Iranians strike to mark 2019 protests in fresh rebuff to ruling clerics
Tue, November 15, 2022
DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iranians went on strike in several cities on Tuesday to commemorate the 2019 protests over fuel prices, a display of dissent that was crushed by security forces in one of the bloodiest crackdowns in the history of the Islamic Republic.
The move will add to pressure on Iran's clerical rulers, who have been battling two months of nationwide protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.
In 2019, Reuters reported 1,500 people were killed in that wave of unrest, including at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as some members of the security forces and police.
In the latest protests, the rights activist HRANA news agency said 344 people have been killed, including 52 minors. The news agency also reported 40 members of the security forces being killed, in addition to 15,820 people being arrested.
The demonstrations have turned into a legitimacy crisis for the clerical establishment, in power for more than four decades.
Videos shared on social media showed strikes and gatherings. Footage shared by activist 1500tasvir Twitter account showed closed shops in the Tehran Bazaar, with people gathering there to shout anti-government slogans.
Hengaw also reported mass strikes in several Kurdish-populated cities of northern and northwestern Iran, adding that universities in these locations had also gone on strike.
The Azad University of Karaj near Tehran did the same, with 1500tasvir sharing a video of the university's empty corridors and closed doors. The Twitter account also showed a video of people at a metro shouting "death to the dictator", a popular slogan referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the videos.
In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, steel workers stood outside their factory and joined the strike. 1500 Tasvir said the workers were using the slogan "enough with promises, our table is empty."
Support for the protest movement is pouring in from various parts of Iranian society, with famous retired footballer Ali Daei saying on Instagram that he refused FIFA's invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar.
"In these difficult days when most of us are unwell, I have given a negative response to FIFA's invitation and prefer to stay alongside my compatriots and share my condolences to families who have recently lost their loved ones," Daei said.
Iran, which said Amini's death was due to pre-existing conditions, has blamed its foreign enemies, including the United States, for the unrest.
On Monday, the European Union imposed additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic over the crackdown on protests and French president Emmanuel Macron characterising the unrest as a revolution. (Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean)
Tue, November 15, 2022
DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iranians went on strike in several cities on Tuesday to commemorate the 2019 protests over fuel prices, a display of dissent that was crushed by security forces in one of the bloodiest crackdowns in the history of the Islamic Republic.
The move will add to pressure on Iran's clerical rulers, who have been battling two months of nationwide protests triggered by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.
In 2019, Reuters reported 1,500 people were killed in that wave of unrest, including at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as some members of the security forces and police.
In the latest protests, the rights activist HRANA news agency said 344 people have been killed, including 52 minors. The news agency also reported 40 members of the security forces being killed, in addition to 15,820 people being arrested.
The demonstrations have turned into a legitimacy crisis for the clerical establishment, in power for more than four decades.
Videos shared on social media showed strikes and gatherings. Footage shared by activist 1500tasvir Twitter account showed closed shops in the Tehran Bazaar, with people gathering there to shout anti-government slogans.
Hengaw also reported mass strikes in several Kurdish-populated cities of northern and northwestern Iran, adding that universities in these locations had also gone on strike.
The Azad University of Karaj near Tehran did the same, with 1500tasvir sharing a video of the university's empty corridors and closed doors. The Twitter account also showed a video of people at a metro shouting "death to the dictator", a popular slogan referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the videos.
In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, steel workers stood outside their factory and joined the strike. 1500 Tasvir said the workers were using the slogan "enough with promises, our table is empty."
Support for the protest movement is pouring in from various parts of Iranian society, with famous retired footballer Ali Daei saying on Instagram that he refused FIFA's invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar.
"In these difficult days when most of us are unwell, I have given a negative response to FIFA's invitation and prefer to stay alongside my compatriots and share my condolences to families who have recently lost their loved ones," Daei said.
Iran, which said Amini's death was due to pre-existing conditions, has blamed its foreign enemies, including the United States, for the unrest.
On Monday, the European Union imposed additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic over the crackdown on protests and French president Emmanuel Macron characterising the unrest as a revolution. (Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean)
Shops in Iran, including Grand Bazaar, close over protests
Iran Protests People walk through closed shops of Tehran's Grand Bazaar, Iran, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Many shops at Grand Bazaar in Iran's capital city were closed Tuesday amid strike calls following the September death of a woman who was arrested by the country's morality police.
Iran Protests People walk through closed shops of Tehran's Grand Bazaar, Iran, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Many shops at Grand Bazaar in Iran's capital city were closed Tuesday amid strike calls following the September death of a woman who was arrested by the country's morality police.
