Iran: Unrest over girl’s demise escalates, 31 civilians lifeless; US imposes sanctions on morality police

Iranian safety forces on Thursday continued their crackdown on residents protesting over the demise of a 22-year-old girl after her arrest by the morality police, with a minimum of 31 civilians dropping their lives because the violent clashes erupted, reported information company AFP.

Even as Iran continues to be on the centre of worldwide criticism and nationwide protests, the nation’s Revolutionary Guards known as on the Islamic Republic’s judiciary to prosecute “those who spread false news and rumours” in regards to the girl whose demise in police custody has triggered the protests.

Protesters in Tehran and different Iranian cities torched police stations and autos earlier within the day as public outrage over the demise of Mahsa Amini, 22, final week confirmed no indicators of easing.

Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s morality police for sporting “unsuitable attire”, was tortured throughout the custody and died three days later, in keeping with media stories. The Iranian police, nonetheless, have denied mistreating Amini and stated she died of a coronary heart assault. Authorities say they’re investigating the incident.

Protesters in Tehran and different Iranian cities torched police stations and autos as unrest triggered by the demise of a girl detained by the morality police intensified, with stories of safety forces coming underneath assault https://t.co/k3bRIwx6v4 pic.twitter.com/1cNWvO9w80

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 22, 2022

Apart from expressing sympathy with the household and kinfolk of Amini, the Guards stated in an announcement, “We have requested the judiciary to identify those who spread false news and rumours on social media as well as on the street and who endanger the psychological safety of society and to deal with them decisively.”

Meanwhile, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police, accusing it of abuse and violence towards Iranian girls and of violating the rights of peaceable Iranian protesters, the U.S. Treasury stated. The Treasury added that it had put sanctions on the heads of the Iranian military’s floor forces and of the morality police in addition to on Iran’s minister of intelligence. It held the morality police chargeable for Amini’s demise.

The protests have escalated within the final 4 days into an open problem to the federal government, with girls eradicating their state-mandated headscarves within the streets and Iranians setting trash bins ablaze and calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself. “Death to the dictator!” has been a standard cry within the protests.

The protests over Amini’s demise are the largest within the Islamic Republic since 2019, counsel overseas media stories.

Most of the demonstrations have been concentrated in Iran’s Kurdish-populated northwest however have unfold to its capital Tehran and a minimum of 50 cities and cities nationwide, with police utilizing power to disperse protesters.

Anti-regime protests intensify after demise of Mahsa Amini in Iran – video https://t.co/kH8k9qDap7

— Guardian World (@guardianworld) September 22, 2022

Security personnel lifeless, wounded

Nour information, a media outlet affiliated with a prime safety physique, on Thursday shared a video of a military officer confirming the demise of a soldier within the unrest, bringing the whole reported variety of safety power members killed within the unrest to 5.

An official from Mazandaran stated 76 members of the safety forces have been injured within the province throughout the unrest whereas the police commander of Kurdistan introduced greater than 100 safety personnel have been wounded.

People mild a hearth throughout a protest over the demise of Mahsa Amini, a girl who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic’s “morality police”, in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. (Reuters)

Internet shutdowns

To keep away from the protests from intensifying additional, authorities have imposed curbs on web throughout the nation. According to web monitoring group Netblocks, Iran is now topic to probably the most extreme web restrictions because the November 2019 bloodbath, with Mobile networks largely shut down (MCI, Rightel, Irancell – partial) and restrictions on Instagram and WhatsApp.

⚠️ #Iran is now topic to probably the most extreme web restrictions because the November 2019 bloodbath.

▶️ Mobile networks largely shut down (MCI, Rightel, Irancell – partial)
▶️ Regional disruptions noticed throughout protests
▶️ Instagram, WhatsApp restrictedhttps://t.co/8cCHIJA2Oi

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) September 21, 2022

Worldwide criticism

The United Nations human rights workplace has known as for an investigation into Amini’s demise. The UN physique stated Iran’s morality police have expanded their patrols in current months, focusing on girls for not correctly sporting hijab, the Islamic headband. It added that verified movies present girls being slapped within the face, struck with batons and thrown into police vans for sporting the hijab too loosely.

The United States, which is making an attempt to revive the 2015 nuclear cope with Iran, known as on the Islamic Republic to finish its “systemic persecution” of girls. Italy additionally condemned her demise.

Iranian officers dismissed the criticism as politically motivated and accused unnamed overseas nations of fomenting the unrest.

(Inputs from Reuters, AP)