In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi speaks in an interview with the state TV at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Raisi again vowed to investigate death of Mahsa Amini, whose death in morality police custody over his veil, but said authorities would not tolerate any threats to public security. Amini's death sparked nearly two weeks of widespread unrest that has reached across Iran's provinces and brought students, middle-class professionals and working-class men and women into the streets. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
The Associated Press
Thu, September 29, 2022
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian anti-government protesters chanted from windows and rooftops in parts of Tehran early Thursday, but there were no reports of street protests in the country's capital, where authorities have waged a fierce crackdown in recent days.
It was not immediately clear whether that signaled a decline in the nationwide protests over the death earlier this month of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely. Her death has triggered an outpouring of anger at the country's ruling clerics.
Iranian media have sporadically covered the demonstrations since they began. That they did not report any new protests in Tehran could mean that there weren't any or that authorities have tightened media restrictions.
There was also no sign of burned trash cans or rubble in the streets of central Tehran early Thursday, as there had been following previous nightly street protests.
Tehran’s provincial governor, Mohsen Mansouri, was quoted by state media as saying the protests in the capital have ended and security has been restored. But people could be heard chanting “Death to the dictator” from buildings, where it is harder for police to arrest them.
It was not immediately clear how extensive the protests were elsewhere in the country. Students have continued to demonstrate on some university campuses, including Shiraz University in the south.
Authorities are still blocking access to WhatsApp and Instagram, social media services used by protesters to organize and share information. They are also heavily restricting internet access in the afternoons to prevent demonstrations from forming.
Iranian police have clashed with protesters in dozens of cities over the past 12 days.
State TV has reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17. An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 14 dead, with more than 1,500 demonstrators arrested.
Norway advised against all unnecessary travel to Iran and urged its citizens inside the country to "exercise caution and avoid demonstrations and large crowds.”
Authorities have meanwhile arrested Elahe Mohammadi, a journalist who reported on Amini's funeral earlier this month in the Kurdish town of Saqez. She is among several journalists to have been detained since Amini's death.
Late Thursday, Iranian media reported the arrest of female songwriter Mona Borzoui and a former soccer player, Hossein Mahini, claiming they were “encouraging rioting.” Iranian hard-liners have regularly urged for the arrest of celebrities and influential public figures who have openly supported the protests. No further details on their arrests were immediately available.
The police say Amini died of a heart attack after being detained by the morality police and was not mistreated. Her family has questioned that account, saying they were told by other detainees that she was severely beaten and were not allowed to see her body.
In a speech late Wednesday, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi again vowed to investigate her death but said authorities would not tolerate any threats to public security.
In death, Amini has emerged as an icon of resistance to Iran's theocracy, which requires women to dress conservatively and cover their hair in public. Authorities have faced waves of protests in recent years, mostly linked to a long-standing economic crisis worsened by international sanctions.
Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, said the latest protests are different from earlier ones, telling the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that “there is a possibility of overthrowing the regime.”
“Unlike previous protests, people aren’t passive. When they are beaten by the security forces, they respond by beating the security forces as well,” said Ebadi, who fled the country in 2009 during an earlier crackdown on dissent.
She called on the international community to withdraw ambassadors from Iran and impose sanctions on those involved in killing protesters.
Iran's leaders have blamed the protests on unnamed foreign entities that they say are trying to foment unrest. The Foreign Ministry summoned the French charge d'affaires on Thursday, accusing French officials of meddling in Iran's internal affairs by expressing support for the protests, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.
But even Jomhouri Eslami, a hard-line newspaper, acknowledged in an editorial that the protests reflect real anger.
“In regards to ending the protests, authorities should not think that the discontent is over and will not grow. The current situation is like embers under the ashes, which can flare up again.”
Police scuffle with demonstrators outside Iran's embassy in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, as they protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody in Iran after she was detained by the country’s morality police. Several people attempted to enter the Iranian Embassy in Oslo, police said Thursday, with scuffles breaking out and rocks being thrown at officers with authorities saying some 90 people had been detained. (Terje Pedersen/NTB Scanpix via AP)More
Thu, September 29, 2022
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Several people in a violent crowd attempted to enter the Iranian Embassy in Oslo, police said Thursday, with scuffles breaking out and rocks being thrown at officers. Authorities said 90 people had been detained.
