The protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran have spread to the Islamic republic's 31 provinces and almost all urban centres, as president Ebrahim Raisi vowed to "deal decisively" with it.
Mahsa Amini died on September 16 in custody while being detained by the morality police for allegedly breaking hijab rules. While the officials initially claimed the cause of Amini's death was "sudden heart failure," it later came to light that officers reportedly beat her head with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles, resulting in her death.
Ebrahim Raisi, while blaming conspirators for inciting unrest, pledged to crack down on "those who oppose the country’s security and tranquillity", reported BBC News. The president also "stressed the necessity to distinguish between protest and disturbing public order and security, and called the events … a riot."
However, his warnings did nothing to quell the protests as Iran's hardline government witnessed the largest-ever demonstrations in over a decade.
According to Iranian state-backed news agency Tasmin, at least 1,200 have been arrested. Over 35 people and five security personnel died as protestors, mostly women, took to the streets against the authorities.
Footage and photos circulating on social media showed the demonstrators hurling petrol bombs at the security forces, while the latter used what appeared to be live ammunition on protesters. Reports added that the protests have spread from the capital city of Tehran to traditionally-conservative cities like Mashhad and Kurdish regions in the northwest. Demonstrators are spreading out to avoid congregating in a single place.
Meanwhile, the protests, initially triggered by Amini's death, have now turned into calls for regime change. According to Western media reports, some demonstrators were heard chanting "death for the dictator," while tearing down portraits of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has imposed tough restrictions on demonstrators by banning the internet and resorting to a brutal crackdown against people. "Until the riots end, the internet will have limitations. To prevent riot organization through social media, we are obliged to create internet limitations," Iran’s Minister of Communications Ahmad Vahidi told the state broadcaster.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said he was “concerned about reports of peaceful protests being met with excessive use of force leading to dozens of deaths and injuries.”
“We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force and appeal to all to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation,” he added.
