UPDATE 1
Iranians return to streets in fresh protests despite hundreds of arrests
Sep 25, 2022
FRANCE 24 English
Protests flared again in Iran Saturday over the death of a woman in morality police custody, despite a crackdown by security forces in which at least 41 people have died, according to official figures.
Photos: Protesters rally in Minneapolis over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran
MPR News Staff
Minneapolis
September 25, 2022 8:21 AM
Dozens of people chant "women, life, freedom" during a rally Saturday on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis to condemn the killing in custody of Mahsa Amini in Iran and to protest the current Iranian regime.
Nicole Neri for MPR News
Demonstrators gathered in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday to express their outrage at the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran.
Amini, 22, was detained in Tehran by the country’s morality police, enforcers of the country’s strict dress code. She was arrested allegedly for wearing her hijab too loosely. She later died at a hospital on Sept. 16.
Her family says she was beaten by police and accuses Iranian authorities of a cover-up. The government says Amini died of a heart attack.
Women across Iran have cut their hijabs and hair in protest since Amini’s death. In solidarity, women at the Minneapolis rally on Saturday did the same. They also called for an end the current Iranian regime.
Photojournalist Nicole Neri captured scenes from the rally for MPR News.
Rally for Mahsa Amini on Nicollet Mall
Fahimeh Maanavi (left) and Mansoureh Abavini (right) cheer while holding locks of their own hair while a woman cuts hers during a rally on Nicollet Mall on Saturday to condemn the killing in custody of Mahsa Amini in Iran. Amini's family said she was arrested for violating Iran's strict hijab laws.
Iran will act decisively against protestors, says President Ebrahim Raisi
Demonstration had erupted after a woman detained for wearing hijab in an ‘improper manner’ died in police custody.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that his government will act decisively on protests that broke out after the death of a 22-year-old woman in the custody of the religious police, Reuters reported.
Raisi said that the country must “deal decisively with those who oppose the country’s security and tranquility”.
The protests broke out a week ago at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, who was detained on September 13 in Tehran by the police unit that enforces the country’s obligatory dress codes, including the mandatory wearing of the headscarf in public. The police accused her of wearing hijab in an “improper manner”, according to AFP.
Officials say that she died of a heart attack on September 16 while in custody. However, critics believe she was physically assaulted in detention on accusations of violating the hijab mandate.
Protests over the incident have left at least 50 persons dead.
Raisi on Saturday said there was a need “to distinguish between protest and disturbing public order and security” and described the ongoing events as a riot, Reuters quoted state media as saying.
On Thursday, the Iranian president had warned protesters on Thursday against creating chaos in the country.
“There is freedom of expression in Iran... but acts of chaos are unacceptable,” said Raisi. “If there is a party at fault, it certainly must be investigated. I contacted the family of the deceased at the very first opportunity and I assured them personally that we will continue steadfastly to investigate the incident.”
Meanwhile, the country’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday that Amini was not beaten in custody, the BBC reported.
“Reports from oversight bodies were received, witnesses were interviewed, videos were reviewed, forensic opinions were obtained and it was found that there had been no beating,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Saturday attacked a Kurdish militant base in northern Iraq amid the protests, the Associated Press reported.
The attacks were reportedly in response to support by the militant group for the demonstrations and their alleged attempts to push weapons into Iran.
According to the Iran Human Rights, the protests have spread to 80 towns and cities in the country. Women have led the demonstrations, with many removing their headscarves and burning them as men cheered them on, videos on social media showed.
Iran protesters return to the streets, defying a deadly crackdown
At least 41 people have been killed in the week-long unrest, state television said on Saturday as protests erupted across Iran and the rest of the world over the death of a woman in police custody.
Hundreds of angry demonstrators have been arrested, along with reformist activists and journalists Source: AAP / DPA
Protests flared again in Iran on Saturday over the death of a woman in morality police custody, despite a crackdown by security forces in which at least 41 people have died, according to official figures.
The main reformist party inside Iran called for the repeal of the mandatory dress code that Mahsa Amini had been accused of breaching as the protests over her death entered their ninth night.
Why women in Iran are chopping off their hair and burning their headscarves
23 Sep 2022, 12:42 am
Web monitor NetBlocks reported that Skype was now restricted in Iran as part of a crackdown on communications that has already targeted the last accessible international platforms Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
Hundreds of angry demonstrators have been arrested, along with reformist activists and journalists.
