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For a week, in several cities in Iran, protesters have taken to the streets in rejection of the death of a young woman detained for not wearing the veil properly. On Friday, the United States announced the lifting of certain trade sanctions against the Islamic Republic to allow Iranians access to the Internet, the functioning of which is seriously disrupted.
At least 50 people have been killed since the protests began. This is the new balance made on Friday, September 23, by the human rights organization, Human Rights Watch. A day earlier, the same organization had already mentioned at least 31 deaths.
For their part, the Iranian authorities acknowledged the death of 17 people but denied the involvement of the security forces in them.
At least 50 people killed so far, and people continue protesting for their fundamental rights and dignity. Restrictions on the internet. International community must stand by Iranian people against one of our time’s most suppressive regimes. #IranProtests2022 #MahsaAmini https://t.co/TzYTOQI9a2
— M. Amiry-Moghaddam (@iranhr) September 23, 2022
Led largely by women in a country where their rights are extremely limited, the protests began a week ago following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after being detained by the Moral Police. Human rights and women’s rights activists claimed she had received a fatal blow to the head, but Iranian officials denied this.
The young woman, a native of Kurdistan, was arrested on September 13 in Tehran by the Moral Police, who accused her of being “inappropriately” dressed. In Iran, where women must cover their hair and are not allowed to wear short coats above the knee or tight pants, the Moral Police is a unit in charge of enforcing this strict dress code.
The death of Mahsa Amini has drawn strong condemnation around the world, while NGOs have denounced a “brutal” crackdown on the demonstrations. Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi has promised an investigation.
In a relatively unprecedented development, the protests spread to some 15 cities in the Islamic Republic, even reaching Qom, southwest of the capital Tehran, a religious city known to be very conservative.
Internet connections blocked
On Friday, Internet connections were still interrupted in the country, with WhatsApp and Instagram networks blocked. Faced with this situation, the United States announced measures to “support Iranian access to the free flow of information.”
Washington said it will lift certain bans on doing business with Iran to allow technology companies to offer platforms and services that allow Iranians to access the Internet.
The announcement came days after SpaceX owner Elon Musk said he planned to ask the US administration for a waiver of sanctions against Iran so he could offer internet services through his Starlink satellite constellation.
The new measures “will help counter the Iranian government’s efforts to surveil and censor its citizens,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “The Iranian government is afraid of its own people,” he added.
Counter-demonstration in Tehran
On Friday, a counter-protest was held in Tehran, after being called by the Islamic Development Coordination Council in reaction to the protests.
In front of the university, a hundred meters from Hejab (“Islamic veil” in Persian) street, where opponents of the Moral Police meet every afternoon, some supporters of the compulsory veil made themselves heard waving national flags and banners of support and thanks to the police.
“Death to the conspirators”, “Advocating for the end of the veil is the policy of the Americans”, were some of the slogans. Praising the “efforts and sacrifices of the police”, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, assured that the recent “conspiracy of the enemy” would be “doomed to failure”.
With AFP, local media
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