Iran: Protests Continue Despite Legal Warning
Facts
- On Sunday, Iranian protesters took to the streets for the 10th night in a row over the death of Mahsa Amini, despite Pres. Ebrahim Raisi and judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei urging "decisive action without leniency" against "instigators of the riots."
- This comes on the same day that Iran's Foreign Ministry announced it had summoned Britain's ambassador to Iran over what it deemed a "hostile atmosphere" promoted by London-based Persian language news outlets.
- Meanwhile, Iran's Minister of Communications has confirmed restrictions to internet access, claiming the measure is necessary to prevent riot organization through social media, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly asked people to identify protesters.
- These are Iran's largest demonstrations in nearly three years, with security forces firing live rounds and protesters throwing rocks and attacking police cars. While the official death toll is at 41, Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights claims that at least 57 have died as of Sunday evening.
- On Sept. 16, Amini died in custody - allegedly due to a heart attack - three days after being arrested by the morality police and sent to a "re-education" center to receive "guidance" on her attire. Her family has denied any pre-existing heart condition.
- The morality police, known as Gasht-e-Ershad, is responsible for enforcing a Sharia-based ruling that made it compulsory for women in Iran to cover their hair and bodies in a conservative manner after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Sources: Le Monde, PBS NewsHour, CNN, Guardian, Time, and Observers.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by France24. Iran's system has long been rotten and Amini's death has pushed Iran's youth to its limits by showing how the regime treats its own citizens as well as its disregard for the rule of law. While Raisi has been unable to tackle the economic crisis and youth unemployment, he has amplified repression against women "incorrectly" covering their hair. Iranians cannot blindly comply with these orders any longer.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Tehran Times. The riots have nothing to do with the death of Amin. Enemies of Iran are exploiting the tragic event for the sole purpose of creating chaos in the country as the government remains firm in its opposition to Western hegemony and Israel's Zionist regime. Claims that she was beaten before her death are baseless and contrary to forensic evidence.