At least 12 people die in Iran in a night of protests against the regime | International

Iran has experienced a violent night with mobilizations throughout the country and two shooting attacks that have caused at least 12 deaths, as the protests over the death of Masha Amini enter their third month. The protests that began after the death on September 16 of Amini, after being arrested three days earlier by the Morality Police for wearing the Islamic veil wrong, have intensified in recent days due to the commemoration of the 2019 mobilizations, in which 300 people died. “Woman, life, freedom”, the slogan of the protests, resounded last night in many cities in the country, such as Tehran, Gorgan, Sanandaj or Isfahan, where protesters danced around bonfires. The chaos of the protests was “taken advantage of by terrorist groups” to carry out a shooting attack in the city of Ize, in southern Iran, according to the official IRNA news agency.

There, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on passers-by and police in the city’s central market, killing at least seven people and injuring 15. Three suspects have been detained for their alleged involvement in the attack, according to Ali Dehqani, director of the Department of Justice of Khuzestan, where Ize is located, according to the Tasnim agency. That city experienced heavy clashes last night, in which protesters set fire to a religious seminary, according to Tasnim. In another attack, gunmen on motorcycles fired on security forces in the central country city of Isfahan, killing two basiji (Islamic militants) and injured eight more people. In addition, three people died in the city of Semirom, in the province of Isfahan, in circumstances not explained by the authorities.

The protests have intensified since Tuesday following a call by activists to commemorate the 2019 mobilizations that killed 300 people, according to Amnesty International. Strikes are taking place in numerous cities in the country, but it is difficult to know their scope given the limitations of the internet and the lack of official information.

Several activists in Tehran reported closures in the Grand Bazaar, although the popular Tajrish bazaar was fully open yesterday. In another well-known shopping center in the capital, several stores were closed and some shopkeepers shouted “death to the dictator” in reference to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Police spokesman Mehdi Hayian claimed that some individuals were threatening merchants in the Grand Bazaar and other markets to close in an attempt to cause “terror”.

The protests are carried out mainly by young people and women shouting “woman, life, freedom”, they launch slogans against the Government and burn veils, one of the symbols of the Islamic Republic and something unthinkable not long ago. The security forces are harshly repressing the protests, while the authorities censor the internet and communications to try to stop them.

At least 326, including 43 minors, have been killed in the police crackdown, according to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights. In addition, so far five people have been sentenced to death for their participation in the demonstrations, while some 2,000 have been accused of various crimes for demonstrating.

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly approved yesterday by 79 votes in favor, 28 against and 68 abstentions a resolution critical of Iran for the latest revolts and the extensive repression unleashed to defuse them.

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