LIran’s judiciary chief threatened on Sunday to show “no leniency” to protesters after nine days of nationwide protests over the death of a young woman in the custody of vice police, which claimed the lives of 41 people. The head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, insisted on him on “the need to act without any indulgence” towards the instigators of the “riots”, reported the Mizan Online website.
Abroad, demonstrations supporting the movement in Iran took place in several countries on Saturday, in Canada, the United States, Chile, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Iraq, a country neighboring the Iran. The European Union on Sunday deemed “unjustifiable and unacceptable” the “widespread and disproportionate use of force” against demonstrators in Iran, after nine days of protests against the death of a young woman detained by the morality police, who killed 41. In a statement on behalf of the EU, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell also condemns “the decision of the Iranian authorities to drastically restrict internet access and to block instant messaging platforms” which “constitutes a flagrant violation of freedom of speech “.
A triggering death
The protests were sparked on September 16, the day of the death of Mahsa Amini arrested on September 13 in Tehran for “inappropriate wearing of clothes” in the Islamic Republic where the dress code for women is strict. These demonstrations are the largest in Iran since those of November 2019, caused by the rise in gasoline prices, in the midst of the economic crisis, which had affected a hundred cities in Iran and were severely repressed (230 dead according to an official report). , more than 300 according to Amnesty International).
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They are marked by clashes with security forces and anti-government slogans, according to media and activists. For several days, online videos have shown scenes of violence in Tehran and other major cities such as Tabriz (Northwest). On some, we see the security forces shooting in the direction of the demonstrators.
Pro-government demonstration
The authorities deny any involvement in the death of Mahsa Amini, 22 and from the Kurdistan region (Northwest). But since then, angry Iranians have taken to the streets every day at nightfall to demonstrate. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has implicated the United States, Iran’s sworn enemy, in the unrest. On Sunday, he summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and Norway separately: the first, to protest against the hosting of television channels which “incite riots” in Iran, and the second to denounce “the interference” of the head of the Norwegian Parliament in Iranian Affairs.
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Since the beginning of the demonstrations, more than 700 people have been arrested in a single northern province which has communicated on the arrests, but undoubtedly many more in the whole country. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has called for the prosecution of “the main perpetrators and leaders of the riots”. According to the non-detailed official Iranian report, including demonstrators and security forces, 41 people were killed in nine days of protests. But the toll could be higher, with the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights reporting at least 54 protesters killed. According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 17 journalists have been arrested in Iran since the protests began. As two days ago, a demonstration in favor of the government is also planned for Sunday afternoon in Tehran, at the call of the authorities.
“Courageous Women”
Viral footage of protests in recent days has shown Iranian women burning their headscarves. The reformist ‘People’s Union of Islamic Iran’ called on the state to lift the headscarf requirement and release those arrested. In Iran, women must cover their hair and body to below the knees and must not wear tight pants or ripped jeans, among other things. Amnesty International accuses the security forces of “deliberately firing […] with live ammunition on demonstrators”, calling for “urgent international action to end the repression”.
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Internet connections are still disrupted on Sunday, with WhatsApp and Instagram blocked. NetBlocks, a London-based site that monitors internet blockages around the world, also reported on Skype. In a new Instagram post, two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi urged the people of the world to “stand in solidarity” with protesters in Iran and hailed the “brave women who are leading the protests to demand their rights.”