Twenty-two-year-old Ms Amini was pronounced dead after spending three days in a coma following her arrest by the morality police.
State television said the death toll had risen to 41.
It aired footage of "rioters" on the streets in north and west Tehran as well as "some provinces", and said they had set fire to public and private property.
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights put the death toll at 54, excluding security personnel.
It said that in many cases, authorities had made the return of bodies to families contingent on them agreeing to secret burials.
The group said most of the deaths had come in the Caspian Sea provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran.
A woman cuts her hair during a rally at the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on 24 September 2022. Source: AAP / EPA
Protests broke out again on Saturday night in the Gilan provincial capital Rasht as well as in various parts of Tehran, according to videos posted on social media.
Anti-riot police deployed in northern Tehran in large numbers after night-fall, witnesses told AFP.
One viral video, purportedly from Saturday evening, showed a woman defiantly swinging her headscarf above her head as she walked in the middle of a Tehran street.
Security forces have also arrested reformist activists and journalists, with Sherif Mansour of US-based media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reporting 17 had been detained since the protests began.
They include Niloufar Hamedi of the reformist newspaper Shargh, who reported on Ms Amini's death.
Militia bases attacked
Elsewhere, the Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw said protesters "took control" of parts of the town of Oshnaviyeh, in West Azerbaijan province.
Iran's judiciary said "rioters attacked three Basij bases" in Oshnaviyeh, referring to the state-sanctioned Islamic militia.
But it denied the security forces had lost control of the town.
Ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi vowed to deal "decisively" with those behind the violence in a phone call on Saturday with the family of a Basij militiaman killed in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
His comment came after Amnesty International warned of "the risk of further bloodshed amid a deliberately imposed internet blackout".
The London-based human rights group said the evidence it gathered from 20 cities pointed to "a harrowing pattern of Iranian security forces deliberately and unlawfully firing live ammunition at protesters".
Ms Amini died on 16 September following her arrest by Iran's morality police, a unit responsible for enforcing the country's strict dress code for women.
Activists said she suffered a blow to the head in custody, but this has not been confirmed by the Iranian authorities, who have opened an investigation.
The main reformist group inside Iran, the Union of Islamic Iran People's Party, called for the repeal of the mandatory dress code and the winding down of the morality police.
A woman holds aloft the scarf she was forced to wear while at home in Iran as protesters rally at the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on 24 September 2022. Source: AAP / EPA
'No beating'
Thousands took part in government-backed counter-rallies in defence of the dress code on Friday.
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi insisted Ms Amini had not been beaten.
He said Iran was still investigating the cause of her death, adding: "We must wait for the final opinion of the medical examiner, which takes time".
Amnesty dismissed the Iranian probe and called on the world to take "meaningful action" against the bloody crackdown.
"UN member states must go beyond toothless statements, hear the cries for justice from victims and human rights defenders in Iran and urgently set up an independent UN investigative mechanism," said Heba Morayef, its director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Iran has imposed tough restrictions on the use of the internet in a bid to hamper protesters gathering and stop the flow of images of the backlash from reaching the outside world.
The United States announced Friday it was easing export restrictions on Iran to help expand internet services for its people.
NEWS WIRES -
Protests flared again in Iran Saturday over the death of a woman in morality police custody, despite a crackdown by security forces in which at least 41 people have died, according to official figures.
Iranians return to streets in fresh protests despite hundreds of arrests© AFP
The main reformist party inside Iran called for the repeal of the mandatory Islamic dress code that Mahsa Amini had been accused of breaching as the protests over her death entered their ninth night.
Web monitor NetBlocks reported that Skype was now restricted in Iran, as part of a crackdown on communications that has already targeted the last accessible international platforms Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
Hundreds of angry demonstrators have been arrested, along with reformist activists and journalists.
Twenty-two-year-old Amini was pronounced dead after spending three days in a coma following her arrest by the morality police.
State television said the death toll had risen to 41. It aired footage of "rioters" on the streets in north and west Tehran as well as "some provinces", and said they had set fire to public and private property.
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights put the death toll at 54, excluding security personnel. It said that in many cases authorities had made the return of bodies to families contingent on them agreeing to secret burials.
The group said most of the deaths had come in the Caspian Sea provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran.
Waves of arrests have been reported, with the Gilan police chief announcing "the arrest of 739 rioters, including 60 women" in that province alone.
