Ten others were injured, the state news agency reported on Wednesday afternoon. An Iranian newspaper had previously reported that three attackers opened fire on those present at the shrine of Shah Cheragh, a brother of the eighth Imam Resa.
There had previously been riots in Saghes. An eyewitness told Reuters that protesters were shot. Dozens of people have been arrested. The semi-state news agency INSA reported that around 10,000 people took part in Saghes on the last day of the mourning period. In Iran, a family member is traditionally mourned for 40 days. Authorities also cut the internet in Amini’s hometown for “security reasons,” according to a report.
The death of the 22-year-old Iranian Kurd was the trigger for the system-critical mass protests in Iran. The religious police 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.
“Woman, Life, Freedom”
This was also the case on Wednesday: videos on social networks showed thousands of people in Saghes who, despite a large-scale police operation, went to the cemetery or gathered in front of Amini’s grave. Many of them chanted “Death to the Dictator,” videos posted online showed. According to the Iranian news agency Fars, around 2,000 people shouted “Woman, Life, Freedom”, the slogan of the protest movement.
Loud clapping, screaming and honking the mourners crowded on the highway that connects Saghes with the cemetery eight kilometers away. The authenticity of the corresponding recordings was checked by Hengaw according to its own statements.
Activists: Security forces threatened Amini’s family
According to activists, security forces had previously threatened Amini’s family that they would “fear for their son’s life” if a ceremony was held at the cemetery. Images shared by Hengaw showed a heavy police presence in Saghes. Security forces had tried to seal off access to the city.
Still, dozens of people managed to get into the city in cars and on motorcycles, some on foot. The cemetery was full of police officers and members of the Basij militia, an eyewitness told Reuters. “They tried to prevent us from entering the graveyard, but I managed to get in. I haven’t seen Mahsa’s parents yet.” Another witness reported that many residents were on their way to the cemetery.
Schools and universities closed in Kurdish provinces
The schools and universities in the Kurdish province were closed on Wednesday – officially because of a flu epidemic. Observers, on the other hand, say that the closures were intended to prevent protests. It was mainly students who were the first to protest against the leadership. They were joined by people from practically all walks of life.
“The cities of Sanandaj, Saghes, Divandarreh, Mariwan and Kamjaran in Kurdistan Province are on general strike,” Hengaw said on Twitter. Witnesses also reported an enormous police presence on the streets in the capital Tehran and in Tabriz and Rascht in the north of the country.
Police use tear gas against doctors’ demonstration
Towards evening people also came together in the Iranian capital to sing exuberantly on the street. In the north of the metropolis, many women were seen without the obligatory headscarf, as eyewitnesses reported.
Hours earlier, the police in Tehran had used tear gas against a demonstration by doctors. The doctors demonstrated against the presence of security forces in the clinics, where participants in the protests are also treated. Eyewitnesses confirmed a large presence of police officers and checks on the main streets in Tehran. Many shops were closed due to fears of riots.
According to the human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 141 demonstrators have been killed nationwide during the protests and the violent crackdown by the Iranian security forces.
Wagner (ORF) on Iran protests
Katharina Wagner from ORF talks, among other things, about the protests in Iran and what the current situation is like. She also reports whether there is a connection between a terrorist attack that killed 15 and the protests.
New US sanctions
Because of the brutal crackdown on the nationwide protests in Iran, the US imposed new sanctions on Iran’s leadership. As the US Treasury Department announced in Washington on Wednesday, the new US sanctions are aimed at the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and his deputy, at high-ranking officials such as the director of the notorious Ewin prison in the capital Tehran and at members of the secret service .
The US accuses them of overseeing organizations involved in the violent crackdown on protests and killings, including of children. As a result of the sanctions, any assets of those affected in the USA will be frozen. Doing business with them is prohibited for US citizens.
Iran previously placed European politicians and institutions on a sanctions list in response to punitive measures against the country. The Persian-language department of Deutsche Welle (DW) is mentioned in today’s statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Members of the European Parliament and two German companies are also affected. About a week ago, Iran put more than a dozen British people and institutions on a terrorist list.