Mosques to Reopen in Iran's Low-risk Areas

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. AFP file photo
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. AFP file photo
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Mosques to Reopen in Iran's Low-risk Areas

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. AFP file photo
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. AFP file photo

Iran plans to reopen mosques and schools in areas that have been consistently free of the coronavirus as President Hassan Rouhani's government starts to ease restrictions that were aimed at containing the outbreak.

"Mosques will reopen in 132 low-risk or 'white cities' and towns from Monday. Friday prayer sermons will resume in those areas as well ... However, all these steps will be taken by respecting the health protocols," Rouhani said in a televised meeting.

Iran's health ministry has divided the country into white, yellow and red areas based on the number of infections and deaths.

Rouhani did not give the names of the counties affected by the measure or the number of mosques due to reopen on Monday.

The ministry said on Saturday that the trajectory of infections has started a "gradual" downward trend in Iran.

On Sunday the health ministry said the country's coronavirus death toll had risen to 6,203 after 47 people died in the past 24 hours, and the total number of diagnosed cases had reached 97,424.

Iran has already lifted a ban on inter-city trips and malls, with large shopping centers resuming activities despite warnings by some health officials of a new wave of infections.

School and university closures were maintained and cultural and sports gatherings are also still banned, though Rouhani said the plan is for some schools to reopen soon.

"The schools in the white and low-risk areas will reopen from May 16 ... However, we will continue to review the situation," he said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday announced they were cancelling the annual day of protests against Israel known as Quds (Jerusalam) Day seemingly over the coronavirus pandemic.

Spokesman Ramezan Sharif, quoted by Fars news agency, said the move was in line with the cancellation across Iran of other ceremonies and the closing of holy places.

"Let's not worry about what the enemy might say," he added.



Turkish Prosecutors Investigate Main Opposition Leader in Crackdown

A person holds a placard during a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
A person holds a placard during a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
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Turkish Prosecutors Investigate Main Opposition Leader in Crackdown

A person holds a placard during a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
A person holds a placard during a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the leader of Türkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on charges of threatening and insulting Istanbul's chief prosecutor, adding to a broad crackdown on the opposition.

The clampdown is centred on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival and leads him in some opinion polls. The CHP's Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies, according to Reuters.

The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that it had launched the probe into CHP leader Ozgur Ozel over comments he made about the chief prosecutor at a rally in Istanbul on Wednesday, criticising the targeting of the opposition.

CHP spokesman Deniz Yucel criticised the decision to open the investigation.

"We will not succumb to this system of lawlessness that you have created," he said on X, addressing the authorities.

In another step, Türkiye's Interior Ministry dismissed three Istanbul district mayors who were arrested this week as part of the corruption investigations at the municipality, state media said on Thursday.

The ministry also removed from their posts two mayors who were arrested under the same investigations in the southern province of Adana, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. All five of these mayors are from the CHP.

Imamoglu's arrest in March triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government denies the accusations and says the judiciary is independent.

Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. Access to Imamoglu's X account was also blocked in Türkiye this month.