Protests broke out again on Saturday night in the Gilan provincial capital Rasht as well as in various parts of Tehran, according to videos posted on social media.
Anti-riot police deployed in northern Tehran in large numbers after night-fall, witnesses told AFP.
One viral video, purportedly from Saturday evening, showed a woman defiantly swinging her headscarf above her head as she walked in the middle of a Tehran street.
Security forces have also arrested reformist activists and journalists, with Sherif Mansour of US-based media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reporting 17 had been detained since the protests began.
They include Niloufar Hamedi of the reformist newspaper Shargh, who reported on Amini's death.
Militia bases attacked
Elsewhere, the Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw said protesters "took control" of parts of the town of Oshnaviyeh, in West Azerbaijan province.
Iran's judiciary said "rioters attacked three Basij bases" in Oshnaviyeh, referring to the state-sanctioned Islamic militia. But it denied the security forces had lost control of the town.
Ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi vowed to deal "decisively" with those behind the violence in a phone call Saturday with the family of a Basij militiaman killed in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
His comment came after Amnesty International warned of "the risk of further bloodshed amid a deliberately imposed internet blackout".
The London-based human rights group said evidence it gathered from 20 cities pointed to "a harrowing pattern of Iranian security forces deliberately and unlawfully firing live ammunition at protesters".
Amini died on September 16 following her arrest by Iran's morality police, a unit responsible for enforcing the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.
Activists said she suffered a blow to the head in custody but this has not been confirmed by the Iranian authorities, who have opened an investigation.
The main reformist group inside Iran, the Union of Islamic Iran People's Party, called for the repeal of the mandatory dress code and the winding down of the morality police.
The party, which is led by former aides of reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami who oversaw a thaw with the West between 1997 and 2005, also called on the government to "authorise peaceful demonstrations" and release those detained in recent days.
'No beating'
Thousands took part in government-backed counter-rallies in defence of the dress code on Friday.
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi insisted Amini had not been beaten. He said Iran was still investigating the cause of her death, adding: "We must wait for the final opinion of the medical examiner, which takes time".
Amnesty dismissed the Iranian probe and called on the world to take "meaningful action" against the bloody crackdown.
"UN member states must go beyond toothless statements, hear the cries for justice from victims and human rights defenders in Iran and urgently set up an independent UN investigative mechanism," said Heba Morayef, its director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Iran has imposed tough restrictions on the use of the internet in a bid to hamper protesters gathering and stop the flow of images of the backlash from reaching the outside world.
The United States announced Friday it was easing export restrictions on Iran to help expand internet services for its people.
(AFP)
Tehran, IRNA – A paramedic named Mohammad Fallah was killed in the northern province of Mazandaran in Iran with a hunting gun while on a relief mission amid the unrest.
In the protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini due to heart failure after her arrest by the police in Iran, organized violations have been witnessed, some of which have targeted relief equipment.
Mohammad Fallah, the paramedic, was shot dead with a hunting rifle.
“My son was a paramedic and he was shot while on a relief mission,” his father said, asking if his son deserved to be shot with a hunting rifle.
He linked the movements with “those who don’t want to see Iran independent.”
He also said that the attackers were trained and organized because one of them shot at the paramedic and four others escorted him out of the scene.
The killed paramedic’s father said that the United States didn’t want peace and security for the Iranian people, calling on the youth to be cautious against the Western media.
Iranian authorities have said that 61 ambulances and 25 firefighting trucks were damaged during the recent protests and 4 firefighters were injured.
Reports of Iranian state using ambulances to transport security forces and arrest protestors
After the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian ‘morality police’, over 80 cities have been in revolt and the state has killed at least 54 people.
There is video evidence of ambulances being used by the Iranian government to transport security forces:
This video shows protestors pulling a security agent out of an ambulance:
This ambulance enters a police station:
The protestors are decommissioning them, we need to be vigilant against state propaganda in these times when people are rising up:
Si Tex
Protests over death of Iranian woman in police custody left 41 people dead
Syed Zafar Mehdi |25.09.2022
TEHRAN, Iran
Iran has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to protest what it called the role of London-based Persian language media in "instigating riots" in the country.
In a Sunday statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the envoy was summoned in response to a "hostile environment" created by Persian language media based in London against Iran in the wake of the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman in police custody.
Mahsa Amini died in mysterious circumstances after being detained and taken to the headquarters of the morality police in Tehran last week.