(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
JON GAMBRELL
Tue, November 15, 2022
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian shops in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar and elsewhere across the country closed their doors Tuesday amid protests gripping the nation, as two prominent soccer stars also announced they would not be attending the upcoming World Cup over the demonstrations.
The shop closures came amid calls for a three-day national strike to mark earlier protests in 2019 against Iran's theocracy that ended in a violent crackdown by authorities. However, this round of demonstrations after the September death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country's morality police have continued despite activists recording at least 344 deaths and 15,820 arrests so far.
The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they've declined a FIFA invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar, where Iran will play.
Shuttered storefronts could be seen across Tehran, Iran's capital, on Tuesday. Several shops did remain open, however, as a heavy security presence could be seen on the streets.
In the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart of Tehran for hundreds of years that long has served as a political bellwether for Persian dynasties, store fronts were closed as a lone woman and a man pushing a cart walked among its narrow alleyways. A stray cat nibbled at trash down one of its silent warrens.
Videos taken earlier Tuesday showed crowds gathered outside of the closed shops, some shouting: “This year is a year of blood; Seyyed Ali will be toppled!” The chant, heard in other protests, refuses to use the title ayatollah to refer to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. An ayatollah is a high-ranking Shiite cleric and such calls targeting Khamenei can bring a death sentence in Iran's closed-door Revolutionary Courts.
Other online videos purported to show shops closed elsewhere in the country as well, with some scattered demonstrations taking place.
Like the other protests after the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, the demonstrations appeared largely leaderless. A call on social media had gone out demanding a national strike not to buy or sell anything to mark the 2019 protests in Iran that followed a hike in government-subsidized gasoline prices that activists say saw at least 321 people killed in a subsequent crackdown.
Strikes may increasingly put pressure on the Iranian government, which so far has dismissed the demonstrators' demands as a foreign plot by its enemies as opposed to an outpouring of public frustration.
Already, U.S. officials have said they received information from Saudi Arabia saying an attack by Iran on the kingdom may happen. The U.S. Navy said Tuesday it intercepted 70 tons of a missile fuel component on a ship heading from Iran to Yemen, where the country's Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with ballistic missile fire.
Widening the demonstrations into strikes and boycotts could further raise pressure on Iran's government, which already has seen its economy suffer under international sanctions after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. So far though, it has yet to affect production in its crucial oil and natural gas industry.
The U.N. human rights office separately called on Iran’s government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests.
Iran's theocracy has been trying to solidify its support amid the demonstrations, holding rallies to mark the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover and subsequent hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
It's also focused on Iran's upcoming appearance at the World Cup in Qatar. A prominent billboard in Tehran's Vali Asr Square typically used by hard-liners shows Iran's team heading into a match, apparently supported by warriors of its Persian past.
But two prominent former stars have said they won't go to the matches in Qatar. Ali Daei, a top international goal scorer and Iranian team captain, said he declined to go when his country was “grief-stricken.”
“I want to be with my compatriots and express sympathy with all those who have lost loved ones,” the former center-forward said.
Javad Nekounam, another star, similarly has declined to go to the World Cup, Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
JON GAMBRELL
Tue, November 15, 2022
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian shops in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar and elsewhere across the country closed their doors Tuesday amid protests gripping the nation, as two prominent soccer stars also announced they would not be attending the upcoming World Cup over the demonstrations.
The shop closures came amid calls for a three-day national strike to mark earlier protests in 2019 against Iran's theocracy that ended in a violent crackdown by authorities. However, this round of demonstrations after the September death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country's morality police have continued despite activists recording at least 344 deaths and 15,820 arrests so far.
The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they've declined a FIFA invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar, where Iran will play.
Shuttered storefronts could be seen across Tehran, Iran's capital, on Tuesday. Several shops did remain open, however, as a heavy security presence could be seen on the streets.
In the Grand Bazaar, the beating heart of Tehran for hundreds of years that long has served as a political bellwether for Persian dynasties, store fronts were closed as a lone woman and a man pushing a cart walked among its narrow alleyways. A stray cat nibbled at trash down one of its silent warrens.
Videos taken earlier Tuesday showed crowds gathered outside of the closed shops, some shouting: “This year is a year of blood; Seyyed Ali will be toppled!” The chant, heard in other protests, refuses to use the title ayatollah to refer to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. An ayatollah is a high-ranking Shiite cleric and such calls targeting Khamenei can bring a death sentence in Iran's closed-door Revolutionary Courts.
Other online videos purported to show shops closed elsewhere in the country as well, with some scattered demonstrations taking place.
