "tool to suppress political dissent."

According to the report, in 2020, the Iranian regime, used execution as a mean to suppress ethnic minorities such as the people of Baluchistan, Kurdistan and Arabs in Khuzestan provinces, and in implementing this policy, at least 24 Baloch and 11 Kurds were executed. It is worth mentioning that these numbers of executions were on the top of 166 Kurdish Koolbar (goods transporter) and dozens of Baloch fuel transporter shot and killed by this repressive regime last year.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its annual report released on Tuesday, April 20, ranked Iran in the World Press Freedom Index 174 out of 180 countries. Even Syria, Iraq and Tajikistan ranked better than Iran in this table, and Afghanistan is far better than Iran in terms of press freedom, ranking 122nd.

According to RSF, the Iranian regime has always been at the bottom of the table since the publication of the World Press Freedom Index (2002) due to government crackdowns on freedom of information.

According to this report, at the time of coronavirus outbreak, the Iranian regime enforced stricter control on media, increased the number of detained and sentenced journalists to heavy prison terms and tried to stop the flow of accurate and precise information about infected and death toll and provide statistics that is much lower than real one.

RSF estimates that the death toll from coronavirus in Iran is more than double the number announced by Iranian regime officials (although the actual number has risen to more than 260,000 due to the Iranian regime's policies; Its people have not yet been vaccinated, which has put the country in a deadly situation) and emphasizes: The officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during this period, "In addition to restraining information in traditional and official media, as well as on the Internet, increased summoning, arresting and condemning newspapers and citizens-journalists, bloggers."

RSF report referred to the issuance and execution of death sentences against journalists in 2020 and specified: Iran has issued and executed the largest number of death sentences against journalists in the last 50 years. Last year, for example, Regime kidnapped Ruhollah Zam from Iraq and executed him after a kangaroo court.

by: Cyrus Yaqubi

Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the middle east countries in general and Iran in particular.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.