While authorities maintain that she died of cardiac arrest, her family claims she was beaten in police custody, which has fueled angry protests across Iran in recent days and drawn condemnation from across the world, including the UK.
London-based Persian language media, including Iran International and BBC Persian, have widely reported the incident and the subsequent protests, which Iranian officials believe led to protests turning violent.
At least 41 people have been killed in the protests, which have in recent days taken a violent turn, especially in the capital Tehran.
The Foreign Ministry said a "strong protest" was lodged against the British government for "hosting" the media that has in recent days "incited disturbances and riots", describing it as "interference" in Iran's internal affairs and a breach of the country's sovereignty.
The statement cited the British ambassador as saying that he will "immediately report the matter" to London.
In a related development, the Norwegian ambassador in Tehran was also summoned by the Foreign Ministry to explain the “interventionist stance” of the country’s parliament speaker on Iran’s internal affairs.
The ministry termed the parliament speaker’s comments "unrealistic" and "unconstructive", calling it "interference" in Iran's internal affairs.
Many countries in the West have issued strongly-worded statements in recent days over Amini's death in police custody, demanding impartial investigations.
The United Nations in a statement last week also called for an independent probe into the incident, terming the young woman's death "tragic".
“Mahsa Amini’s tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority,” Nada al-Nashif, the acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi called for "decisive action" against unruly protesters while the armed forces and intelligence ministry also issued stern warnings in separate statements.
DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran summoned the British and Norwegian ambassadors over what it called interference and hostile media coverage of the nationwide unrest triggered by the death of a woman detained by morality police.
FILE PHOTO: Protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, in Tehran© Reuters/WANA NEWS AGENCY
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also criticised U.S. support for "rioters" - the label Tehran has used for many who have joined the protests which have swept the country, prompting a security crackdown and curbs on internet and phones.
Demonstrations which erupted more than a week ago at the funeral of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini, who died in detention after being arrested by police enforcing the Islamic Republic's strict restrictions on women's dress, have turned into the biggest protests in years.
Clashes continued between security forces and protesters in several northwestern regions, according to sources in the cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Rasht and Hamedan. Activists said there were also protests in districts of the capital, Tehran.
A main teachers union, in a statement posted on social media on Sunday, called for teachers and students to stage the first national strike since the unrest began, on Monday and Wednesday.
It urged teachers, trade unions, military veterans and artists to "stand with pupils, students and people seeking justice in these difficult but hopeful days".
Details of casualties have trickled out slowly, partly because of the restrictions on communication.
The sister of a 20-year-old woman identified as Hadis Najafi told a U.S.-based activist that she died on Wednesday after being shot by security forces. Videos of Najafi had been shared on Twitter, showing her without hijab and protesting in Karaj, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Tehran.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Iran should "immediately stop the violent crackdown on protests and ensure internet access". He also called for information on the number of people killed and arrested, and an investigation into "the killing of Mahsa Amini".
President Ebrahim Raisi has said Iran ensures freedom of expression and that he has ordered an investigation into Amini's death. He also said that "acts of chaos" were unacceptable and that Iran must deal decisively with the unrest. At the United Nations, he said extensive coverage of Amini's case was "double standards", pointing to deaths in U.S. police custody.
ENVOYS SUMMONED
Amirabdollahian said the United States was supporting 'rioters' and seeking to destabilise Iran, a stance he said contradicted American calls for stability in the region and for a nuclear deal with Tehran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Britain's ambassador in response to the "hostile character" of London-based Persian language media. Britain's foreign ministry said it championed media freedom and condemned Iran's "crackdown on protesters, journalists and internet freedom".
Norway's envoy was also summoned to explain the "interventionist stance" of its parliament speaker Masud Gharahkhani, who has expressed support for the protesters.
Gharahkhani, who was born in Tehran, continued to speak out on Sunday, writing on Twitter: "If my parents had not made the choice to flee in 1987, I would have been one of those fighting in the streets with my life on the line."
Amini's death has reignited anger in Iran over issues including restrictions on personal freedoms, the strict dress codes for women and an economy reeling from sanctions.
Women have played a prominent role in the protests, waving and burning their veils. Some have publicly cut their hair as furious crowds called for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The protests are the largest to sweep the country since demonstrations over fuel prices in 2019, when Reuters reported 1,500 people were killed in a crackdown on protesters - the bloodiest bout of internal unrest in the Islamic Republic's history.
