The demonstrations in Iran after the death of a young woman arrested by the police which left at least 50 dead according to the report of the NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) communicated Friday, September 23. State media on Thursday reported the deaths of 17 people in the protests.
According to the organization, based in Oslo and which had given a death toll of at least 31 on Thursday, six people were killed by firearms by the police in the town of Rezvanshahr, in the northern province of Gilan. Thursday evening, and other deaths were recorded in Babol and Amol (north). Demonstrations have taken place in about 80 cities for the past week, she added.
While NGOs abroad have denounced a repression ” brutal “ protests, Internet connections are still very disrupted there on Friday, with the blocking of WhatsApp and Instagram, while Washington announced measures “to support Iranians’ access to the free flow of information”.
Death investigation
Mahsa Amini, aged 22, was arrested on September 13 in Tehran for “wearing inappropriate clothing” by the morality police responsible for enforcing the dress code of the Islamic Republic. She died three days later in hospital, and her death sparked nightly protests in major cities in Iran including the capital Tehran.
“Government responded with live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas, according to videos shared on social media”, said the CHRI in a press release. The Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw reports that security forces fired during the night from Thursday to Friday with « armes “semi-lourdes” » on the demonstrators in Oshnaviyeh (north-west), without giving further details.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi promised Thursday an investigation into the death of the young woman, while specifying that the medical examiner had not reported abuse by the police, which the demonstrators dispute.