Tehran.- The protests have intensified in Iran since the commemoration of the death of Mahsa Amini two days ago. Occurring in the midst of a strong repression that has caused at least eight deaths in recent days, according to human rights groups.
Iran has been experiencing protests since the death of Amini on September 16 after being arrested three days earlier by the Morale Police for wearing the Islamic veil wrongly.
The mobilizations have intensified since thousands of people defied the authorities on Wednesday to commemorate the 40 days of Amini’s death, a date that ends the family’s mourning.
That commemoration was strongly repressed by the security forces with live ammunition, tear gas and pellets in various parts of the country, which has caused new protests, denounced Amnesty International (AI).
According to this organization, at least eight people have died at the hands of the security forces in four provinces since then.
Those deceased join the 144 previously registered by AI. While the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights puts the figure at 108.
shocks
The clashes have been especially harsh in the city of Mahabad in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, where 35-year-old Ismail Mauludi was shot dead on Wednesday night, sparking demonstrations on Thursday and more deaths.
Unverified videos showed clashes in the town of Khorramabad at the mourning ceremony of the young Nika Shakarami, 17, who died in the repression of the mobilizations according to her family and according to the version of the Iranian authorities in an accident.
This same Friday, hundreds of people took to the streets after praying in the city of Zahedan, in the province of Sistán Baluchistan, in the southeast of the country, to protest the death a month ago of dozens of people in clashes with the Police. .
Zahedan experienced strong clashes on September 30, focused on the city’s police station 16, near a mosque. They left at least 66 dead, according to Amnesty International, and 35 according to the Iranian government.
These protests occurred despite the fact that the provincial authorities replaced the region’s police chief on Friday along with other senior police officers “due to bad practices” in the events of last month.
The protests over Amini’s death are mainly led by young people and women shouting “Woman, life, freedom!” who launch slogans against the Government and burn veils, one of the symbols of the Islamic Republic and something unthinkable not long ago.
The mobilizations have been evolving since they began in September and in recent weeks they were focused on universities in small groups, something that has changed in recent days.
UN ACCUSATION
The United Nations Office for Human Rights accused the Iranian authorities on Friday of handing over the bodies of demonstrators killed in the protests to the families, or they do so only under certain conditions.
In some cases, the delivery of the bodies only occurs if the families agree not to hold funerals or not to speak to the press, the spokeswoman said. She also cited reports of injured people being denied medical treatment in detention centers.
