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LAST UPDATE | 3 Oct 2022
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States and Israel of stirring up the wave of nationwide unrest sparked by outrage over the death of Mahsa Amini.
“I say clearly that these riots and the insecurity were engineered by America and the occupying, false Zionist regime, as well as their paid agents, with the help of some traitorous Iranians abroad,” the Islamic republic’s leader said.
Amini, 22, was pronounced dead on 16 September, days after the notorious morality police detained the Kurdish Iranian woman for allegedly breaching rules forcing women to wear hijab headscarves and modest clothes.
Anger over Amini’s death has sparked the biggest wave of protests to rock the Islamic republic in almost three years, with security forces in Tehran cracking down on hundreds of university students last night.
The US has said it is “alarmed and appalled by reports of security authorities responding to university students’ peaceful protests with violence and mass arrests”, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
In his first public comments since Amini’s death, 83-year-old Khamenei stressed that police must “stand up to criminals”.
“The death of the young woman broke our hearts,” said Khamenei. “But what is not normal is that some people, without proof or an investigation, have made the streets dangerous, burned the Koran, removed hijabs from veiled women and set fire to mosques and cars”.
Khamenei added that “this is not about hijab in Iran”, and that “many Iranian women who don’t observe the hijab perfectly are among the steadfast supporters of the Islamic republic.”
Student protests
Concern grew over a night-time crackdown on students at Tehran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology where, local media reported, riot police carrying steel pellet guns used tear gas and paintball guns against hundreds of students.
“Woman, life, liberty” the students shouted, as well as “students prefer death to humiliation”, Mehr news agency reported.
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights posted videos apparently showing police on motorcycles chasing students running through an underground car park and taking away detainees, their heads covered in black cloth bags.
In one clip, which IHR said was taken at a Tehran metro station, a crowd can be heard chanting: “Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! We are all together!”
In response to the university protests, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the courage of the Iranians was “incredible”, and that “the regime’s brute force is an expression of sheer fear of the power of education and freedom.”
Protests were also reported at other universities, including in the central city of Isfahan.
Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stoking the protests and last week said nine foreign nationals – including from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland — had been arrested.
The parents of Italian woman Alessia Piperno, 30, from Rome, said they had lost contact with her after speaking to her on Wednesday – her birthday – but then received a phone call yesterday.
“I’m fine, but there are people here who say they have been inside for months and for no reason,” she told them, according to Il Messaggero, Rome’s daily newspaper. “I fear I won’t be let out again. Help me.”
Italy’s foreign ministry has so far made no comment on the identity of the Italian held.
Sanctions
Canada, meanwhile, said it had imposed new sanctions against Iran over its “gross human rights violations”, especially citing “the egregious actions committed by Iran’s so-called ‘Morality Police’”.
At least 92 protesters have been killed so far in the Mahsa Amini rallies, said IHR, which has been working to assess the death toll despite internet outages and blocks on WhatsApp, Instagram and other online services.
Amnesty International said earlier it had confirmed 53 deaths, after Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said last week that “around 60″ people had died.
The chief of riot police in Marivan, Kurdistan province, died of his wounds yesterday after being shot during “riots”, state television said – the 12th death reported among the security forces since 16 September.
An additional 41 people died in clashes Friday in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, IHR reported earlier, citing local sources.
Those protests were sparked by accusations a police chief in the region had raped a teenage girl of the Baluch Sunni minority, the rights group said.
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The pressure of exams is not nice. Peer pressure is awful in this country too. If you are poorest in a countryside school that doesn’t have deis status and your parents can’t afford the school “voluntary” contribution who could be literally embarrassed to death for the money by teachers nevermind fellow bullying students.
@abcyz: Wait till you go to work…
Thanks to the lack of education and awarness, our little country is in the stone age when it comes to the myriad of mental health issues. Much like we were for those with special needs back in the 80s. There seems to be an attitude of, unless you have a problem that is physically visable or can be diagnosed, then anything else is your own problem. Addiction is rife in this country, alcohol, drugs both prescription and non, gambling, sex and the list goes on. Depression, anxiety, as well as other more specific mental issues. The reality..Unless you are strong willed or have funds for private help, you have a good chance of ending up in a morgue. This is the sad truth. To those suffering in silence ending up there is NOT the best option. What you are going through will pass, this is certain.
@Jim: Jim you are pretty much talking out of your hat, if may say so.
@Nick Drake: Be a tad more specific Nick. Your comment lacks any sort of counter suggestion.
@Nick Drake: and while you are at it, can you tell me how long the public waiting list is for any individual seeking a mental health professional? Where is their first port of call? You do realise that mental health issues arent cured with a chat and a cup of tea…They require the correct professional, competent in the individuals needs…So lets say i am an alcoholic that also suffers with severe depression. I am working part time….where will i go Nick…the clock is ticking? You my friend are the one talking out of your hat. Where as I see the nett results of this scenario every day.
Very sad ,hard topic,as a father,i can see ,today’s teens,are under awful pressure,from peers,us parents,and society,as a whole,social media most of all
This country needs a kick in the ass when it comes to mental health. Just because you can’t see a physical injury doesn’t mean that the person isn’t suffering. Not been able to understand or talk about how you are feeling is crippling and to have text book people patronising you is so damaging. When you feel so down and alone in the blackness of your mind all you need is for someone to understand what is going on for you, “I know I’ve been there and still struggle every minute of every day ” there are more suicide’s than there are road deaths and yet all the media keep pushing it in your face! For all the families out there that have been affected by suicide don’t feel ashamed or blame yourself it wasn’t you’re fault at all!
@Linda Hughes: good points boy,but I think we’re getting there,albeit,snail slow,wouldn’t/couldn’t discuss this on an open forum like this a few years back
have your say