No question of appeasement in Iran.

Ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raïsi on Saturday called on the security forces to act "firmly" against "those who undermine the security and peace of the country and the people".

They have been protesting for nine days against the death of a young woman detained by the morality police.

More than 40 demonstrators died in the ensuing crackdown.

Abroad, demonstrations supporting the movement in Iran took place in several countries on Saturday (Canada, United States, Chile, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Iraq).

Mahsa Amini, died three days after her arrest in Tehran for "wearing inappropriate clothing" and not respecting the strict dress code for women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.



A heavy balance sheet constantly revised upwards

These processions are the largest since the protests of November 2019, caused by the rise in gasoline prices, in the midst of the economic crisis, which had affected a hundred cities in Iran and were severely repressed (230 dead according to an official report, more than 300 according to Amnesty International).

The authorities deny any involvement in the death of Mahsa Amini, 22 years old and from the Kurdistan region (north-west).

But since September 16, angry Iranians have taken to the streets at nightfall to demonstrate.

According to the non-detailed official report including demonstrators and police, 41 people were killed.

But the toll could be heavier, with the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) reporting at least 54 protesters killed in the crackdown.

Iran's Foreign Ministry blamed the United States, Iran's sworn enemy, for the unrest and warned that "efforts to violate Iran's sovereignty will not go unanswered".

Viral video of a protester

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, quoted by the official IRNA agency, told him that he expected "the judiciary to quickly prosecute the main perpetrators and leaders of these riots", after the announcement by the police of the arrest of more than 700 people.

According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 17 journalists have been arrested in Iran since September 19.

Like last Friday, a demonstration in favor of the government is planned for Sunday afternoon in Tehran, at the call of the authorities.

On Saturday evening, the demonstrations again affected several cities in Iran, including the capital Tehran where a viral video showed a woman walking with her head uncovered and waving her veil in the middle of the street, flouting strict dress rules.


For several days, Iranian women have offered us absolutely magnificent images.

Like this woman this evening in Tehran, they are courageous and heroic, they want to live free!

#Iran #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/zwbgnz7JH0

— Farid Vahid (@FaridVahiid) September 23, 2022

Access to this content has been blocked to respect your choice of consent

By clicking on "

I ACCEPT

", you accept the deposit of cookies by external services and will thus have access to the content of our partners

I ACCEPT

And to better remunerate 20 Minutes, do not hesitate to accept all cookies, even for one day only, via our "I accept for today" button in the banner below.

More information on the Cookie Management Policy page.



In Iran, women must cover their hair and body to below the knees and must not wear tight pants or ripped jeans, among other things.

Viral footage of the protests showed Iranian women burning their headscarves.

The reformist "People's Union of Islamic Iran" party on Saturday urged the state to lift the headscarf requirement and release those arrested.

Security forces fire on protesters

The demonstrations are marked by clashes with the security forces and police vehicles are set on fire by protesters who chant anti-government slogans, according to media and activists.

For several days, online videos have shown scenes of violence in Tehran and other major cities such as Tabriz (northwest).

On some, we see the security forces shooting at demonstrators.

Amnesty International accuses the security forces of "deliberately (…) firing live ammunition at protesters", calling for "urgent international action to end the repression".

Internet connections are still disrupted on Saturday, with WhatsApp and Instagram blocked.

NetBlocks, a London-based site that monitors internet blockages around the world, also reported on Skype.

In a new Instagram post, two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi urged the people of the world to "stand in solidarity" with protesters in Iran and hailed the "brave women who are leading the protests to demand their rights."

World

Iran: Reformers call for an end to compulsory veiling

World

Iran: At least 35 dead after more than a week of protests

  • World

  • Amnesty International

  • Iran

  • Crisis in Iran

  • Feminism

  • Headscarf