Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Iran will act decisively after biggest protests in years, president says

Published 09/24/2022, 05:52 AM
Updated 09/25/2022, 04:00 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People light a fire 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 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People light a fire 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 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran must deal decisively with protests which have swept the country after the death in custody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

At least 41 people have been killed in the week-long unrest, state television said on Saturday. It said that toll was based on its own count and official figures were yet to be released. Protests have erupted in most of the country's 31 provinces.

State media quoted Raisi on Saturday as saying Iran must "deal decisively with those who oppose the country's security and tranquillity."

Raisi was speaking by telephone to the family of a member of the Basij volunteer force killed while taking part in the crackdown on unrest in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The president "stressed the necessity to distinguish between protest and disturbing public order and security, and called the events ... a riot," state media reported.

The protests broke out in northwestern Iran a week ago at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after falling into a coma following her detention in Tehran by morality police enforcing hijab rules on women's dress.

Her death has reignited anger over issues including restrictions on personal freedoms in Iran, 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 fall 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 confrontation in the Islamic Republic's history.

On Friday, state-organised rallies took place in several Iranian cities to counter the anti-government protests, and the army promised to confront "the enemies" behind the unrest.

In neighbouring Iraq, dozens of Iraqi and Iranian Kurds rallied outside the United Nations compound in the northern city of Erbil on Saturday, carrying placards with Amini's photograph and chanting "death to the dictator," referring to Khamenei.

State television in Iran, which has accused armed exiled Iranian Kurdish dissidents of involvement in the unrest, said Iranian Revolutionary Guards had fired artillery on bases of Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

'DEADLY RESPONSE'

At least three times this week, mobile Internet has been disrupted in Iran, the NetBlocks watchdog has reported. Activists say the move is intended to prevent video footage of the violence reaching the world.

On Saturday NetBlocks said Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s Skype video calling app was now restricted, the latest such measure after platforms including Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn were targeted.

In an effort to help sustain internet connection, the United States is making exceptions to its sanctions regime on Iran - a move which Tehran said on Saturday was in line with Washington's hostile stance.

Rights group Amnesty International said protesters face a "spiralling deadly response from security forces" and called for an independent United Nations investigation.

On the night of Sept. 21, shootings by security forces left at least 19 people dead, including three children, it said.

“The rising death toll is an alarming indication of just how ruthless the authorities’ assault on human life has been under the darkness of the internet shutdown," Amnesty said.

State television showed footage purporting to show calm had returned to many parts of the capital Tehran late on Friday.

"But in some western and northern areas of Tehran and certain provinces rioters destroyed public property," it said, carrying footage of protesters setting fire to garbage bins and a car, marching, and throwing rocks.

The activist Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) account 1500tasvir carried videos of protests in Tehran's western district of Sattarkhan showing protesters gathered at a square chanting "don't be afraid we all in this together" late on Saturday with a motorcycle apparently belonging to riot police burning in the background.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People light a fire during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's

A video posted on social media showed a demonstration in the northern city of Babol with youths trying to take off portraits of Khamenei and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, at the gate of a university while bystanders cheered them on and shouted "death to the dictator."

Videos posted on social media showed continued protests in Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan province, late on Saturday, despite a heavy police presence. Reuters could not verify the videos.

Latest comments

Chickens come home to roost for Iranians since 1979 Revolution. People have no guns and regime has all the weapons and they no problems using it against the people. At this point, people lose no matter what they do! Don’t ever give up your Right to bear arms! In my opinion
Come on Iran.. just get your nuke ready then join BRICS.. negotiations will never be on your side.. it will never be fair.. don’t ever trust them.. lol..
You seem to be missing the meaning of the moment: that the people of Iran or rejecting authoritarian rule.
Man, I despise fracking authoritarians - so dahm unwilling to let people make their own decisions.
A real man helps his mother, his wife, his daughter, his sister or his cousins to be free to let themselves decide if they want to wear a burka or a nijab not some old priests from the middelages. Those who fight for the priests are not real men
Iran regime is a plaque that wants the Iranian people to live in the middleage where women have no rights. That is a problem in 2022. Even the men can see this but the priests refuse to and have no problem in k..il.ling women to maintain this opression. The burka and nijab are symbols of oppression those who advocate for this wants to keep women from their human rights to decide for themselves
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.