Iran lawmakers demand extreme punishment for ‘rioters’ as protests rage By Reuters

DUBAI (Reuters) – Hardline Iranian lawmakers urged the judiciary on Sunday to “deal decisively” with perpetrators of unrest, because the Islamic Republic struggles to suppress the most important present of dissent in years.

Widespread anti-government demonstrations erupted in September after the loss of life of younger Kurdish Iranian girl Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police for allegedly flouting the strict gown code imposed on ladies.

“We ask the judiciary to deal decisively with the perpetrators of those crimes and with all those that assisted within the crimes and provoked rioters,” 227 lawmakers from Iran’s 290-seat, hardline-led parliament mentioned in a press release, in accordance with state media.

The activist HRANA information company mentioned that 318 protesters had been killed within the unrest as of Saturday, together with 49 minors. Thirty-eight members of the safety forces had additionally been killed, it added.

State media mentioned final month that greater than 46 safety forces, together with police, had been killed. Authorities officers haven’t supplied an estimate of any wider loss of life rely.

Iranian leaders have vowed robust motion in opposition to protesters they’ve described as rioters, blaming enemies together with america of fomenting the unrest.

Demonstrations continued in lots of cities on Sunday, from Tehran to central metropolis of Yazd and northern metropolis of Rasht, in accordance with rights teams and movies on social media.

Reuters couldn’t confirm the rights teams’ stories independently, or the social media posts and pictures.

Within the Kurdish metropolis of Marivan, rights group Hengaw mentioned safety forces opened hearth on crowds who had gathered after the funeral of one other girl, Nasrin Ghaderi, to protest in opposition to her loss of life.

Hengaw mentioned Ghaderi died in a coma on Saturday after struggling extreme blows to her head by the safety forces whereas demonstrating in Tehran.

A prosecutor, cited by state media, mentioned Ghaderi had a pre-existing coronary heart concern and had died of “poisoning”, with out going into additional element. There was no instant official touch upon the report of gunfire.

Weeks after Amini’s loss of life, a coroner’s report denied Amini had died as a result of blows to the pinnacle whereas in custody, as claimed by her mother and father, and linked her loss of life to previous medical situations.

College students in a dozen universities, together with within the northern cities of Rasht and Amol, held protests on Sunday chanting “loss of life to Dictator”, a reference to Iran’s prime authority Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in accordance with the unverified movies on social media.