A crowd had gathered outside the diplomatic mission in Oslo to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody in Iran after she was detained by Iran's morality police. Several were shouting, others had Kurdish flags around their shoulders. Some called for freedom for Kurdistan, women’s freedom and shouted the name of Amini.
Police in the Norwegian capital said “many people were behaving violently."
Amini was arrested for allegedly breaking headscarf rules and died on Sept. 16. The Iranian police said she died of a heart attack and wasn’t mistreated, but her family has cast doubt on that account. The Oslo clashes came as protests over her death spread across dozens of Iranian cities, towns and villages.
Bipartisan group of senators condemns Iran over Amini death
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday introduced a resolution condemning the detention and death of Mahsa Amini, who was held by Iran's morality police this month for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely.
The 22-year-old's death sparked large-scale protests across Iran that have captured the world's attention, with women protesters making a show of taking off their headscarves and cutting their hair in solidarity with Amini.
“As co-chair of the Human Rights Caucus, I commend the thousands of brave protesters who are risking their lives to advocate for human rights in Iran, including the human rights of Iranian women," Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement. “The public response to Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands Iran’s morality police makes clear that the Iranian government’s oppression is no match for the demands for dignity and respect by the Iranian people.”
At least a dozen people have been killed since the protests erupted around the country following Amini's death in mid-September, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Iranian state media has said the toll could be much higher. The Iranian government has pushed back, clashing with demonstrators and clamping down on internet access.
Amini had been detained Sept. 13 for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of strictures demanding women in public wear the Islamic headscarves. She died three days later in police custody; authorities said she had a heart attack but hadn’t been harmed. Her family has disputed that, leading to the public outcry.
Dozens of Republican and Democratic senators showed their support for the resolution Thursday, which also comes as the U.S. is negotiating the revival of a deal with Iran meant to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear bomb in exchange for the loosening of economic sanctions.
The ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran — after former President Donald Trump abruptly withdrew U.S. from the deal in 2018 — are a point of contention for Republicans in Congress.
“The Biden Administration’s blind pursuit of a new nuclear deal only serves to empower the Iranian regime," Sen. Jim Risch, an Idaho Republican and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. "The administration should reverse course and hold Iran accountable for its human rights abuses.”
The resolution, lawmakers say, seeks to send “a loud and clear message” to the Islamic Republic that the U.S. stands behind women's rights and the right to peaceful protest. It remains unclear when the resolution would come to the Senate floor for passage as the chamber is expected to be gone for the majority of October during campaigning for the midterm elections
Iranian woman whose death led to
mass protests was shy and avoided
politics
Protest following the death of Mahsa Amini, in front of the United Nations
headquarters in Erbil
Wed, September 28, 2022
By Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI (Reuters) - The young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, whose death in police custody triggered nationwide protests, was a shy, reserved resident of a small town who never challenged the country's clerical rulers or its Islamic dress code, sources close to the family said.
Amini, from the northwestern Kurdish city of Saqez, died three days after she was arrested in hospital after falling into a coma. It sparked the first big show of opposition on Iran's streets since authorities crushed fuel price protests in 2019 in which 1,500 people were killed.
Authorities deny beating Amini and insisted in a statement that the cause of death was sudden heart failure, possibly from preexisting conditions. But the family has denied the 22-year-old had any previous health issues.
Amini minded her own business and steered clear of politics, two sources close to her family said, traits that most Iranians hope would keep them out of trouble in the Islamic Republic.
But on Sept 13, Amini would pay a heavy price for not paying attention to every detail of her clothing as she and her family visited her uncle in Tehran.
She was arrested as soon as she stepped out of a train station in the evening.
Amini was suddenly confronted by the morality police, a force tasked with detaining people who violate Iran's conservative dress code in order to "promote virtue and prevent vice".
The typical unit consists of a van with a mixed male and female crew that patrols or waits at busy public spaces to police non-proper behaviour and dress.
Her crime? Wearing tight trousers.
Amini and her brother begged for mercy, saying they were not familiar with the rules in Tehran. She was begging her brother not to let them take her.
