DUBAI (Reuters) – Pro-government protesters took to the streets of several Iranian cities on Friday to denounce “those who offend the Quran” as protests escalate over the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of police mores.
Among the demonstrators favorable to the power in place, some demanded the execution of those who have been mobilizing daily since the announcement on September 16 of the death of the 22-year-old young woman, hospitalized in a coma after being arrested and detained by the police. morals of the Islamic Republic for “inappropriate dress”.
“Soldiers of Israel”, “Death to America”, “Death to Israel”, chanted the supporters of the regime, according to images from national television.
“Those who offend the Koran must be executed”, could be heard among the slogans.
The Iranian army said it was ready on Friday to “confront the enemies” to guarantee security and peace in the country.
“Those who engage in these desperate behaviors are part of the strategy of the enemy who wants to weaken the Islamic regime,” she said in a statement.
Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president, sent a warning on Thursday to those who would be tempted to “sow chaos” in Iran by showing their hostility to the regime.
Iranian media announced the arrest of 288 “rioters” on Thursday and NGOs report deaths among the demonstrators.
Iranian leaders fear protests on a similar scale to those in 2019, which erupted due to rising fuel prices and whose crackdown left around 1,500 people dead, according to Reuters calculations.
(Writing by Dubaï, French version Nicolas Delame, Augustin Turpin, Sophie Louet, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse and Kate Entringer)
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