A month of anger in Iran… Protests escalate and security confronts
In the following are the most important events since the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, after she was arrested by the morality police in Tehran, which sparked bloody protests in Iran.
The Oslo-based “Human Rights Organization in Iran” reported that at least 108 people were killed in the crackdown on protests.
On September 15, human rights activists reported that a 22-year-old Iranian woman had fallen into a coma two days after she was arrested in Tehran by the morality police, for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code, especially wearing the hijab.
Tehran police confirmed that the young woman “had a heart attack”.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi requested an investigation.
The next day, Mahsa Amini died in hospital three days after falling into a coma.
Activists confirmed that the victim had received a blow to the head.
However, the Tehran police stressed in a statement that “there is no physical contact” between the officers and Amini.
State television broadcast pictures that it said showed Mahsa falling to the ground in a large hall full of women while arguing with an official about her dress.
Mahsa Amini was buried on September 17 in her hometown of Saqqaz in the Kurdistan Province.
A demonstration took place after the funeral, but it was dispersed with tear gas.
Many personalities expressed their anger on social media.
New demonstrations took place in the following days, especially in Tehran and Mashhad.
On September 19, the father of the young woman, Amjad Amini, confirmed that the video released by the police was fragmented, noting that his daughter was belatedly transferred to the hospital.
On September 20, an Iranian parliamentarian in an unusual position criticized the morality police, which do nothing but harm the country.
The demonstrations expanded at night to about fifteen cities.
Pictures posted on social media showed women burning their headscarves.
On September 22, Iranian authorities blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp, the two most used applications in Iran.
Washington announced the imposition of economic sanctions targeting the morality police and a number of security officials.
Canada and Britain also imposed sanctions on Iranian officials.
At the call of the authorities, thousands of people demonstrated on September 23, in defense of the wearing of the hijab.
On September 25, President Ibrahim Raisi called on the security forces to respond firmly to the demonstrators.
The head of the judiciary threatened to zero tolerance.
On September 26, the authorities announced that they had arrested more than 1,200 people they described as rioters.
NGOs indicated that they included activists, lawyers and journalists.
The United Nations called on Tehran to exercise maximum restraint.
On September 28, Mahsa Amini’s family filed a complaint against those responsible for her arrest.
The authorities announced the arrest of a number of foreigners in connection with the protests.
On the second of October, violence erupted between security forces and students at Sharif University of Technology, which is considered the most prominent in the scientific field in the country.
The following week, female students demonstrated, taking off their headscarves, and shouting anti-regime slogans.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused the United States, Israel and their proxies of fueling the protest movement.
The United States and the European Union have pledged to impose new sanctions.
According to a medical report published by the Islamic Republic on October 7, Mahsa Amini’s death was caused by a brain disease and wasn’t caused by a beating.
On October 8, a pro-protest group hacked a state TV channel and broadcast an anti-Khamenei message.
On October 10, protests spread to the oil sector, with strikes and gatherings at the Asalouyeh Petrochemical Factory in the southwest of the country, in Abadan in the west, and Bushehr in the south, according to the Human Rights Organization in Iran.
On the twelfth of the same month, lawyers joined the movement, raising the slogan of the demonstrators “Women, Life, Freedom” in Tehran.
The 27 European Union countries also agreed to impose sanctions on Iranian officials involved in the repression.
On October 16, after another day of protest, unrest and a fire broke out in Evin Prison in Tehran, while an official toll reported that eight people were injured.
The prison in northern Tehran is notorious for its mistreatment of prisoners and houses both political and foreign prisoners.
It was reported that hundreds of those arrested during the demonstrations were taken into custody.