Like the other protests after the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, the demonstrations appeared largely leaderless. A call on social media had gone out demanding a national strike not to buy or sell anything to mark the 2019 protests in Iran that followed a hike in government-subsidized gasoline prices that activists say saw at least 321 people killed in a subsequent crackdown.
Strikes may increasingly put pressure on the Iranian government, which so far has dismissed the demonstrators' demands as a foreign plot by its enemies as opposed to an outpouring of public frustration.
Already, U.S. officials have said they received information from Saudi Arabia saying an attack by Iran on the kingdom may happen. The U.S. Navy said Tuesday it intercepted 70 tons of a missile fuel component on a ship heading from Iran to Yemen, where the country's Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with ballistic missile fire.
Widening the demonstrations into strikes and boycotts could further raise pressure on Iran's government, which already has seen its economy suffer under international sanctions after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. So far though, it has yet to affect production in its crucial oil and natural gas industry.
The U.N. human rights office separately called on Iran’s government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests.
Iran's theocracy has been trying to solidify its support amid the demonstrations, holding rallies to mark the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover and subsequent hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
It's also focused on Iran's upcoming appearance at the World Cup in Qatar. A prominent billboard in Tehran's Vali Asr Square typically used by hard-liners shows Iran's team heading into a match, apparently supported by warriors of its Persian past.
But two prominent former stars have said they won't go to the matches in Qatar. Ali Daei, a top international goal scorer and Iranian team captain, said he declined to go when his country was “grief-stricken.”
“I want to be with my compatriots and express sympathy with all those who have lost loved ones,” the former center-forward said.
Javad Nekounam, another star, similarly has declined to go to the World Cup, Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
Iran may use mass executions to quell anti-hijab protests across country, human rights group warns
Peter Aitken
But Amini’s family refuted the police report and said she had suffered injuries consistent with physical beatings. She died in hospital a few days later, and her death prompted protests that have now spread to over 140 cities and towns across Iran.
At least 326 protesters have died in violent crackdowns by security forces, IHRNGO claimed.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has put the total at closer to 341 deaths, with around 15,800 detained, according to the BBC.
The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Ejei last week issued a statement that "rioters" would be dealt with "firmly and strongly based on law and fairness," claiming the protesters have "disturbed the security of people, disrupted their livelihood and insulted their sanctities."
Peter Aitken
Tue, November 15, 2022
An Iranian court has issued the first death sentence related to the months-long anti-hijab protests, prompting fears of mass executions to quell the unrest.
A Revolutionary Court in Tehran found an unnamed defendant guilty of "enmity against God" and sentenced the protester to death, drawing criticism and concern from human rights groups such as the Iran Human Rights NGO (IHRNGO) that this execution would be the first of many.
"Underlining the Islamic Republic's history of using the death penalty to create societal fear, Iran Human Rights warns of the possibility of hasty executions without any prewarning," the Norway-based group wrote online. "The organization calls on the international community to prevent such crimes with timely action."
The anti-hijab protester sentenced to death also faced charges of arson of a government building and "corruption on Earth," IHRNGO said, citing the judiciary’s news site Mizan. The group also claimed that at least 20 protesters face security-related charges that could carry the death penalty.
The regime famously pursued mass executions as part of a "death commission" in 1988, which punished dissidents and political prisoners.
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022.
The commission allegedly led to the deaths of roughly 4,500 to 5,000 men, women and children in prisons across Iran, according to Amnesty International. A former deputy of the ayatollah later claimed as many as 30,000 may have died.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi allegedly took part in the commission, with many former victims identifying him as being "in the room" when they were questioned.
Nasser Sharif, president of the California Society for Democracy in Iran, sits in Dag Hammarskjold Park across from the U.N., surrounded by the photos of victims of the regime's "death commission."
Protests broke out across Iran two months ago following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who allegedly breached the country’s laws regarding headscarves, called a hijab. The morality police arrested her and an hour later rushed her to a hospital after claiming she had "slipped into a coma."
An Iranian court has issued the first death sentence related to the months-long anti-hijab protests, prompting fears of mass executions to quell the unrest.
A Revolutionary Court in Tehran found an unnamed defendant guilty of "enmity against God" and sentenced the protester to death, drawing criticism and concern from human rights groups such as the Iran Human Rights NGO (IHRNGO) that this execution would be the first of many.
"Underlining the Islamic Republic's history of using the death penalty to create societal fear, Iran Human Rights warns of the possibility of hasty executions without any prewarning," the Norway-based group wrote online. "The organization calls on the international community to prevent such crimes with timely action."
The anti-hijab protester sentenced to death also faced charges of arson of a government building and "corruption on Earth," IHRNGO said, citing the judiciary’s news site Mizan. The group also claimed that at least 20 protesters face security-related charges that could carry the death penalty.
