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Forty-one individuals have died within the week-long protests which have erupted in Iran after the loss of life in detention of a younger girl accused of failing to put on the hijab, in keeping with state tv.
The loss of life toll — which the broadcaster mentioned was “unofficial” — is greater than the determine confirmed by the authorities and state-affiliated information companies, which reported at the least 16 deaths, together with eight members of the safety forces, in probably the most violent unrest since 2019 protests over gasoline costs.
Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi, talking by telephone on Saturday to the household of one of many safety personnel who was killed, dismissed the demonstrations as “rioting and wickedness’‘ and mentioned he urged the authorities to “decisively take care of those that disrupt the nation’s safety and peace”.
Amnesty Worldwide mentioned there had been “a harrowing sample of Iranian safety forces intentionally and unlawfully firing reside ammunition at protesters”.
The protests broke out throughout the nation after a 22-year-old girl of Kurdish ethnicity, Mahsa Amini, died after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic costume code for ladies.
Many Iranians don’t imagine the official account of her loss of life and declare she was crushed whereas in custody earlier than falling right into a coma and dying in hospital 4 days later. The authorities have denied the allegations and launched CCTV footage displaying Amini strolling into the police station.
They mentioned medical examinations confirmed no fracture to her cranium whereas her household physician mentioned surgical procedure to her mind when she was eight might have made her weak to emphasize. Her household insists she was wholesome when she was taken into custody.
Whereas protests continued throughout Iran on Saturday evening, together with in some elements of the capital, Tehran, they’ve change into considerably smaller because the official crackdown intensifies.
The protests reached their peak on Wednesday evening when, in keeping with Amnesty, 19 individuals died in clashes between demonstrators and riot police.
Tasnim information company, affiliated to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, mentioned at the least 1,200 protesters had been arrested. Home media mentioned journalists, political activists and college college students had been amongst these taken into custody.
After the Iranian authorities reduce entry to Instagram and WhatsApp in an effort to stop co-ordination between protesters, the US Treasury Division introduced on Friday that it might enable know-how corporations “to supply the Iranian individuals extra choices of safe, outdoors platforms and providers”.
Whereas a few of the protesters have referred to as for regime change, commentators don’t imagine the most recent unrest poses a significant risk to the federal government. “Iranians typically usually are not in that temper of regime change”, a reformist politician mentioned.
However Iranians have been struck by the bravery of those that have taken to the streets, a lot of whom are girls, both the identical age as Amini and even youthful.
A teenage lady within the northern metropolis of Babol was proven, in a video that went viral, standing on a platform on the street, refusing to put on her hijab. When confronted by the morality police she mentioned: “I’m dressed correctly” though she was not sporting her scarf. Many ladies protesters burnt their scarves and stood nose to nose with riot police with out their hijabs.
“I’m in shock and awe after I see these younger ladies and boys not fearful of something, even bullets,” mentioned Ali, a 45-year-old businessman. “It’s a new actuality the Islamic republic is going through.”
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