Iran: 'No mercy' for protesters, authorities warn

Iran's Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ezei threatened on Sunday that he would show "no mercy" to protesters after 10 days of protests in the country following the death of a young woman after being arrested by police, whose morals have cost the lives of 41 people.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had earlier asked the security forces to react "resolutely against those who harm the security and peace of the country and the people".

Ezei insisted "on the need to act without any mercy" against the instigators of the "riots", as reported by the website Mizan Online.

The protests began on September 16, the day Mahsha Amini died, after she was arrested on September 13 in Tehran for "wearing inappropriate clothes".

These protests are the most widespread to have erupted in Iran since December 2019, when crowds of people took to the streets of about 100 cities to protest against the rise in the price of gasoline. The protests had been violently suppressed, with Amnesty International citing more than 300 dead, although Iranian authorities had announced the death of 230 people.

Clashes with security forces have erupted during these demonstrations, with protesters chanting anti-government slogans, according to media reports and activists. For several days now, videos posted on social media have shown scenes of violence in Tehran and other major cities, such as Tabriz. In some of them, the security forces can be seen shooting at the protesters.

Pro-government demonstrations

Authorities deny any responsibility for the death of 22-year-old Amini, who was originally from Kurdistan province. But since then, angry Iranians have taken to the streets of cities every night to protest.

Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian again accused the US of "interfering in Iran's internal affairs (…) and supporting the unrest in a provocative manner."

Since the start of the protests, more than 700 people have been arrested in just one province in northern Iran, which gives an official count, but the number of people arrested across the country is undoubtedly much higher.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported 17 arrests of journalists.

According to an official tally by Iranian authorities that includes protesters and members of the security forces, 41 people have been killed in the past ten days. For its part, the non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Oslo, estimates at least 57 dead protesters.

Last Sunday evening, protests took place for the tenth consecutive day in several cities, including Shiraz and Tehran, according to the IHR. "Death to the dictator!" chanted protesters in the capital, as heard in a video posted by the NGO on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, pro-government demonstrations took place in Tehran and elsewhere following a call from the authorities. Another pro-government demonstration took place on Friday.

Solidarity abroad

Images circulating the internet in recent days show Iranian women burning their headscarves.

The reformist People's Union of Islamic Iran party called on the authorities to abolish the requirement for women to wear the hijab in public and to release those arrested.

In Iran women must cover their hair and body below the knees. They are also not allowed to wear tight pants or jeans with rips, among other things.

Internet connectivity was still problematic yesterday, and access to Instagram and WhatsApp has been blocked.

Abroad, demonstrations were held on Saturday and Sunday in many countries in favor of the movement in Iran.

In Paris, police used tear gas to prevent thousands of protesters from reaching the Iranian embassy. In London, five police officers were "seriously injured" and 12 people were arrested, according to the British authorities, during incidents on the sidelines of a demonstration near the Iranian embassy.

Source: RES-EAP