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Washington — The son of Iran’s last monarch, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, used a speech to Israeli American activists in Washington on Friday to urge them to act in support of his campaign to oust Iran’s Islamist rulers. In an interview with VOA shortly after his speech at the Israeli-American Council national summit, Pahlavi answered a question about what kind of action he wants to see from Israelis by citing the concepts of “maximum pressure” against the Islamic Republic and “maximum support” for the Iranian people. He said that support includes fomenting “civil disobedience movements” in Iran and said it is “important to fund” them. After VOA published its initial story on Friday, highlighting Pahlavi’s reference to funding civil disobedience movements in Iran in his answer to the question about what he is urging Israelis to do, some of his supporters in the Iranian diaspora used the social media X platform to express doubt about Pahlavi’s stated position. Those supporters said they did not believe Pahlavi was calling on Israelis to provide financial support to dissidents in Iran. Rather, they said they believed he was referring to diaspora Iranians as the people who should do the funding. In a statement sent to VOA on Saturday, an aide to Pahlavi said the U.S.-based crown prince’s comment about funding civil disobedience movements such as protests and labor strikes in Iran had been misinterpreted in the initial VOA story. “The crown prince has long been a strong advocate for the establishment of a labor strike fund, emphasizing its importance in empowering the Iranian people in their fight for freedom,” the aide said. “He believes that such a fund could be financed using Iran's blocked assets, asserting that this money rightfully belongs to the Iranian people, not the regime.” The Washington event at which Pahlavi spoke is an annual gathering of Israeli American activists, their Jewish American allies and other Israel supporters. Pahlavi drew cheers and standing ovations from the audience for urging Israelis to work with Iranians to oust the radical clerics who have ruled Iran since overthrowing his father in 1979. The speech was his most high-profile outreach to Israelis since traveling to Israel in April 2023, when he became the most prominent Iranian opposition figure to make a public visit to the Jewish state. The following transcript of Pahlavi’s interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: In your IAC speech, you urged the audience to take action. What kinds of actions do you expect to see from Israeli Americans, Israelis in general and the Israeli government when it comes to achieving regime change? Reza Pahlavi, exiled Iranian crown prince: There are two major components in this campaign. On one hand, it is important to put maximum pressure on the regime. Parallel to that is maximum support for the people of Iran. We are trying to foment civil disobedience movements within Iran, ranging from protests to labor strikes. It is important to fund them. Many diaspora Iranians would like to help. But U.S. sanctions make it almost impossible for them to, for instance, transfer money back home. Many aspects of the sanctions rules have to change to facilitate that. It requires a new U.S. policy. There also needs to be an appropriate media strategy to counter the regime's propaganda machinery. All aspects of the campaign should be coordinated with some key governments that can help. VOA: Iran and its main proxy Hezbollah are once again threatening revenge against Israel for alleged Israeli attacks on Hezbollah communications devices in Lebanon this week. What is your message to the Islamic Republic as it considers its next move? Pahlavi: There is no message to give to warmongers who stand against freedom, peace, human rights and even our national identity. Iranians, by the millions, have shown how much they despise this regime and want to tell the world that it does not represent us. Iranians are peace lovers. We want to have good relationships with our neighborhood — with Arabs, Israelis and the rest of the world. This is why I’m not going to waste my time telling the regime anything. At the end of the day, the solution is for the Iranian people themselves to put an end to this regime. But as I said in my speech, they have done all of this work alone so far. They need extra support to have a chance of success. VOA: In the audience, some Iranian Muslims waved Iran’s former Lion and Sun flag and chanted your name, reflecting the support you have in the diaspora for your friendship toward Israel. But there also are some in the diaspora who accuse you of supporting Israeli aggression toward Palestinians and others in the region. What is your message to Iranians who are skeptical of your view that they need to embrace Israel to achieve regime change? Pahlavi: I think a strategic partnership with a country like Israel brings a tremendous amount of opportunities for sharing technological knowhow. One of the reasons for my trip to Israel was to explore the possibilities of using their expertise in water management for agriculture. We are facing a drought and water crisis in Iran, so we need to have a cordial relationship with such governments. It is unfortunate that when we have such a conflict [like the Israel-Hamas war], there always are casualties. Of course, my heart goes out to many victims. The main problem is the regime itself. As long as it is there, it will not allow for normalization [of relations in the region], or for stability and peace. I’ve been insisting for years that as long as you don’t eliminate the source of the problem, which finances terrorism and forces governments to act and react, we will never be rid of it. The solution is for this regime to go. That is what the majority of the Iranian people are calling for. And what I’ve been calling for is solidarity. I think governments, including Israel, are very cognizant of, and know the difference between, the people of Iran and the regime that has nothing to do with the people’s aspirations. The regime is only there to represent its own self-interest at the expense of the Iranian people. This story was produced in collaboration with VOA’s Persian Service.

