Iran has detained a significant number of key figures in the protest movement that has gripped the Islamic Republic over the past two weeks, Iran’s police chief said on Sunday. TASR writes about it according to the AFP agency.
In short:
- Iran detained several leaders of the protest movement during the unrest
- The government claims that cases of vandalism are decreasing
- Economic protests in Tehran brought the city to a standstill
“Significant numbers of the main participants in the riots were arrested last night (Saturday) and, God willing, they will be punished after the legal procedures,” police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan told state television. He gave no details on the number or identity of those detained.
Weakening vandalism
Speaking on state television on Saturday night, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni insisted that cases of “vandalism” were subsiding and warned that “those who lead protests towards destruction, chaos and acts of terrorism are not letting the voices of the people be heard”.
The head of Iran’s security service, Ali Larijani, called the protests against economic difficulties “completely understandable” but separated them from “riots” and accused the organizers of actions that are “very similar to the methods of terrorist groups”, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Tehran in a state of paralysis
An AFP journalist described Tehran as a city in a state of near paralysis. The price of meat has almost doubled since the protests began, and although some shops are open, they have to close after 4pm local time, when security forces are deployed.
Meanwhile, videos posted on social media show large crowds in the streets during protests, including in the capital Tehran and eastern Iran’s Mashhad. They also show burning cars. The videos went viral despite the country’s internet being completely shut down, making normal communication with foreign countries impossible via messaging apps or phone lines.
Deaths and overburdened hospitals
The US Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed the deaths of 116 people in connection with the protests, including 37 members of the security forces or other officials. The actual number may be much higher.
The US Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said that according to “eyewitnesses and credible reports, hundreds of protesters have been killed in Iran during the current internet blackout”.
It said hospitals were “overburdened” and blood supplies were low, and that many protesters had been deliberately hit in the eyes during security operations.
