BBC speaks with civilians inside Iran struggling with impact of war
Iranian authorities have imposed an internet ban but using trusted sources, special correspondent Fergal Keane hears from those traumatised by conflict and government repression.
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Iranian activist tells BBC how fear of war restarting intensifies trauma of repression
A dissident in Tehran says she feels helpless and under immense psychological pressure.
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His father had just been buried. Then West Bank settlers forced him to dig up the body
The UN human rights office condemns incident as "'appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians" in the West Bank.
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Iran steps up crackdown on Baha’is with raids, arrests
Iran’s security and judicial authorities have stepped up a crackdown on the Baha’i religious minority with arrests, home raids, and property seizures across several cities in the country, people familiar with the matter told Iran International.
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Israel deports two activists detained on board Gaza flotilla
Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Ávila were detained by Israel after sailing in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
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Nobel laureate’s smuggled memoir details beatings and neglect in Iranian prisons
Writing by Narges Mohammadi, arrested 14 times for activism, offers a disturbing insight into treatment In an exclusive extract of writing smuggled from prison in Iran, the Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has described the “torture” of solitary confinement, and her systematic medical neglect by the prison system. The writing from the past decade will be part of a soon to be published memoir that gives a rare and alarming insight into the treatment of Mohammadi, who is in critical condition. It details beatings, constant interrogations, deprivation of medical care and long stretches in solitary confinement during her numerous imprisonments.
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‘Blindfolded, I sat down slowly. Then the interrogation began’: Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi on the torture of solitary confinement
Sentenced to 44 years in prison for her political activism, she is now critically ill and her family warn she may soon die in custody. In this exclusive excerpt from her writings, smuggled out of prison at immense risk, Mohammadi describes the horror of her incarceration The cell had no ventilation. At the top of the door, at the highest point, there was a window set close to the ceiling, covered with a perforated metal sheet.
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Trump Says US Still Has Potential Targets In Iran
New posts 22:40 Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Transferred To Tehran Hospital Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a hospital in Tehran, her foundation said on May 10, amid reports that she is "on the brink of death" due to harsh prison conditions.
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Israeli settlers dig up Palestinian grave and force family to rebury father
Israeli settlers dig up Palestinian grave and force family to rebury father Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank dug up the grave of 80-year-old Palestinian Hussein Asasa just hours after his burial, forcing his family to exhume and rebury his body in another cemetery near Jenin. Mohammed Asasa said settlers arrived at the village cemetery under the protection of Israeli forces and ordered the family to remove the body, claiming the land belonged to the nearby illegal Sa-Nur settlement recently re-established by Israel. "They had dug out the grave and reached the body.
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Israel says it deported activists detained from Gaza-bound flotilla mission
Israel says it deported activists detained from Gaza-bound flotilla mission Israel says it has deported two activists detained after the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla. In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila were removed from the country following the completion of an investigation. “After their investigation was completed, the two professional provocateurs, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila, from the provocation flotilla, were deported today from Israel,” the ministry said.
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Amnesty praises expected release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists
Amnesty praises expected release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists Amnesty International official Erika Guevara Rosas has welcomed reports that Israel intends to release two activists seized from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. The activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, were detained after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla on 29 April and taken to Israel, where they later alleged abuse while in custody. “According to Sally Issa, Saif’s wife, the release is imminent, bringing a sense of hope after days of unlawful detention and abuse by Israeli authorities,” Rosas said in a post on X.
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Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions
Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions A human rights group, the Red Ribbons Campaign, has “condemned in the strongest terms” efforts by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to advance death penalty legislation targeting Palestinians . The group, which raises awareness about the 9,100 Palestinians that are held unlawfully in Israeli detention, described the minister as the “hangman of the century” for seeking the execution of Palestinians. It warned that many Palestinians held by Israel could now face execution under the proposed measures.
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Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions
Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 05/09/2026 - 21:29 The right-wing minister faces mounting international condemnation over plans to execute Palestinian prisoners Palestinians take part in a protest a day before Palestinian Prisoners' Day, in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, on 16 April 2026 (Yosri Aljamal/Reuters) Off A human rights group, the Red Ribbons Campaign, has “condemned in the strongest terms” efforts by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to advance death penalty legislation targeting Palestinians . The group, which raises awareness about the 9,100 Palestinians that are held unlawfully in Israeli detention, described the minister as the “hangman of the century” for seeking the execution of Palestinians. It warned that many Palestinians held by Israel could now face execution under the proposed measures.
