Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard on Thursday defined Masha Amini’s protests as “sedition” and called on the judiciary to prosecute “those who spread rumors and lies” on social media and in the streets.
The military body referred to the recent acts of “sedition” that were “organized by the enemy”, in a harsh statement where it also sends condolences to the family of the deceased.
“We urge the judiciary to identify those who spread rumors and lies on social networks and in the streets and act forcefully against them,” added this elite division of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Amini was arrested last Tuesday by the so-called “Morality Police” in Tehran, where she was visiting, for wearing the veil incorrectly and taken to a police station to attend “an hour of re-education”.
He died three days later in a hospital where he arrived in a coma after suffering a heart attack, which the authorities attributed to health problems, a version rejected by the family.
Since then, the protests have multiplied in at least 20 cities, with the death of eight people, according to the official version.
The Revolutionary Guard (short for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) said on Thursday that “the death of a compatriot” is being used against the country and praised Iranians who did not join this “conspiracy”.
For its part, the ultra-conservative daily Kayhan, whose director is chosen by Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, criticized the judiciary for apparently not issuing convictions after the protests.
“Show no mercy on these criminals,” the newspaper suggested.
Last morning two basijis (Muslim militiamen) were killed and at least two police stations were set on fire, in addition to numerous vehicles.
Videos shared on Twitter by activists and journalists show protests in numerous cities in the country for one more night, but their veracity has not been confirmed, the Efe news agency reported.
On Wednesday night, the government almost completely shut down the internet and conditioned the WhatsApp and Instagram applications, in an apparent attempt to control the protests.
Source: TSF