The regime famously pursued mass executions as part of a "death commission" in 1988, which punished dissidents and political prisoners.
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022.
The commission allegedly led to the deaths of roughly 4,500 to 5,000 men, women and children in prisons across Iran, according to Amnesty International. A former deputy of the ayatollah later claimed as many as 30,000 may have died.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi allegedly took part in the commission, with many former victims identifying him as being "in the room" when they were questioned.
Nasser Sharif, president of the California Society for Democracy in Iran, sits in Dag Hammarskjold Park across from the U.N., surrounded by the photos of victims of the regime's "death commission."
Protests broke out across Iran two months ago following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who allegedly breached the country’s laws regarding headscarves, called a hijab. The morality police arrested her and an hour later rushed her to a hospital after claiming she had "slipped into a coma."
But Amini’s family refuted the police report and said she had suffered injuries consistent with physical beatings. She died in hospital a few days later, and her death prompted protests that have now spread to over 140 cities and towns across Iran.
At least 326 protesters have died in violent crackdowns by security forces, IHRNGO claimed.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has put the total at closer to 341 deaths, with around 15,800 detained, according to the BBC.
The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Ejei last week issued a statement that "rioters" would be dealt with "firmly and strongly based on law and fairness," claiming the protesters have "disturbed the security of people, disrupted their livelihood and insulted their sanctities."
'Disinformation at the highest level': Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed for tweeting, then deleting, false Iran news
Elianna Lev
Tue, November 15, 2022
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing harsh criticism on social media for posting, and then deleting, a tweet about Iran, which contained false information.
The tweet originally read: “Canada denounces the Iranian regime’s barbaric decision to impose the death penalty on nearly 15,000 protestors.” It was on his official Twitter page for 12 hours before being scrubbed from his page. A similar social media post, declaring that Iran had sentenced 15,000 people to death as a ‘hard lesson” for rebels was also making the rounds on various platforms.
People on Twitter slammed the PM for playing a part when it comes to spreading false information.
The Prime Minister's spokesperson responded to a request for comment on how such a Tweet could have been vetted.
"The post was informed by initial reporting that was incomplete and lacked necessary context. Because of that, it has since been deleted," the statement read.
“It was based on reporting of serious concerns raised by international human rights advocates warning of possible future sentences, including the death penalty, imposed on thousands of Iranian protesters who have already been detained by the regime,” they added.
Since September, there have been sweeping protests across Iran, following the death of a woman in custody by the country’s mortality police for allegedly not following the strict rules for covering hair with a hijab.
Legislators in Iran are insisting the country’s judiciary “show no leniency” towards those protesting. This week, one person has officially been sentenced to death. According to CNN, more than 14,000 people have been arrested since September and at least 2000 have been charged for being involved in demonstrations.
The PM's spokesperson urged Canadians to not "lose sight of the fact that one person has already been sentenced to death", and "dozens of protesters have been killed by the regime’s security forces."
"Our government continues to unequivocally support the people of Iran and are taking unprecedented action to hold the regime and its enablers accountable."
Elianna Lev
Tue, November 15, 2022
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing harsh criticism on social media for posting, and then deleting, a tweet about Iran, which contained false information.
The tweet originally read: “Canada denounces the Iranian regime’s barbaric decision to impose the death penalty on nearly 15,000 protestors.” It was on his official Twitter page for 12 hours before being scrubbed from his page. A similar social media post, declaring that Iran had sentenced 15,000 people to death as a ‘hard lesson” for rebels was also making the rounds on various platforms.
People on Twitter slammed the PM for playing a part when it comes to spreading false information.
The Prime Minister's spokesperson responded to a request for comment on how such a Tweet could have been vetted.
"The post was informed by initial reporting that was incomplete and lacked necessary context. Because of that, it has since been deleted," the statement read.
“It was based on reporting of serious concerns raised by international human rights advocates warning of possible future sentences, including the death penalty, imposed on thousands of Iranian protesters who have already been detained by the regime,” they added.
Since September, there have been sweeping protests across Iran, following the death of a woman in custody by the country’s mortality police for allegedly not following the strict rules for covering hair with a hijab.
Legislators in Iran are insisting the country’s judiciary “show no leniency” towards those protesting. This week, one person has officially been sentenced to death. According to CNN, more than 14,000 people have been arrested since September and at least 2000 have been charged for being involved in demonstrations.
The PM's spokesperson urged Canadians to not "lose sight of the fact that one person has already been sentenced to death", and "dozens of protesters have been killed by the regime’s security forces."
"Our government continues to unequivocally support the people of Iran and are taking unprecedented action to hold the regime and its enablers accountable."
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