The protests in Iran continue. Demonstrators in the city of Sahedan are demanding the death of spiritual and state leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Shots at demonstrators are also reported from there. Numerous fatalities are feared.
Security forces have reportedly cracked down on protesters in south-eastern Iran. Eyewitnesses reported that shots were heard in large parts of the city of Sahedan after Friday prayers. City residents feared many deaths. Videos of bloody scenes were shared on social media, the authenticity of which could not initially be independently verified.
Special police units cracked down on the demonstrators and “shot at the crowd,” the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (Hrana) reported on Twitter. The agency initially did not provide any information about the dead or injured. The Hrana tweet contained a video of gunshots and the shouting of “Allahu akbar”. The recordings cannot be independently verified.
Videos also showed demonstrators again demanding the death of the spiritual and state leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A video was posted on the Twitter account 1500tasvir that is supposed to show protests in Sahedan in which people chant “Death Khamenei”. Death is also desired for members of the Basij militia, which is cracking down on demonstrators.
In another video shared by the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), prolonged automatic gunfire could be heard in Sahedan, aimed at people running for cover. Activists reported dozens of people pouring into the city’s streets after Friday prayers.
The state news agency IRNA blamed “rioters” for the riots, saying they set tires on fire. “Some masked rioters” “threw stones at cars,” it said. Sahedan is generally “quiet” and the police are present in the city, Irna reported.
The Iranian authorities, meanwhile, dismissed the chief of police in Sahedan and a police station chief. The Security Council of the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, whose capital is Sahedan, promised compensation to the “innocent victims” of deadly clashes, Irna reported. On September 30, more than 150 people stormed a police station in Sahedan after Friday prayers. According to official figures, 35 civilians and six security forces were killed.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Office is concerned about detained participants in anti-government rallies. The organization also criticized the Iranian authorities for not handing over the bodies of killed demonstrators to their relatives.
There are indications of many abuses, said the spokeswoman for the UN agency, Ravina Shamdasani, in Geneva. Families of the protesters are being harassed, she said, citing multiple sources. “Particularly concerning is information that the authorities are transferring injured protesters from hospitals to detention centers.” Detained demonstrators have in some cases been denied medical treatment.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the case of a missing football fan who was walking from his homeland to the World Cup in Qatar and is believed to have disappeared in Iran. Santiago Sánchez Cogedor last posted on Instagram on October 1 from northern Iraq on the Iranian border. It is not known where the Spaniard is, said a spokeswoman for the ministry. The Spanish embassy in Tehran is in contact with the Iranian authorities and relatives in Spain. In doing so, she denied media reports that her home had confirmed the 40-year-old’s arrest in Iran.
However, the Europa Press news agency and other Spanish media, citing the missing man’s mother, reported that her son was in prison in Iran. He is doing well and the Spanish ambassador in Tehran wants to visit him in prison. The embassy is trying to get her released. A few weeks ago, the security authorities reported the arrest of several European citizens in connection with the protests.
The trigger for the system-critical mass protests in Iran last month was the death of the 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. The vice squad arrested her for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes. The woman died in police custody on September 16. Since her death, thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the government’s repressive course and the Islamic system of rule.
Iran has again blamed Western intelligence services for the protests in the country. In a statement released to state media, Iran’s intelligence agency accused the CIA, British GCHQ and Israel’s Mossad of being behind the recent protests. The social media companies Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter are also part of a conspiracy. In recent weeks, Iran’s leadership has already blamed the West and the media abroad for fueling the protests.
Meanwhile, government supporters demonstrated in state-organized protests after Wednesday’s attack in the city of Shiraz. The attack, which the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia claimed was responsible for, killed 13 people and injured dozens. Tehran blames its arch-enemies USA and Israel as well as the demonstrators for the attack and announced revenge. Many Iranians fear that security forces will crack down on demonstrations even more after the attack.
