Iran army threatens action against wave of demonstrations

Iranian authorities are trying with all their might to intimidate civilians in hopes of quelling a wave of demonstrations sweeping the country. Friday the Iranian army announced that it would “face the enemies” in order to maintain order in the country. Some key figures in the protests have already been arrested.

Also read: Iranian women demonstrate without a headscarf against the vice squad

Many thousands of Iranians have been demonstrating for a week against the government out of anger at the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who, according to eyewitnesses, was beaten on the head so much that she fell into a coma and died. She had been arrested by the vice squad for allegedly not wearing her headscarf in accordance with the regulations.

The demonstrations continued in dozens of cities on Friday as well. Women are often at the forefront of this, tired of the humiliations they have endured for years from the vice squad. In many places, however, the police opened fire on protesters. In total, according to various sources, several dozen people have been killed. They are the largest demonstrations since the riots of 2019, which bloody suppressed the clergy. Hundreds were killed as a result.

The military called the current demonstrations “desperate actions that are part of the enemy’s malicious strategy to weaken the Islamic regime.” Analysts do not conclude that more brutal reprisals against demonstrators will follow in the coming days.

According to various sources, several dozen people have been killed

Iranian police say Amini was not beaten and died of a heart attack. The mighty Revolutionary Guards called Thursday judges to prosecute people who allege that Amini was killed by assault by the police. Such people, the Garde said, spread “fake news and rumours.” Earlier, President Raisi had promised an “unwavering investigation” into the course of events surrounding Amini’s arrest and death.

Everything indicates that the authorities are trying to hide things. For example, they refused to have Amini examined by a pathologist after her death and they tried to have her buried in her hometown of Saqez early in the morning before there could be much unrest.

Also read: Fierce protests in Iran: ‘Jina has become a symbol of our oppression’

It is also significant that the journalist Nilufer Hamedi, according to the newspaper for which she works has been arrested. Hamedi discovered in the hospital in Tehran where Amani had been taken that she had fallen into a coma and suffered a skull base fracture. With this information, which circulated quickly, she debunked the government’s version of a heart attack.

A well-known anti-government activist, Majid Tavakoli, was also arrested on Friday.

In Tehran and other cities, the rulers also staged counter-demonstrations after Friday prayers to prove that they are not alone. Protesters chanted, among other things: “Violators of the Quran must be executed”. They referred to the government’s critics as ‘Soldiers of Israel’, the nemesis of the Islamic regime.