The Iranian Revolutionary Guard called on the authorities to deal "decisively" with the ongoing protests over the death of a girl while she was arrested in a police station in Tehran, and while pro-government demonstrations are expected to take place tomorrow, Iranian sources reported that the death toll exceeded 30.
In a statement issued today, Thursday, expressing sympathy with the family of the 22-year-old girl, Mahsa Amini, who died after her arrest by the morality police on the pretext of "wearing indecent clothing", the Revolutionary Guard called on the judiciary to prosecute "those who spread false news and rumors" about the incident.
"We asked the judiciary to identify those who spread false news and rumors on social media as well as in the street, and who endanger the psychological safety of society, and to deal with them decisively," the statement added.
The death of the girl Mahsa - whose circumstances the authorities said they are investigating - sparked protests that started from the Kurdistan region, and were concentrated in the western northern regions that include the region, but also spread to the capital, Tehran, the city of Mashhad, and about 50 other cities and towns across Iran.
17 dead
Iranian television reported today that the protests resulted in the killing of 17 people, including members of the security forces, and the official toll was only 9 people were killed.
For its part, the non-governmental organization "Iran Human Rights" based in Oslo said today, Thursday, that 31 civilians have been killed so far.
And two Iranian news agencies reported the killing of a member of the Mobilization Forces (Basij) in the city of Mashhad, and another as a result of a gunshot wound in the city of Qazvin, which raised to 4 the death toll from the security forces, according to the same source.
These protests are the largest in Iran since the one that stopped in 2019 after raising gasoline prices, in which 1,500 people were killed, according to a Reuters tally.
According to video clips published by Iranian websites, demonstrators set fire to two police stations in the capital, Tehran, and in the Kurdistan region of Iran.
On the other hand, the security forces intervened in several areas to disperse the demonstrators, and the authorities deny the security responsibility for the killing of the demonstrators, and say that armed opponents are most likely the ones who shot the protesters.
Demonstrators clash with security forces during night protests in Tehran (European News Agency)
support demonstrations
In the face of this new wave of protests, Iranian media reported that pro-government demonstrations are scheduled to take place on Friday.
"The will of the Iranian people is: Do not abandon the criminals," an editorial in the conservative daily Kayhan said.
Amid the ongoing protests, the NetBlocks observatory said Thursday that a new mobile internet disruption has been recorded in Iran as the unrest spreads.
The NetBlocks observatory and residents said that Iran, on Wednesday, limited the ability of users to access the Instagram and WhatsApp applications owned by Meta Platforms, two of the last remaining social media platforms in the world. country.
On the same day, Iranian Communications Minister Issa Zareepour said that internet restrictions could be put in place due to the current security situation in the country.
Reuters reported that women play a prominent role in the ongoing demonstrations, as they wave and burn their headscarves, and some of them cut their hair in public places.