Iran death toll grows as protests intensify

DUBAI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Iranian authorities mentioned three folks together with a member of the safety forces had been killed on Tuesday throughout unrest sweeping the nation, as anger on the death of a girl within the custody of the morality police fuelled protests for a fifth day.

Official sources now say a complete of seven folks have been killed since protests erupted on Saturday over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iranian Kurdistan who died final week after being arrested in Tehran for “unsuitable attire”.

Reports from Kurdish rights group Hengaw mentioned seven protesters had been killed by safety forces, three of them on Tuesday, in or close to Kurdish areas within the northwest of the nation the place unrest has been significantly intense and lethal.

Officials have denied that safety forces have killed protesters.

Hengaw additionally mentioned entry to the web had been minimize in Kurdistan province – a transfer that will hinder movies being shared from a area the place the authorities have beforehand suppressed unrest by the Kurdish minority. learn extra

The web shutdown observatory NetBlocks and residents mentioned Iran has restricted entry to Instagram, the one main social media platform that Iran doesn’t often block. A senior official mentioned lately it had about 48 million customers within the nation.

The minister of communications mentioned he had been misquoted after information shops cited him as saying the authorities would possibly disrupt web providers for safety causes. learn extra

Amini’s death has unleashed anger over points together with freedoms within the Islamic Republic and an financial system reeling from sanctions. Women have waved and burnt their veils throughout protests, with some chopping their hair in public.

After starting on Saturday at Amini’s funeral within the Kurdish area, protests have engulfed a lot of the nation, prompting confrontations as safety forces have sought to suppress them.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei didn’t point out the protests – a few of Iran’s worst unrest since avenue clashes final 12 months over water shortages – throughout a speech on Wednesday commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq conflict. learn extra

A prime Khamenei aide paid condolences to Amini’s household this week, promising to comply with up on the case and saying the Supreme Leader was affected and pained by her death.

The official IRNA information company mentioned a “police assistant” died from accidents on Tuesday within the southern metropolis of Shiraz.

“Some people clashed with police officers and as a result one of the police assistants was killed. In this incident, four other police officers were injured,” IRNA mentioned. An official quoted by IRNA mentioned 15 protesters had been arrested in Shiraz.

In Kermanshah, town prosecutor mentioned two folks had been killed on Tuesday in riots. “We are certain this was done by anti-revolutionary elements because the victims were killed by weapons not used by the security apparatus,” the semi-official Fars information company cited prosecutor Shahram Karami as saying.

The Kurdistan police chief, in feedback to the semi-official Tasnim information company on Wednesday, confirmed 4 deaths earlier this week in Kurdistan province. He mentioned they had been shot with a kind of bullet not utilized by the safety forces, saying “gangs” needed accountable police and safety officers.

Hengaw mentioned a complete of 450 folks had been injured along with the seven Kurdish protesters it mentioned had died as a results of “direct fire” from authorities forces within the final 4 days. Reuters couldn’t independently verify the casualty experiences.

Amini fell right into a coma and died whereas ready with different girls held by the morality police, who implement strict guidelines within the Islamic Republic requiring girls to cowl their hair and put on loose-fitting garments in public. learn extra

Her father mentioned she had no well being issues and that she suffered bruises to her legs in custody. He holds the police chargeable for her death. The police have denied harming her.

The U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights has referred to as for an neutral investigation into her death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment. learn extra

‘DEATH TO THE DICTATOR’

Videos shared on social media have additionally proven demonstrators damaging symbols of the Islamic Republic and confronting safety forces.

One confirmed a person scaling the facade of the city corridor within the northern metropolis of Sari and tearing down a picture of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who based the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution.

The semi-official ISNA information company mentioned 12 ambulances had been attacked, and banks and public property had been broken in a number of cities. Protesters have accused police of utilizing ambulances to move forces and detain demonstrators

People rallied once more on Wednesday in Tehran, with tons of shouting “death to the dictator” at Tehran University, a video shared by 1500tasvir confirmed.

Reuters couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the movies.

State media and officers have depicted the unrest as riots by “anti-revolutionary elements”.

Members of the Basij, a militia beneath the umbrella of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, held their very own rallies in Tehran on Wednesday. “The morality police is just an excuse, what they target is the regime itself,” they chanted in a video posted on 1500tasvir.

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Writing by Tom Perry
Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean and David Gregorio

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.