Amnesty International condemns the Iranian regime
The Iranian regime is deliberately using lethal means to quell protests following the death of a security professional three days after her arrest by Tehran’s ‘morality police’, Amnesty International has said, confirming that without international action more people could be killed or arrested.
“The Iranian authorities have mobilized their unruly and repressive law enforcement apparatus to ruthlessly suppress protests across the country in an attempt to crush any challenge to their authority,” the organization said in a statement on its website.
Without concerted action by the international community, stronger than mere condemnation, countless people can be killed, maimed, tortured and sexually abused and thrown behind bars.
The organization said it examined photos and videos showing that “most of the victims were killed by security forces firing live ammunition”.
Amnesty International said that on 21 September it had obtained a leaked official document asking officers commanding the armed forces in the governorates to “violently confront” the demonstrators.
In another document dated December 23, the commander of the armed forces in Mazandaran province – where some of the heaviest clashes took place – ordered security forces to “confront any riot demonstration without mercy, even causing death,” the NGO said.
Amnesty said it could confirm that 52 people were killed in the protests, but the toll is likely higher.
Amnesty International’s call comes as a mounting crackdown continues resulting in the arrest of a large number of journalists, activists and other public figures.
Meanwhile, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that former Iranian international footballer Hussein Manahi was arrested yesterday after he expressed support for the protests on his social media accounts.
Human rights organization Article 19 and Iranian media abroad reported that Iranian security forces also arrested singer Shirin Haji Pour, after his song “Barai” (“For”), which consisted of tweets about the demonstrations, was released on Instagram app and watched millions of times.
The Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 29 journalists were arrested in the crackdown.
The report coincides with Germany’s move to do all it can to impose EU sanctions on those who “repress” women in Iran. In a speech to parliament the day before yesterday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “The Iranian authorities must immediately end their brutal treatment of protesters.”
Iran has imposed strict restrictions online that make it increasingly difficult to post footage of protests by protesters, opposition activists outside Iran have said.
“Since the beginning of the protests, Iran has severely restricted access to Instagram, LinkedIn and Skype, the last major Western platform still available in Iran,” Reporters Without Borders said.
