Under stress, Iran’s chief asks UN: ‘Are deaths of Americans at the hands of US police investigated?’

The loss of life of an Iranian girl within the custody of the nation’s morality police have to be “steadfastly” investigated, Iran’s president mentioned Thursday, whilst he turned the tables on the nation he was visiting for the UN General Assembly and requested: What about all of the folks killed by American police?

“Did all these deaths get investigated?” Ebrahim Raisi mentioned at a information convention held in New York on the sidelines of the annual assembly of the world’s leaders.

He lamented what he mentioned have been “double standards” within the West close to human rights.

Of Mahsa Amini’s loss of life, which has produced clashes between protesters and safety forces in Iran, he mentioned authorities have been doing what they wanted to do.

“It must certainly be investigated,” he mentioned. “I contacted her family at the very first opportunity and I assured them we would continue steadfastly to investigate that incident. … Our utmost preoccupation is the safeguarding of the rights of every citizen.”

A newspaper with a canopy image of Mahsa Amini, a lady who died after being arrested by Iranian morality police is seen in Tehran. (AP)

Clashes between Iranian safety forces and protesters offended over the loss of life have killed a minimum of 9 folks because the violence erupted over the weekend, based on a tally Thursday by The Associated Press. Iranian police say Amini, detained for violating the morality police’s strict costume code, died of a coronary heart assault and was not mistreated. Her household has solid doubt on that account.

The scope of Iran’s ongoing unrest, the worst in a number of years, nonetheless stays unclear as protesters in additional than a dozen cities — venting anger over social repression and the nation’s mounting crises — proceed to come across safety and paramilitary forces.

Raisi, who addressed the General Assembly formally on Wednesday, identified that unhealthy issues occur to folks by the hands of authorities in all places.

“What about the death of Americans at the hands of US law enforcement?” he requested about his nation’s rival nation, additionally mentioning deaths of girls in Britain that he mentioned weren’t investigated. He referred to as for the “same standard” around the globe in coping with such deaths by the hands of authorities.

Raisi’s comparability displays a standard strategy by Iranian leaders, who when confronted with accusations of rights violations usually level to Western society and its “hegemony” and demand that these nations equally be held accountable. Neither the United States nor Britain, nevertheless, has morality police vested with authority over residents.

Raisi, who led the nation’s judiciary earlier than turning into president, mentioned the inquiry into Amini’s loss of life finally rests there. While elections and open debate happen in Iran, the highest echelons of presidency hew carefully to the supreme chief, who has last say on key state issues and appoints the top of the judiciary.

The protests have grown within the final 5 days into an open problem to the federal government, with girls eradicating and burning their state-mandated headscarves within the streets and Iranians calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself. They are essentially the most severe demonstrations since 2019, when protests erupted over a authorities hike within the worth of gasoline.

UN Women is deeply involved and saddened by the loss of life of #MahsaAmini in Iran.

We echo the decision of @UNHumanRights
, for a immediate, neutral, & efficient investigation by an unbiased competent authority.

👉 Read our assertion: https://t.co/y0TTyJPQXg pic.twitter.com/GIGzRmyvo0

— UN Women AsiaPacific (@unwomenasia) September 23, 2022

While not outright condemning the protests, he appeared to aspect with the deadly response to that has left some protesters useless.

“What is occurring, having demonstrations … of course these are normal and fully accepted,” he mentioned. “We must differentiate between demonstrators and vandalism. Demonstrations are good for expressing specific issues.” He added: “There is debate in Iran.”

The demonstrations in Iran started as an emotional outpouring over the loss of life of Amini, whose loss of life has been condemned by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

The US authorities imposed sanctions on the morality police and leaders of different Iranian safety companies, saying they “routinely employ violence to suppress peaceful protesters.”

Iranian police say Amini died of a coronary heart assault and was not mistreated, however her household has solid doubt on that account. Independent consultants affiliated with the UN mentioned Thursday that stories steered she was severely crushed by the morality police, with out providing proof.