Introduction of 10 Newsworthy Figures in 1395

The initial list of names of the most newsworthy figures of 1395 has been compiled with the collaboration and inquiries from the editorial team of Radio Farda. You, the listeners of Radio Farda, can participate in selecting the most newsworthy figure of the year for the sixth consecutive year through the Radio Farda website. The editorial team of Radio Farda has introduced their nominees for the title of 'Most Newsworthy Figure of 1395 as chosen by Radio Farda's audience,' resulting in a list of 10 individuals that you can read about in alphabetical order. 1. Plasco Firefighters: On the last day of Dey 1395, the Plasco building in Tehran, known as the first high-rise building in Tehran from the 1960s, caught fire. Hours after the fire spread to the upper floors, the Plasco collapsed. In the early hours of this incident, one firefighter present at the scene was injured and died due to the severity of his injuries. 15 other firefighters who were inside the building to extinguish the fire and rescue people were also trapped under the rubble. Along with these firefighters, five ordinary citizens, including shopkeepers and employees of the Plasco building, were also trapped. Ultimately, after 9 days of debris removal and search operations, none of those trapped were found alive. In total, 16 firefighters lost their lives in the Plasco incident, and a funeral ceremony for these firefighters was held with the presence of many people from Tehran. 2. Khaleghi, Minou: An environmentalist and women's rights activist, she was elected as a representative from Isfahan in the 10th parliamentary elections in Esfand last year, but the Guardian Council rejected her qualification after the elections and announcement of results, preventing her from entering the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Minou Khaleghi is the niece of Nasser Khaleghi, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Mohammad Khatami's government. The Guardian Council cited her disqualification and annulment of votes due to the publication of images of her without a hijab in public spaces. Despite efforts and insistence from the Ministry of Interior officials and some representatives for her presence in the parliament, ultimately, with the opinion of the Supreme Council for Resolving Differences among Branches and as one representative stated, the approval of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Minou Khaleghi could not enter the parliament as a representative from Isfahan. 3. Sadeghi, Mahmoud: A lawyer, professor of law at Tarbiat Modares University, and a licensed attorney, he was able to enter the parliament through the reformist list known as the Hope List in the 10th parliamentary elections. He is currently a representative from Tehran in the parliament. In November, he called on judicial officials to respond to rumors regarding the personal accounts of the head of the judiciary that had been published in some media. Mahmoud Sadeghi's statements faced severe backlash from judicial officials, ultimately leading to a nighttime and mobile arrest warrant being issued for him, and his resistance against judicial agents made headlines. His tweets on various social and political issues, including doctoral scholarships in the previous government and the real estate transfer case in Tehran's municipality, also contributed to his newsworthiness this year. 4. Alizadeh, Kimia: An Iranian taekwondo athlete who won a bronze medal in the 57 kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics, making her the first and only Iranian female athlete to win an Olympic medal. At just 18 years old, Kimia Alizadeh is also the youngest medalist from Iran in Olympic history. 5. Farhadi, Asghar: An Iranian director, filmmaker, and screenwriter. In 2012, he won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with 'A Separation,' marking him as the first Iranian director to win this award in the history of Iranian and world cinema. In 1395, Asghar Farhadi achieved another record for Iranian and world cinema. At the Cannes Film Festival that year, his film 'The Salesman' won the Best Screenplay award for Farhadi, and Shahab Hosseini, the lead actor, won the Best Actor award. However, this was not the end of Asghar Farhadi's successes; this film also earned him a second Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, immortalizing his name. In protest against the U.S. government's policy of imposing entry restrictions on citizens of seven countries, including Iran, Farhadi declined to attend the Oscars, and Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian in space, and Firouz Naderi, an Iranian astronomer and NASA scientist, represented him at the ceremony and read his message. 6. Kiarostami, Abbas: A renowned Iranian director, filmmaker, screenwriter, and photographer, considered one of the influential filmmakers in the world. Abbas Kiarostami's works and his unique filmmaking style are recognized globally among cinema enthusiasts. With over 40 feature, short, and documentary films, he is one of the most well-known filmmakers in the world. His film 'Taste of Cherry' won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, and he was nominated for the Palme d'Or five times. In 1395, after a relatively long illness, he passed away in France at the age of 76. Negligence and medical errors in his treatment and the news and reactions surrounding his death were among the most newsworthy events of the year. 7. Mohammadi, Narges: A human rights activist, political activist, and one of the founders of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, where