Iranians took to the streets for the tenth night in a row on Sunday, despite a warning from justice officials, to protest the death of young Kurdish Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the country’s moral police.
According to official information, at least 41 people have died since the protests began, mostly protesters but also some members of the Islamic Republic’s security forces, although other sources say the real number is higher.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group said late Sunday the death toll was at least 57, but noted that ongoing internet outages made it increasingly difficult to confirm deaths in a context where female-led protests have intensified in recent times. Scattered. nights to dozens of cities.
Following a warning issued the day before by President Ebrahim Raisi, also the country’s top legal figure, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Sunday stressed “the need for decisive action without tolerance” against the main instigators of the “riots”.
Hundreds of protesters, reform activists and journalists have been arrested since the demonstrations began, mostly at night, after Amini’s death on September 16.
Amini, whose first Kurdish name was Jhina, was detained three days before his death for allegedly violating the rules for properly wearing the hijab, the Islamic headscarf.
Footage released by the IHL shows protesters chanting “death to the dictator” on the streets of Tehran, reportedly after dark on Sunday. Witnesses told AFP that protests are underway in several locations.
In recent days, some Iranian protesters have removed and burned their hijabs and clipped their hair, some dancing at huge bonfires to cheers from crowds chanting “zan, zedegi, azadi” or “woman, life, freedom”.
The world learned of Iranian street violence largely through images filmed by cell phones and posted on social media, even as authorities restricted access to the internet.
Web monitor NetBlocks noted “ongoing blackouts” and “widespread internet platform restrictions”, with WhatsApp, Instagram and Skype already blocked, which followed older bans on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Telegram.
Protests abroad
There have also been several protests outside Iran in solidarity with Iranian women, from Athens to Berlin, Brussels, Istanbul, Madrid, New York and Paris, among others.
In Paris, French police had to fire tear gas as protesters tried to approach the heavily guarded Iranian embassy.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on Sunday deplored the response by Iran’s security forces, calling it “disproportionate… unjustifiable and unacceptable”.
Iran – ruled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 83, and hit by severe economic sanctions over its nuclear program – blamed “foreign interference” for the disturbances.
Pro-Government Manifestos
Iran has also staged large demonstrations in defense of the hijab and conservative values. Pro-government rallies were held on Sunday, the main event of which took place in Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran, where protesters expressed support for mandatory hijab laws.
“Martyrs died for wearing this hijab on our heads,” protester Nafiseh, 28, said, adding that she was against making wearing the hijab voluntary.
Another protester, 21-year-old student Atyieh, called for “vigorous action against the people leading the protests”.
However, the main reform group within Iran, the Union of the Islamic People’s Party of Iran, called for the mandatory dress code to be repealed.
Iranian authorities have not yet released the cause of death for Amini, who activists say died as a result of a blow to the head.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Amini was not beaten and that “we have to wait for the coroner’s final verdict”.
Source: DN
