Iran organises more counter-demonstrations as protests continue

Most of the lately arrested protesters have been youngsters, based on a senior IRGC official.

Iranian demonstrators took to the streets of the capital Tehran throughout a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody [AFP]

Tehran, Iran – One other spherical of counter-demonstrations have been organised in assist of the Iranian state as protests that fashioned after the loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 16 strategy the tip of their third week.

Professional-government demonstrations in northern Tehran started within the early afternoon on Wednesday and are anticipated to final a number of hours. Like the 2 earlier rounds, they had been introduced by way of state media and mass textual content messages, and had been anticipated to sentence “current riots and the crimes of seditionists”.

Wednesday marked the nineteenth day because the begin of the protests, throughout which dozens have been killed and lots of arrested. The authorities haven't launched an official tally.

Ali Salehi, the capital’s lawyer common, introduced Tuesday that 400 folks arrested in “riots” in Tehran have been launched up to now after committing by no means to repeat their acts.

A senior lawmaker briefed by intelligence authorities mentioned the identical day that an unknown variety of “leaders of the riots” will stay imprisoned.

With the varsity yr having began, movies of faculty kids and youngsters taking their hijabs off and chanting slogans have been extensively shared on social media.

Ali Fadavi, the second-highest commander within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), mentioned on Wednesday that the “common age of the most of the lately arrested is 15 years” and that lots of them had fallen “sufferer” to a story pushed on social media and foreign-based shops.

In the meantime, the loss of life of a teenage woman who joined the protests in Tehran has been extensively shared on social media. Nika Shakarami went lacking for 10 days simply earlier than she turned 17 earlier than her household lastly discovered her physique in a morgue in Tehran. She had reportedly suffered extreme head trauma.

An investigation into her loss of life has been launched, however authorities have rejected allegations that she could have been overwhelmed by safety forces.

State-affiliated media reported on Wednesday that Shakarami’s physique was discovered within the courtyard of a house after falling from the roof of a neighbouring home, and eight individuals who had been within the neighborhood on the time have been arrested.

College college students have additionally featured prominently within the protests up to now on campuses throughout the nation. Riot police earlier this week surrounded the celebrated Sharif College of Know-how in Tehran and arrested an unknown quantity. Officers have since mentioned that “most” of the scholars have been launched.

On-line exercise surrounding the protests has additionally continued, with Amini’s identify prominently used on Twitter.

Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei mentioned on Tuesday that the time it took from Amini’s arrest by Iran’s so-called “morality police” in Tehran on September 13 till her collapse from an obvious stroke in a police “re-education” centre was lower than an hour.

His remarks got here in assist of assertions by Iranian authorities that Amini was not mistreated or overwhelmed, and suffered from pre-existing situations, one thing her household have rejected. An investigation into her loss of life is predicted to yield outcomes inside days.

‘Overseas intervention’

Because the protests have continued amid lingering web restrictions, prime Iranian authorities have repeatedly condemned what they've known as a “overseas presence” behind the unrest.

Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday mentioned “riots and insecurity” within the nation had been attributable to the USA and Israel.

Officers have additionally condemned statements and sanctions by the US in assist of the protests. The European Union has additionally signalled that it's contemplating human rights sanctions in opposition to Tehran.

“We're sad with positions and interventions by some European officers on current occasions, and if the EU needs to make a hasty and uncalculated transfer displaying double requirements, it should await the efficient and reciprocating act by the Islamic Republic,” Iranian overseas minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned his Italian counterpart in a cellphone name on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Iranian overseas ministry had summoned the UK ambassador, Simon Shercliff, for a second time in 10 days to “strongly condemn interventionist statements” by British officers.