Her brother waited in front of Vozara morality police detention centre for her. But after two hours an ambulance arrived to transfer her to a hospital. The family eventualy found Amini at the Kasra hospital
Doctors kept the family in the dark. Loved ones had no access to her CT scan. In the coroner's office her body was covered in such a way that her father could not see anything except a small part of her leg that was bruised, the sources said.
"He kept begging doctors to brief him about his daughter’s condition. But no one answered him," said another source.
Women who were arrested along with Mahsa told her father that she was beaten inside a van that was transporting them. She was crying and pleading with police to let her go, the father was told.
"The police told the father that cameras in the van did not function. So, the family does not know what happened inside the van and at the detention centre," said one of the sources close to the family.
"They do not believe in the video published by authorities that shows her suddenly falling at the police station. Her family believes that the video was edited."
In an instant, she would be robbed of her dreams of one day getting married and having children after finishing university.
"She wanted to live a normal and happy life," said one of the sources.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said he had ordered an investigation into the case of Amini.
Officials said 41 people, including members of the police and a pro-government militia, had died during the protests. But Iranian human rights groups have reported a higher toll.
Amini's death has drawn international condemnation while Iran has blamed "thugs" linked to "foreign enemies" for the unrest. Tehran has accused the United States and some European countries of using the unrest to try to destabilise the Islamic Republic.
Far removed from politics, Amini's family is still trying to make sense of her death.
Her mother insists that Mahsa's hijab was proper. During the funeral, she was repeatedly saying "Why, why? My daughter had proper Hijab and her coat was long and black, but I don't know why she was arrested."
"Where is my daughter? Where is my child?,” she repeats everyday, said the sources close to the family.
A statement on Instagram from the hospital which was later taken down said she was brain dead when she arrived there.
"Resuscitation was performed on the patient and her heartbeat returned and the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit," the hospital said.
"But unfortunately, after 48 hours on Friday, she had a cardiac arrest again, due to brain death. In spite of the medical team's efforts, the medical team could not revive her and she died."
Iranian authorities have told Amini's relatives to avoid speaking about her case, said the two sources close to the family. Her father, mother and uncle do not answer their phones.
(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Here's How to Help Iranian Women Following the Death of Mahsa Amini
Leah Campano
Tue, September 27, 2022
Mass protests have erupted across Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody earlier this month. On September 13, the young woman, originally from the city of Saqqez, was apprehended by “morality police” in Iran’s capital of Tehran and taken to a “re-education center” for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. At the time of her arrest, she was with her brother, Kiaresh Amini.
According to a report from the United Nations, Amini was brutally beaten by the police and taken to the Vozara Detention Center. While there, Amini collapsed and fell into a coma. She was transferred to Kasra Hospital, where she died on Friday, September 16. Iranian authorities claimed Mahsa died of a heart attack, but, according to CNN, her family affirmed she had no pre-existing heart conditions.
It’s widely believed that Amini was tortured and killed by the police. Her father, Amjad Amini, said that doctors forbade him from seeing his daughter after she died in the hospital. “They’re lying. They’re telling lies. Everything is a lie… no matter how much I begged, they wouldn’t let me see my daughter,” he told BBC Persia on September 21, per CNN.
Amini’s death has sparked outrage in Iran, mobilizing thousands — especially women and young people — to take to the streets and demand an end to repression and violence against women. Below, we explain the latest on the demonstrations, how to help, where to donate, and how you can stay informed on the protests in Iran.
Latest Updates on Protests
Protests against the Iranian government have spread to dozens of Iranian cities since the death of Mahsa Amini. It’s reported by state media that 35 people have been killed, per The New York Times, but it’s believed by human rights organizations that the death toll is much higher. As of September 27, BBC reports that 76 protestors have been killed.
Women and young people are at the forefront of these protests. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, women have been subjected to severe, oppressive restrictions. According to The Washington Post, the regime has forced Iranian women to wear a hijab for nearly four decades. Since Amini’s death, women have taken off their headscarves, set them on fire in the streets, or cut their hair in public, in a remarkable act of defiance.
