Cyberdissidents.org Blogger Board Member Maikel Nabil writes "If you’re an atheist, then you’re lucky you aren’t in Bangladesh this week. Last Sunday, violence exploded in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, leaving at least 30 people dead. The violence was organized by a coalition of Islamic groups calling themselves “Hefazat-e Islam,” which means in...

Last week, the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted his third report to the Human Rights Council and it was not good news. Dr. Ahmad Shaheed expressed his grave concern about the deteriorating situation for Iran’s Baha'i population since his last report during the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly in October 2012. Human rights...

In 2008, in the midst of writing about a new law concerning Iranian women requiring a male guardian’s permission to leave the country, I stopped for a moment, closed my eyes and listened to my surroundings. The fast, mechanical sounds of typing took me back to the newsrooms in Iran before I left in 2006. A voice startled me from my reverie and returned me to my small living room that I...

The next Iranian presidential election is just months away, and the results of the last election are still bitterly disputed. Mass protests took place across Iran, following the 2009 election, where millions gathered in a contentious uproar over a perceived fraudulent electoral process. The demonstrations were sparked by the Green Movement candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi’s call for a fair and...

  Imprisoned Iranian lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who herself frequently represented imprisoned Iranian opposition activists and politicians, was granted a furlough for three days after spending the past 867 days in prison. For the first time in over two years, Sotoudeh was able to hug her young children. Her furlough meant a great deal to the Iranian social media community, which celebrated her...