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UN says Israel displaced nearly 40,000 Palestinians in West Bank
UN says Israel displaced nearly 40,000 Palestinians in West Bank Israel has driven nearly 40,000 Palestinians from their homes across the occupied West Bank since the start of last year, according to the United Nations. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, cited data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs during a briefing at UN headquarters in New York. He said ongoing demolitions and other Israeli measures continue to force Palestinians from their homes.
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Jewish settler attack wounds two Palestinian women in occupied West Bank
Jewish settler attack wounds two Palestinian women in occupied West Bank Israeli settlers have wounded two Palestinian women in an attack on communities south of Nablus, Wafa reported. Witnesses said a group of settlers threw stones at homes in the Wadi al-Hajj Issa area between Jurish village and the town of Aqrabah on Saturday evening. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its teams treated two women wounded in the assault, including a 35-year-old pregnant woman and a 65-year-old woman.
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EU chief urges increased humanitarian access in south Lebanon
EU chief urges increased humanitarian access in south Lebanon European Union Crisis Management Chief Hadja Lahbib urged for increased access for humanitarian aid currently struggling to get into areas in southern Lebanon which have been bombarded by Israeli strikes. “Humanitarian aid is ready, but too often it cannot reach those who need it most,” Lahib told a news conference on Saturday ahead of an expected EU aid delivery.
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Israeli settlers force Palestinian family to exhume father’s body in West Bank
Israeli settlers force Palestinian family to exhume father’s body in West Bank Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 05/09/2026 - 13:36 Under military protection, settlers threw stones as a grieving family was forced to remove their father’s remains for reburial elsewhere Settlers said the grave was too close to the recently re-established settlement of Sa-Nur near Jenin, despite the family having obtained permits to bury him there (X/screengrab) Off Israeli settlers forced a Palestinian family on Friday to exhume their father's body from a cemetery in the occupied West Bank. The settlers said the grave was too close to the recently re-established settlement of Sa-Nur, near Jenin, located around 300m from the burial site. This was despite the family of Hussein Asasa reportedly obtaining the necessary Israeli permits to bury him there.
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Israel set to release two Gaza flotilla activists, representatives say
Israel set to release two Gaza flotilla activists, representatives say Two Gaza flotilla activists imprisoned by Israel are set to be released from detention, according to a rights group representing them. The activists, who are Spanish and Brazilian nationals, were captured by Israeli forces in international waters while aboard a vessel carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. They were taken to Greece before being transferred to an Israeli prison, where they reportedly suffered abuse, according to the rights group.
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Palestinian Christian body warns EU they are under existential threat
Palestinian Christian body warns EU they are under existential threat A delegation from the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine warned European Union officials that current Israeli policies pose a grave threat to the survival of the historic Palestinian Christian presence in the region, Wafa news reports. During a meeting in Brussels, organised in cooperation with the Mission of the State of Palestine to the EU, Reverend Dr Mitri Raheb highlighted the dramatic decline in the Palestinian Christian population and drew attention to the targeting of churches, Christian institutions and educational facilities in Gaza. Raheb called on the EU to adopt clearer and more decisive positions in defence of international law, human rights, and accountability, adding that protecting the Palestinian Christian community is a moral, humanitarian and international responsibility.
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'Integrity costs something': Eurovision winners want Israel out of the contest
'Integrity costs something': Eurovision winners want Israel out of the contest Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 14:43 Former champions call for boycott of event over 'catastrophe' in Gaza and say show cannot be separated from political reality 2013 Eurovision winner, Danish singer Emmelie de Forest, performs on stage during the song contest 2014 Grand Final in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 10 May 2014 (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP) Off The organisers of the Eurovision song contest have always maintained that they want to keep politics out of the event. In practice, however, politics has always played a major role, with rows over international affairs, human rights and domestic unrest popping up each year. The 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal that overthrew the country's dictatorship and led to independence for its African colonies was sparked off by the airing of Portugal's Eurovision entry for that year, E depois do adeus ("And After the Farewell"), by Paulo de Carvalho.
