Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday that “the riots” that have erupted after the death of Kurdish citizen Mahsa Amini, in a context of protest demonstrations that have plagued Iran for more than a month, are paving the way for terrorist attacks.
Raisi’s words come in response to Wednesday’s attack in Shiraz, southern Iran, on a major Shia Muslim shrine that left 15 dead and 19 injured in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, which involved Iran’s president accuse the ‘jihadist’ movement as an ‘enemy’ of the country.
Earlier today, Iranian security forces shot and killed a young man during a demonstration in Mahabad (west), Norwegian human rights group Hengaw announced.
“A young Kurdish man has been shot dead by Iranian security forces,” Hengaw wrote on the social network Twitter, indicating that the victim was shot in the forehead.
Iran has been rocked by protests since the young Iranian Kurd died on September 16, three days after she was detained in Tehran by so-called “customs police,” who accused her of violating strict dress codes, including wearing the veil in public.
Wednesday marked the end of the 40-day traditional mourning.
Amini remains at the center of the fierce protests that represent one of the biggest challenges to order imposed by the Islamic Republic since, in 2009, Ecologist Movement demonstrations took millions to the streets in dozens of cities, with young women marching publicly exposing and, in some cases, cutting their hair.
The Iranian government has responded with strong repression, blaming the demonstrations on foreign interference.
Human rights groups say that since the protests started more than a month ago, Iranian security forces have killed more than 200 people, including children.
This Thursday, Raisi said in statements about the attack in Shiraz that the intent of Iran’s enemies is “to hinder the country’s progress”, so the riots and clashes are paving the way for terrorist acts.
“[Os terroristas] came to Shahcheragh shrine and opened fire on innocent people who were in their prayers,” he added.
As early as Wednesday, Raisi had “the enemies of Iran”, who are trying to “unify the nation’s ranks”. […] by violence and terror”, and promised a stern response from the security forces.
The IS group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iran since June 7, 2017, when gunmen and suicide bombers attacked the parliament and mausoleum of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, killing 17 people.
“Only one terrorist was involved in the attack,” the head of the local judicial authority, Kazem Moussavi, said when images released by the official press showed bodies covered in blood or covered with sheets.
The perpetrator of the attack, according to local authorities “in his thirties”, “has links with the ‘takfiri’ groups and has been detained,” Iran’s state television said, referring to jihadist groups or Sunni Islamist radicals.
The attack in Shiraz was the second deadly attack this year on a Shia place of worship in Iran, a country of some 83 million where Shia Islam has been the state religion since the 16th century.
Source: DN