The Iranian government cut off internet access in the country last week, according to Politico, to restrict communication and suppress the proliferation of footage from protests. In response, the United States Department of Treasury announced that it’d increase internet access to Iran.
“As courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the United States is redoubling its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a press release. “Today, Treasury is announcing the expansion of Iran General License D-2, which will expand the range of internet services available to Iranians. With these changes, we are helping the Iranian people be better equipped to counter the government’s efforts to surveil and censor them.”
How to Help
There are a number of ways to help the people of Iran and show your solidarity. You can check social media to find a protest near you, start a local demonstration, and share and repost fact-based information to lift the voices of those inside Iran on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. You can also donate to human rights organizations such as the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, and Amnesty International, which are fighting for the rights and freedoms of all Iranian people.
You can also contact your representatives to speak out against the Iranian government’s human rights atrocities.
Who to Follow on Social to Stay Informed
Wondering how to best stay up-to-date and informed on what’s happening in Iran, and why citizens are protesting? Use social media to follow those who are breaking down the issues and sharing the efforts of Iranian citizens in the streets, bravely demanding accountability from their government. Here are some accounts to follow.
Nazanin Boniadi, actor and Amnesty UK Ambassador
Masih Alinejad, activist and journalist
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, nonprofit organization
Middle East Matters, organization
Gissou Nia, Director of Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project
Read These Books to Learn More
The titles below are moving, powerful depictions of life in Iran before and after the 1979 revolution, chronicling the experiences of women during times of political upheaval.
LONDON — Iran has entered its 10th day of nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Amini had been detained by morality police on Sept. 13 for allegedly violating a religious law that decrees that a woman should wear a headscarf. She died three days later.
Activists and Amini’s family believe she died from injuries sustained from a beating by police. Authorities in Iran, however, deny any mistreatment and claim that Amini suffered “sudden heart failure.”
Public anger over Amini’s death has sparked some of the biggest protests Iran has seen in years. Demonstrations led by women have been held across 90 cities and towns in the Islamic Republic in the past week. Social media has been flooded with videos of what appears to be women burning their hijabs and cutting off their hair in public acts of defiance.
But as public outcry appeared to reach new heights, both online and on the streets, Iran’s government reacted by shutting off the internet to multiple cellular networks. Videos that were uploaded before the blackout show protesters fighting back against the government’s security forces. On Saturday, Iranian officials said they would continue to restrict internet access until the protests cease, CNN reported.
This appears to be just the beginning of Iran’s crackdown on dissent in the country. On Friday, the military hinted that it was prepared to “confront the enemies’ various plots in order to ensure security and peace for the people who are being unjustly assaulted,” Reuters reported.
Elsewhere in Iran, pro-government rallies took place in cities on Friday in response to the nationwide protests over Amini’s death. Reuters reported that chants such as “Offenders of the Koran must be executed” could be heard from the crowds.
The demonstrations over Amini’s death are the latest in a string of protests over the past several years in which Iranians have fought back against their government on a number of issues. In every instance, however, the Islamic Republic’s forces fought to quell the rebellion.
About three years ago, hundreds of protesters took to the streets after a decision by the authorities to raise the price of gasoline by at least 50%. In what was later labeled as “Bloody November,” hundreds of civilians were killed and demonstrations were violently crushed by government forces. It was the deadliest instance of political unrest in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
“In November 2019, Iranian authorities coupled the brutal crackdown with a near blackout of the internet, so that Iranians were cut off from the outside world,” Dr. Assal Rad, research director of the nonprofit National Iranian American Council, told Yahoo News.
Iran’s state television would later acknowledge that security forces had fatally shot “rioters.” Among the dead were peaceful protesters and passersby, the report also stated.
But this time it seems as though the government’s response might be larger and deadlier.
“The fact that we are seeing protesters openly confronting security forces and fighting back in this unprecedented manner may indicate a larger and deadlier crackdown than what we have seen in the past, as authorities try to repress protests that have spread across the country,” Rad said.
“If precedence is any indication, Iranian authorities have shown that they will use deadly force, mass arrests and control over communications to suppress protests.” She added: “In that respect, Iranian authorities have shown that they will go to any length to ensure their own survival over the rightful needs and demands of the people of Iran.”