100 people were killed and 400 injured by Israeli air strikes in Lebanon in the latest escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The UN General Assembly is underway in New York, and US President Joe Biden is preparing to address the conference for the final time as President. In a move widely condemned by free speech advocates, Israeli forces raid the offices of Al Jazeera and confiscate equipment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the US as Ukraine strikes major weapons storage facilities inside Russia, and Sri Lanka has a new president.

geneva — United Nations investigators are accusing the Belarusian government of Alexander Lukashenko of instilling “a pervasive climate of fear by quashing all avenues of dissent” by systematically oppressing its perceived political opponents. “Measures of repression and intimidation aimed at suppressing dissent continue unabated in Belarus, particularly in the lead-up to the presidential election scheduled in 2025,” Karinna Moskaleko, chair of the Group of independent Experts told the U.N. human rights council Monday. Moskaleko presented a searing account of widespread human rights violations, abuse, and horrific cases of cruelty and deprivation in this first oral update of the human rights situation in Belarus by the Expert Group, newly created by the council in March. She read out a list of abuses committed in Belarus since May 2020, when nationwide protests erupted, following Lukashenko’s decision to seek another term as president. Among those cited are arbitrary deprivation of the right to life and to liberty, torture and ill-treatment, including sexual and gender-based violence, denial of a fair trial, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. “While sexual and gender-based violence is underreported, there is credible information some women and men in detention have been threatened with rape and subjected to forced nudity and cavity searches,” Moskaleko said. “We continue to observe a misuse of national security and criminal laws to silence any dissent. Individuals perceived as political opponents continue to be charged and arrested under the criminal code, for exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and association,” she said, adding that “free trial rights are systematically violated.” The report notes that Belarusians forced into exile continue to be harassed by Lukashenko’s government, that their assets and properties are seized and relatives left behind are intimidated by the authorities. The group of experts accused the government “for the near-total destruction of civic space and fundamental freedoms,” with most of the opposition either imprisoned or forced into exile since the 2020 elections … creating a chilling effect on any participation in activities “perceived as critical of the government.” Lukashenko recently pardoned dozens of people who had been convicted for participating in the 2020 protests. While welcoming the announced release, Moskaleko noted that “they represent only a small fraction of those who have been arrested” and urged the government to promptly release “all those arbitrarily detained on politically motivated charges.” Larysa Belskaya, Belarusia ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva was unimpressed by what she heard and told “the West,” which she claimed was behind the report, “to stop meddling in our domestic affairs.” She said next year’s presidential election will be the domestic affair of a sovereign state. “We do not need foreign approval or disapproval regarding the outcome of our peoples’ expression of their will,” she said. “Belarus, like the overwhelming majority of developing countries, does not accept interference in its domestic affairs or pressure or sanctions.” This set off a spirited debate in the council with Western countries strongly condemning the persecution and intimidation of all segments of Belarusian society. They demanded an end to the government’s repressive policies and urged the immediate release of all political prisoners. They denounced the Belarusian government’s support of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and called for an end to its complicity in the illegal deportation of Ukranian children by Russia. Michele Taylor, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. human rights council in Geneva, condemned the ongoing repression in Belarus “including the use of torture, arbitrary detention, intimidation, harassment of families of political prisoners and transnational repression of Belarusians.” On the other hand, Stanislav Kovpak, chief counselor at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Multilateral Human Rights Cooperation deplored “the double standards and biased approach in assessing the situation in Belarus.” “At the same time, the role of the West is hushed up as is their significant support for the opposition who has emigrated,” he said, criticizing the use of illegal restrictive measures by Western countries against the Belarusian economy … “and the stirring up of anti-government feeling by Western-controlled, biased media.” He rebuked the group of experts who “worked here in gross violation of the basic principles of impartiality that should underpin the human rights body.” Addressing the council via videolink, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she was speaking for the more than 1,400 political prisoners who could not speak for themselves, along with the teachers, doctors and activists behind bars for “speaking the truth and dreaming of freedom.” “Many of them are held in complete isolation, incommunicado … no letters, no phone calls, no contact with the outside world. My husband Syarhei has been cut off for over a year. I do not know if he is alive,” she said. Syarhei Tsikhanouski was arrested and imprisoned in 2020 after announcing his plan to challenge Lukashenko for the presidency.