she serves as spokesperson. Narges Mohammadi is currently in Evin prison, having been tried in various branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Court on various charges, resulting in a total of 16 years of imprisonment. During her interrogation and under the psychological and physical pressures of detention and interrogation, she developed mental health issues and muscular paralysis. One of her main charges is her activities in the Defenders of Human Rights Center and launching a campaign called 'Legam' or gradual abolition of the death penalty. The prison officials' prevention of her phone contact with her two young children coincided with her hunger strike, prompting Twitter users and other social media users to support her. Since Narges Mohammadi has been in prison, many international human rights organizations have called for her release. 8. Motahari, Ali: A representative from Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, he has held this position for the last three parliamentary terms. He is known for his outspoken nature in expressing his opinions. Mr. Motahari has made headlines several times due to his critical and protest statements over the years, including regarding the house arrest and imprisonment of the leaders of the 2009 election protests, and has even clashed with hardline conservatives over these protests and criticisms. Ali Motahari was included in the reformist coalition's list in the 10th parliamentary elections. His qualification was initially rejected by the Central Supervisory Council, but after objections, the Guardian Council approved the Tehran representative's qualification, allowing him to enter the parliament again. Ali Motahari is the second deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and continues to express his opinions on various issues, which often provoke backlash from hardline conservatives. 9. Montazeri, Ahmad: The eldest son of Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a Shia cleric. After the death of Ayatollah Montazeri, he took over the office and household of Ayatollah Montazeri. The release of an audio file of a meeting between Ayatollah Montazeri and a delegation responsible for the execution of political prisoners in the summer of 1988 led to Ahmad Montazeri being summoned to the Special Court for Clergy, where he faced charges of acting against national security due to the publication of confidential documents and propaganda against the regime. Ultimately, Ahmad Montazeri was sentenced to 21 years in prison, but the court, citing respect for the blood of his martyr brother and consideration of his age and special circumstances, declared only six years of that sentence enforceable. Ahmad Montazeri was arrested in Esfand this year for the execution of his sentence but was released after one day. It is said that a request from Ayatollah Shabiri Zanjani and the approval of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic led to his release. Zahra Rabani Ameli, Ahmad Montazeri's wife, stated in an interview that Ayatollah Khamenei opposed the execution of her husband's sentence, but Ebrahim Raisi, the special prosecutor for the clergy, who was a member of the delegation that met with Ayatollah Montazeri in the summer of 1988, insisted on enforcing this sentence. 10. Hashemi Rafsanjani, Akbar: The head of the Expediency Discernment Council, former president, and former speaker of the parliament of Iran, and representative from Tehran in the Assembly of Experts. He was a candidate in the Assembly of Experts elections in 1394 and was able to enter this assembly again by receiving over 2.3 million votes as the first candidate from Tehran. In his campaign, he emphasized that 'the republicanism and Islamism of the system have weakened.' He had become one of the critics of the government's behavior towards dissenters during the controversial 2009 elections and the events that followed. In Dey of this year, while swimming in the pool of the Koushk complex in Saadabad, he suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 82. The funeral prayer for him was held by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and his burial ceremony, attended by a large number of people from Tehran, generated many controversies. His body was buried next to the grave of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and his son Ahmad Khomeini. Newsworthy figures from the past five periods: In the first period of the newsworthy figure selection poll held by Radio Farda in 1390, Prince Reza Pahlavi, a political activist and son of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last king of Iran, was chosen as the most newsworthy figure of 1390 by Radio Farda's audience. In the second period of this competition in 1391, the audience of Radio Farda selected Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist who was imprisoned in Evin prison in Tehran that year, as the newsworthy figure of that year. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, was awarded the title of most newsworthy figure of 1392 by Radio Farda's audience in the third period of this competition. In 1393, in the fourth period of these competitions, Mohammad Javad Zarif was again chosen as the most newsworthy figure of the year by Radio Farda's audience for the second consecutive time. In 1394, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was involved in negotiations with the foreign ministers of the P5+1 countries regarding Iran's nuclear file, was awarded the title of most newsworthy figure of the year for the third consecutive time by Radio Farda's audience.