PROTEST VIDEOS
Iranian Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi called on activists and artists around the world to support the protesters, who he said were "looking for simple and yet fundamental rights that the state has denied them for years".
"I deeply respect their struggle for freedom and the right to choose their own destiny despite all the brutality they are subjected to," Farhadi said in a post on Instagram.
Iran's state television said 41 people have been killed since the protests broke out following Amini's death on Sept 16. The semi-official Mehr news agency said on Sunday eight members of the Basij, a militia under the umbrella of the Revolutionary Guards, were among the dead.
State media said 12 bank branches were destroyed in the unrest in recent days, and 219 ATMs have been damaged.
The Iranian human rights group Hengaw posted a video on Twitter purportedly showing protests late on Sunday in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province, with chants of "Death to Khamenei".
Activist Twitter account 1500tasvir posted videos it said showed protests on Sunday in western and eastern districts of Tehran. In one a protester could be heard saying: "They (security forces) won't get the better of us. People, I beg you to join us". Reuters could not verify the footage.
Iranian television showed thousands of people rallying in Tehran on Sunday in support of authorities and chanting slogans against the United States and opposition groups they accused of insulting the Koran.
"Sedition is the cause of riots and is directed by America," they chanted.
(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Additional reporting by Alistair Smout in London and Terje Solsvik; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Susan Fenton, Will Dunham, Peter Graff)
Greek police say no damage caused by Molotov cocktail, which exploded on the Iranian diplomatic mission’s wall
By AFP
Illustrative: A protester holds a placard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration in Athens by Iranians living in Greece, September 24, 2022, following the death of an Iranian woman after her arrest by the country's morality police in Tehran. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP)
ATHENS, Greece — A Molotov cocktail bomb was thrown against the Iranian embassy in Athens on Sunday, Athens News Agency reported.
According to Greek police, at around 1:00 a.m. local time, two people riding a motorcycle with their faces covered hurled the weapon on the wall of the embassy where it exploded.
No damage was caused.
On Saturday afternoon, around 200 people gathered at Syntagma Square in downtown Athens to denounce Iran’s crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the country’s notorious morality police.
Iranian women cut their hair in a gesture of solidarity with Amini, brandishing placards reading “say her name!”
- Mahsa Amini: Hundreds rally in Paris, European cities to denounce Iranian regime
People protest outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 24, 2022, following the death of an Iranian woman after her arrest by the country's morality police in Tehran. (AFP)
AFP, Paris
Published: 25 September ,2022:
Hundreds of expatriate Iranians rallied in Paris and other European cities on Saturday to denounce Iran’s crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by morality police.
The protesters gathered in the central Place du Chatelet in the French capital and chanted slogans against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and also urged French President Emmanuel Macron to halt negotiations with Iran.
“Khamenei get out of Iran!,” “Macron enough silence!” and “Death to the Islamic republic” were among the slogans shouted by the demonstrators in French and Persian, an AFP reporter said.
The protesters also sung in Persian the Italian protest song “Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful)” which has become popular with supporters of the movement.
They also repeated the viral Persian chants used by protesters inside Iran such as “zan, zendegi, azadi!” (woman, life, freedom!) and also its Kurdish equivalent “jin, jiyan, azadi!” as Amini, also known as Jhina Amini, was Kurdish.
In other protests, Iranian women in Athens cut their hair in a gesture of solidarity with Amini, brandishing placards reading “say her name!”
An Iranian refugee woman living in Greece cuts her hair during a demonstration by Iranians living in Greece in central Athens on September 24, 2022, following the death of an Iranian woman after her arrest by the country's morality police in Tehran. (AFP)
Demonstrators on Sergels torg in the center of the Swedish capital Stockholm also cut their hair while another group outside the Swedish parliament held up pictures of those killed.
Iran says that 35 people have died in the protests that erupted after the death of Amini but activists say that the number is now over 50 and likely even higher.
Demonstrators in Paris expressed fury that Macron had met and shaken hands with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week as Paris seeks to keep the 2015 deal on Tehran's nuclear program alive.
“How can you shake the hands of someone who has committed a crime against humanity?” read a placard brandished by the protesters referring to Raisi’s alleged involvement in the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners in Iran.
“The anger has caught fire and the flames will be impossible to extinguish,” said Mahtab Ghorbani, an exiled poet and writer who lives in France.