Be sure to provide the correct payment and complete information when filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers.

washington — Violent crime in the United States is down for a second consecutive year, with law enforcement agencies reporting significant declines in murder and rapes, according to a just-released report from the FBI. The FBI Crime in the Nation report released Monday found violent crime, overall, fell by 3% from 2022 to 2023, with murder and manslaughter rates dropping by 11.6% and rape down by more than 9%. There were also smaller declines in the number of robberies and aggravated assaults. Additionally, property crimes, which include burglary, fell by an estimated 2.4% year over year, though motor vehicle theft jumped by 12.6%. FBI officials, briefing reporters on the report, described the drop in the number of murders as notable, saying the 11.6% decline is the largest recorded over the past 20 years. Overall, the officials said the rate of all violent crimes in 2023 was 363.3 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, down from a rate of 377.1 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. More than 16,000 U.S. state and local law enforcement agencies contributed data for the report, including all agencies serving cities with more than one million people. The decrease in violent crimes across the U.S. continues a trend dating back to 2021, when crime rates fell after a spike in murders in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. The violent crime rate also remains well below a peak in rates during the early 1990s. Some crimes, though, have seen slight increases, including the number of aggravated assaults with knives, cutting instruments or other weapons. The number of so-called “strong-arm” robberies – involving intimidation or a threat of the use of force – rose by 3.2%. Assaults on police officers also jumped to a 10-year high according to the FBI report, including 60 officers murdered in the line of duty. The number of hate crimes and victims of hate crimes also increased from 2022 to 2023, though FBI officials said the rise could have been impacted by an increase in the number of law enforcement agencies reporting hate crime data. FBI officials declined to comment on whether the trends and the overall decrease in violent crime from 2022 to 2023 have extended into 2024. But a report issued by the non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) in July indicates the number of violent crimes continue to fall. That study, based on monthly crime rates for dozens of major U.S. cities found murder rates fell by 13% in the first half of 2024 compared to the first six months of 2023. Assaults, assaults with guns and carjacking also fell. But while the CCJ report called the overall trends encouraging, it noted, “many cities are still experiencing disturbingly high leve

DAKAR, Senegal — At least 30 bodies were found on a boat drifting off the coast of Senegal's capital, the military said Monday, as the number of migrants leaving West Africa increases.  The navy was informed of the vessel's presence on Sunday evening and sent out a boat patrol to the area, 70 kilometers (38 nautical miles) from Dakar, Ibrahima Sow, spokesperson for Senegal's military, said in a statement.  "So far, 30 bodies have been counted," Sow said.  The advanced state of decomposition of the bodies is making the identification process very difficult, the military said, adding that investigations will provide more information on the death toll and the boat's origin.  Earlier this month, a boat carrying 89 people on board capsized off the coast of Senegal. At least 37 people died, according to Senegalese authorities.  Many of the migrants leaving West Africa through Senegal flee conflict, poverty and a lack of jobs. Most head to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa, which is used as a stepping stone to continental Europe.  Since the beginning of the year, more than 22,300 people have landed on the Canary Islands, 126% more than the same period last year, according to statistics released by Spain's Interior Ministry.  Last month, the Senegalese army said it had arrested 453 migrants and "members of smuggling networks" as part of a 12-day operation patrolling the coastline. More than half of those arrested were Senegalese nationals, the army said.  In July, a boat carrying 300 migrants, mostly from Gambia and Senegal, capsized off Mauritania. More than a dozen died and at least 150 others went missing.  The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world. While there is no accurate death toll because of the lack of information on departures from West Africa, the Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders estimates the victims are in the thousands this year alone.  Migrant vessels that get lost or run into problems often vanish in the Atlantic, with some drifting across the ocean for months until they are found in the Caribbean and Latin America carrying only human remains.

