Iran’s Ministry of Secret Service said it had dealt a “big blow” to a US-funded network planning to stage protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, Iranian media reported on Thursday.
“These individuals contacted women and planned riots, offered training to elements inside and outside the country, with free networking courses for women activists,” the Iranian secret services said in a statement, quoted by the IRNA and Mehr news agencies.
The network was run by “political elements based abroad,” according to the ministry, which explained that arrests had been made, although it did not specify the number of detainees or their identities.
“Members of the group operated with the financial support of the US Department of State and under the direction of NGOs [organizações não governamentais] American organizations Freedom House and The Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy,” added the Ministry of Security.
The chain scheduled “a confidential online meeting” this Thursday, September 14, two days before the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for not wearing the veil correctly and ended up dying at the hands of the authorities.
Amini’s death sparked strong protests for months, which ended after a strong crackdown that left 500 dead, thousands of arrests and the execution of seven protesters, one of them in public.
In recent weeks, the repression has increased again, as the anniversary of the protests approaches, with the arrest of women activists and relatives of those who died in the demonstrations, according to reports by organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Singer Mehdi Yarrahi was also arrested for a song calling for the headscarf to be lifted, and two journalists were sentenced to prison for covering protests last year.
Source: TSF