“Those who do not speak up will be held responsible and we demand that France stops the negotiations (on the nuclear issue) and closes the Iranian embassy in Paris,” she said.
The protesters are planning to hold a second demonstration on Sunday where they intend to march on the Iranian embassy in Paris.
Over 700 arrested in Iran since protests began over Mahsa Amini’s death
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in protest since the death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was apprehended in Tehran and taken to a “re-education center”, apparently for not wearing her hijab properly.
Over 700 people have been arrested in one province of Iran since the protest erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after her arrest for allegedly failing to comply with Iran’s strict rules on women’s dress by wearing an “improper hijab”.
According to Tasnim News Agency, Iranian police in just one province have arrested over 700 people since protests began over a week ago. The Police chief of Guilan province, General Azizollah Maleki announced “the arrest of 739 rioters including 60 women,” the Iranian media outlet said. While Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called “to deal decisively” with the disruptors of the security and peace of the country,” a statement released by his office said.
In a phone call with the family of a Basij militiaman allegedly killed by demonstrators in Iran’s second-largest city Mashhad, Raisi stressed “the need to distinguish between protest and disruption of public order and security,” while denouncing the current unrest as “rioting and evil.”
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in protest since the death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was apprehended in Tehran and taken to a “re-education center”, apparently for not wearing her hijab properly.
Since Friday, demonstrations have taken place in at least 40 cities nationwide, including the capital Tehran, with protesters demanding an end to violence and discrimination against women as well as an end to compulsory wearing of the hijab.
Dozens of protesters have reportedly been killed in the resulting clashes with security forces. Earlier on Saturday, the official death toll in the clampdown by Iranian security forces was reported to have more than doubled from 17 to 35.
Iran Oscar-winning director urges 'solidarity' with protesters
Issued on: 25/09/2022 -
Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi at the Cannes Film Festival in France, on May 28, 2022
Valery HACHE AFP/File
Paris (AFP) – Iran's two-time Oscar winning director Asghar Farhadi on Sunday urged people worldwide to "stand in solidarity" with protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.
A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the death of 22-year-old Amini, and Farhadi praised the "progressive and courageous women leading protests for their human rights alongside men".
"They are looking for simple yet fundamental rights that the state has denied them for years," Farhadi said, in a video message on Instagram.
"This society, especially these women, has travelled a harsh and painful path to this point, and now they have clearly reached a landmark."
At least 41 people have been killed, including members of the security forces, according to an official toll, although human rights groups say the real figure is far higher.
"I saw them closely these nights: most of them are very young, 17 years old, 20 years old," Farhadi added.
"I saw outrage and hope in their faces, and in the way they marched in the streets. I deeply respect their struggle for freedom and the right to choose their own destiny, despite all the brutality they are subjected to."
Farhadi, known for films that tackle everyday challenges in people's lives, won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for "A Separation" in 2011 and "The Salesman" in 2016.
"I invite all artists, filmmakers, intellectuals, civil rights activists from all over the world ... everyone who believes in human dignity and freedom, to stand in solidarity with the powerful and brave women and men of Iran by making videos, in writing or any other way," he said.
© 2022 AFP
Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi at the Cannes Film Festival in France, on May 28, 2022
Valery HACHE AFP/File
Paris (AFP) – Iran's two-time Oscar winning director Asghar Farhadi on Sunday urged people worldwide to "stand in solidarity" with protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.
A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the death of 22-year-old Amini, and Farhadi praised the "progressive and courageous women leading protests for their human rights alongside men".
"They are looking for simple yet fundamental rights that the state has denied them for years," Farhadi said, in a video message on Instagram.
"This society, especially these women, has travelled a harsh and painful path to this point, and now they have clearly reached a landmark."
At least 41 people have been killed, including members of the security forces, according to an official toll, although human rights groups say the real figure is far higher.
"I saw them closely these nights: most of them are very young, 17 years old, 20 years old," Farhadi added.
"I saw outrage and hope in their faces, and in the way they marched in the streets. I deeply respect their struggle for freedom and the right to choose their own destiny, despite all the brutality they are subjected to."
Farhadi, known for films that tackle everyday challenges in people's lives, won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for "A Separation" in 2011 and "The Salesman" in 2016.
"I invite all artists, filmmakers, intellectuals, civil rights activists from all over the world ... everyone who believes in human dignity and freedom, to stand in solidarity with the powerful and brave women and men of Iran by making videos, in writing or any other way," he said.