Islamabad — Pakistan has appointed Lieutenant-General Muhammad Asim Malik as the new head of the country’s top spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI.  The move comes amid persistent criticism of the powerful military-run agency for its alleged role in making or breaking elected governments in the South Asian nation. A senior Pakistani security source confirmed to VOA on Monday that Malik will assume office as the agency's next director general on September 30, replacing the current ISI chief, Nadeem Anjum.  The military's media wing did not immediately comment on the high-profile appointment, but Pakistan’s state broadcaster reported it with a brief profile of the new ISI chief.  Malik graduated from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and currently serves as an adjutant general at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, adjacent to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.  The ISI’s meddling in national politics has lately been the subject of intense debate in Pakistan’s national media and political circles.   Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan accuses current ISI chief Anjum of playing a role at the behest of the military in ousting him from power in 2022 through an opposition parliamentary no-confidence vote, instituting frivolous lawsuits subsequently, and unleashing a crackdown on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party to keep himfrom returning to power.  Several federal and provincial court judges, in a recent letter to the Supreme Court chief justice, have also alleged that the ISI was pressuring them to decide cases against Khan to ensure he remains in jail. The incarcerated former prime minister remains Pakistan’s most popular politician.  The military, in turn, has recently arrested Anjum’s predecessor, Faiz Hameed, and initiated his court marshal on various charges, including the use of his position as the ISI chief to enable Khan to suppress political opponents while in office.  It is widely believed that Khan's decision not to let Anjum replace Hameed in October 2021 angered the military and eventually led to the prime minister's removal from power several months later. Subsequent governments and the military deny having any political role or pressuring judges, a claim critics dispute.  The army has ruled Pakistan for more than three decades since the country gained independence from Britain in 1947. Former Pakistani prime ministers, including Khan, and political parties say generals maintain control over foreign policy and national security issues. Khan has persistently alleged in statements from his prison cell that the current coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “is merely a tout” of the military. He alleges that the army leadership used the ISI to massively rig the February 8 parliamentary elections this year to prevent his party from winning.     The allegations were supported by a detailed Supreme Court majority decision released on Monday, resolving a petition concerning pre- and post-election controversies. The judgment declared several actions of Pakistan’s election commission in the lead-up to the polls “unlawful,” saying they were meant to keep PTI-nominated candidates from winning. The judgment stated that the commission “has failed to fulfill this role in the general elections of 2024.” It noted that election authorities’ actions “significantly infringe upon the rights of the electorate and corrode their own institutional legitimacy.” The vote outcome has worsened the political turmoil triggered by Khan’s ouster, undermining Pakistan’s efforts to stabilize an already troubled economy. A spike in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces, which border Afghanistan, has added to the challenges facing the military-backed Sharif administration.  "All this has familiar echoes of the past — a government unwilling to engage with the opposition, jailing opposition leaders, trying to steamroll legislation, and a desperate opposition in constant protest mode against a backdrop of economic gloom, weak governance, and ubiquitous establishment pulling the strings from behind the scenes,” Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, wrote in an article published by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper Monday.