Iran's president defends a country with 'legitimate freedoms' as protests continue

First modification: 03/12/2022 – 23:04Last modification: 12/03/2022 – 23:05

After more than three months of protests, the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, made a speech in Parliament, in which he not only showed normality, but also boasted of democracy. This, when the organizations put hundreds of deaths in the midst of the protests and while the persecution of protesters continues.

Before the Assembly, the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, puffed up his chest for leading, in his opinion, a country that guarantees “fundamental rights and legitimate freedoms.”

But that was not all, he then went on to quote an unidentified African lawyer, whom he claimed to have met a few years ago: “Iran has the most progressive Constitution in the world because it marries ideals with democracy.”

He used the word again to accuse Western countries of assigning themselves as defenders of democracy and accused them of being supporters of the most authoritarian political systems in the region.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Ebrahim Raisi, and other officials meet with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani. © Khamenei Office

Hundreds killed during protests in Iran

After three months of protests, Iran accumulates dozens of deaths. However, the numbers vary depending on who reports.

Even within the State itself, the number changes depending on who the source of information is. Amirali Hajizadeh, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander, put the number of people killed in riots at 300 on Monday. But this Saturday a high state security agency said the number was 200.

The United Nations puts more than 300 lives lost, while the human rights organization HRANA said 469 protesters had been killed as of Friday, in addition to registering more than 18,000 detainees.

The biggest discontent in decades

Anger hit the streets after 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police in September for not wearing a hijab. After the event thousands of people have been taking to the streets.

This UGC image posted on Twitter on October 26, 2022 shows an unveiled woman atop a vehicle as thousands of people flock to the Aichi cemetery in Saqez, Mahsa Amini's hometown in Iran's western Kurdistan province, to commemorate 40 days since her death, defying increased security measures as part of a bloody crackdown on women-led protests. — This UGC image posted on Twitter on October 26, 2022 shows an unveiled woman atop a vehicle as thousands of people flock to the Aichi cemetery in Saqez, Mahsa Amini’s hometown in Iran’s western Kurdistan province, to commemorate 40 days since her death, defying increased security measures as part of a bloody crackdown on women-led protests. © UGC / AFP

In fact, the protests are still alive and on Saturday there were concentrations of protesters in different sectors of the capital, Tehran. In these marches they would have chanted slogans against the country’s supreme leader and even called for his execution.

Death, arrests and all kinds of repression. This Saturday the demolition of the family home of Elnaz Reabi, a climber who became famous worldwide for having competed in an international competition without a veil last October, was carried out. However, the local Justice assures that the demolition order had been issued 4 months ago, before the protests.

This is the largest popular revolt since 1979, when the Revolution that established the Islamic Republic still in force took place. From the Government they accuse foreign enemies such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel of interfering.

Reuters and AP

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