© 2022 AFP
Iran's 'morality police:' What do they enforce?
The death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab correctly, has brought Iran's "morality police" under scrutiny. Who are they and what is their mission?
For decades, Iran's government has promoted what it considers the "Islamic dress code."
The so-called morality police arrested 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Tehran for wearing what they deemed inappropriate clothing and took her to a police station, where she slipped into a coma. Three days later, she died in a hospital. Her death sparked widespread anger and led to anti-government rallies that continue to embroil dozens of cities, according to videos posted on social media.
President Ibrahim Raisi’s government has deployed security forces, to crack down on the protesters.
So, what exactly is the "morality police" force and how does it operate?
Protests erupted in Tehran and other cities soon after Mahsa's death, leading to another anti-government riot.
What does the 'morality police' do?
"Gasht-e-Ershad," which translates as "guidance patrols" and is widely known as the "morality police," is a unit of Iran’s police forces tasked with enforcing the laws on Islamic dress code in public.
According to the regulation, all women above the age of puberty must wear a head covering and loose clothing in public, although the exact age is not clearly defined. In school, girls typically have to wear the hijab from the age of 7, but that does not mean they need to necessarily wear it in other public places.
A major part of Iran’s social regulations is based on the state's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, which requires both men and women to dress modestly. However, in practice, the "morality police" primarily target women.
There are no clear guidelines or details on what types of clothing qualify as inappropriate, leaving a lot of room for personal interpretation and sparking accusations that the "morality" enforcers arbitrarily detain women.
When arrested, Mahsa Amini was wearing what is widely considered conventional by Iran's standards: A long, plain black dress with a black and white headscarf
Those detained by the "morality police" are given a notice or, in some cases, are taken to a so-called education and advice center or a police station, where they are required to attend a mandatory lecture on hijab and Islamic values. They then have to call someone to bring them "appropriate clothes" to get released.
Morality police also enforce dress code
In addition to cracking down on hijab violations, the government promotes its version of Islamic dress code in schools, national media and public events.
However, many Iranian women have found ways to defy the ultraconservative dress codes. Many have pushed the boundaries by wearing tight-fitting garments and using the headscarf as a colorful accessory, exposing a lot of hair. Again, there are no hard-and-fast rules on how much hair can be exposed.
A 2018 survey published by Iran's parliament showed that between 60 to 70% of Iranian women do not follow " the Islamic dress code" strictly in public.
Activists have fought against compulsory hijab for decades, with several of them currently in prison.
Under Raisi’s ultra-conservative administration, the "morality police" has increased its presence in big cities. In response, thousands of women began to go out in the streets without a headscarf and some shared videos of themselves online to encourage others.
After a video of a woman pleading to the "morality police" officer for her sick daughter's release went viral in July, the calls grew for the dissolution of the force.
In an unprecedented move, hundreds of religious women began to speak up against compulsory hijab online. Even some conservative figures, including members of parliament, began criticizing the law and the police force, saying that it has had a negative impact on public attitudes toward the hijab and religion in general.
Why won't the government ditch the morality police?
Raisi’s government is grappling with serious problems such as staggeringly high inflation, heavy international sanctions on its economy, a water crisis and regional tensions.
Public discontent has been skyrocketing. In recent years Iran has witnessed several nationwide riots that have turned violent, with regional rallies taking place sporadically in different parts of the country.
Nonetheless, some observers say that Raisi has no choice but to keep the "morality police" to please the hard-liners whose support he needs.
"The system (government) will lose a big part of its supporters forever, without gaining the support of those who are protesting," wrote independent journalist Fereshte Sadeghi in a tweet. "the protesters want a lot more than ditching compulsory hijab and they will keep protesting," she says, hinting at the myriad crises facing the country, with the recent violence and demonstrations over strict dress codes being just one of many.
Edited by: Nicole Goebel
Kurdish Protesters Rally in Erbil over Amini's Death in Iran
Dozens of Iraqi and Iranian Kurds rallied in Iraq's northern city of Erbil on Saturday over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in the custody of Iranian police.
Protestors carrying placards with Amini's photograph gathered outside the United Nations compound in Erbil chanting "Death to the dictator" - a reference to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"Women, Life, Freedom" chanted others, many of whom were Iranian Kurds living in self-imposed exile in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Protests broke out in northwestern Iran a week ago at the funeral of Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after falling into a coma following her detention by morality police enforcing hijab rules on women's dress.
