Iran’s ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi urged police on Sunday to act “tough” in the face of the demonstrations that have rocked the country since the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish Mahsa Amini. She died ten days ago in circumstances considered suspicious by her family members, after being detained in what was considered wrong by the Iranian morality police for wearing an Islamic headscarf.
The revolt against the stifling rules imposed by the ruling Shiite clergy in Iran is lingering after nine days of protests and clashes with the police. According to official figures, at least 41 people died in the demonstrations, including protesters and police.
But at least 54 people died in the crackdown on the protests, according to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) census. On Saturday (24), the movement gained support abroad, with actions recorded in Canada, the United States, Chile, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and neighboring Iraq.
Mahsa Amini died on September 16, three days after she was arrested for “wearing inappropriate clothing”. Her death made a strong impression on other women of her generation who decided to oppose the theocratic order and take to the streets.
Tired of oppression, many women burned their veils during the protests. Protesters received support from men who were faced with attempts to disperse armed police with live bullets. In Iran, women should cover their hair and body below the knees and should not wear tight or torn trousers, among other things.
The current wave of rejection of strict social rules is currently described as the largest in the country since November 2019. That year, the rise in gasoline prices amid the economic crisis sparked demonstrations in a hundred cities.
Authorities violently suppressed the popular uprising, which, according to an official report, resulted in 230 deaths and killed more than 300 people.
Describing the demonstrations as “riots”, ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi called on the authorities on Saturday (24), “to act decisively against those who threaten the security and peace of the country and the Iranian people”. He called for a distinction to be made between demonstrations and disruption of public order and security.
Likewise, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, stressed the need to “act resolutely and ruthlessly” against the “main instigators of the riots”, according to the website Mizan Oline.
pro-government demonstration
Iran’s foreign ministry drew attention to the alleged US role in the protests and warned that “efforts to violate Iran’s sovereignty will not go unanswered”. Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi, quoted by the official IRNA news agency, said he hoped “justice will quickly prosecute the main perpetrators and leaders of the riot” after police announced that more than 700 people had been arrested.
According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 17 journalists have been detained since the protests began. Authorities called for a new demonstration in favor of the government this Sunday.
On Saturday night, demonstrations took place in various cities of the country, including the capital Tehran, and a video that went viral showed a woman walking barefoot in the street and waving her scarf, ignoring the strict dress code imposed by religious authorities. Shiites. Iran’s main reformist party called on the state on Saturday to abolish the requirement for women to wear the veil in public and to release detainees.
Amnesty International accused security forces of “intentionally firing live bullets at protesters” and called for “urgent international action to end the repression”. The internet was still disturbed and WhatsApp and Instagram were still blocked. NetBlocks, a London-based website that tracks internet blocks around the world, also reported that Skype was blocked.
Iran has urged the British and Norwegian ambassadors to condemn the “interference”. The British diplomat was reprimanded for reports broadcast by London-based TV channels that he was “inciting riots” and “contributing to the spread of unrest”. The Norwegian ambassador was summoned to clarify the country’s speaker’s statements, which were considered “interference in Iran’s internal affairs”.
Two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi urged citizens around the world to “be in solidarity” with the protesters and praised “progressive and brave women who are leading protests for their rights”.
With information from AFP
source: Noticias
