Protests In Iran Continued Thursday With Tabriz As Hotbed Of Unrest
Protests in Iran continued on Thursday with the northwestern city of Tabriz being the hotbed of unrest, with additional security forces deployed in the key city.
Protests in Iran continued on Thursday with the northwestern city of Tabriz being the hotbed of unrest, with additional security forces deployed in the key city.
Protests continued on Thursday in the capital Tehran as well as several other cities such as Rasht, Karaj, Mahabad and Esfahan, while workers of numerous oil, gas, petrochemical, pipe mills, sugar cane, and tire factories have been holding strikes.
Social media videos showed several bouts of violent clashes between the citizens of the Azari majority city of Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, with people setting up fires and chanting slogans such as "Death to Dictator," referring to the Islamic Republic’s ruler Ali Khamenei.
According to reports, Internet access was shut down in Tabriz while in some areas even the mobile phone network was out of service. People were on the streets demonstrating well into the night.
The city of Marivan, in Kordestan province, was also a scene of protest rallies with many young women unveiling in public and chanting antigovernment protests.
The US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on Thursday that at least 12,500 people have been detained in Iran, adding that at least 244 people, including 32 children, were also killed.
The group calling itself the Youth of Tehran’s Neighborhoods has mobilized thousands of protesters in several towns and cities through social media at a time of serious internet disruptions. Their latest call for protests was released on Wednesday for nationwide rallies on Saturday, October 22.
Family members of a young protester, Mohammad Rasoul Momeni Rad, who was shot to death by security forces from a one-meter distance in the northern city of Rasht on September 21, say the agents beat him severely even after he was shot.
In an exclusive interview with Iran International they said his dead body was handed over for burial to his family only on the condition they keep silent regarding the details of his death.
His brother, Amir, who was with him in the protest, told Iran International that he and his brother were running from the security forces when regime agents shot Mohammad Rasoul from a one-meter distance.
“The two officers on a motorcycle beat the two of us with a baton and punched and kicked us after the shooting,” he added.
He noted that while his brother was bleeding severely the agents continued to beat them and finally ran away on their motorbike.
The victim’s mother also said the plainclothesmen did not even allow her to see the dead body of her son at the hospital.
“Why did you kill my child with a gun from a meter away? What had he done? What should I do so that our right would not be trampled upon? I was not even allowed to see and kiss my own child,” she cried out.
Referring to the large presence of plainclothesmen at the funeral and other events, the mother said she had to remain silent during the funeral for the safety of her other children.
“I seek justice and I will not let my son die in vain,” she emphasized.
Mohammad Rasoul’s brother also added that the Forensic Medicine Organization falsely reported his brother had a liver injury. He said the bullet hit his brother in the armpit and his lower ribcage was torn apart.
According to a document received by Iran International, in this report, “being hit by high-speed metal pellets” has been announced as the cause of death.
On Thursday, a regime insider and the deputy of Basij organization said about 70 percent of people arrested during protests are less than 20 years old.
Earlier this week, a photo by a female protester showed the extent of the brutality of Khamenei agents in dealing with demonstrators.
In this photo of a woman from the city of Saqqez in the western Kurdistan province at least 150 birdshot pellets could be seen.
With respect to the size of her wounds, it seems to be a birdshot cartridge that contains 77 pellets. She was shot at least two times by a semi-automatic shotgun.
Shells containing birdshot pellets have multiple projectiles of varying sizes instead of just one slug or 9 pellets for large animals. They are devised for hunting small animals and birds, however, if fired at close targets they could kill people. Birdshot pellets can easily blind people if fired toward the face, as has happened to many Iranian protesters over the years.
Tweet unavailable
